Modern vs classic toys

[brannon86]

How do you guys think the modern toys of today hold up to the classic toys, say of the 60's and 70s,that most of us grew up playing with?

[B-Lister]

Depends on the line. Some are as good or better, some miss the mark.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I think it depends on how you define "hold up."

-A lot of newer stuff is designed with the collector in mind, so they have much better detail, with less playability.
-Some toys that are meant to be played with today show a lot more variety and awesomeness than older ones. Stuff like Lego, or Playmobil have all sorts of nifty playsets now.
-Newer stuff tends to have higher price points, so it's tougher to build an army.
-Those higher price points mean you see a lot of the same ground with newer toys. (HOW MANY Batmans does a person need?) There's also a reluctance for newer stuff to come out of nowhere, meaning a lot of the backstory comes preordained.
-Newer video games look better, but they all play the same. Looking back at all the "Space Invaders" clones back in the day, I think this one is a draw.

Don C.

[brannon86]

Hold up price wise, hold up as how well are they made compared to toys from back in the day, the quality, build, strength. Do kids today even want the simplicity of a board game, an action figure, etc, as opposed to electronic/games nowadays?

[Access]

How well it holds up depends. Hot wheels are just as tough now as theyve ever been, But Star Wars figures are more fragile because theyve added more articulation points, th eplastic itself is just as tough though as the originals.

There is a trade off, I feel the newer Transformers are cooler looking than the original because of more intricate "Transformations" and more attention to articulation and detail, this however makes them weaker than some of the originals that had very little articulation and somewhat lousy detail.

Squinkies and figures like that are just as tough as a M.u.s.c.l.e. was, etc.

I think the modern toys are just as tough, and often better in some instances. But there is no substitute for 'antiquity and sentiment', so the originals will always be valuable.

[brannon86]

True. I agree. Some better, some worse. It is a trade off like you said.

[MIB41]

The industry is so entirely different today versus what it was in the 60's and 70's. Collectors were not even tested as a viable consumer until the mid 90's. So the mentality was enirely different back then. Companies were building toys to tolerate some degree of rough and tumble play. GI Joes, Big Jims, and Mego's all had commercials showing them being played with outside. And they were priced for our mom and dads to buy too. With the Mego-style figures today, I think durability is measured from line to line. The Mattel retros have durable bodies, but have delicate materials for costuming. So any major play would likely tear those up, including the decals. But I think the SMDM and BSG sets are pretty durable, and have outfits that can endure typical play. The industry though views almost all of those figures as "adult collectibles". For the most part the toy industry looks at your three and six inch figures as the current bedroom and backyard rumble figures. Thats why they get the playsets and vehicales (for the most part). But the Mego market does appear to be growing. So adventure sets may find their way back one day.

[brannon86]

I think most toys (vintage and modern) have become more of a collectors items, like you said. Like comic books have become, and have for years, ore for the adult market. Its amazing how things change.