Gaming and collectibles are practically two halves of the same coin. For every major game release there are mountains of merch that appeal to the collector in us. This month at Sandbox we decided to give a thought about some of our favorite things we collect from all sides of the gaming realm!
Bobz: I feel like I’ve gathered of game collectibles over the past 3 decades, even after purging a lot of it. I love the practical stuff like jackets, shirts, auto gear, etc. There are definitely some devs and publishers that are on the top of their game! But, I’d have to say that the coolest thing I have is something that was actually part of a game that the devs put in to surprise me. I was working on Perplex City (an amazing treasure hunt ARG) with Mind Candy and they made a special Pickle King puzzle card. To this day I still have it right next to my desk and think how rad it was for them to do that!
Dan: I don’t consider myself a big collector, but one of the great things about working in this industry is that we end up with a lot of cool stuff just from attending events and working with awesome clients! I agree with Rob that I love the practical items, and one of my favorite things from a few years ago is a branded toolbox (with a level/wrench) from Adult Swim Games, which I’m still using today. I’ve also happened to go to a couple Yankees games on Star Wars night over the years, where I picked up neat bobbleheads from my two favorite Jedi – Yoda and CC Sabathia.
Elena: When I moved abroad, I had to think pretty hard about what to bring and what to leave behind… all that made the trip with me is a Vault Boy bobblehead. However, just weeks after I left, a good friend opened a gamer bar/event space/LAN center, so most of my collectibles (and board games) can actually be found on THEIR shelves. If you’re ever in San Jose, CA, I can’t recommend it highly enough! https://www.guildhouse.gg/
Kim: Longest-running collection for me has to be my sneakers, which I started back in 2001. However, as for my current favorite collection, it would definitely have to be Pokémon! Mostly it’s toys, cards, and plushies but what makes it special is that our 4-year-old is completely obsessed with everything Pokémon too. It’s a joy to share that passion with him and witness his excitement, just like I experienced when I was growing up. He even gets thrilled over my old toys and cards that I’ve managed to preserve over the years. I must admit, it’s an expensive hobby, but I’m hoping that these investments will pay off in the future, don’t you think?
Sam: Like most of us I collect a LOT of things, from cards to figures to dipindots baseball hats and everything in between. However the collection of mine that is the biggest will have to be my Wrestling Figure collection, my brother started collecting the original WWF Hasbro figures when I was just born and as soon as I was old enough to play with them, I was hooked (along with being hooked on wrestling)! Nearly 34 years later and im still growing the wrestling figure collection including 1/3000 variant figures (MIB) of Shida, Jericho and the 1/5000 CM Punk all from the more recent AEW line.
Tony: Once upon a time, I was an Amiibo hunter. I traveled all around the tri-state area searching for the alluring plastic trinkets known as Amiibo. It all started one day when James and I were at GameStop, back before covid. We had heard about the cute little Amiibos but didn’t care for them – yet.
We grabbed Yoshi and Peach, which was the start of something extraordinary. From there, we heard the call of the Amiibo, and we answered in kind. Luckily, we lived close to the Amiibo Mecca – Nintendo World (Nintendo New York). Every excursion was an adventure with a new Amiibo (or two) for our collection waiting. We researched, scouted ahead, braved extreme weather, and even had an adventuring party (sometimes). Even with the commute, long lines, rabid crowds, and cruddy weather, it was a blast.
In the end – our Amiibo collection ended up with every non-DLC character in Smash Brothers, with a sprinkling of the new ones along the way and other characters we really loved. We have a great set of Amiibos, but my favorite part of the collection is the war stories and cute little memories we made!
Tyler: I’m a fiend for collectibles – books, trading cards, figures, and anything in a fancy limited edition box. I find it very hard to narrow down one item I’m most proud of, but if I had to choose I’d settle for my sealed first english edition of Steins;Gate. I think the anime and the visual novel are both really peak examples of time-travel fiction, and the art by huke is so evocative. And if anyone asks, no, I totally don’t have two copies of it.
Val: I collect a lot of things, including books, candles and art prints, but one of my favorite collections is easily anything I have related to The Legend of Zelda. Art prints of the map and characters, amiibos, limited-edition statues, plushies, candles, pins, even a tattoo! Now that Tears of the Kingdom is out, I fear for my wallet.
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