As a father of a young child, my feet know the discomfort of stepping on Optimus Prime’s miniature axe left in the middle of the room (no room in particular, to be honest). That’s usually followed by another step that brings the calming squish of Bluey’s little ears.
These plastic toys, from Barbie to Squishmallows, have brought joy to generations, and their influence is everlasting. Last year, I interviewed the owners of Sharpies, a Detroit-style pizzeria in Chicago. The owners complimented me on my laptop sleeve — a jet-black leather Darth Vader case from Orbitkey that is no longer in stock. Upon hearing the praise, I calmly retorted, “I’m a mark.”
In recent months, I find myself dwelling on message boards, trying to ensure I secure the latest Transformers toys. It started out as a trial balloon when I innocently purchased Blaster, the heroic red and yellow boombox — an ‘80s-era loud and brash portable music player. I wanted my son to understand the world of analog music through Blaster’s minions, the cassettes Eject and Ramhorn. But thanks to the child’s enthusiasm, it’s turned into an excuse, a fully formed gateway into the world of collectables, something I never thought I would find myself a part of. I’ve bored my wife with various minutiae over the release of these things that are most definitely not dolls.
My experience is not unique, and the film industry understands this, with its recent push toward extravagant collectable popcorn buckets and cups, which can range from $30 to $80 (contrast that with ticket prices in big city markets, which average around $15). As the industry struggles to fill seats, any new revenue stream is welcomed. Popcorn is a foundational part of the movie experience, something that dates to the early 1900s, and concessions is always where theaters have made their money. But as audience tastes shift, the thrill of paying movie theater prices for everyday snacks has dwindled. Recent efforts to increase revenue include sale of alcoholic drinks and full meals at select theaters including Alamo Drafthouse and AMC Dine-In.