The Power of Words
As a writer on a smallish blog, it’s hard to believe that anything I write here has any impact. Hell, if it wasn’t for the comments I get I would just assume that nobody was reading it. That’s why it’s surprising that I managed to get someone to quit the internet.
Let’s go back a bit though and explain the situation. There’s a fellow that has a rather large toy collection and by large, I mean insanely huge. This fellow would join toy related forums and share images of his collection. He’d also post YouTube videos of the collection as well. There’s nothing wrong with any of this at all, but after awhile it seemed like a bit much. It appeared to me that his only drive was to spread his collection across the face of the internet for approval and/or praise. Perhaps I was getting the wrong vibe, but as a responsible blogger (if there is really such a thing) I felt like I needed to write about it. I also felt that I needed to not lie and think he was the coolest guy ever or anything like that, because that wouldn’t be fair to anyone reading ToyBender.
So when I wrote about it way back in November of 2007 I tried to be as fair as possible, while at the same time trying to inject my real feelings on the matter without coming off as too harsh. That was that, and I had completely forgotten about it until a few days ago. I belong to the Wizard Universe message boards or WUMB where this guy had posted dozens of pictures of his collection. In his thread I see a post from him saying:
Well then thanks to this Guy Paul here , i’m dropping out of the collecting world ….because of his little Article ……Thanks Paul.
Wait…what? I don’t think I was that harsh enough to get this kind of reaction. I’m assuming by “collecting world” he means he’s not going to stop buying toys, but rather he was done with the collecting world on the internet. If what I wrote was enough to make him quit the internet, then what the hell would he have done if he would have come under the scrutiny of the guys from Something Awful? Hell, how could he withstand any of the a-holes on YouTube? Or any of the message boards he posted on? How thin is your skin when you can’t withstand some simple criticism? Just imagine for a moment if all the creative people that make the movies or television shows that we enjoy let the kind of vitriol that exists on the internet effect them this badly. The creative output of Hollywood would grind to a halt by the frenzied typing of millions of sweaty nerds.
I realize that his post that I quoted was meant to make me feel bad for my article. It didn’t. It shocked me, but I think it reflects more on him than me. If you’re putting yourself out there on the internet, you have to expect to get some negative blow back. I speak first hand on this issue because I’ve had a couple of articles from Toy Bender hit the front page of Digg (here and here). Believe me, much of the Digg crowd is not very kind to toy collectors. I feel that if I were to wrong you, then call me an asshole and move on with your life. Don’t pick up your ball and go home. If what I wrote was too harsh, then perhaps the internet is not the place for you. There are too many sharks for a weak swimmer out here.
Now in the spirit of open communication I’d like to hear what you think. Am I the arsehole? I promise I won’t run away and quit if you are too mean… maybe…
June 3rd, 2008 at 7:56 am
You are such a dick, Paul.
I wouldn’t worry about it. Ten-to-one the guy’s already posted pics of his collection online somewhere since writing that. Some people are just really sensitive.
But you’re right, anybody who puts anything out there on the Internet had better be prepared to deal with people they’ve never met mocking, insulting, or gently poking fun at them. Or much, much worse…
June 3rd, 2008 at 8:41 am
Sounds to me like he just can’t take people’s opinion’s of him. Its a blog and your entitled to your opinion, if he can’t understand that then too bad for him.
I for one receive tons of comments on youtube on my Halo reviews. Some good, lots of them stupid and a good amount of down right mean ones. Do I cry every time I see mean comments? Nope, I laugh. Human nature is funny to me.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:09 am
I think you can just let that hot-house flower wilt. Your article was in no way an attack. It was extraordinarily mild. I think that guy is probably emblematic of what people who hate adult toy collectors think of; amassing a hoard of toys with no end, no self-control, no fiscal responsibility, etc. It ain’t gonna hurt the collecting community to have him not be a part of it.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:28 am
DJ Soundwave as he is known over at TFW2005 is a certifiable douche nozzle. He constantly thread jacked over there and couldn’t post enough pictures of his collection.
I mean seriously, who has that many Crimson Guards? And how much time did he spend lining them up all rank and file? It was an exercise in futility on his behalf that ultimately resulted in him playing up to what he was … a douche nozzle.
People have to realize if you extend yourself on the Interweb, you are bound to get ridiculed … especially when you are on EVERY action-figure board in the known universe.
Don’t lose any sleep over this one, I wouldn’t. I’m just glad he won’t be posting anymore.
June 3rd, 2008 at 10:08 am
I slit my wrists when you said you doubted Sigma 6 would return.
I hate with you, Paul, the way most people hate child molestors.
