Do you buy toys other than LEGO?

[AmperZand]

Obviously everyone here buys LEGO and some of us even buy LEGO-compatible brands, but I was wondering if anyone buys toys that are neither.

I came back to LEGO in 1993 through my hobby of collecting fantasy action figures (or 'dolls' as my fiancée calls them!). While I now have much more LEGO in my display collection than non-LEGO, I do still pick up the odd non-LEGO fantasy or super hero action figure now and again. In case you're wondering, I don't mix the two: my LEGO and non-LEGO collections are physically separate.

I know that Jang, a prominent AFOL, buys other toy brands as he has reviewed some on his YouTube channel. 

So what non-LEGO and non-LEGO-compatible toys do you collect? Do you sometimes have to make tough choices between getting more LEGO and getting something else? How do you decide what to get/what not to get?

 

[Japanbuilder]

Being a huge nerd sure does cause me to have to choose between LEGO and other stuff. 

Usually if it is not LEGO it is Bandai or Hasbro action figures. On occasion I will pick up a FIGMA action figure or an Amazing Yamaguchi and even some Medicom MAFEX. 

But not much else besides that. My collection is still overwhelmingly LEGO. 

[Agent Kallus]

Not really but I've got a few Steven Universe mystery minis and some pop-funkos, I used to collect the Doctor Who 5 inch figures but I haven't bought a new one since the main line was shrunk to 3.75 inches.  

There are other things I would get but Lego is a priority, so in terms of toys Iego is the only one for me.

[deraven]

For me it's Lego, board games, and the occasional Nerf gun (since the kids really enjoy those, and I definitely join in).  But, by dollar amount, the Lego FAR surpasses the other "toys" we buy.

Honestly, almost any other toy that there's interest it becomes a project to re-create in a Lego version.  

[LM71Blackbird]

I have tons of Legos. The last set I bought however was probably in 2015 in the forest police line. Next to that I have a sizeable Nerf collection and a couple hundred matchbox and hotwheel cars that I've been collecting since I was really little. I also like doing the Metal Earth laser cut steel models, I've got about 7 of those right now.

[Digger of Bricks]

Before Lego, I grew up with the old Learning Curve brand Wooden Railway system for Thomas the Tank Engine, with many train and track parts that I still have in my possession today. So, when they do come by, I still purchase any old collections of that system donated to local Goodwill stores that I may find, since they're much harder to come by than most Lego.

[Ghost Onyx]

I used to collect My Little Pony. But then my cousin came along and she has been living with us ever since she was born and welp, there goes my collection. 

[ColletArrow]

If a (properly detailed) model railway counts as a toy, then yes I do, and there are many difficult decisions such as which way my money and time goes!

Mine did start out as a toy; in the early, loop-of-track-on-the-floor days, I would build simple platforms and accessories from my bricks. In the 10 or so years since then, it has become permanent, and grown into as accurate a model as I can manage. 

[dr_spock]

I buy drone stuff.  Would that be a toy?

 

[Trekkie99]

Bikes. Some say its a toy, others say its a tool. I say both.  

[Peppermint_M]

What don't I buy? I collect the odd Hotwheels car and plenty of action figures. I love Zoids, anime plush toys and trading figures. Add all the neat toys I pick up from time to time... I have a lot of toys!

[Robianco]

Hot Toys and Sideshow 1/6 scale figures for me. All Star Wars OT based. My toy buying decisions are now clearly defined between OT Lego and 1/6 figures. I am looking into converting some Hasbro stuff into large scale models such as the Snowspeeder. If that works out well then I’ll have to reconsider keeping my UCS Snowspeeder.

On 28/02/2018 at 2:43 PM, Peppermint_M said:

I love Zoids...

Funny you should mention that. I was at my parents over the weekend and they were having a clearout and there was an 85% complete red Triceratops Zoid on the kitchen table after a clearout. I think I went with the baddies.

Edited March 4, 2018 by Robianco

[Peppermint_M]

8 minutes ago, Robianco said:

Funny you should mention that. I was at my parents over the weekend and they were having a clearout and there was an 85% complete red Triceratops Zoid on the kitchen table after a clearout. I think I went with the baddies.

I was not quite old enough for Zoids 2 (Dad got a kit on a knockdown price and I had it about five years later) and I was a teenager when the Zoids that linked to the anime were on their last legs (loads of clearance bargains...) Now I am always on the lookout for NIB kits and hoping for a relaunch! 

[AmperZand]

4 hours ago, Peppermint_M said:

I was not quite old enough for Zoids 2 (Dad got a kit on a knockdown price and I had it about five years later) and I was a teenager when the Zoids that linked to the anime were on their last legs (loads of clearance bargains...) Now I am always on the lookout for NIB kits and hoping for a relaunch! 

I had some of the first wave of Zoids. I recall having a Zoid elephant, frog and dinosaur and may have had a spider, too. They were powered with a wind-up mechanism. I really liked the designs but found the wind-up engine more trouble than it was worth.

