It's Thanksgiving Day here in the United States (our Canadian friends celebrate theirs a little earlier), and while many people will be eating with their families tonight, thankful for any number of things in these tough times, the Tomopop crew is thankful for a few things, too. Of course, what more appropriate day to talk about those things than today, so we've decided to do just that.

And, as a special Thanksgiving present, we're also linking you to the Thanksgiving-themed papercraft in our header image, created by Macula. If you're a quick folder, you can get these done in time for dinner!

Hit the jump to see what we're thankful for!

Colette: When it comes to toys, I love them all, but the longer I own them, the more I realize how thankful I am that my collection includes Nendoroids. These little affordable pieces from Good Smile Company have become some of the most popular, and it's easy to see why: they come with so many extra pieces, so you can actually play with them, and you can even interchange them with your other Nendos, so the more the merrier. The best thing about them to me, however, is that photographing them is always such a joy because no matter what you do with them, they always look so full of life and they keep me smiling. A toy can't give you a better return than that.

Topher: I'm thankful for the Revolver joint. Not just because it's proven a brilliant innovation in articulated figure design over the last few years, (which it certainly has), but because of what it's led to. The advent of the Revolver joint has inspired the production of figures to represent series which might not have otherwise seen the light of day in terms of poseables. Dokodemo Issho, Yotsubato!, Moyashimon — these are franchises one wouldn't really expect to see "action figures" for, but for some reason it becomes okay if Revoltech is handling things.

Additionally, license holders involved with older franchises want a slice of the cake, and we've seen amazing figures based on series many people have forgotten, breathing new life into their original source material. Slap on a thoroughly reasonable pricing model and what you end up with is a situation where absolutely everybody involved — from IP holder to manufacturer to fan/consumer — comes out a winner. All thanks to the incredible versatility of one clicky little joint.

Brian: There are a ton of things I want to say I'm thankful for, perhaps too many to list. Rather than rattle off a list of some 30 or 40 things I can think of off the top of my head, I'll leave it at one thing: the independent vinyl and resin artists out there who are producing and creating their own works. It's often not an easy task to go it alone, especially since there are a number of bigger companies that could easily help mass-market their products. But they trade that for control over their ideas, whether it's Sucklord and 2PetalRose's resin works, Rotobox's vinyl creations or any number of others I could pick from. They are the people who truly push the collectibles industry forward, and without them, we'd be in a very different place right now.

Leah: I think of all the many things in the world of toys, I am most thankful for the vinyl artists and how incredibly nice most of them are. I have had some awesome experiences while bumping into them at shows. Perhaps my favorite artist meeting took place at the Thundermutt release, when I met Carlos East (one of the Beast Brothers) downstairs while I was picking up some blind boxes. He sketched for me for almost an hour, even though he had just come to talk to people. My favorite of these sketches was done in my notebook, and when I bumped into him again a few days ago at Paying Dues, he asked how my book was coming along, and even remembered what I was writing about. Lou Pimentel, the creator of Cranston Fellows Jr., was the first artist I ever met, and I ended up being pretty good friends with him. I honestly can't think of a single artist who I have talked to who wasn't incredibly nice — and I have to say, I was not expecting them to be so friendly and accessible. So I am thankful for the artists, and the fact that they have not forgotten how important their fans are.

Andres: There are several things that I am thankful for this year. One is that I am finally able to really pursue and have been able to complete a ton of Gunpla projects. Second, I'm glad to have finally found my grail of toy hunting, Souchaku Henshin Kamen Rider Zeronos. Lastly and most thankful for, my wife that shares and loves this hobby.

Pedro: There are many things I love about the figures I collect. Everything from the characters that get represented in 1/8 PVC glory to the tiny folds in the clothing that the sculptors mold in are appreciated. In the end though, for me it's all about the end. Yes folks, Pedro is thankful for booties and panties alike. Without those lovely posteriors or cotton underwears, my world would be a sadder, less perverted place, and nobody wants a sad Pedrobear.

Anthony: I am thankful for Transformers. The Autobots, the Decepticons, the combiner teams, the triple changers, even the ones that become animals. I am thankful for the fact that I can still go to a store and buy them without having to pay shipping fees. I am thankful that, even though they are only $10, that there are enough joints in them to keep anyone happy. I am thankful that they got me back into the toy collecting lifestyle and shaping how I lived my life up to this point and from now on. Finally, I am thankful that no matter where my life goes, I will always have those transforming robots to keep me company!

