Top 10 Art Toys of 2009 Under $50

Supercool geek chic(k) Danie Ware asked me to send her my favorite toy of 2009 to be posted on the Forces of Geek site. I gave myself a parameter: Top Ten 2009 Production Art Toys Under $50. Let’s be real: 2009 was a rough year economically. There were big toys by big names, but for most folks, they remained hundreds of dollars out of reach. Resin really hit its prime, and customizers took their art to a new level, but that’s another list. So without further ado, here’s my Recession Necessities list. I own all ten of these, and I give you my word (which is 97% opinion), that should you also own them, they will bring you great joy. The list has now been updated to include links to buy everything without leaving the Bay Area or your chair! Reposted with permission of the Geeks.

1. Lunartik in a Cup of Tea by Matt JOnes – This toy is the antidote to 2009’s surplus of snore-inducing “urban” vinyl retreads. Prepare to shout “that’s what she said” because everyone agrees that the Lunartik figure is bigger than it looks on the Internet. I love the saucer and spoon accessories and the cheeky colorway names. The customs I’ve seen on this unintentional platform are some of the best I saw this year. Fingers crossed that the Tea Tour hits San Francisco in 2010. [Available in milky DIY flavor here.]

2. O-No Sushi by Andrew Bell – Something I ask of my art toys is whether they elicit an emotional response. O-No Sushi gives me guilt. Am I going to stop eating sushi or buying toys? Heck no. Can’t wait for the green colorway. Bonus points for smart packaging and dedicated microsite. [Now available in green here and red here.]

3. CHOEGAL by David Choe – 2009 was a year where many toys masqueraded as art but fell short of the definition. Love him or hate him, David Choe is an artist, and CHOEGAL is an art toy. If the prices on his prints and paintings are too steep for your wallet, consider this a three-dimensional entry point to owning a piece of Choe. The figures are hand-painted with great boxes, and Choe is rumored to have painted a few himself and slipped them into the mix. Ningyoushi did good on these. [Cupcake edition available here.]

4. I.W.G. Flying Saucer Attack Craft – Technically, this came out at the end of 2008, but this isn’t the Oscars, so I’m not going to hold that against it. And for that matter, a huge price-drop and an awesome custom show placed this UFO firmly in the forefront of 2009. Nine out of ten times I’m going to choose a ray gun over a real gun, and I love Rocketworld for making toys for mods and people who care about animals. The I.W.G. figures that fit in the Attack Craft are essential as well. [Set of 3 I.W.G. figures on sale here.]

5. Super7’s Monster Family figures – It’s hard to pick just one of these addictive little figures designed by western artists but with that “kaiju cache” of being sculpted by Gargamel. Made out of soft Japanese vinyl, the line boasts figures by Bwana Spoons, Brian Flynn, Le Merde, Josh Herbolsheimer, Itokin Park and Paul Kaiju, among others. Big ups to Super7 for taking a shot at new talent and giving worthy customizers their first production toys. Rumors of the 2010 roster have me excited indeed. [New and (unlikely) old Monster Family figures available here.]

6. “Hope” Obama Action Figure by Jailbreak Toys – Is this an art toy? Nah. Did this toy have an interesting impact on art and politics in 2008-2009? Yes. In early 2009, with Shepard Fairey’s blessing, Jailbreak Toys released the “Hope” edition of their successful Barack Obama Action Figure. Last month, they quietly released Michelle. I hear Jailbreak is going in another direction for 2010, and I’m looking forward to it. [Barack and Michelle are available here.]

7. Artoyz Elements Alpha Series – It’s rare that anyone would find every single design in a 22-figure blind box assortment appealing, but Artoyz nearly nailed it with their Elements Alpha Series. They chose a great roster of artists, applied their designs to an original platform, and (crucially) structured their case ratios in such a way as to not screw the collector. Merci! [Last few boxes available here.]

8. Domo Qees by Toy2R – I have something of a love/hate relationship with this series. I don’t love the ratios, and I think the prices are a bit high for 2.5 inch blind-boxes, but it’s hard to hate on tiny plastic Domos. These figures are simple pleasures. Their charms work best in a group. I have a ton of them on my desk. I’m fairly certain they throw mixers in the middle of the night. [Big and little flocked and unflocked Domos available here.]

9. Mini Crappy Cat by Jamungo – Am I allowed to pick a single figure from a mixed blind-box assortment? Van Beater’s 9-inch Crappy Cat is a great figure, but in this case, bigger isn’t better: 3 inches is just as brilliant. There were a couple other standout figures in the third Blow Up Dolls series. But by choosing the non-bomb Mini Crappy Cat, I can give a shout-out to Ferg and Jamungo, who released some terrific toys in 2009 that were just above the price-point on this list. [Take your chance at a blind box here or get the big Crappy Cat here.]

10. Hoophy by Shin Tanaka – It took me a while to get into paper toys. They seemed, I don’t know, complicated or flammable. But then Shin Tanaka came along with his Hoophy series. Using the paper Hoophy platform, Shin provides free downloads by some of my absolute favorite artists. And Mr. Tanaka has a knack for picking artists, like Jon Burgerman and SKWAK, whose aesthetic highly compliments the figure. The cost of a Hoophy download? Not a cent. Free toys seem a fitting ending for this 2009 list. Here’s to a happy, healthy, toy-filled 2010! [Download Hoophy here.]