The obsessive progression continues…
…or is that progressive obsession? Regardless…
I remember back in the 80’s when I first got into anime figure collecting. They weren’t “toys”, they were “figures” or better yet, “collectible figures”. Then I started collecting models, and I automatically had an out.
Well, due to the constraints of adulthood and purported responsibilities, I have no time for the building, painting, (and now wiring) that many of today’s models require. I decided to go back to figure collecting, especially since so many of today’s anime action figures look like models anyway with their detailing and anime-accuracy, (which in the 80’s was almost non-existent). My figure collection is still growing, and I’m still loving every minute of it; but I’m afraid I just crossed a line, one that I wasn’t sure I would ever be prepared to cross…
I love some of my favorite characters (especially from Evangelion) so much that I had been toying with the idea of picking up a figure or two in Medicom’s Real Action Hero (RAH) line. The only problem is that these aren’t just “figures”, they can accurately be described as “dolls”…
My revulsion of that word is complete and total. “Sally Talks-A-Lot” is a doll. “Baby Alive” is a doll. (One which I’m ashamed to admit I actually owned when I was about four years old). “Barbie” is of course a doll… Ick… That’s not to say I’m demeaning them in any way, it’s just that, well, “dolls” are for GIRLS…
My terror of being labeled as the 39-year-old guy that plays with dolls is almost paralyzing… I keep having flash backs to that stupid line in Live Free or Die Hard where Bruce Willis admonishes Justin Long for “playing with dolls” because of his figure collection…
Anyway, the line is crossed and it’s too late to turn back… I just found a new Rei Ayanami (bandaged version) on E-bay for an obscenely low price… ($52.80 with shipping)!!! These things usually go for $150+… With a deal like that, I couldn’t be happier to now be a 39-year-old guy who “plays with dolls”…
Shiro's Scary Thoughts 
Be careful with ebay though… I don’t know how they work it out to be profitable, but there are actually Hong Kong bootleg figures out there. My rule of thumb is to check the feedback on the seller account, and to check and make sure they aren’t using stock photos, which usually helps.
No sweat, this was from a seller in Florida. I make it a habit not to buy anything from China, until they stop working over the Tibetans…