"Does it bother you if people call your miniatures toys?" Topic

*yes
*no
*I have no miniatures

Resounding no for me, I call them that myself. I call my computer, my MP3 player and my GPS toys as well, as far as that goes.

One of my coworkers pokes fun at me by saying I'm a grown man that plays with toys. He has a high maintenance wife and a teen daughter so good luck with all that!

What else would I call them? "Conflict Simulation tactile micro-aids"?

I've learned to embrace it. I think some of the reminders on TMP that we are after all playing with toy soldiers helps maintain a healthy sense of perspective.

Rick

Nope – I've gotten used to all the ignorance around me.

TOYS! When did this happen and why didn't anyone tell me?

I have no miniatures.

No. That's exactly what I think of them as.

Nope. It's what I call them. Toy Soldiers.

Eric

Are they not toys?

They are Devo!

No. Since they are toys – the point of owning them is so I can play games with them after all.

So toys, dollys, call 'em what you like.

Nicely done Derek H!

I call them my junk, crap, stuff, etc. But never my toys!

Damon. :)

I once received some miniatures from a company with a warning "these are not toys !" – oh great, so now what do I do with them…. :-)

No

Just don't call them Shirley.

My wife likes to tweek the local gamers by calling their miniatures "cute", which (around here at least) is worse then calling them "toys". (it helps that she uses her "who's a cute baby then" voice…)

Waste of money – yes
Toys – no

Just remember not to put them in your mouth and chew on them.
Some have small sharp parts, easily swallowed.

I'm looking at YOU!!!

No it doesn't bother me.
That's what I call 'em.
That is what they are!

Ask them if the call chess pieces toys.

These are represenative figures in a strategic game that I just happen to like painting.

They are just pretty 3D adornments on the game counters, so yes, toys.

Toys is fine for me.

x42

No. Many of them started off as toys.

Al | Miniatures on dA

The Director where I work calls them dolls. Now that's hitting below the belt. Unfortunately I can do the same to him.

>8(

"Conflict Simulation tactile micro-aids"

HA! I love that!

Toys does not bother me, but for some reason "figurines" drives me up a wall.

I bristled at first, associating the appalling disrespect toys get to wargame miniatures that take hours to actually become a useable toy. But half second later I relented. They are toys, but they are not "just toys".

No, though I don't think of them as toys. Come to think about it, a number of miniatures that I have purchased over the years clearly state that they are not toys – for whatever that is worth.

No. There is irony in that all the other objects of amusement are not similarly described. Cars, boats, computers, power tools, poker chips, et al are… or can be considered toys.

No. I call them toys, too.

Phil

They are toys, so why should it bother me?

I paint my miniatures at work on my lunch break. One of the guys there tries to give me a hard time by asking in a loud voice every once in a while "Hey Joe! You're playing with your dolls again!?" I respond equally loud, "Yeah I am Josh! I'll also be playing with them again this weekend and you are welcome to join in!" It usually shuts him up and he hasn't tried giving me a hard time in a while.

Why would it bother me? They ARE toys!

Anyone who can't call their miniatures toys is in denial.

Jinx!

Nope. I like toys.

Better toys than "action figures"

I call them toy soldiers.

I also call my model railroad stuff "toy trains".

Yes, a lot of model railroaders hate that… why do you think I do it?

And "operating the railroad" I call "playing trains".

Not at all.

I call them toys.

As are my golf clubs and my neighbors jet skis.

No. To keep it simple, I tell people I play with toy soldiers.

If you play with them, they are toys.
(And there is nothing wrong with that)

Utilising the term "toys" implies a lack of maturity on the part of the owner. I consider this offensive. So I stamp my feet and shout "They are not toys!" If they say "are too" I say "are not" untill the stop. In extreme cases I have been known to chant "Liar Liar, pants on fire!" as well

Wow, you all so touchingly agree on this. Perhaps because you're native English speakers? As a non-native English speaker I consider the terms in my language that are equivalent to "toy" and "toy soldier" to be derogatory under many circumstances. I, and those close to me, sometimes call my miniatures far worse derogatory terms however..

But whether I like to use a derogatory term in private or not has nothing to do with what terms I want to hear from strangers. In the words of a famous rapper: "Shut up mot*** er, you don't know me like that".

And I am strongly against building social pressure to make others use derogatory words to describe their hobbies. I even did a post on that just recently: link

I don't work with miniatures full-time so I don't have to take it too seriously in private. But if I had devoted my life to sculpting miniatures and writing wargame rules I would sure appreciate if people chose to be a bit more respectful and not publicly call my work toys and toy gaming.

In my mind you play with toys by using implicit rules, or rules created on the fly. Miniatures, models, figures, model soldiers you game with using explicit rules. To pressure everyone else into considering those two pursuits analogous seems really rude to those that devote serious effort to creating wargaming rules and researching miniature sculpting. But again, that doesn't stop me from joking about the whole thing in private.

I'm lucky to be a closet gamer so I don't have to crap from strangers that "don't know me like that" in real life!

The wife has done that for so long that it barely registers with me anymore.

Yes. Burn the non-believers!

Seriously: not a bit. I tend to call my hobby 'playing with toy soldiers.'

But they are toys. Altho I used to use the big bags of troops and vehicles as training aids to teach my brigade's scout platoons how give a SALUTE report.

Yes.

No.

A toy is any object that can be used for play.
So if you play with them "They Are Toys."
Why would that bother any one?

Doesn't bother me in the least.

WAR dolls, dammit!

But, no. Things like that really don't bug be much or often.