Dunnies? Munnies? Kidrobot?

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**Mr. Burning**

LostSoulCasey'sLaw wrote:I've looked at the website and the wikipedia entires but i'm none the wiser.

What i think i know:
They sell these 'blanks' so you can paint or model them as you please.
I think they commission artists to design them and release them as limited editions.
There are other types, some made by other companies.
These are the most popular type.
They have a reasonably large following.
There doesn't seem to be much of a wargaming hobbyist/Dunny 'collector(?)' crossover.
There isnt much of a crossover, if you use the term art toy or Vinyl then you should be okay.

What i'd like to know:
Whatever you can tell me.
Why they are made?
Why is anything made? people collect vinyl toys as well as customizedoptions, there is a whole culture and following for them
Why are they the shapes they are? A lot of artsists get involved in the creation of custom vinyls. Street Artsists, Illustartors, Animators etc.
Depends on the artist/designer in question, they can be any shape. There are some limitations to shapes dictated by the manufacturing processes. For some the look of Munnies and Dunnies define the genre so a lot of stuff is made to look the same http://www.tomopop.com/tomopop-review-vinylmation-robots-series-overview-and-review-sample-20475.phtml It isn't limited to customizable/collectable vinyls either, look at Gundam and Anime insipired releases. A lot of artsist make and cast their own using resin, It is also a fairly simple process to get your own vinyls made, especially out of China http://www.figurepunk.com/
Why people buy them?
People collect them, lots of users of this forum collect minis, old copies of WD, rare and hard to find ral partha leads, they may alos collect records, works of art, stamps even.
Do people mainly buy blanks or pre-painted ones?
collectors would look for painted or limited edition ones. A lot come packaged 'blind'.
What is the appeal?
Again,. some people don't see the point of pushing plastic soldiers across a table top, some cannot fathom the love of old cars, horses for coures and all that. but they are seen as underground and almost 'street' in their look and feel. http://www.flickr.com/groups/customtoylab/ http://www.flickr.com/groups/77678440@N00/" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://www.flickr.com/groups/77678440@N00/
What am i missing?
Nothing
Who buys them
Anyone.

I'm not taking a dig by the way. I'm actually intrigued but i don't really 'get it.'

Hope this helps somewhat. I should state my position, I am currently sculpting up some collectbale figures, should be able to cast these at home, in resin and then sell them. They can also be traded too.

**Mr. Burning**

LostSoulCasey'sLaw wrote:Thanks very much guys, that was really informative.

Now you've explained it most of my questions seem stupid, for some reason i haven't been able to wrap my head around the idea. I see the appeal of collecting figurines and trading, i guess it's got the powerful addition of there being rare figures to try and get your hands on. Like you said Cannerus, it's the trading card element.

I'll certainly be keeping my eye out for any that i like the look of. Do either of you have collections?
Burning, what sort of path do you take for selling them and have you done this before? I think the main enjoyment for me would be sculpting my own and selling casts if possible. Did you have to get any permissions or is it fair game for anyone that wants to get involved?

I have a few, Most of mine are mainly DIY collectables that other artists have made.

It is fair game, so long as it is your idea and an original sculpt you should go ahead. Look out for those boutique and niche gift shops as well as online retailers, there are quite a few blogs and websites dedicated to custom toys check those out and see what is and what could be 'in'.

I have only just started looking into mass production but I have made individual figures and gifted them to people. I am also involved in the free art movement so many of my pieces are given away. My last bits and bobs were given away to help a kids charity in the US.