Last Post!

I think this just about covers it...

Well, it’s been great fun.

The MEC, or Mos Espa Collection as it was known for the duration of its existence, is coming to a close. For reasons I outline below this will be the last post I make here.

It’s been a good run, just two weeks shy of five years old and four posts short of 200. Writing and running this site has put me in touch with some of the friendliest folk in the toy-blogging community, and feeling that you’re not alone when you indulge in a niche hobby like ours makes it more enjoyable by tenfold. In particular I want to give a shout out to Optimal Omega, Chris at Stunt Zombie and Bro Midnight at Green Plastic Squirt Gun. They’ve all been supportive of my ramblings over the years, and each brings a personal and unique perspective to their own collections over at their respective blogs. I heartily recommend all three.

Why am I winding up? That’s a good question. I still love blogging but I’ve ended up at a point where the MEC no longer reflects the type of collector that I am, and it’s gotten increasingly difficult to create content. In retrospect it’s essentially been a practice blog, for want of a better term, whilst I’ve figured out what toy lines I enjoy collecting, how the toy industry and fandom works, how blogging works, and how it all integrates into my life. I’ve learned quite a bit, and rather than walk away from the hobby I’m taking that knowledge and putting it into two new projects.

Firstly, Variable Thoughts is a blog about life in its entirety – which for me means a splattering of comics, films, video games and action figures. It’s an attempt to get away from having everything segmented and compartmentalised, and I think it’s also a better online profile to be able to show prospective employers.

Going in completely the opposite direction, Green Card Back is what I originally envisioned this site to be. It’s a weekly photo blog that spotlights Star Wars action figures from 1995-2000 with the affection and nostalgia that I feel that they deserve, and I’m keeping it separate because I want it to stand on its own as a complete project. How long it will last is anyone’s guess, but I’m giving it a two-year lifespan to see how it plays out.

So it is that I’m signing off here for the final time, with a ton of gratitude for the fact that we live in a world where anyone can make a soapbox for their interests and connect with like-minded people from literally anywhere. I’ll keep the blog up for posterity for the immediate term, but otherwise it’s time to look towards the future – which is something I find truly exciting.

As ever, thanks for reading. See you around!