We look back on toys as a part of our life that brought us comfort and a sense of everything being right with the world. It might have seemed perfect, so we need those standards applied to the stuff we collect as adults in order for this idealization to continue. That’s how it is for myself. I want the stuff I buy to be flawless because the most I’ll do nowadays is display it, so aesthetics take center stage instead of staging fantastic adventures on the floor as we all did once upon at time.

Great line!

The more I traverse the various toyboards, I really feel that us toycollectors really suffer from a state of tunnel vision. We have this ideal that has never existed, but we keep comparing everything to it.

I keep an SP Dr. Fate on my desk and he had uneven paint lines just about everywhere. Nothing terrible, but nothing like the straight lines that today’s DCUC Dr. Fate sports. It doesn’t make me love the old one any less.

So while one on one, fresh out of the package I might get peeved at what I find, as a whole collection that I don’t physically touch for years I easily forget what is “flawed” about each figure.

Unless they can’t stand, like JLU, because at that point I’m looking at 50 figures all laying down.

The thing is, I look back on myself as a kid, and I was the run that broke out my orange crayon to paint He-Man’s gauntlets. I took a pencil and did the best I could to draw an “S” on my Mego Superman’s cape. I’ve always been crazy.

But I realize I have to start letting go and accepting some imperfections. I’m slowly getting there but it’s so… difficult! Excellent post!

Yeah I was/kinda still am the same way, One of my biggest OCD’s was/is loose joints, they drove me crazy, (I used to wrap a string around an arm or head to tighten it a little, cause I couldn’t stand it, lol.) Paint on the other hand wasn’t much of an issue, (I still looked/look for the best I can see, but who doesn’t? ) anyways nice article ToyOtter, you have re-opened my eyes to the intolerance of “Flawed Toys”
Toys are people too! (very little people, and sometimes strange looking, but they have feelings too, just watch Toystory.)

But, I like the figures.

I touched up some paint. I fixed some joints through the usual methods. One ankle was truly broken and couldn’t be repaired. I swapped it with an ankle from an extra Scotty from the Transporter set.

Any mass produced, cheap item has a chance of being flawed, regardless of the company that makes it. Try not to obsess over the small stuff, and you may end up enjoying life a bit more. That’s what I took away from ToyOtter’s blog post.

If your calling unpainted accessories flaws, then yeah, okay.

“Harry We don’t have defective cans, we have a defective person out there!”

Seriously I think the whole point of this post gets missed. Don’t worry about the little things. It’s the big things, like two left feet or two right arms that should be a concern. And please don’t bust out the Hasbro and Playmates are better line!

Hasbro?
I have been burned quite a few times with worse than any DCUC. I could send you some pictures of Star Wars figures that look like they were painted by the Hulk. Stretched out hands from weapons. Two left hands etc. How about some of those paint apps on the new Indy figures? Yeah quality!! GI Joe? Many in my collection look terrible. Marvel Legends? Better but not enough to be a Holy Grail of toy line perfection. I don’t think Hasbro can make a decent removable helmet for the Joe or Star Wars line! Oh and Marvel Universe… Do I need to say more?

Playmates?
Sweet Mother? Which figure line? TMNT? Nope flaws abundant in every incarnation of the line since the squishy headed turtles to the new movie figures with “real” articulation! Missing weapons to paint that I could have done better blind folded with a spray can! Please tell me it’s not Terminator Salvation toys!! The old Trek line? I had collection on the wall that was just flaws!! The new Trek toys? I passed on these do to crappy sculpts thats a huge flaw in my mind.

There is no toy company that is better than another. It’s always a good idea to inspect a toy before it goes home with you. But what happens if you missed something?

Enjoy the little flaws… Aztecs thought little flaws were perfection in the gods eyes.