Through a series of bitter newspaper editorials, I have in fact turned all of Twin Falls, Idaho against you.
I will not rest until I have consumed your soul.
…unfortunately, I like your toy talk, so I feel obligated to keep frequenting your blog while cursing your name.
But don’t let that fool you; we’ll all quit the internet because of you by year’s end.
Boo, Paul. Boo!
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 am
Your entry was really mild, I would worry about it. This guy obviously has some issues interacting with people, which probably led to his compulsive collecting habits. And really, his need to brag about his collection will win out over his need for drama, I’m sure of it.
I love Toy Bender, mostly because your cynical wit makes me laugh at my crazy, childish choice of hobby.
June 3rd, 2008 at 11:48 am
^^ I *wouldn’t* worry about it. Sorry I’m new to this whole typing thing.
June 3rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm
some people can’t take criticism. this guy must feel that he needs to be the one with all the toys. he’s a little overboard with it all. my question is how much money did he steal from the bank in order to buy it all? i get grief from the wife if i buy a 8.99 action figure. does he prostitute himself out? blackmail a celebrity?
June 4th, 2008 at 12:28 am
Some people have massive vehicles to make up for their tiny wangs. Others have massive, unending toy collections because masturbation isn’t enough. Bravissimo.
Although this whole time I thought it was regarding the comment about “how many fishtanks do you think you could rescue before your house burned down” comment that did it. I didn’t know it was a series of blog posts.
Also note: UGLY BABY JUDGES YOU!
June 4th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
For the record, Nightmare posted that smirkiness about the fishtanks, and it was awesome!
Also, thanks to Paul for reading what I write, it makes typing stuff up feel worth it if people react and comment, no matter how silly the subject matter.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Is Nightmare having to make sure everyone who reads this knows that he made a sort of amusing comment the same thing as this guy having to show off hs collection to everyone ever?
Anywho, a few things.
A. I feel bad for the guy. I doubt he has many friends, and he fills the holw in his life with toys. Obviously he isn’t going out and doing much socially.
B. I would love to have a crap load of toys, but one hundred of the same figure? That’s creepy.
C. Even though I feel bad for the guy, man he is a D-bag. Hijiking threads, making a post in any semi toy related MB. Does it really matter if a bunch of strangers are impressed with your collection?
June 5th, 2008 at 12:05 pm
There’s really two ways to handle it. Let it bother you OR not let it bother you. I’m part of the Hisstank boards, and a good friend of mine whom I won’t reveal, has the biggest and best GI Joe 80s AFA collection that I’ve seen. I asked him how he deals with the criticisms he gets sometimes for posting pictures of his grand collection. He said that he doesn’t let trivial things bother him. So if you can’t please everyone then it is what it is. Screw em.
June 5th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
Thanks everyone for the comments, especially those who might have stopped here for the first time. Really, I’m glad that not everyone jumped on me but I’m really surprised that no one has.
Thundermatts: Yeah, I do feel sorry for him in a way too. I guess if I would have known that he’d flip out so bad I might have not said anything at all, but what’s done is done.
CG76: Exactly. There is always going to be some ahole knocking you, so you can’t let it get to you.
June 5th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
You made him pull all of his videos!! Good going Paul!!
June 6th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Yeah, that’s my most major regret about this. You can’t see the jaw droppingly and nearly horrifying amount of figures in those videos, but really I didn’t make him do anything.
June 6th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
You’re not responsible for anything Paul. This issue has been simmering at a slow burn in the toy community for some years now, and many have tried to stifle it. It is at times more sensitive than the scalping topic (sometimes these two even go hand-in-hand). It’s a simple issue over divided loyalties: Love of the hobby versus attention whoring. When the desire for status, fame, and recognition overshadows the love of collecting, or fuels your basis for collecting, then you’ve started a whole new hobby thyar, hm?
The only difference between you and everyone else Paul, is you got your own blog to let it out of the closet.
And I thank you for it.
-PJ
June 6th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
CG76, IMO it is not the size of the collection or even the pics. It is the subtle message behind it. . .
SW: I am a “serious collector” and here is the proof.
*posts repeatedly for effect*
Thus, you are not a “serious collector,” period.
The popular argument against this is, “What are YOU, a commie?” LOL!
-PJ <–An anti-serious collector.
June 10th, 2008 at 1:43 am
I’m not a commie. I’m a stonecutter.
July 14th, 2008 at 8:01 am
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July 19th, 2008 at 8:37 am
Sounds like he’s just a sympathy slut to me. But hey, maybe it was me!
Oh, wait, I don’t have an insanely huge toy collection.
Sam