Transformers Action Figures

The Fourth of July is highly anticipated and will not be long forgotten by Transformers fans old and new. The film, and all the hype surrounding it, is sure not to disappoint as well as the Transformers action figures and toys that have fans in a frenzy!

The classic war between the Autobots and Decepticons has crossed over galaxies and more than ten million years. The Transformers continue to wage a galactic war for control with the evil Decepticons, led by Megatron, who seek to dominate and rule, and the courageous Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, who fight to protect and conserve.

The feature film is directed by Michael Bay from a screenplay written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. It's a new story line, set apart from the previous generations of the cartoons and comics. Steven Spielberg is the executive producer of this film introducing the new origin and characters.

The lead human role in the movie "Sam Witwicky" will be played by Shia LaBeouf with supporting roles played by Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, and Megan Fox. Originally, Bernie Mac and Dane Cook were to play cameos in the movie. However, Dane Cook announced due to an argument that his role in the film was scrubbed. It is expected that Peter Cullen, the original voice actor who played Optimus Prime, will voice the hero character once again. Megatron is being voiced by Hugo Weaving.

This film wouldn't be complete without a complete accompanying Transformers action figures and toy line!

Kyle B is a freelance writer who writes about the latest consumer trends.
Transformers Action Figures

Transformers Action Figures - The Plaything Which Never Gets Old

The popularity of Micheal Bay's Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen films, that opened in 2007 and 2009, have spawned a completely modern line of Hasbro kid's toys and collectibles. In addition to the wide variety of Transformers action figures, children are now able to spend playtime with their favorite personalities from each of those movies and some newbies to the saga too.

The New Guys -

Naturally, traditional replicas of Optimus Prime, the commander of the Autobot Transformers, will continually be amid Hasbro's top selling Transformers toys. His enemy Megatron, nevertheless, possesses an equal popularity amongst children who want to play the "bad guy" on occasion. In addition, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen released several brand new robots into the Transformers universe, the Voyagers.

The bad Decepticons now contain figures like Grindor, an attack helicopter similar to the U.S. Army's Apache, just with a major bad mind-set. Demolisher and Scavenger smash every thing in their paths on the silver screen, and the action figure's two big wheels do the same to Autobot toys for children with a destructive, yet safe imagination.

Probably, the most identifiable villain from Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen is the Fallen himself. Along side the six-piece super-robot, Devastator, both of these toys can offer several hours of play for little boys who want to reenact their preferred action scenes from the Michael Bay films.

The Old Dogs With New Tricks -

While the brand new figures could be the coolest looking transformers, you cannot whip the old dogs like Optimus Prime and Megatron. Lovers of the nineteen-eighties Transformers TV show will speculate what happened to Megatron's arm cannon. The modern edition of the super villain has a retractable sword as a substitute as does the new Optimus Prime, which comes with 2 flip-out swords rather than one.

Bumblebee was always a popular figure from the animated series, though the live-action motion picture places a brand new spin of this fun, lovable Transformer. Not only does Bumblebee protect Sam, the movie's teenage hero, the Transformer can transform into a streamlined, fast reproduction of Chevy's latest Camaro design. In Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Bumblebee's design and overall appeal reflect the heart and soul of the Camaro, and the vivid yellow Bumblebee action figure holds the same appeal for kids who would like to play the good guy.

Transformers Action Figures are very popular with kids from around the world. Of course, they are also highly collectible because of their popularity throughout the years. To find out more information about Transformers Action Figures, you can do some searching on the site OptimusPrimeStore.com.

Transformers Movie Toys - Blackout Action Figure

The first Transformers movie took a lot of fans by surprise with its re-imagining of established Tranformers characters that many fans had grown up with for many years. The choice of Transformers characters that showed up in the movie was a bit erratic, especially on the part of the Decepticons.

While the Autobots were immediately recognizable, the Decepticons featured some lesser known characters, such as Blackout. Blackout was the first Transformer audiences got a look at during the start of the movie, and the character looked immense on screen. The Transformers Blackout toy was released along with the film, and here's a look at that toy.

Transformers toys have long since been known for the ingenuity of their design, but due to the level of complexity shown in each robot in the movie, Hasbro had to simplify the design of the toys a little.

