Image Use Policy

Last Updated: March 17, 2026

1. MISSION AND ARCHIVAL PURPOSE

Collecting.Toys operates as a digital archive and cataloging system for the global toy collecting community. Our primary mission is to provide a high-quality visual database for reference, education, and historical preservation. To fulfill this mission, we aggregate visual data from various public and professional sources.

2. SOURCE OF MATERIAL AND OWNERSHIP

The vast majority of the images, photography, and digital assets displayed on this platform are promotional materials originally produced and distributed by the respective manufacturers and brand owners (including, but not limited to, Hasbro, Mattel, LEGO, Nintendo, Disney, Kenner, and Playmobil).

• Promotional Nature: These assets were created as part of official press kits, product catalogs, and marketing campaigns to promote the sale of retail products.
• Third-Party IP: We explicitly recognize that all trademarks, logos, and character designs remain the exclusive intellectual property of their respective creators and copyright holders.
• Fair Use & Reference: These images are used here under the principles of fair use for cataloging and non-commercial reference. We do not claim ownership over any licensed brand assets.

3. OPEN USAGE FOR THE COLLECTOR COMMUNITY

We believe in the free flow of information for enthusiasts. Therefore, users of Collecting.Toys are granted the freedom to utilize the images found on this site for personal, creative, and non-commercial projects. This includes:

• Creating personal checklists and collection spreadsheets.
• Usage in fan-made reviews, blog posts, and educational videos.
• Digital art, wallpapers, and social media fan pages.

4. NON-COMMERCIAL IMAGES POLICY

Images Are Not For Sale: We do not sell, license, or trade any images hosted on our servers.

• Free Access: Access to these visual assets is, and will always be, free of charge for the public.
• No “Premium” Assets: There are no gated or “paywalled” images. Every asset is available for the community to browse without financial barriers.

5. THE STRICT “NO-HOTLINKING” PROTOCOL

While we encourage the creative use of these images, we enforce a strict Anti-Hotlinking Policy.

What is Hotlinking? Hotlinking occurs when you link directly to our image URL (e.g., https://collecting.toys/images/toy-123.jpg) to display that image on an external website, forum, or app.

Why is it prohibited?

• Resource Theft: Every time your external page loads, it forces our servers to do the work and consumes our bandwidth.
• Server Stability: Excessive hotlinking can slow down the experience for our registered collectors and potentially crash our database.
• Proper Usage: If you wish to use an image, you MUST download it to your device and host it on your own server, social media account, or image hosting provider (like Imgur or Google Photos).

Failure to comply with this protocol may result in permanent IP blocks or the replacement of hotlinked images with “No Hotlinking” warning placeholders.

6. ACCURACY AND VARIATION DISCLAIMER

Please be aware that promotional images often feature prototypes or digital renders.

• The final retail product may vary in color, paint applications, and articulation from the images shown.
• Collecting.Toys provides these images as a historical reference, not as a guarantee of the condition or appearance of any specific item in your personal collection.