I really don’t buy too many items at toy stores or big box stores to add to my collection since I tend to focus on items from the 80’s or earlier, but every now and then I come across something that would look just perfect on my shelf. Check this guy out…
I found this ugly little Hulk statue at PetSmart over the weekend. He was part of an Avengers product line of statues that you would put in your fish tank. I managed to snap a crummy photo of the full set at the store, but the only one I brought home with me was the Hulk.
I might have picked up a Spidey if he had a statue of his own. The Iron Man one was pretty great, but falls outside of my collecting focus — must resist!
While at the pet store, I also caught these cute little Geckos cuddling up, but I digress…
Recently, I wrote an article about “Collectibles of the Future,” where I listed a variety of items that might someday be sought after by collectors. This little Hulk statue might very well become collectible someday because it has a few things going for it:
1. It’s the Hulk;
2. It’s breakable — how many ceramic items last the test of time?;
3. If it is used as intended, it will be ruined — trust me, I know what a fish tank can do to a decoration;
4. It’s not a toy — every Hulk collector is grabbing up the toys, but how many of them are looking at the pet store?
Now, I’m not saying this thing will ever become valuable, but I can imagine a Hulk collector would like to have it in his collection a few years from now.
I think the little guy fits right in with the vintage Hulks I have on display.
Cool! I saw some Spongebob Squarepants aquarium toys at WalMart the other day, they looked pretty neat too.
I was wondering how cool a fish tank will look with those mini statues… until you said they will be ruined.
🙁
Love the geckos!! 😀 😀 😀 😀 😀
Wouldn’t Namor or Aquaman be FAR better suited for Aquarium life? Making those characters makes no sense…
Neat!
I have to check out the Spidey and Iron Man statues. I wonder if Pet Land may have them.
Very cool.
I think you’re on the right track Brain, if I remember correctly, isn’t there a highly sought after Creature From the Black Lagoon fish tank toy from the 70s? Also, part of the future value of a collectable is a young person’s awareness of an object that was part of their everyday life. Sure, toys fit into this for sure, but think about the stuff like this that you spied in the store a million times as a kid but never got, or maybe you did have it in an aquarium and it was destroyed by the elements. Years later that will be the item that would be the cornerstone in a collection, and if it’s embedded in the pop culture enough that enough people are aware of it, it will become rare…
He fits right in!
I saw these plus Batman and Superman Beta fish bowls there too. I wish they made these when I was a kid.
I had one of those in my tank, actually. Looks super cool! Only issue is the pain slowly wears off and into the water.