A Beginner’s Guide to Collectible Action Figures
What child and adult doesn’t love a good old fashioned action figure? Batman, Superman, Captain Action and GI Joe have delighted us for decades and collecting action figures has become very popular in the last decade. It is now a hobby of many adults and very often a considerable amount of money is invested in individual collections. Collecting is not only a lot of fun, but an amazing collection is a great conversation piece and a great icebreaker when meeting new people.
If you are interested in action figure collectibles and would like to start this fun hobby, then you need to know what makes an action figure valuable. A valuable and highly sought after figure must be popular and rare. What makes a rare figure has to do with production. A simple change in production can make one version of the same figure much more valuable than the other. One of the most sought after action figures today is Captain Action as Spider-Man. It’s hard to find this figure nowadays that isn’t missing a few pieces of gear and if you happen to come across one, grab it with all your life because it’s worth a small fortune.
Now that you know what makes a figure rare, you’ll first need to narrow down the type of figures you want to collect. Are you a comic book reader or a fan of a certain movie? If so, start there. Let’s say you grew up watching Batman and love comics, movies, and cartoons that feature the caped crusader. If this is the case, then a collection of Batman figures would be a great starting point.
You can start your search for figures in your area by visiting toy stores and thrift stores. Keep in mind that many of the most valuable collectibles have been found at flea markets and thrift stores, so keep your eyes peeled because you might get lucky and find an antique figurine worth a small fortune, assuming it’s discovered. it is in excellent condition. Take a look at online auction sites as well. The amount of money you are willing to spend will determine how many figures you buy. Some of the older and rarer action figures can easily cost hundreds of dollars, even more if they are in mint condition.
Once you’ve bought some action figure collectibles, you need to find a place to display them. It’s best to display these types of collectibles on a multi-tiered shelf or glass-fronted display case. Make sure you have plenty of extra shelf space on hand to accommodate a growing collection. It’s a great idea to join some online action figure collecting forums and see what others have done. Some of the most enthusiastic collectors have custom-made displays that match the theme of their favorite figures.
