ToyCyte: Toy Culture Collected

Well, fans of Doktor A didn’t really think it would be so easy as to snatch up a complete window-boxed set of his mini-Mechtorians, did we? MINDstyle has revealed the golden ticket figures we alluded to earlier this week. These are the official images of the Lucky Draw prizes being awarded to winning ticket holders. Each winning ticket will randomly receive one figure. Per MINDstyle: “The Lucky Draw prize is a bonus and meant to be a chase figure like with blind boxed toys. In this case, the tickets gets the holder one free collectible figure.”

Even if you didn’t get a golden ticket, you should be able to get these figures, which will be available as a full set first offered to ATS members and then subject to general availability. Entitled the VERDIGRIS set, complete sets have a SRP of $250 USD, which MINDstyle points out is just over $42 each for a hand-painted detailed figure. “The most impressive aspect of these limited edition variants is the fact each looks weathered and so authentic as a collectible. The VERDIGRIS 50 set limited edition set compliments the intricately sculpted details rivets, vents and gears. As these are all hand painted, no two are the same.”

Verdigris is the common name for the green coating or patina formed when copper, brass or bronze is weathered and exposed to air or seawater over a period of time. It is usually a basic copper carbonate, but near the sea will be a basic copper chloride.[1] If acetic acid is present at the time of weathering, it may consist of copper(II) acetate. Its name comes from the Middle English vertegrez, from the Old French verte grez, an alteration of vert-de-Grèce (“green of Greece”). The modern French spelling of this word is vert-de-gris. (Source: Wikipedia)

MINDstyle continues: “To meet the demand and provide fans with limited edition and highly collectible figures and not having to pay secondary market prices” … be on the lookout for other exclusive variant sets (bronze, antique, pewter) and releases at the following events:

• Taipei Toy Fair (Asia) set
• San Diego Comic Con set
• Singapore Toys & Comic Con (Asia) set
• Dragon Con

Hmmm. I’m not sure how this prevents the thriving secondary market. In my experience, event exclusives seem to turn up on eBay mere moments after convention doors open.  However, these events are spaced out in time and geography which theoretically should give a wide range of fans access. Doktor A is also an active message board participant and may indeed have some sets and individual pieces available direct.  So while collectors dodged the blind-box bullet with the initial release, there’s still some chase to be had. You can thank Doktor A for the lack of BBs though. He told me when it came to the mini-Mechtorians release, he voiced his opinion to MINDstyle. Quoth the Doktor: “I dont find BBs fun, just annoying.” I’ll have more blunt honesty from a diverse group of artists, companies, retailers, collectors, fans and bloggers for a feature coming soon…