Eva: To be honest, I can't even remember what my first real figure was. While I did play with Barbies and even GI Joe toys, it's hard to point my finger on what exactly got me obsessed in wanting to collect figures. I guess I can point my finger towards the Sailor Moon dolls I received on my birthday many moons ago (liked that pun there?). While I did enjoy anime before I even realized it was what it was, I am thankful for having a strong love for Sailor Moon. If it wasn't for Sailor Moon, I wouldn't be the person I am today. I can't be thankful for a specific toy nor maker, but I am thankful that this kind of hobby and interest has led me towards the people that are in my life today. Because of anime, I have met the most precious people in my life, as well as it connecting me towards Tomopop and all of our readers. I can't be thankful for losing my money because of all of this, hahaha. Thank you, readers, for allowing Tomopop to grow — it is because of you that the main person behind it all, Colette, can be happy; to be able to smile that something she had started alone has grown to what it is today.

Rio: The toy world is just one of the many things I’m insanely thankful for, and as much as I am thankful for great DIY toys, there’s something that actually out does that for me this year. I am so thankful to Hot Toys that I can’t even express it well enough in words. At the beginning of the year they blessed us with the Billie Jean Michael Jackson figure, which is still my favorite toy I own, and they are now blessing us once again with the most beautiful Thriller figure I have ever seen in my life. It has been a tough year, especially with losing one of my greatest heroes, but to have him forever immortalized in these beautiful figures really means the world to me. To have the chance to own not only one, but both of these pieces means so much that I’ll never be able to express how grateful I really am. I also want to give a big thanks to everyone who has supported me through my time of DIY toy customization. I’ve still got a long way to go, but your support means so much to me!

Jason: I am most thankful for Tomopop. This amazing site keeps reminding me why I love toys on an almost hourly basis. Not just by bringing in news of fantastic figures, but in talents and enthusiasm of the staff and the community. It also provides me a daily outlet to exercise my creative muscles and to do some amazing photo projects. It takes a substantial amount of free time for us editors to put this all together, but I feel like Tomopop takes that time and turns it into something tangible; something that we're all proud of. Thanks once again to the staff and to the community. You're all the reason why this is the best toy site on the globe!

Robert: Having an assignment where you write what you are thankful for on Thanksgiving as a adult is a little surreal. I probably haven’t done this since 1995.

Anyway, there are lots of toys I have been thankful for this year, but I think when it comes down to it, I’m most thankful for the fact that I still get excitement from toys. Let me explain. I’m 25 years old and so far life has been tremendously difficult. In 2005 I lost my mother, in 2006, my father and in 2007, my sister. With all the adult realities and sadness that has come into my life, I am so grateful to have something that still fills me with the same happiness and wonder that I had as a child.

Toys inspire me. Looking at them I feel creative. I suddenly get the urge to draw, to sculpt, to write. If only for a minute, I am 4 years old again, and anything is possible.

So, yeah. I’m pretty thankful for toys. I’m also thankful for being brought onto the Tomopop staff and getting a chance to share my enthusiasm with all of you. Happy Thanksgiving!

Brad: I'm thankful for AmiAmi finally opening up an English language page. It's showing that the Japanese market is starting to view us here in the West as a more viable place to sell figures — especially with sales weakening in Japan — and so hopefully the price gouging that I see at many conventions will start to go away. Especially here in the U.S., I just love to see our hobbies flourish and I think it's a good thing when the Japanese companies decide to take a foothold here on our shores, like with Kodansha in the realm of Japanator. Who knows? AmiAmi, or maybe even Good Smile Company might set up a booth at AX or Otakon one year!

Tim: I'm thankful to Ubisoft for having taken the time to really spruce up their Assassins Creed 2 Limited Edition this year. Last time we were given a pint-sized Altair as a bonus, but this time they went all out with a 1/7th scale Ezio figure. While I wish it were PVC, I can't complain considering how awesome he looks.
 
I really think it's fantastic that Ubisoft decided to step it up, and I can only hope that they continue to do this in the future. It'd also be nice if other game companies took notice and started doing the same. I'd love me a 1/7th scale Edgeworth, or even my very own Princess Daisy, and I wouldn't mind paying the extra $30-40.

Jonathan: This Thanksgiving I am thankful for pumpkin pie. Well, I'm thankful for that every year. What I'm really thankful for is my best friend getting me back into collecting figures. Before she purchased me the gorgeous Persona 3 Aegis figure by Alter, my last collected figure was from Kotobukiya's 1/8 scale Final Fantasy 8 figures. That was in 2001-02.

The quality in figures changed immensely since that time so I was completely blown away when studying the detail of Aegis (still completely in love with her face). Seeing this dramatic change, I started to look at figures again and was simply amazed by the high quality these manufacturers were producing. So, if it weren't for my best friend I would not have this passion for figure collecting. And that is what I am thankful for. My wallet on the other hand hates her for it.

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So, Tomopop readers, that is what we are thankful for today on Thanksgiving. What about you?