[Robianco]

This was the one I had. Battery powered. I had a few of the wind up Red faction ones too which were smaller and more lizard like.

https://goo.gl/images/xCkp4A

The Hot Toys stuff has got me making dioramas. Not content with building from plastic brick I'm now also building with laser cut acrylic!

 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Robianco

[kibosh]

Once my LEGO hobby hit a tipping point, I realized I don't have room, or money, for multiple hobbies any more.

I used to obsessive collect unopened Star Wars figures that just collected dust.  No, I sell off what I can, and the rest gets opened and displayed in my offices at work.  (I work in two locations so I have plenty of space!)

I used to build prop replicas from movies.  I have since sold off all my supplies.

I used to be big into Lord of the Rings and Star Wars minis tabletop gaming.  Once I realized my kids had no interest in playing, I sold them all off.

Once I'm into my new house, and have some space, I do plan on getting back into costuming.  I love Halloween!

[AmperZand]

On 28/02/2018 at 2:42 AM, dr_spock said:

I buy drone stuff.  Would that be a toy?

I would say 'yes' unless you buy drones purely for work, e.g. because you're a drone cameraman, drone market researcher or journalist. 

On 05/03/2018 at 1:34 PM, Robianco said:

The Hot Toys stuff has got me making dioramas. Not content with building from plastic brick I'm now also building with laser cut acrylic!

That is really cool!  If someone had told me that was a photo of actual stormtrooper actors on the set of one of the films, I would have believed them.

Reading through this thread I realised that I didn't really say what my own non-LEGO toys are. It would take me too long to list all of them in my display collection, but the major franchises are: Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit (various sizes and brands including Burger King), Narnia, D&D Miniatures, generic fantasy (various sizes and brands), Greek mythology, Slavic mythology, Heroclix, Disney (McDonalds), Marvel, DC, Star Trek, Star Wars (Kenner), Seventh Voyage of Sinbad and Ghost Busters.

Here's a picture of four ogres from my collection, part of the generic fantasy toys. To the best of my knowledge, this action figure only comes in these four colours and this is the only picture online of them together:

Edited March 7, 2018 by AmperZand

[PicnicBasketSam]

I got a COBI P-51C Mustang scale model today for $30, with 250 pieces. It's a very well-designed, high-quality model, and not at all derivative of LEGO. It's a design they would never touch and at least half the piece shapes in the set are unique to them, although they are very compatible with LEGO parts. I'll upload some pictures later if anyone wants, the figure is pretty ugly but seated inside the cockpit he's kind of hard to see. 

The plane itself is quite a bit larger than expected, it's approximately 11 inches long with a 13-inch wingspan, and it comes with a nice display stand with a printed plaque. Just a few of the details are stickers, but unfortunately, three of them are over a large number of parts. For a scale model that I'll probably never disassemble I don't mind, but for a LEGO-like product it kind of hurt to put those ones on.

COBI makes two different P-51 Mustangs so, to clarify, this is the model I now am the proud owner of. https://cobi.pl/en/small-army-ww2/aircrafts/north-american-p-51c-mustang,art,8751.html

[Digger of Bricks]

On 3/4/2018 at 4:41 PM, Robianco said:

Hot Toys and Sideshow 1/6 scale figures for me.

Oh yeah, Hot Toys. I don't own any of those, but dang, the photorealistic faces on some of their figures are just too freaky good!  

[Vindicare]

I buy some action figures every now & again of comic or Star Wars characters. Funko Pops! as well.  But I pretty much focus on LEGO.

[Harrilal]

I have The Count Funko Pop. A few Luigi toys (2 stuffed and 1 Luigi Kart). Not that much else in the way of toys, but lots of board games and video games. 

[Robianco]

On 07/03/2018 at 3:19 AM, Digger of Bricks said:

Oh yeah, Hot Toys. I don't own any of those, but dang, the photorealistic faces on some of their figures are just too freaky good!  

This Tarkin one is one of the best I've seen:

 

[Steamdemon]

Does a new electric Drum Kit count as a toy? Because I finally got a new Electric Drum Kit, the Roland V-Drums TDK-1. :3 I'm very happy! It was to replace my aging V-Drums Lite HD-1.

[BaneShake]

Funko POPs mostly. I like action figures, but they're harder to display, and usually don't have the exact styles I want (basically just 300000 variants of Deadshot, please), so I don't tend to collect them anymore.

[Elrond]

I used to buy a lot of action figures (mostly Hasbro Star Wars and some GI Joe) but slowed down considerably a few years ago when their main 3.75" Star Wars line dropped down in quality. I'd also rather spend my money on LEGO sets nowadays, although I still occasionally buy some figures of the characters I really like.

I've also bought some toy cars (Hot Wheels, Matchbox), mostly licensed stuff like Ghostbusters or Batman, but I don't own that many of them... one of the good things about them though is they are pretty cheap compared to most other toys.