瞎逛文創展 (二) / Wandering Around a Creative Fair (Part 2)

不知道各位有無感覺到，在這個科技日新月異、商品推陳出新的時代，復古懷舊風卻悄悄在市場上掀起一股熱潮，可能是許多人在面對快速變化的現實時，內心反而渴望回到單純簡單的過去吧，而我從文創展上，也觀察到這樣的現象，有一些攤位，就是主打復古商品，如塑膠積木、鐵皮機器人、四驅車等看似被時代淘汰的玩具，可能很多年輕人沒有親身玩過那些玩具，但是對他們而言，那些玩具是一個新奇的文創商品，很奇怪吧？

「漫坑」這個攤位，賣的是市面上較少見的美國漫畫商品，在這裡，主流還是日韓漫畫商品，日本漫畫以題材多元、世界觀細膩，以及角色塑造的深度等特色，廣受消費者歡迎，我學生時代就是日本漫畫的忠實愛好者，而韓國漫畫的直式卷軸的閱讀方式，適合在手機上觀看，而受到網路世代的關注，美國漫畫通常以超級英雄故事為主題，如鋼鐵人及蜘蛛人等，拜超級英雄電影的成功，也獲的小眾的超級英雄粉絲支持。

美國漫畫的主角，就是超級英雄們，大多誕生在第二次世界大戰及美國蘇俄冷戰時期，那些戴著披風、穿著緊身戰衣的超級英雄，簡單明快的打擊敵人，成為凝聚民心的一種方式，也是美國文化的一種象徵，而美國漫畫封面設計與印刷質感，我看來具有濃濃的手工感，具有很高的收藏價值，我聽說，很多人願意花高價競標保存完好的漫畫首刷版本，據報導，1938年發行的初版超人漫畫《Action Comics No. 1》就以600萬美元的價錢拍賣成交，我們是不是應該把小時候看的漫畫或玩的玩具，好好的保存下來呢？

我和朋友閒逛到某區，這區可能是規劃為專門販售金工與礦石商品，因為我們一路走過去，閃著晶瑩光澤的水晶礦石和精緻的金工小物攤位一個接一個，我發現水晶礦石與金工小物的結合，好像蠻受到年輕人的喜愛，有一個攤位，獨立設計師酷酷的坐在那邊，他面前的展示架上，排滿了依照礦石天然形狀與色澤，量身打造的金屬包框、吊架和戒台，每一件商品都像是藝術品，散發著獨一無二的個性，不過，觀看的人多，詢問的人少，想想也是，這類的商品價錢較高，而年輕人的消費力相對偏低，難怪看的人多，買的人少。

Have you ever noticed that in this fast-paced era of ever-changing technology and constantly updated products, there’s actually a quiet wave of retro nostalgia sweeping through the market? Maybe it’s because when faced with such rapid change, people deep down crave the simplicity of the past. I’ve even spotted this trend at cultural and creative fairs. Some booths focus entirely on retro products—things like plastic building blocks, tin robots, and mini four-wheel-drive cars. A lot of younger people have never actually played with these toys before, but to them, they’re fresh and interesting cultural-creative items. Funny, isn’t it?

One booth, called “Comic Trap”, sells rare American comic merchandise. Here, the majority is still Japanese and Korean comic goods. Japanese comics are popular for their variety of themes, detailed worldbuilding, and deep character development—I was a loyal fan back in my student days. Korean comics, on the other hand, are often in a vertical scroll format, perfect for reading on a phone, which makes them a hit with the internet generation. American comics usually center on superheroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man. Thanks to the success of superhero movies, they have a small but dedicated fan base.

Superheroes, mostly born during World War II and the U.S.–Soviet Cold War, often wore capes and skin-tight suits, fighting bad guys in quick, decisive battles. They were a way to unite the public and became a symbol of American culture. The cover art and print quality of American comics have this handcrafted feel, which gives them high collectible value. I’ve heard some people are willing to pay huge sums to get pristine first editions. In fact, Action Comics No. 1, the 1938 debut of Superman, reportedly sold for $6 million at auction. Makes you wonder—shouldn’t we be keeping those childhood comics and toys safe?

Later, my friend and I wandered into another section, which seemed to be dedicated to metalwork and gemstone crafts. Booth after booth displayed sparkling crystals and beautifully made metal accessories. I noticed that combining gemstones with handcrafted metal designs seems to be quite popular among young people. One booth in particular stood out—the independent designer sat there coolly, with a display full of pieces made by framing each gemstone in custom metal settings, pendants, or rings, all tailored to the stone’s natural shape and color. Each one was like a unique piece of art, radiating personality. Still, while a lot of people stopped to look, not many actually asked about prices. Makes sense though—these items aren’t cheap, and younger shoppers often have less spending power. No wonder there are more admirers than buyers.

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