Just what the hell is it about 1/6th that makes it so addictive?

[Wanderer]

I remember the Action Man dolls i played with back in the day and loved the realistic detailing they had overall. So it feels really weird that 20/25yrs later, i collect 1/6 dolls again. When i got into it about 3yrs ago, it was ED-209, T800 endo and Medi Darth Vader that started it all. At that stage i wasn't really that addicted. I collected mainly SW model kits and Soul of Chogokin Japanese robot figures (coincidentally approx 12" tall).
Then however i came across 1) Pitu's Youtube vids AND 2) a certain website with the initial' MWC...I"ll be honest it was Pitu's energy and passion and AMAZING collection that pulled me in. Couple this with Jeff's brilliantly discriptive reviews of all the latest Hot Toys figures and i've been on plastic crack ever since..
At first it was playing catch up for me tracing down Preds, Aliens, Robocop etc. Once i got to that point i wanted to ease off but then the next wave of must haves in the Dark Knight figures, Iron Man etc hit. I think its safe to say i was at my worst in 2008/09 pre ordering everything. Now the 1/6 addiction is cooling down for me and i'm being largely selective with what i'm buying. I'm no longer getting this stuff coz it looks cool or its the latest figure. This is down to the fact that my collection (although boxed and stored) has reached a point of completeness for me and because i'm concerned space will be an issue when i move.
This is one crazy hobby and the stuff i've amassed gives me a sense of pride and satisfaction but its also a giant millstone around my neck..Go figure!

 

[Protozaius]

My 12" odyssey started WAY back to Captain Action. I had all of the costumes as well as most of the playsets and the Silvertreak. It was a kick to keep changing CA's identity to any number of superheroes. Unfortunately, the clothes proved not to be up for the challenge of this constant changing... boots started in split on the bottom and snaps became unsewn. And my Spiderman costume started to unravel around his neck... he looked like he was wearing a red boa accessory.

I went from the Superhero world of Captain Action to the Planet of the Apes... losing about 4 inches in the process. I remember loving those Mego Apes but feeling I'd lost something in this translation. The posability wasn't that great and the figures always looks a bit like they were wearing pajamas. However CA did make a crossover to the Planet of the Apes... Dr. Evil became the mutant giant that would threaten the Apes very existance!

And the move from Apes to the Kenner Star Wars line in 1978, I again lost much ground in terms of scale. This time it was cut in half from 8" to just below 4"!!! And when Kenner did make a 12" Star Wars figures, they were more Ken than Captain. Play time was never the same.

So my current addiction started up around 1996 when Hasbro started making their now defunct 12" Star Wars line. The sheer array of characters covered as well as a few amazing vehicles (that speeder bike and Tauntaun come to mind) kept that line alive for me for YEARS.

This then led to Sideshow's 12" Planet of the Apes line (finally the Apes could go toe-to-toe with Dr. Evil... and WIN!!!). This led to my purchase of many 12" Sideshow lines which included, Buffy, Hellboy, Army of Darkness, Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. Finally all of my figures shared the same scale... solidifying my focus on this scale.

Hot Toys was making amazing figure for years before I purchased any of them. Aliens, Predator, Batman Superman Returns, Rocky, Rambo, Pirates of the Carribbean are all great licenses... but none of them are quite my cup of tea. However, it would be just matter of time before Hot Toys would acquire a license I was interested in. That came with the announcement of their Planet of the Apes line as well as their Hellboy and Watchmen licenses.

And it is this advancement of quality Hot Toys has brought to the 12" table (in sculpting, paint apps, and tailoring) that has fueled, at least for me, the addiction I currently feel toward this particular scale.

 

[Maglor]

And it is this advancement of quality Hot Toys has brought to the 12" table (in sculpting, paint apps, and tailoring) that has fueled, at least for me, the addiction I currently feel toward this particular scale.

It seems like Hot Toys has been the downfall of a lot of us!


https://www.sideshowcollectors.com/forums/group.php?groupid=60

 

[EdwardNashton1]

I can't really say. I've loved action figures since I was little, and I went through a period where I didn't collect anymore, and neglected my toys, because I thought letting go was part of growing up. Then I was introduced to 1/6 and The Dark Knight figures, then I said "screw it, I don't care what other people think, this is my obsession."

And then of course I joined here, and that further upped my interest in figures.

The real clothes, the realistic head sculpts, ah it's just awesome.

