TOYS for the boys

TOP MARVEL’S mightiest heroes Iron Man, Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk and Thor as well as DC Comics’ powerful fighters Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are taking time out from fighting evil villains, leaving the big bad world behind as they jet into Bangkok to meet and greet their die-hard fans. 
They’re part of the “Siam Discovery Presents Toys Station Pop Culture Fest” running at the downtown shopping mall until October 1. The collectible figures from blockbuster movies and comics ranging in size from a tiny 9.5 centimetres to the height of a grown man have assembled on the mall’s second floor alongside lots of rare and exclusive items that are guaranteed to attract ordinary mortals in their thousands.

The fest is a collaborative effort between Siam Discovery, Hobbie Plus Co, the firm that runs the pop culture event Thailand Comic Con and Toys Station, which sells collectible figures. Together they have turned the shopping mall into a second home for figure collectors and Play Station fans, who are invited to test the latest game versions with the first PlayStation VR.
“The market for collectible figures from comics and movies has grown a lot over the last five years. A couple of generations ago, Thai kids were growing up with superheroes from Japanese movies and cartoons but during the past decade, American superhero movies have mostly dominated the silver screen, particularly after Walt Disney acquired Marvel in 2009,” says Chanvit Vitayasamrit, chief executive officer of Hobbie Plus. 

The Cosbaby line of mini figures by Hot Toys

“There is also an increasing number of companies producing high-quality licensed collectible action figures. In Thailand alone, the market is worth between Bt2-3 billion.”
The event is divided into four major themes, each running at different times. From now until August 13, “Cosbaby” presents mini figures from Hong Kong-based firm Hot Toys, among them super heroes from Marvel and the latest movie “Spider-Man Homecoming”. Designed with an additional magnetic feature, the Spider-Man Cosbaby can be displayed as its owner sees fit. The Spider-Man and Iron Man Mark XLVII collectible set includes Spidey hanging on his web along with a flying Iron Man Mark XLVII. 
Another highlight of the series is the Spider-Man: Homecoming Cosbaby Bobble-Head set featuring Spidey in his home-made suit, cool-headed Tony Stark with his kitty shirt as well as Peter Parker carrying his Spider-Man face mask. And a giant spider dubbed “Spidey” measuring an impressive 1.2 metres is available for those all-important selfies.

Designed with an additional magnetic feature, Cosbaby’s Spider-Man collection reflects the latest movie “Spider-Man Homecoming”.

“Most Thai collectors are aged 30 and above and 80 per cent of them are male. They’ve reached the age where can afford their favourite character figures that they saw as youngsters in movies or comics. These action figures are like they’ve come to life and become touchable. The Cosbaby line of mini figures by Hot Toys should also attract more women because they are smaller in scale and have cartoon-like representations,” adds Chanvit, who operates Toys Station shop on the fourth floor of Siam Discovery.

Among all the superhero characters, Iron Man is the all-time best seller.

“Car, gaming and action figures are top three hobbies of men today,” he adds. “Among the superhero characters, Iron Man is the all-time best seller, probably because people, and especially guys, find it easy to associate with him. Billionaire playboy Tony Stark is an idol for a lot of men as he’s rich, smart, and intelligent and those attributes allow him to invent a wide range of sophisticated devices and specialise in advanced weapons and armour. In addition, Iron Man comes in different suits of armour and various editions, which means collectors have plenty of fun amassing the figures. Superman is at the top of the superhero ladder, but as he comes from the planet Krypton, his approach is not down-to-earth like Iron Man’s.”

 Two “Gran Turismo Sport” pods are available for visitors to immerse themselves with PlayStation VR and play the latest version of the GT Sport game.

