I guess the Ebola news cycle is slowing down, because today there is a news story gaining traction in some media outlets about a Florida mother who is bent out of shape that Toys R Us is carrying the Mezco Toyz ‘Breaking Bad‘ action figures.   She’s gone so far as to start a petition on Change.org asking that they be removed from the shelves and the TRU website, because she believes that if her kids see these in stores (which they shouldn’t) that they will buy them (which they can’t) and immediately drop out of school and start making blue meth with their friends… or something like that.

We saw this happen before, back in 2010, with BifBangPow and their Dexter figures and that time the over zealous moms won and they were pulled from stores.  NEVER AGAIN!!

Adult collectors should be able to buy adult collector toys.   Toys R Us IS being responsible and putting all of these kinds of figures in a single aisle, so they are NOT “sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters” as this mother inaccurately states.

I have started a COUNTER petition, also on Change.org to KEEP Breaking Bad and other adult collector lines IN Toys ‘R’ Us, in the collector aisle where they belong.

Toys R Us is well known around the world for their vast selection of toys for children of all ages, and we do mean ALL ages, that includes the adult collector market. Toys R Us’ decision to sell a line of Breaking Bad ACTION FIGURES, complete with a detachable sack of cash and a bag of meth, in an aisle designated for adult collectors, featuring properties of a more mature nature that might appeal to older collectors, and away from the other “kid” toys, shows that TRU understands there is more than one group of collectors that regularly come through their doors each day.  And that they can observe and in some cases even dictate how these figures are packaged, marketed and sold in their stores.   It is NOT irresponsible to have these in the store.  It is only irresponsible if they sell them to people they are not appropriate for.  That’s why I’m calling on Toys R Us to KEEP selling the Breaking Bad action figure collection in their stores and on their website as well as other “mature” toy lines.

Anyone with feet can walk into a store and see that these figures are NOT being “sold alongside Barbie dolls and Disney characters.”    Toys R Us recognized there was a void in the toy market left by the closing of stores like KB, Suncoast and Tower Records.   They saw that if they wanted to continue to be “the world’s biggest toy store” they needed to capture the adult collector market and their buyers wisely started pursuing companies like Mezco, NECA, Diamond Select Toys, Funko, McFarlane Toys, etc. and giving the adult collector an alternative to shopping on line.

Just like TRU doesn’t sell “M” rated video game titles to young kids, they will not sell age-inappropriate toys to kids.  PARENTS should be the one dictating what their kids watch, buy, read, play and consume, NOT the buyers or employees of Toys R Us.  If you don’t want to be “forced to explain why a certain toy comes with a bag of highly dangerous and illegal drugs or why someone who sells those drugs deserves to be made into an action figure” then simply don’t walk your kid down that aisle.  Problem solved.   I’m a parent of a school aged child myself, but I’m an informed, responsible parent and I closely monitor the toys, TV, music, movies and games that my daughter sees.   That’s my job, and I take it seriously.   But, I also like toys/action figures and I want 3-D representations of characters from my favorite properties, and I love being able to walk into a store and find them.

 

Please sign to join me in asking Toys R Us to continue to support adult collectors and KEEP selling the Breaking Bad, Walking Dead, South Park, Game of Thrones, Alien, Sons of Anarchy, and many other properties to the mature, responsible adults and let the “family focused atmosphere” continue in the other 40 odd aisles in the store “for which they are known.”   And THANK YOU to Toys R Us for selling toys for “kids” of ALL ages!

 

If you want to keep finding the toys that YOU want in your local TRU stores then go here now and make your voice heard!!  And spread the word to your fellow collectors!  #TRULovesCollectors