Monday, 12 March 2007
Modelling Options
After extensive research I feel it's unfeasible to have items manufactured out of plastic since injection moulding procedures require a minimum of 5000 units. Considering that each vending unit can hold 50 balls which must form a collectable set, I will end up with less than 10 replicas of a single toy or item. The easiest way would be to make them by hand, or commission someone to do so. I'm looking into alternative materials that mimic the appearance of PVC plastic...two good options seem to be polymer clay (Fimo) and cold pottery. Examples of models made with these substances are shown below. There's also the possibility of graphical (maps, booklets, stickers), soft ('plushys', crochet, felt) toys, or altered versions of existing items.
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6 comments:
Hi Joanna,
Don't want to sound like a damp squib, but those machines are already here albeit under a different name, Tomy. There are 4 of them outside my local costcutters, exactly the same in design and featuring collectables. I think if you are doing this, then it might be a good idea to think about what you are going to put in them to make your project totally unique. Last thing you need is someone saying 'i've seen them outside Sainsbury's!' Maybe think about the collections that adults usually aquire? Like stamps, Wedgewood, thimbles etc? As opposed to the stuff that's normally in them?
Christine
If you did decide to go down the road of adult collectibles, i've got tons of stamps you can have. I reckon a beautiful stamp on a tiny stock card in a ball would look cool!
Christine
Hi Christine, thanks for the comments...subverting the contents of the machine is exactly what I'm planning to do! Part of the project rests on the fact that people have seen these machines in the UK (but most don't know what they're called), so it's a good way to highlight contemporary cultural dispersion (as an avid follower of japanese pop culture for the past 10 years, the extent to which it's infiltrated European culture is astounding, and very exciting).
I'm definitely won't be replicating the same sort of 'Pokemon' toys found in conventional machines. I was thinking of modelling unexpected subject matter in the expected PVC plastic style, hence looking for available techniques. I'm planning explore adult or quintessentially british collectables (the madness that is Antiques Roadshow/Bargain Hunt). ..or take it down a design route with things designers covete (design awards/software/fonts?).
Thanks so much for the stamp offer!! May just take you up on that :)!
Love the antiques roadshow angle, just the sort of thing you wouldn't expect inside a gashapon machine! Stamps no problem, can imagine punters desperately putting their pound coins in just to complete a set!
Christine
Christine, the more I think about the stamp idea, the more I like it! There's something quite enticing about a machine filled with assorted (beautifully mounted) stamps. To make people cough up a pound I could mix in some rare ones, from Vatican City or the United Nations (may involve digging into my old stamp collection...which I haven't opened in 10 years so probably means they're destined for a better place anyway).
Unmounted mint is better, worth more dosh! You could break up a set and then do a tiny catalogue to show what they'e worth, just to get the punters salivating...Nigel would love it!
Christine
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