Toy Story

[E. Wilson]

Does anyone else collect any sort of Spider-Man toys, action figures, or various other marketing? When I was a kid, and you couldn't swing a dead cat over your head without knocking over a giant pile of Toy Biz Marvel figures, I was all over their Spider-Man Animated Series line.

Looking back, it was easier to list the characters I didn't have than the ones I did. My favorite figures from that line were Venom with the removable mask, super-poseable Spider-Man, Hobgoblin (I had the Wing Bomber, and it was awesome), Shocker, Rhino, and Spider-Man in the Spider-Armor.

After the Animated Series line ended, Toy Biz focused more on comic-based series, and they were so different in style and character selection that even as a kid I considered them a different line. (We're looking at late 97-99, here.) My favorites from this unique assortment of lines were Beetle, Swarm, Sandman, Rhino, Jack O' Lantern, and the Lizard. (Yes, that same Lizard Toy Biz would be selling literally ten years later.)

The Spidey lines were very mediocre for a while until the birth of Spider-Man Classics (precursors to Marvel Legends), and those failed to grab my attention. 3/4s of the series were silly Spider-Man variants, a depressing vision of things to come. And their Venom was freaky-weird.

I didn't start buying again until well into the general Spider-Man line in 2004/2005. By this time, I had a job, a car, and access to the Internet, so it was fairly easy to collect the one villain per series that Toy Biz deemed to release. I actually completed my collection by the time Toy Biz lost the license.

And then I sold them all on eBay (along with my damn Transformers) to help finance a semester abroad in England. A mature, responsible decision? Maybe. But I will point out that England is still there, and my Spider-Man toys are gone.

Now, I mostly buy the Spider-verse characters from the Marvel Universe line, and occasionally a toy from the Spider-Man line. (Which, on the whole, sucks. One decent Rhino doesn't undo an entire line of crappy toys and terrible decisions. WHY DOES VENOM HAVE NO KNEES?!)

So, what are the Spidey collecting habits of others on the boards?

[sirvk]

I had a few Spider-Man toys from when I was a kid, mainly the web splashers and a few other Toy Biz ones. I only had Spider-Man and Venom in heaps of different get ups as well a Doc Ock and a Jonah Jameson from the animated series line, I think. I also got some from the first movie line.

Now that I'm older, I can blow my own money on toys. When Hasbro took over I got all those Origins re-paints and some from the Spider-Man 3 line but I wasn't too crazy about them.

I'd like to get every Spider-Man based figure from Marvel Select but I only have Green Goblin and two Black Cats (took forver for it to be sent out, thought I'd been ripped off so I got an opened one on ebay and a week later the other arrived.)

I tried to collect the Marvel Universe line, which is pretty good but I might just get the Spider-Man related characters. I have all of them except House of M Spider-Man, and I haven't opened any of them although the kid in me is pretty keen to do it.

[E. Wilson]

I had a few Spider-Man toys from when I was a kid, mainly the web splashers and a few other Toy Biz ones. I only had Spider-Man and Venom in heaps of different get ups as well a Doc Ock and a Jonah Jameson from the animated series line, I think. I also got some from the first movie line.

Oh my God, Black Sea Venom! I totally forgot about that guy. He was completely ridiculous, and completely awesome.

I tried to collect the Marvel Universe line, which is pretty good but I might just get the Spider-Man related characters. I have all of them except House of M Spider-Man, and I haven't opened any of them although the kid in me is pretty keen to do it.

House of M Spidey is actually superior to their regular Spider-Man, which is forgivable, considering that regular Spidey was one of the first figures from the first series. I'm eagerly awaiting a new regular Spidey.

[ShaggyB]

the ones you list as not having.... I think i still have them boxed up.... save for the venom... Hes unboxed and was facing off against a movie spidey 1 toy as part of my shelf porn before my move... (not sure where he is now... havent run across him... I may have to look if i get some time)

[sirvk]

Oh my God, Black Sea Venom! I totally forgot about that guy. He was completely ridiculous, and completely awesome.

Haha I haven't seen that one before but he does look awesome, should introduce him into the next ASM arc.

House of M Spidey is actually superior to their regular Spider-Man, which is forgivable, considering that regular Spidey was one of the first figures from the first series. I'm eagerly awaiting a new regular Spidey.

Yeah I saw it at the comic shop today, it looked really good. They also had the 2010 Captain America which looked cool. Too bad I didn't have enough money for them and the new releases.

I think Mary-Jane came out the other day, too.