The main difference between the onscreen Blackout and the toy version is that the toy is missing the arm mounted guns, but this is made up for with shoulder mounted missiles. The figure looks immense when you check out the Voyager Class figure. This one comes boxed in a window display package and has a great level of detail despite the limitations of the design.

The helicopter mode of this Transformers Blackout toy is pretty much what you se on the screen in the movie itself, and the makers have done what they could to ensure the robot looked as close to the CG model as it could.

The outcome is about as good as it gets with action figures. Blackout is easy to transform and features a small Scorponok figure that can be stored in Blackout when in vehicle mode. A small version of the Blackout figure was also released alongside this one, but this 3 inch version features only limited detail and a very simple transformation cycle.

On the Voyager Class Transformers Blackout figure, you are able to remove the helicopter blades and attach them to Blackout's arm as a weapon, as seen in the movie itself!

Much like the rest of the Transformers movie toys, the Blackout figure is a good quality approximation of the character it is based on, and does look fantastic even though it isn't 100 percent the likeness from the films.

Andrew is a widely read popular culture blogger and music journalist in print and online. A fan of Transformers since 1984, he's here to help you learn more about the Transformers toys and characters and their place in the overall Transformers story.

Transformers Movie Toys - Bumblebee Action Figure

In both the first Transformers movie and its sequel Transformers Revenge Of The Fallen, Bumblebee has secured his place in the hearts of movie fans everywhere as their favourite Transformer.

He has always been popular with Transformers fans, dating right back to the original cartoon in the 1980s and the 1986 animated movie, but now, with the leaps in special effects technology he has been brought to life in a manner that is frankly astonishing.

You may have issues with the Transformers live action films and their slapdash logic and multiple bloopers in continuity and plotting, but as pure spectacle they are brilliant.

The character of Bumblebee is prominent in both films, and as such the call for Bumblebee toys is huge with fans. Thankfully, there are several kinds available to choose from.

Both movies brought regular sized action figures of the character to the market, as well as larger and smaller versions that were suitable for collectors or younger children respectively.

With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, a hugely popular Bumblebee voice changer was also added to the range of Bumblebee toys available, which proved to be a big hit with kids everywhere.

There are issues with the Bumblebee toys though, the main one being that the toys, for the most part, look very different to the character as he appears on the big screen. Hasbro have done their best with all of the figures to make the toys resemble the character, but the CG model used in the movies was so very complicated that it would be nigh on impossible to make an exact replica of it in toy form.

Mainly the difference is around the legs of each toy, which have had to be modified in order for the Transformers Bumblebee toy to transform into its vehicle mode. While they may not perfectly match the character, they do capture the essence.

In addition to figures and helmets, there have been replica Bumblebee costumes and even high quality models of his car form.

The most impressive one has been the 'Ultimate Bumblebee' toy, of which there is a version for both films. This large scale toy has all manner of interactive features, MP3 capabilities, sophisticated transformation technology and 45 different audio samples.

It's pricey, but more than worth the money. That one really is the best Transformers Bumblebee toy available, and it is easy to see why.

Bumblebee will surely remain the favourite Transformers character for many fans, and will continue to be with the third film and beyond!

Andrew is a widely read popular culture blogger and music journalist in print and online. A fan of Transformers since 1984, he's here to help you learn more about the Transformers movie toys and characters and their place in the overall Transformers story.

Transformer Toys and Action Figures

A durable Hasbro brand since 1984, Transformers action figures and toys have endured through both economic climate and the ever-changing tastes and consistently shifting trends in the toy manufacturing and design industry.

With trademarked items stemming from the original Saturday morning cartoon originally airing back in the 1980's; to the now famous block buster movies, the Transformer brand sits steady and strong. Popular toys inspire boys and girls alike to create and change their Transformer action figures from the ever-protective Bumblebee, to the determined but often thwarted Megatron and his band of invading Decepticon rebels into their more benign car, truck or plane counterparts.

