Customized Figures, Not Just for Collector's Anymore

It used to be that customized figures were a relatively obscure segment of the hobby. In the past 7 years I've seen an upswing in the number and types of customized collectables. In a relatively short time they've mangaged to become more mainstream and visible across the figure world as well as achieve some legitimate success outside the hobby as well.

First and foremost, customs can in many ways be considered works of art. From complete resculpts to simple repaints, the customizer takes something and makes it his own. I know from personal experience that some of my favorite pieces in my collection are ones that I've made some sort of modification to and that I know that there is a chance it's a one-of-a-kind piece. I also enjoy looking at and purchasing the customs of others. Some people create thier own characters, all new creations. Some make characters to fit in with current collections, like an Albert Wesker to go with thier NECA-style Resident Evil figures.

In the past few years, customizing has been highlighted by magazines like Toy Fair and by events like Custom of the Year. Names like Jin Saotome and Spectre_1 highlight the potential for customizers to make money and to turn thier craft into a legitmate business and build customizing's reputation up (or down as some might claim) as they also begin to make money. Others, like Project-333 (formerly Toy Warrior) and Pairadocs show an extreme dedication to the art. There are numerous others, churning out customized figures as well. Many can be found at the Fwoosh messageboard, where they share thier items and often thier recipes.

However, customized figures are starting to cross over outside of the hobby. No, I'm not talking about customized SportsPicks. Spectre's creations have drawn national attention, whether he makes Paris Hilton, Pamela Rodgers or Mark Foley. The Foley figure was recently purchased to the tune of several hundred dollars on Ebay by a man who is not and claim he will never be a figure collector. He bought it for novelty appeal and because he is a fan of politics. This isn't the first time a figure has been bought by a non-collector but it is a significant thing when you stop to think about it.

Customizable action figures haven't really taken off though. Stikfas and Xevoz were two great ideas that never really got the kind of support they needed, or the reception from fans until it was two late. The Shockini is still about as underground as you can get, and while they have a small core group of fans that has failed to translate into any large scale success.

All I know is, customizing appears to be taking off and with that, will be the potential for things both good and bad. Already, we've got people who take recipes and then head straight to Ebay to try to cash in on others success. There have also been problems involving copyright infringement that could impact the way things are done in the future. These are fun times, and in the wake of a lagging action figure market I feel that customizing is something that will help us get through that. So whether it be a Predalien or a super-articulated Captain Kirk, keep on customizing.