SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend

Discussion in 'Whatever' started by moodydoom, Jul 15, 2020.

  1. moodydoom

    moodydoom Addicted

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Looking back at last few months, I seem to be spending more time on toy FB groups than here. Wondering if many have transitioned over to FB groups for trading, buying, etc.

    As for FB waffle groups, just too much of a pain in the ass for me as someone outside US. *says while sitting on porch in rocking chair cutting out pictures from old Super7 magazines*

    To be honest, I haven't found a solid Kaiju group on Facebook that's well attended and am mostly on more general designer toy etc. groups.

    I'd love this place to still be my home for news, info. and buying, but it's feeling pretty quiet here. Open to ideas on how we could juice this place back up.
     
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  2. The Moog

    The Moog Die-Cast

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Facebook toy groups - can be embarrassingly sycophantic, and a bit exhausting with the amount of stuff being constantly posted.

    But, I do enjoy a select few.

    Skullbrain - overall, you get more honest opinions and critiques, rather than non-stop cheer leading. I think I prefer SB even if the content isn't as broad or up-to-the-minute.
     
  3. Mr. Humphreys

    Mr. Humphreys Mini Boss

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Agreed with the more honest opinions and critiques. Also it takes more of an "effort" to login and specifically participate here, so perhaps a little less fluff (blush :oops:, I know I am guilty with fluff at times). I'm not a huge fan of FB, especially because they extensively track and market your info, constant stupid ads, and I often go weeks and at times, months without checking FB. I also like the different sections on SB, and the relative ease of searching and looking up very useful toy info and photos here, and the databases! Plus a great group of helpful and knowledgeable people here (not that there aren't any on FB). SB has it's own "unique" way of keeping the community safe and funny, it's not perfect, but the Users and Mods do a pretty good job of keeping it safe -- especially so with sales and trades. You find out pretty quickly who the baddies are, and they get lynched out of Tombstone quickly :shock:;). While a minute by minute or even hourly updates aren't necessary, it would be nice to see more pics of peoples toys and collections (and toy stories too!). Just my humble opinion :razz:

    p.s. The Moog's "Skullbrain's Grumpiest Classics" are unbeatable and should be Trademarked :D
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2020
  4. rattanicus

    rattanicus Mini Boss

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    It comes down to what you’re into at whatever given time, doesn’t it? The hobby itself ebbs and flows and changes, and so does the ambient of these forums. I definitely spend time in both worlds, but the FB groups are too saturated for me, with too many folks and too many fluctuating tastes. As an admin of VKL, I like that the group focuses on only vinyl kaiju toys, which is my preference. However even there I feel myself in the minority, because most everyone in general is into whatever the flavor of the week might be. I guess a good analogy would be that I’d rather hang out with record collectors instead of the majority of self-proclaimed “music fans”, which are usually happy with whatever the radio’s playing. Sure all the artists and collectors I like are on FB just like everyone else, but they’re harder to find there.
    When it comes to buying, trading or selling, I’d rather deal with like minded collectors and established artists from a smaller community, instead of folks that are casual fans and decided to become collectors / artists six months ago. The latter seem to be the most vocal and active on FB forums these days.
    SB or FB? Both can be boring or engrossing, depending on our moods!
     
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  5. ---NT---

    ---NT--- Prototype

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Let me tell you about Facebook...FUCK Facebook!
     
  6. hellointerloper

    hellointerloper S7 Royalty

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    The Facebook sofubi groups I’ve encountered are kind of just echo chambers. Someone posts a shitty custom toy and all you see are “Good job!!!” “Lit!!” and other vapid IG-like comments. (Probably why I only really use IG to look at frog photos now.) I feel like there’s no criticism. Like I’m waiting for someone to tear the Mechacrotch guy a new asshole for his horrendous customs, and it just never comes. Here on SB we dish out the criticism, constructive or not. Facebook is SB on training wheels with a flower basket.
     
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  7. hellopike

    hellopike S7 Royalty

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    I’ve never much used Facebook. I think I have only ever made 2 or 3 posts ever, and I’ve never used it for groups.
     
  8. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Copying and pasting comments I made about Facebook groups, on a Facebook group:

    Facebook isn't very good software for message board-type discussion. Along the same lines, it's not the best instant messenger, event finder, contact management system, photo sharing site, etc. It shoehorns too many different functions into one platform, designed solely for "stickiness" - keeping your eyeballs glued to the site for as long as possible.

    Facebook groups provide a weak imitation of what the old BBS packages offered. There are no thread titles, and the threads aren't displayed chronologically. The search functionality is limited. Replies in threads aren't always displayed and/or nested properly. There is no way to browse posts at a high level by content type (text, photos, etc.).

    The one thing Facebook has going for it is that Facebook is where everybody else is, and for most of those people, Facebook is the only thing they do on the internet. There are over 2.2 billion Facebook accounts. That's like the population of China plus three USAs. If you are trying to build a group and recruit the maximum amount of users, there is no other site where you will accomplish that.

    At least until the next Facebook comes along.
     
    Last edited: Jul 15, 2020
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  9. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Regarding the kaiju groups specifically, aside from having a very high level of participation compared to Skullbrain, and the majority of users engaging using only thumbs and a screen the size of an index card, the focus seems to be mainly on newer toys from Medicom, Marmit, Gigabrain, etc. There is some discussion of vintage toys and reissues but those posts are few and far between. I don't consider it a good place to buy stuff because many of the American sellers don't have prices that are competitive with Mandarake and Yahoo Japan Auctions.
     
