Here at IAT, we try to review all the toys we buy. It’s a rule that helps me keep the MOTU & DC sections complete while it tasks Vault with keeping the site varied and interesting. But there’s been one line I hadn’t reviewed. I think it was because I couldn’t answer the initial question. What the heck are Glyos?
I’ve seen that question around the net more than a few times, whenever a new potential fan hears about Glyos for the first time or when the Outer Space Men come up. And some collectors, much smarter than me, have answered it. They’re action figures with interchangeable parts. They’re a joint system that lets you build figures from the ground up. They’re toys that you can customize without having to be a great sculptor or painter.
All of those are true. And I think they answer the question when it’s asked. But I think there’s more to it than that. I think that in addition to “What are Glyos,” we need to be asking “What I can do with Glyos?”
For this review, I’m going to humbly show four aspects of what can be done with Glyos: Collect, Configure, Create, & Customize. As I’m just beginning to understand Glyos myself, I’m sure there are more than that. In fact, odds are there are some aspects that don’t start with the letter “C”. A few weeks ago, I didn’t understand them as well as I do now and in a few weeks I’ll probably think I was a dolt for trying to write this when I did. I’m just starting down this path, but I wanted to turn around and tell the folks behind me that the water’s fine. That it’s fun and here’s why I think so…
Collect
I’m ashamed to admit that the first time I bought Glyos, I didn’t get it. I had gotten four: (from left to right) Pyros Exellis, Spectre Buildman, a Bean-Bot, and a Junkshop figure. All I can say for myself is that I was only thinking in terms of normal toy collecting. I thought I was buying them to have them.
There are toy collectors that buy cool toys for cool toy’s sake. Vault is a good example – he can dip into a line and grab one or two cool pieces and step back out. I kinda suck at that. I’ve learned to not be a completist, but I still find myself getting more invested in a line than I should. I enjoy lines like DC Classics where I can buy all my favorite DC characters (like Firebrand II & Resurrection Man… wait…) or MOTU Classics which, for me, is a combination of some nostalgia along with their being cool toys. I don’t generally buy cool for cool’s sake.
So when I bought Glyos the first time to find out what they were, I didn’t really understand what I was getting into. They were little dudes with cool designs in cool colors. I took them apart, but I couldn’t really make anything new that I liked, so they returned to factory standard. I’m not sure what it was – I think part of it was the colors I chose, they didn’t remix well in my eyes. For example, I wasn’t ready for a Junkman because he was usually bought for spare parts more than he was meant to be a unique figure.
I simply wasn’t ready to think about aspects beyond collecting them. I enjoyed my Bean-Bot most and I liked that my Buildman would glow in the dark. I wanted to buy more, but I looked at the archive and saw all the cool ones I’d missed and I got a bit turned off. I loved Voss Exellis, but he was long gone. My leftover completist kicked in and I found myself discouraged. The Bean-Bot made his way into the old ItsAllTrue.Net banner while the rest were stored.
I mistakenly believed that collecting Glyos wasn’t for me and I lost interest. Luckily, my story doesn’t end there.
Configure
With my excitement reignited by the recent OSM news, I became convinced that it was me who didn’t understand Glyos. I pulled my other figures out of storage and I tried again. This time, I looked around on the October Toys forum, I poured over Battlegrip.com looking for new ideas. I had to let go of my collector and get in touch with my inner builder.
I’m a big LEGO fan, but LEGOs are architectural. I have tons of fun creating buildings, vehicles, space outposts, etc – but Glyos are different, more organic. I was building with arms and legs and having to relearn as I went along. I was finally having fun, but the colors were still giving me trouble. I hadn’t thought about compatible colors when I bought my first four. I decided to start over from scratch.
Luckily, the Onell Store had a Buildman (19 pcs) and a Gobon (13 pcs) both in sleek silver. As soon as I saw them both available, I knew these two were exactly what I needed. I could use any piece anyway I wanted without having to worry about the colors. I patiently waited for them to arrive and when they did I went to task on seeing what I could do with them.
Along with a silver phase arm set (5 pcs), I started simply. The Buildman has a couple alternate heads and each of his pieces are unique – the feet, hands, shoulders, etc all styled differently, but I also learned it was important not to see the pieces as just heads or feet – to try and see their potential as other pieces. I learned how to make a cool cannon arm. I made tons of new robots. I quickly felt like I hadn’t bought enough! I wanted a second Buildman so I could make two symmetrical ones. I wanted extra phase arm sets – the smaller phase arm (on the left up there) split into three pieces! And each time I built something I really liked, I wanted to leave it that way. I wanted to have “that one” too. I wanted to collect a line that I had created with the Glyos pieces. I was making cool robots and I was really having fun.