With soaring ticket sales at the box office as the release of the movies, Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, takes the Transformers action figures into the popular eye again, the resurgence of the Transformer characters has taken full seasonal hold. The Bumblebee character, as transformed into his counterpart, a classic yellow with black pinstripe Camaro, is one of Hasbro's best selling Transformer action figures and one of the most popular characters in both movies. With fun Bumblebee action figures as well as a related line of toys based on the Bumblebee Transformer, this particular character will prove to hold a timeless appeal to children and collectors alike.

The Transformers Bumblebee Helmet which hits the markets just in time for Christmas this year comes with advanced voice changing technology. This fun and exciting addition to the usual helmet type role playing toy affords the child the opportunity to fully enjoy the look and feel of the Bumblebee character. With six different music modes, the Transformers Voice Changer Helmet and its voice mixing technology brings the Bumblebee character to a larger than life reality. Your child will enjoy the pre-set Bumblebee sayings like, "Your mission: Protect the world from evil" and "Bumblebee to the rescue!" along with many other phrases right from the famous movies.

Comfortably and snuggly sized with the use of a convenient and adjustable chin strap, the child sized Transformers Bumblebee Helmet will provide any child hours of character role playing fun. Made of a durable and light weight plastic, the Transformer Voice Changer helmet is light and easy to wear offering the child a fun alternative to other heavier and more cumbersome costume type role playing toys. Designed and decorated directly from the look of the movie character, the Bumblebee Voice Changer Helmet takes the child right into the fun and exciting pretend world of the Transformers.

The Transformer toys and action figures featuring popular characters from the Transformer movies and the long standing television cartoon series offer children endless hours of enjoyable pretend play. With Transformer action figure accessories such as the Transformers arm blasters, Bumblebee plasma cannon and for the even younger Transformer fan, the Mr. Potato Head Optimash Prime accessory kit, the Transformer brand of action figure toy is as popular as ever.

Jenny Talorman is an amateur writer with a special interest in education, young development and educating others on a range of topics which include; education, the role of children's toys ( action figures ) and outdoor toys in development, young peoples' issues and even baking. If you have any feedback on this article please feel free to get in touch.

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What is a Variant Or Chase Action Figure?

Do you know what a variant figure is?

A chase figure?

What's the difference between a Super Chase figure and an Exclusive figure?

Not sure?

Whether your new to collecting or been collecting for a while it's important to know the difference.

These days there are more and more names being given to the different levels of rarity when talking about figures as well as the grading of figures (I cover grading in another article). As a result it is becoming increasing difficult to know what is available, not only that, but to make matters more difficult some companies are very secretive about exactly what is available.

So let me try and explain for you what the most common terms used mean, but it can get a little complicated at times.

Why do you need to know?

Even if you're a casual collector it's important you know the difference so that you recognize an important or valuable figure when you see it. After all, would you want to swap out that $100 James LeBron Variant figure? or that $80 Dan Mariano series 19 Chase figure?

Or maybe you'll miss an exclusive figure up on eBay or some other auction site for only few bucks.

OK, ready....

First we have the basic or:

A Regular Figure

A regular figure is just that. It is the most common figure in a set or series. It is your bog basic standard figure. This will be the same as the figure pictured on the box, shown in magazines or seen on the TV ads.

They are the mass produced figures and end up in the local Wal-mart store. Generally the quantities made are unknown and often new "runs" will be produced if they sell out and demand is sufficient.

A Limited Figure or Series

A limited figure or Series is one that has been produced to a limited quantity or production run. A limited release series of figures may have both regular and chase figures available within the production run but the availability and quantities is generally known.

Often the manufacturer will number the individual figures on the base, e.g. 233/10,000 (number 233 of 10,000 produced), or issue a certificate of authenticity.

A Chase Figure

A Chase figure is a different version of one or more of the regular figures within a series or set.

This variation maybe something as small as the color of the eyes, as in Tiffany from the Spawn Series 30 release, or Sarah O'Connor from T3: Rise of the Machines where the chase figure had no cap and windswept hair, or a different color uniform, shirt etc.

A chase figure is usually an intentional and planned figure that is usually publicized before its release.

The availability or rarity of these figures is also generally known with a quoted ratio of its availability compared to a regular figure given.

For example a case of figures will normally contain 12 or 24 figures with maybe one chase figure in each case (a ratio of 1:24).Therefore the greater the ratio the higher the rarity and therefore its value. A figure with a 1:48 ratio is therefore rarer than one with a 2:24 ratio.

