Not suitable for children under 17,” says the box of blow-up dolls. The bright plastic figurines have a bomb-shaped head and angry eyes warning that they’re ready to blow any minute. A display of Dunnys on the same shelf states: ‘This is a work of art, not a toy.”
Dunnys — small plastic creatures — come in a wild variety of designs from cute to downright scary, but always with the same basic shape: short, stubby limbs, a round head and ears like a rabbit.
Vinyl toys — or urban toys as some prefer — are über-cool. Influenced by hip-hop, comics, skateboarding and graffiti, they fit in nicely with urban street culture. The collectable action figurines, created by some of the top graphic designers and artists in the world, have hit South African shores and are bound to find their way into the hands of playful grown-ups.
The toys are a relatively new thing. Bored with the same old plastic figurines Michael Lau, an award-winning artist from Hong Kong, decided to spice up some GI Joes back in 1997. He designed street-style clothing for them and began moulding his own figures out of vinyl. The creations hit the right note at a toy fare and a new craze was born.
‘The toys form a bridge between graphic designers and fine artists,” explains Jack Gorton, aka DJ Phat Jack. Gorton has been crazy about these plastic monsters for more than 10 years and has opened the country’s first vinyl toy shop in Johannesburg’s Parktown North, with the catchy name Peepshow.
The 29-year-old can talk about his passion for hours on end, positively beaming when looking around his new shop, where colourful vinyl crams the glass display cabinets.
‘These toys are so craftily designed. You can play with them and they won’t break or you can display them in your house and simply admire their beauty.”
But what is it really that makes people crazy about these plastic dollies? ‘The quality is really high, nothing like the mass-produced figurines in the stores today,” says Gorton, his black Armani glasses balancing on the tip of his nose as he scrambles through a box of newly acquired paraphernalia. But more importantly, it is the exclusivity and aesthetic value that guarantees popularity with people in the know.
‘Some of these toys are collectors’ items. They come out blank and are customised by famous designers such as Bill McMullen, who’s also worked for the Beastie Boys; comics legend James Jarvis; and Futura2000, an American graffiti guru from the Seventies.”
All this stylish exclusivity comes at a price. On the Internet fans bid thousands of dollars to own early designs or limited special editions. Cheapest in the store are the small Qees, figures to adorn a key chain, and Be@rbricks, little bear-resembling creatures, which start at R80.
Part of the fun, according to Gorton, is that these small items are blind buys, meaning that you pick a box without actually seeing which one is inside.
‘Some designs are extremely rare,” he says, pointing to the stats on the box. ‘Collectors would go mad, buy whole trays of Be@rbricks and X-ray them. The manufacturer eventually had to wrap the toys in foil to keep them from doing that.”
A few boxes are open, exposing the precious contents on the premise of giving customers a sneak preview, but Gorton’s eagerness to open them is a more probable explanation. ‘I think I’ve got the whole set at home now,” he smirks, turning slightly red and looking at the floor.
The most expensive item is a Star Wars toy, selling for R1 500. It is a 20cm tall stoic-looking Luke Skywalker action figure complete with removable helmet, gun and a haircut that would make every Lego-man jealous. ‘Only 2 000 of these were ever made,” explains Gorton.
In this vinyl industry it doesn’t matter if stuff is not new. The best pieces are often previously owned, the ‘antiques” rendering the highest prices. Important is to keep the original packaging. ‘You never, ever discard the box the toy comes in,” says Gorton. ‘It proves the authenticity. If you buy something without the box, eight out of 10 it’s a fake.”
Gorton’s enthusiasm is contagious, but is there a market for the quirky plastic? ‘It is still for a small crowd,” Gorton replies. ‘But then, who doesn’t like toys? Toys appeal to everybody!”
And it is with that remark that he pinpoints the reason behind the vinyl toy phenomenon: the figurines make it acceptable to play with toys again. A small moment of untroubled happiness in a big, troubling world.
Peepshow is located at shop 2, Mildura Court, corner of 3rd and 7th Ave, Parktown North, Johannesburg