An authorised dealer of Sony PlayStation, Chanvit has also brought in two “Gran Turismo Sport” pods that allows fans to put themselves in the driver’s seat with PlayStation VR and challenge the GT Sport’s advanced matchmaking pits gamers. Other virtual games specifically designed for PlayStation 4 are also available to try out. 
From August 14 to 27, new animated cartoon “Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir” will be in the spotlight. This animated series, a collaborative project between Japan, France and South Korea, features two Parisian teenagers, Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste, who transform into the superheroes Ladybug and Cat Noir, respectively, to protect the city from supervillains. It’s screening in Thailand on Channel 9 and fans of the series will find rare Ladybug collectibles at the fest.

HeroCross’s Transformers series

“HeroCross Exclusive Showcase” will run from August 28 to September 14 and feature the latest figures from “Transformers” led by Bumblebee, Optimus Prime, Mega Tron, Hound and Autobot Sqweek. Produced by Hong Kong-based firm HeroCross, the four-inch-tall Transformers figures quickly became coveted collectors’ items when the blockbuster “Transformers 5: the Last Knight” hit cinemas last month.
“We supplied these Transformers figures to Major Cineplex as collectible items for movie buffs. On the first day of screening, Major Cineplex ordered 5,000 sets – a set has five main character figures - and they sold so fast that the chain ordered 10,000 more sets and they too quickly went out of stock. For this event, I will showcase the exclusive collection that are limited to 500 pieces each character worldwide,” says Chanvit who also has a YouTube channel “hobbie plus” that reviews new action figures in store and visit homes of avid collectors.

Star Wars’ collection made out of pewter by Royal Selangor

From September 15 to October 1, meanwhile, the, “Royal Selangor X Star Wars” theme will present exclusive products of Star Wars produced by Kuala Lumpur-based Royal Selangor – the world’s leader in quality pewter.
A full exclusive line of limited edition Star Wars merchandise made out of pewter with intricate details on which Royal Selangor collaborated with Disney will be on view as well as a life-size carbonite Han Solo. To commemorate Star Wars 40th anniversary, a selection of special edition gold-plated tokens of Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, limited to 1,977 pieces worldwide will be available.

 

Royal Selangor has launched a special limited edition of gold plated tokens with 1,977 pieces going on sale worldwide.

“Luckily, I’m not a fan of Star Wars because there are a lot of figurines and collectibles related to this film,” says avid collector Vasin Dolruedej, 39. “The Hulk is my favourite with Spider-Man coming in a close second. So far, I have about 200 figurines in my collection and I only collect the ones at 1/3 and 1/4 scales. I don’t think about the price, for me it’s enough to have my favourite characters on display all over my home.”
A former student in the US, Vasin became enamoured of Marvel and DC Comics comic characters as a youngster and started collecting his favourite figurines a decade ago when he had the money to indulge in his passion. 
“It’s not like today. There were only a few companies producing these figurines a decade ago. It took me four years to get the figures of Hulk vs Spider-Man in battle produced by Sideshow Collectibles – the first item in my collection. Collectors today have more choices of products thanks to the increasing numbers of producers, so you can just buy the ones you like most without thinking about collecting,” he adds.

Chanvit Vitayasamrit poses with his personal hero, Iron Man.

Chanvit, who also co-owns IT retailer Com7, the operator of Banana IT, iStudio, iBeat, and Banana Mobile, believes the market has plenty of potential. 
“Many of products are produced in limited editions, making it a niche but premium market. The widespread shares on social media and the business strategy of the film studios also help make this hobby more popular,” says Chanvit. 
“Male collectors are like predators preying on other animals as they keep hunting for their favourite items in full collections. This is a business where customers are willing to deposit money on a pre-order and wait for several months to get the products. It takes sometimes more than six months to obtain an exclusive collection. A new iPhone or a Mercedes Benz doesn’t have such a long waiting list.”

MAKE LIKE A SUPERHERO
“Siam Discovery Presents Toys Station Pop Culture Fest” continues until October 1. It’s open daily from 10 to 10. 
For more information, call (02) 658 1000 extension 3400.