In these parts he’s our Social Media Guru, but in the real world Matt Booker is a veteran retailer, having worked at and then run Automattic Comics (now better known as The Corsham Toy Shop and Automattic Comics) for three decades, and along with friend of the site Dave Middleton they discuss the current state of the action figure world in the June issue of ToyWorld Mag.
“The Action Figure category has evolved – but not necessarily 100% in a positive way,” explains Matt Booker, who has been immersed in it for more than 30 years via The Corsham Toy Shop and Automattic Comics.
Leading properties in the space, according to both Matt, and Dave Middleton – owner of Midco Toymaster, Midco Toy Planet and Midco Freak Treats – include Paw Patrol, Minecraft, Batman, Pokémon and WWE, with the latter three appealing to kids and kidults alike. Anime and gaming are coming to the fore too, which Dave says is a reflection of the changing way kids play and consume media.
The pair have an axe to grind regarding pricing though, noting that some companies have been gouging prices to the point of unaffordability for collectors, meaning they are then having to clear down stock at rock bottom prices, which is affecting the marketplace. Matt says: “Once kids hit the latter end of primary school there’s nothing for them: prices get too high and that means action figures aren’t progressing into the playground like they used to.”