The term "chase" comes from the fact that diehard collectors will often search out these figures to add to their collections, therefore literally "chasing" them out.

A Variant Figure

A variant figure is very similar to a chase figure but a variant figure is usually an unexpected variation on the figure or in the set.

Generally variant figures aren't publicized before their "discovery". A variant figure is usually considered rare than a chase figure as the variation is often due to an unplanned change during production.

A variation often occurs during the production of a licensed line when the licensee decides they don't like something on a figure and production has to be stopped to make the change.

A recent example of this is the Baseball Series 18 set that has two version of Mariano Rivera. The first figure, produced in very small quantities, has the full version of the glass player's entrance door but because this was found to be too big and bulky for the packaging the regular figure only has the door section.

The main difference between a chase figure and a variant figure is that a chase figure is planned and intentional whereas a variant figure isn't.

Ok, with me so far?

This is where it begins to get complicated.

A Chase Variant Figure

A chase variant figure is exactly that.

It is a chase figure that also has an unintentional variation.

A good example of this the McFarlane's NFL Series 6 Emmitt Smith figure.

The regular figure came with a white jersey but the chase figure a red jersey.

However the chase figure was intended to have white gloves but there was a variant that had red gloves, so the figure with a red jersey and red gloves was the chase variant figure.

OK, got that?

Sure?

Because it gets worse...

There were also variants of the regular figure with red gloves instead of white AND there was also a SECOND chase figure available!!

So recapping this series had:

A regular Emmitt Smith figure (with white jersey), a variant regular figure *with a white jersey and red gloves), a chase figure (red jersey, white gloves), and a variant chase figure (red jersey and red gloves)!

This example is a very unusual case and it is very rare to have this number of variation of the same figure in one series, but...

Super Chase

A Super Chase figure is an intentional variation, like a chase figure, but produced in very small quantities therefore making it both a lot more difficult to find and more valuable.

Instead of one figure per case it maybe one per container.

Surprise Chase

A surprise chase figure is an unplanned addition to a series that usually hasn't been publicized and isn't included on the official checklists.

But there is a certain amount of debate however as to whether these truly are chase figures as often they have the same production run as a regular figure but are just last minute addition to the series.

A prime example is the Trevor Hoffman figure in McFarlane's MLB Series 18 Baseball figures. The problem with these figures again is because there generally isn't any further information on their production run nobody really knows which are a chase figures or regular figures.

My best suggestion here is to keep an eye on the auction sites, online stores and forums. By listening to what others are saying and gaging the quantities and prices available you should get a reasonable idea whether the figure is a true "chase" figure or just a late addition to the set as a regular figure.

An Error Figure

An error figure is completely unintentional and often passes through the normal quality control checks unnoticed, for whatever reason.

As a result these are not publicized in anyway until "found". Often even the manufacturer will not be aware of their existence until the error comes to light. The error could be missing paint, or the wrong color used somewhere on the figure. It maybe something missing accessory or ...

An error figure is just that, an error, a mistake, unintentional and unknown until found.

This makes them extremely rare and often very valuable. An error figure is often a "one off" or in very low numbers and are therefore probably the rarest and most sought after.

Very rarely the error is intentional and "planted" by a member of the production team. A famous incident where this happened is the infamous "C3 P0" trading card from the original 1977 series of Star Wars bubble gum cards where, on some, C3P0 was given a bit of male antinomy. This card now error card can now exchanges hands for $1000's.

An Exclusive Figure

An exclusive figure, unlike all the others mentioned, is not part of a regular series or release and is NOT distributed through the normal channels, distributors or retailers.

An exclusive figure is one that has been especially commissioned by a company, business, or team for their own promotional uses.

There are generally four different types of exclusive figures:

Distributor/Retailer Exclusive-Toys R Us have commissioned many exclusive McFarlane releases including the NFL 3 packs and usually the first series of baseball figures at the start of each new season. Diamond Comic distributors also often carry exclusive figures that are only available to retailers through their distribution network.

Many NFL, NHL, NBA and MLB teams have commissioned special event exclusives or stadium giveaways over the years as well.