But I was about to get outclassed. See How on Page 2…
I love Glyos. I really, truly do. Maybe it’s because I teach Kindergarten and coming up with funky creations happens in Kindergarten on a daily basis. Whatever the reason, these toys are awesome and something I’d actually- Dare I say it?- collect.
Heaven help me when the glow-in-the-dark ones come…
Your review was well written too! I loved the “C” categories with the review at the end. It was a structured, simple and organized read. You add cute personal touches to your articles too. While I don’t always comment as much as I should, it’s something I appreciate about your reviews. Your personal flow is always something I look forward to.
*Gold star* 😉
Thank you, but I think you’re biased. 😉
Maybe… 😉
To be fair, though, I like alliteration! Comes with the profession.
That was a great read! I’ve enjoyed teh few Onell pieces that I’ve bought, but I never have enough money after trying to keep up with Mattel & Hasbro.
Money is a big factor for me too. I think the Glyos prices are reasonable, but Mattel is pretty adamant about getting all my money.
I’ve yet to disassemble my Junkshop figures that I have, they are each their own unique individual with their generally(not all though!) mismatched parts. It is fun giving them weapons from other toys like G.I.Joes or Star Wars.
Of course, I glossed over that ‘collect’ aspect! LOL
I haven’t tried cross-pollinating weapons yet. I’ll have to check that out.
My only problem with tearing mine apart is I don’t always remember what goes with which figure… I never thought about giving them outsider toy props!!! Great idea!!!
You make a good case, but I don’t see myself liking these.
I think Noisy made it quite clear that you have to feel yourself liking them… LOL
When you say it, it sounds wrong…
These look like fun little guys. Are they rugged enough for grandkids? Ones that know not to eat the little pieces of course.
As long as they’re old enough not to eat ’em, I think they’d hold up just fine!
it’s nice to see people remembering that toys are about PLAY first and foremost, not collectibility, not exclusivity, not packaging, good old imagination inspiring PLAY! it seems like in the last couple decades, we lost the idea of play. i blame mcfarlane. but play is the ultimate service a toy can provide and that needs to be protected and cherished whenever possible.
Collect ’em all is an overriding concept in so many ways. I’m interested to see how non-Glyos OSM fans confront the number of colorways.
Agreed!
I’m not a Glyos fan, but this was a great article in-it-of-itself. I loved how you ‘didnt get it’, it made for a very personal story!
Yeah, I had to come clean to start off! I really was kinda unsure about them and put them away. I’m glad I gave them a second chance.
Fun blog. On a few different occasions I have loaded up a bunch of these in my shopping cart at Onell and then decided not to get them. I was hoping to get to see them in hand at Onell’s SDCC booth, but each time I went there was some sort of event going on and there wasn’t anything on sale to grab/hold/look at. Your blog is helpful as a tutorial in that regard. Now I’m leaning toward grabbing some, but I can’t seem to find the colors I really want…I want those silver ones you have. 🙂
Thanks! I think they’re worth it if you do pick some up, but color is very important! I know I’m a bit crazy in that regard, but the all silver ones – including my Silver Callgrim – really helped me out. And you can’t have my silver ones! 😉
I’m tempted by the GITD red offerings right now. Sil just got the red Glowbon today, and it makes me want to grab the Echomorph, the Buildman, and the Callgrim to match…
Well, you pushed me over the edge. 🙂 I finally submitted an order, on my 4th or 5th attempt at pulling the trigger. Part of me wanted to just wait until they release some colors I’m really jazzed about, but the part of me that won was the part that just wanted to crack some of these open. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Did you get the GITD ones!? The red is SUPER AWESOME!!!! It’s so, so red when it glows!!!!
Great post! I love Glyos. I’d be out of toy collecting if it weren’t for them.
Thanks!
Which are your favorites?
This was a fun read.
Thanks, Gerald!
Great article and review. I got lucky and “got” the Glyos stuff immediately. And they get to be even more fun when you start building and painting. I’ve made same really crazy stuff.
Here’s one example: http://www.battlegrip.com/?p=13634
Phil! I’m a dolt! I completely forgot to add you into the customize section. My bad – I’m adding a link to Battlegrip and to your Flickr account now!
I really enjoyed this one, as I’ve been kinda admiring these at arm’s length since the OSM were announced. The Glyos line is so expansive, it’s a bit intimidating. I have a few picked out that I want to start with, partially to help ease myself into these things for when the OSM are released. It’s a matter of being able to spare the money at this point, though.
That’s why I wrote it. I’ve been a bit standoffish and I was missing out. They may not win over everybody, but they’re fun and I wanted to say so!
Money is part of it for me too. Mattel bleeds me dry with just MOTU & DC…
Glyos are pretty cool, but they need (or at least I want) an option to buy a big bag of random parts. Sort of like buying a bucket of legos from garage sale. They’re nothing but a bunch of bricks until you apply a little imagination to them