eBay Today: Think You Could Do Better? Posted by Rich on November 9, 2007 at 11:51 AM CST: Monday morning quarterbacking is a common occurrence among toy enthusiasts. Have you ever taken a close look at a toy and thought, "if I would have created this I would have included a..." or "why would they (the toy company) make this and not include…"? It's quite possible that the extra accessory, ball-jointed appendage or a more accurately sculpted detail you'd add would be an improvement. A lot of times it's details like these that make a toy a great toy. If that’s the case, what gives? Why don't the toy companies include that extra feature which would make an average toy an outstanding toy? Like everything in life, economics play a big factor in the development cycle of a toy. First and foremost toy companies are businesses that need to make money, so the chances of seeing $10 worth of gimmicks on a toy with a $5 price-point are highly unlikely. Actually, they're more than unlikely they're just not going to happen. But enough about the depressing realities of the business world, let's look at things from an artistic point of view. The hybrid artist/engineer--Dr. Frankensteins--responsible for developing all the toys we can't wait to put our greedy little hands on are toy designers. It’s their creative interpretations and talents that influence the design of a toy. There are considerations of course--a major one being whether the toy is intended for collectors or kids, not to mention the suites usually have the final say on what goes--but each toy is stamped with its designers unique touch. With that, like with any piece of art there is room for interpretation and with interpretation there can be oversight. Take Kenner’s Waterworld Trimaran for example. Cool Toy Review sponsor Hollywood Heroes is eBaying a piece of conceptual artwork for Kenner's Waterworld Trimaran that would have served as an inspirational source for the toy's design. Looking at the artwork, it's obvious that not every detail could be translated into the toy, which was priced at about $20-$25 in 1995. Something's gotta give right? O.K. in this case a lot's gotta give! But you get the picture of just how easy it could be to overlook a detail or two, especially a minor one. What's more interesting is if you look at the actual Trimaran toy--you probably don't have one on hand, but eBay Power Seller jimi56 does--you can almost immediately identify the era from which it originated. If the Trimaran's spring-loaded weaponry, limited paint detailing and accompanying muscle-bound figures don't reek mid-90s I don't know what does. Maybe the leading-man, Kevin Costner action figures? These trends are just more influences that play a part in the evolution of art into toy. All Costner jokes aside, in comparison to the artwork the toys features are significantly scaled down to include just enough gimmicks that allow you to recreate the significant scenes from the film, while making the toy uniquely identifiable. Obviously this one's intended for the kids, but then again so were most toys from that era. Do you think you could have done better if you had a crack at creating the Trimaran? Phew! Who would have thought all that from a piece of concept art? A picture really is worth a thousand words and the Waterworld Trimaran conceptual artwork is a great way to own a piece of toy history without forking out a small fortune. Vintage Kenner Prototype Waterworld Concept: Trimaran 013