An Event Exclusive- This type of figure is usually unplanned and released outside of the normal release schedule usually to "celebrate" an important event, a good example of this is the Bond 756 figure, the annual Fan fest exclusives or a Hall of Fame exclusive.

A Stadium Giveaway/Promotion- This is a figure usually commissioned by a team or organization to giveaway at one of their games or for a special event. This type of figure is generally not available anywhere else and has different packaging, often dated when and where it was given away, and has a separate checklist.

Collectors Club figure- These figures are only available through McFarlanes online Collectors Club, which is free to join.

And that's it.

I hope you found this short guide helpful and I look forward to hearing from you.

Colin Dorman

New to collecting? Want to find how to save money buying action figures? How to store, protect and clean the? Then click here

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Writing a Call to Action - Are You a Wimp Or Stud?

Writing a good call to action takes guts! After putting all your efforts into writing a great sales letter, make sure you ask for the sale! A "call to action" is what creates customer action and that is what the entire sales process is about. Don't make the horrible mistake of thinking your readers will recognize what to do next. Map it out for them step by step. Tell them exactly where to go or what to do next!

I don't have exact figures on how many sales are lost due to a missing "call to action" but I am certain the streets would be littered with them if we had an accurate count. Unfortunately, after everything is complete some people make the dreaded mistake of second guessing themselves and the value of their product. Thus, there are "afraid" to ask for the order or a proper price for their product or service. This is a surefire way to kill sales or never even get them off the ground.

A call to action can be as simple as giving them a link and telling them to click it. While they KNOW you want them to click the link, the chances of them actually doing it will improve if you give them instruction to do so. You set off a mental trigger when you actually tell them what to do and this leads to more action. Without that communication they are left to figure out what to do next and that always leads to fewer sales almost without fail.

Your email or sales page should flow like a story and good stories always lead you in the direction they want you to go. Could you imagine a story that sucks you in and then doesn't give you an ending? (that is a topic all by itself) There is no doubt where they want to take you, that is stated right up front, but as they take you through the story the author tells you exactly what to do.

This is the same principal that you must use in your email and sales text. Ask for the order or tell them what to do next! Don't be shy about it, just come right out and say it. Something like" After all this I am sure you would agree this product is worth its weight in gold. But since we don't accept gold it will only cost you $$$. If you do this it will dramatically improve your sales.

Gregg Zban is a leading marketer, coach, and entrepreneur. For a library of free marketing videos and articles please visit [http://www.theguruhub.com/ezarticles].

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Ways To Determine Your Action Figures Value

If you have dozen of action figures, you sure will have the thoughts of knowing the price of your beloved collection. There are few ways for you to determine the value of your collections and you can do the value assessment on your own easily.

The most important factor that determines the value is the condition of your collection. Those that are in mint condition will normally fetch higher price compared to other type of conditions. Mint condition means that the collection does not face any degradation or discoloration on it and also all its moving joints are still good in condition as well as it has the entire original accessory. If they are in an unopened box, mint condition will be including the condition of the box as well such as there are no damages to the box.

Secondly is to determine the version of your action figures. You must aware that, there are many versions produced by the manufacturer throughout the years. Some will have certain special edition such as 10th year anniversary edition, Halloween edition and many more. Besides that, another thing to take into consideration is to know the manufacturer of your action figures. Some will have several manufacturers producing them throughout their production life. For example, Zelda has several manufacturers to produce figures such as Toy Biz, Joyride, Nintendo and many more. Some manufacturers will just produce a certain amount and it will definitely fetch higher price compared to those figures that are being produced a lot into the market.

Beside all these, you need to take note of the market trend as well because it can affect the value of your figures collection. For example, when the movie Transformers came out in the cinema in the year 2007, their action figures' price suddenly reached their peak as there was a sudden spike in Transformers' action figures demand.

If you are still unsure of how to determine the value on your own you can use online price guide to help you to determine the price. Besides that, you can also bring them to an experienced collector to determine the price for you. But the down side of it is that it can be a hassle for you to move your action figures around to transport it to the collector's place.