 

[Deckard]

Recently I've began to sell most of my regular 1/6 figures, like from Hot Toys, Sideshow. I even canceled a Pre order for the new HT T-800. It's exciting to see these companies upping their game, but for me and 1/6, its become about the process of building a custom figure.

Something that isn't already available, searching for the right parts. Even commissioning a head sculpt. Finding a painter half way around the world etc.

By the time I'm finished I have something that is really unique and that alot of people from all over the world have put their time and effort into, it represents one of my favorite films or characters and all the friendships I've made thanks to it and the project. It makes the hobby more rewarding.

 

[El Skutto]

A brief history: Grew up with the original 12-inch GI Joes, then got heavily into action figures with the release of the first Star Wars flick. That was pretty much it until the GI Joe Real American Hero series kicked off, and from there I dabbled in pretty much every single action figure line that hit the market, like MASK, Toy Biz' earlier Marvel figures, COPS, and lots of MacFarlane movie-related figures.

One of my local comic stores was having a sidewalk sale one day and they had all 5 of Sideshow's original Monty Python and the Holy Grail figures discounted to $20 each. Being a huge Python fan, I picked them up and that's pretty much where it all began. From there, I found out about the Knight of Ni online exclusive and managed to order one direct from Sideshow. I pretty much ditched action figures entirely at that point and began concentrating on Sideshow's 12-inchers from Highlander, the X-Files and Platoon.

Times have changed, however. I find that the 12-inch scale just doesn't do it for me anymore, as they still look too much like dolls. Basically, I'd spend hours and hours trying to find the "perfect" pose for my figures, and they'd stay in that pose from that moment on. It's only after I bought my first PF, the Ash exclusive, that I realized that 1:4 scale PFs were more to my liking.

Other than the Dead and Hot Toys' Iron Man line, I'm pretty much done with 12-inch figures. It's all about PFs these days.

 

[toystales]

Before I started on 1/6 figures, my main collection was based on Hasbro's smaller 4 inch SW figures. My 1st ever 1/6 figure was the Medicom EP3 Clone and I haven't looked back since. Today, most of my 1/6 collection are SS or HT figures with the occasional Medicom buy now and then. My collection helps take away the stress especially after a bad day at the office.

 

[MarthaT]

It's just a great size

 

[Maglor]

Recently I've began to sell most of my regular 1/6 figures, like from Hot Toys, Sideshow. I even canceled a Pre order for the new HT T-800. It's exciting to see these companies upping their game, but for me and 1/6, its become about the process of building a custom figure.

Something that isn't already available, searching for the right parts. Even commissioning a head sculpt. Finding a painter half way around the world etc.

By the time I'm finished I have something that is really unique and that alot of people from all over the world have put their time and effort into, it represents one of my favorite films or characters and all the friendships I've made thanks to it and the project. It makes the hobby more rewarding.

That's cool Deckard!

If you have any 1/6 you want to sell cheap let me know!

 

[Bezzerkerr]

-less expensive than statues
-easy to display
-poseable
-you can play with em

 

[LoneWolf]

Mainly because you don't have to buy boxed sets all the time in order to have a figure.. You can customize by putting little parts/pieces together.

There are also a lot of items in the 1:6 scale, so you can literally make any scene/dio with the right items!

And the sculpts of the various manufacturers are just getting better!

 

[jediknight120]

For me it's a number of reasons. I find 1/6 figures are large enough to have good likenesses, yet not so large I'll have trouble finding a place to display them. Price is also a major concern for me... Hot Toys figures aren't exactly cheap, but they're not as much as statues. I also like the ability to kitbash and customize with 1/6. Plus, they're nostalgic for me, as someone who grew up collecting action figures of all sizes.

Don't get me wrong, there are some statues I would love to own, but due to price concerns I'll never have.

 

[Josette]

1/6th can be highly detailed and amazing (see a Hot Toys figure), without being so breakable - I've only own a couple statues, and one's been broken a few times and is currently for sale because I'm tired of the bad luck I've had with it.

While guys here may cringe, I used to pretend my barbies and kens were characters from my favorite television shows and books because they didn't make dolls based on them - now i can have my favorite characters in the scale I've always loved.

 

[Reinhardt]

For me it's a combination of the high level of detail that can be attained in a 1/6 figure, combined with a size that allows me to collect many figures before running out of space.