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  10. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Oh yeah, protip: block the mecha-crotch guy. Makes browsing those groups so much nicer when you aren't seeing the five or more posts a day that he shares.
     
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  11. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    So, I am not a FB user, and am a little surprised even, while I know that the various message groups exist there, that this is even a conversation. But it is, so let's take a look at it. So far all the feedback has basically summed it up as FB is not SB, nowhere near to it (for what most people here thing the board is for at any rate). So reading this purely as an outsider, it seems like a non-contest, and no one who is taking part here exclusively is really missing out on anything over there.

    However I do agree @moodydoom (and it's good to see you active here again by the way) that this place could be better in 2020. That being said though, the onus is honestly on everyone contributing to the board to make it so. i.e. if there is some content missing or something you would like to add/discuss here, then really [the collective] you should share in it. The whole reason this places works is because it is curated by the community itself. And yes, it has gone through ups, down, and left-to-right changes over the years, just as the hobby has evolved. But I feel like any 'dropping' of quality in the board is really on people just not participating as much as they used to. And that is on all of us (including myself here), not a fault of the forum itself.
     
  12. nothisisluke

    nothisisluke Toy Prince

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    As someone who's almost exclusively interested in "neo-sofubi" and engages very little with designer vinyl or vintage/vintage-inspired kaiju, I have yet to find a FB group that exhibits any decent amount of activity that pertains to anything Im actually interested in.
     
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  13. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    I think that's probably another benefit of the board. As much as people moan (or maybe used to) about its exclusivity and toy snobbiness, I think that actually we are one of the places that covers the most ground. There's still plenty of fodder for the KR boards, but in terms of sort of the core interests the board was founded around, it has only expanded to include more depth.

    But, just for my own OCD classification system, I am really interested to hear how you define those categories. If

    Designer vinyl = ??
    Vintage/vintage-inspired kaiju = ??


    Some people might be able to sort a few ideas based on their own opinions, and I'd submit some guesses, but then how does it break down for

    Neo-sofubi = ??

    Genuinely asking because I am curious as to people definitions. (I think it's clear, much like opinions on toy aesthetics, we all have our own and no one will ever agree :razz:)
     
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  14. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    What is "neo-sofubi?"
     
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  15. Mr. Humphreys

    Mr. Humphreys Mini Boss

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    Hmmmm, well my understanding of the term neo-sofubi was when I first saw it ised to describe the sales section of non-vintage sofubi in the old old Super 7 webstore.. It was for all Japanese made sofubi being produced or recently produced (includes older reprints). This does not include "designer vinyl" (vinyl not made by Japanese manufacturers).
     
  16. nothisisluke

    nothisisluke Toy Prince

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Im not sure if I'm correct at all, but here's what I meant by those terms. Designer vinyl is stuff like kidrobot, coarse, superplastic. Objectively a different medium than soft vinyl. I'm sure there's a better name for it, I just don't know off the top of my head. I've heard the term "urban vinyl" thrown around as well.

    By "vintage inspired" I really mean mostly anything that's based on existing kaiju characters. I have a great respect for the fact that this is where sofubi has its roots, it's just that these are typically not the designs and artists that resonate with me. There's a few exceptions (u.s. toys, slash, popy, buta) but for the most part I go for original characters.

    Which is what I've heard called "neo-sofubi." I don't remember where I heard it but I promise I didn't make it up hahah. Basically I think of it as any original characters made in soft vinyl. Anything secret base, realxhead, mvh, PK, etc.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2020
  17. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Got it, thanks.
     
  18. Urk

    Urk Toy Prince

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    A skullbrain facebook group would just be a terrible idea wouldnt it? :razz:
     
  19. The Moog

    The Moog Die-Cast

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Yep, I heard the term a long time ago but people don't seem to use it very often. I understood it as original artist based character sofubi, not sofubi from existing Tokusatsu TV or film characters.

    Kinda like saying Shin-Sofubi ...
     
  20. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Okay, so I get those definitions, but then, by that logic, what you have called 'designer vinyl' is really nothing that would - typically - be discussed in this forum. i.e. I was thinking you meant more 'artist' vinyl, but by your classifications, I could offer a breakdown essentially between 'kaiju/tokusatsu' and then 'neo-sofubi' (which basically encompasses everything else). Pretty broad but I gotcha. And definitely the stuff of Skullbrain.
     
  21. XVivaHateX

    XVivaHateX Addicted

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    Im a member of quite a few FB toy groups and I can say I vastly prefer SB. For all the reasons Roger and Steve mentioned above. Its terrible for cataloging and finding things, and just by its nature pulls in quantity over quality. Jordan (@Geekabilly) and I started a vintage vinyl group on there like 10 years ago and its pretty much dead. We spend more time deleting off topic posts than then actually enjoying any of the content. TL;DR @ultrakaiju youre not missing anything
     
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  22. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    I've seen people post about it existing but I've never been able to find one.
     
  23. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    Which one? I might be a member. I've joined so many.
     
  24. XVivaHateX

    XVivaHateX Addicted

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    SB vs Facebook Groups...asking for a friend
    There is only one that focuses just on 60s-70s toys that I know of. https://www.facebook.com/groups/Japanesevintagevinyl
     
  25. Paulkaiju

    Paulkaiju Mini Boss

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    Walked into one sad sycophantic circle Jerk, walked into them all.:lol:
     

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