April 6, 2018

Distinct from the memorabilia and movie action figure market, but simlar in other ways is the market for designer toys or 'Urban Vinyl'. It's a market Andy Oddie calls a 'toy sub-culture', and it attracts a totally different audience that is more pop, ironic and design-conscious. Creators of these toys are still attracted to licensed properties but often use them as part of the design rather than make slavish replicas. It's a trend underpinned by the defacement and undermining of pop-culture. New York-based artist Kaws, for example, creates distorted Mickey Mouse and Michelin Man figures.
The
phenomenon of designer toys for adults first took Asia by storm in the late 1990's. Vinyl toys created by artists, graffiti artists, designers and illustrators transcended the category of 'toy' to become collectable art pieces in their own right. They were popularized by shops like Bounty Hunter, a cult boutique that sold limited edition urban-clothing. The designers behind the boutique started selling limited edition toys, which proved popular with Tokyo's trendy twentysomethings.Subsequently, designers like Micheal Lau became highly influential. Lau started making distorted GI Joes but it was his skate-influenced fashion figures called Gardeners that made him an icon and brought the toys to a wider audience. For example, Nike Japan featured him in a series of Presto shoe adverts and Levi Strauss used him to promote their Engineered Jeans. Since 1999, Sony Music Entertainment Television has owned the Japanese license to the Gardner series, putting them on keyrings, t-shirts and Visa cards.
Now the trend for toys has spread to the West thanks to the internet and to fans, such as clothing brand Maharishi, which was one of the first to introduce Kubrick figures. Kubrick figures, made by Japanese company Medicom Toys, are about 6-8cm tall, rigidly stylized and come in three kinds; limited, regular and set. Medicom makes its own distinctive versions of licensed characters from the likes of Disney and Marvel as well as many, less obvious licenses. It has worked with Nike and French designer store Colette, for example, on special toys.
Aidan Onn, proprietor of designer toy shop Playlounge based in London, grew up in Hong Kong where he developed an interest in designer toys. 'The rapid development of internet communication has brought things to the West,' he says. 'Adult-orientated toy culture, rooted in Manga and Anime, has long been an Asian preserve, and the net has given the world access to it.'
The toys in Playlounge are mainly design-orientated, blurring the line between art and toy. 'We try to avoid the action and fantasy genre, because there is so much more interesting stuff around.' Playlounge stocks things like Ugly Dolls, the Reebok Zombies, Monsterisms, Kubrick figures, Cubees and King Ken. What is so appealing about these objects to collectors? 'Mostly it's the quality and aesthetic of the object, but there is also a scarcity aspect. People like to own something rare and unique.' Among the most popular toys of the moment in Playlounge are a series by James Jarvis with a very distinctive style, and they are most definitely 'cool'; London rap collective The Mitchell Brothers recently featured his Young Ruffian and Policemen figures in a music video.
Aidan sees designer toys as a growing market, 'It hasn't really kicked off in the UK yet like it has in America, but I like to think Playlounge is pushing things forward. I believe toys will evolve and become part of the mainstream as design objects rather than toys.'
As the market grows and more people are seduced by the idea of these toys for display not play, there is likely to be more opportunity for licensing. Kidrobot, a large chain of designer toy stores on the West Coast of the US, now produce toys under license. A recent example is a line of vinyl figures depicting the band Gorillaz, based on Jamie Hewlett's original designs.
Adult-orientated collectables, whether action figure replicas or design-led pieces are toys made to be seen, not smashed. The market might be in its early days right now, but in a retail climate that is forcing licensors to be more resourceful about finding new customers and retail channels, it seems churlish to ignore it.
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