Internet Backdraft/Toys


 * Bring knockoffs topic up in any of the twisty puzzle communities.
 * Webkinz. Even casually mentioning them is bound to bring up wars of "OMG! They are so cute and awesome. I collect all of them!" VS "They are so overrated! Just stupid plush toys with a virtual pet gimmick!" flame wars.
 * Beanie Babies as well. Were they the most famous toy fad ever? Cute, but over-rated, or just a bunch of worthless plush animals everyone went crazy over for some silly reason? No one will ever fully agree on the answer.
 * Speaking of Webkinz, ask whether or not the virtual-only pets go against the original point of Webkinz (IE: Plush toys you can also play with online). You will be flamed immediately.
 * Don't ask if Webkinz ripped-off Neopets or if Beanie Babies ripped-off Webkinz or if Webkinz ripped-off Beanie Babies or...pretty much don't ask if any of them are mere rip-offs of the other. Just don't.
 * There has been a semi-subdued flame war raging on BZ Power over whether Hero Factory is any good or not. While most people are satisfied with meeting in the middle, there are some Stop Having Fun Guys extremists on both sides. Hey, even plastic toys can be Serious Business.
 * Also be careful about bringing up Bionicle, or really, any Constraction line (Slizers, Robo Riders) in a positive light, especially when older fans of LEGO are around. They're not compatible with "real" LEGO pieces, and they have these lame and kiddie/violent and gory stories, see?
 * Barbie. Just, Barbie. On one side, Barbie is nothing but a Dumb Blonde who is too obsessed with shopping and fashion, and is a terrible role model for girls. On the other side, Barbie is a great role model because the dolls come with a wide variety of hobbies and careers. Post either opinion and let the flaming ensue.
 * Fashion Fever VS The Fashionistas. Just watch as long time fans explain how Character Development has been killed by the No Name Given Schrodingers Player Character versus the moms who like that the dolls can now literally have whatever personality the little girls want and name their dolls. Don't even try bringing up Swappin' Styles...
 * Bratz dolls: some see them as fun fashion dolls with attitude, others see them as slutty bimbos who do nothing but shop and talk about boys.
 * Also bringing up whether Bratz or Barbie dolls are better. Bratz supporters insist that Bratz are cooler, have more attitude, and Barbie fans are just jealous of the success of the Bratz dolls. Barbie supporters believe that Bratz are brainless bimbos with no interest other than fashion, while Barbie has many interests and career options.
 * Ball. Jointed. Dolls. Do you like Chinese companies? Prepare to be told that 'you're settling for cheap' or that 'you're going to get a knockoff'. Don't like Chinese companies? You're an elitist. Opinions on companies going through problems is also flame bait. And don't even get started on whether or not Volks is the best company, the worst company, or merely 'good'.
 * Most Transformers fans know better than to ever speak the words "Classics Thundercracker" in the presence of other fans. For the uninitiated, Thundercracker is a character known primarily for being one of several "Seekers" who are just Starscream in different colors, and Classics was a 2006 toyline revisiting various older Transformers characters (and colloquially also refers to similar updated toys in later lines). Classics ended with only two of the three original Seekers released, so to complete the set, Fun Publications decided to sell a Thundercracker version of the Classics Starscream toy as a limited-run exclusive at BotCon 2007. Years later, in the 2010-2011 Transformers: Generations line, Hasbro reused the same plastic molds to make another, slightly different Thundercracker toy. The result of this is that one group of fans is adamant that Fun Publications "stole" Thundercracker in a travesty of toymaking which has only recently been corrected by Generations Thundercracker, while another group holds that a Classics-like Thundercracker should have been the exclusive right of convention exclusive owners forever, a sacred contract that was Generations Thundercracker violated.