Last but not least, you must understand that there is no written price for any action figures out there. You might able to sell yours in a very high price if it is in a very high demand and already is a rare item in the market. It is also depending on how much the buyer willing to pay for it. But in order to fetch more value, remember to take those factors stated into the consideration and also set a value limit to yourself. Only sell it if you are able to get any price above your price limit.

Jim Sim is an avid collector of action figures. He has been collecting them for many years. One of his favorite action figures is the Zelda Action Figures

What Action Figures Are Collectible?

What's Collectible? How do you know which action figures are collectible or will be collectible? Much of it is guess work or gut feeling. Part of it is an educated guess. A big part is knowing your market and target audience. So...

What added guidance and help can I give you? In short this simple guide is to help YOU make the decision based on my 15 years in the business.The simplest, easiest and biggest piece of advice I can give you is to remember:

"Today's toys are tomorrow's collectibles" Let me clarify that statement a little more. What are the kids into NOW? What drives their imagination? What games, cartoons, and comic books do they want? Which toys, games etc. will be the number one on this years Christmas lists?

These are the thing that are likely to be the collectibles of the future, the things that will be selling good money in another 10-20 years.

Why? Simply, because the collectors market is basically driven by nostalgia. Look at today's most valuable and collectible items. They're generally what were popular when we were kids (or at least when I was a kid!).

Good examples of this are they huge market for Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween and Chucky collectibles. All of these are huge cult movies from the 80's.

Then there are the Star Wars toys and Pokemon collectibles. G.I. Joes, Action Man, He-Man, Masters of the Universe and Thunderbirds.

It's the memories attached to these toys and programs that makes them collectible now, as well as the desire to have what we couldn't have as kids.

So, what do I think will be tomorrow's hot collectibles?

Looking at today's markets I would think that the anime/manga series Naruto and Bleach will become more popular and collectible over the coming years as well as other popular anime series such as Ghost in the Shell.

Also popular video games such as Gears of War, Warcraft, Halo and Guitar Hero have a considerable amount of merchandise available, many of which are highly collectible and are likely to remain popular for many years yet.

Oh... And I nearly forgot about Ben 10. Ben 10 is another TV animation series that seems to have become popular recently and captured kids' imaginations.

And don't forget about normal, everyday items. Many of these are likely to become highly sought after and collectible as well.

A prime example of this phenomenon is the old Robinson jam jar labels. These featured a golliwog and were on EVERY jar produced back in the 70's.Thousands upon thousands were produced every year.

Now they sell for about $500 simply because they were banned. But who saved or collected them? Virtually no-one, because they were so common, an everyday item. Again it's the nostalgia and memories associated with them that drives' the market and demand.

Do you remember any of the toys you had? Do you still have any of them? Where are they now? By our very nature, as kids we want to play with our toys, we aren't interested in keeping them safe and undamaged or even collecting them.

They were there to be played with. They were banged and bashed about, thrown around and mostly destroyed, broken and thrown out over the ensuing years. It's only now that we look back to them with the fondness of memories and a longing for our lost childhood.

So again it's often these things that become collectible and valuable. OK, so what about limited editions, low production runs or chase and variant action figures, cards, stamps, toys or whatever that are produced today?

Again these are generally targeted at today's collectors so are often based on past or vintage subjects, e.g. Star Wars, Thunderbirds, Elvis Presley, Battlestar Galactica etc.

Some will target new toys, games, current trends or popular items such as Gears of War, Halo or even movies such as Hellboy.

These items will often be highly collectible initially due to their current popularity and high demand but will general see a dip in value after a few years and as new trends take their place, but...

If they became a popular part of our culture and, or childhood experiences they will generally gain in value again in the long term.

A very good example of this is the Pokemon cards. In the mid 90's they were HUGE, so big in fact that I would say that every child in the world ever knew or had heard about them. Even kids in the poorest parts of Brazil were trading the cards.

But eventually, something else came along. The kids grew up and its popularity dwindled.

But now after ten years it is regularly back in the top 30 searches each month. Prices of the cards are selling at a brisk rate on the auction sites and the demand for the old stuff is increasing. So, if you have an old Pokemon collection tucked away, maybe its time to dust it down!

This is because the kids who collected and bought it then are now "grown up" and look back at the fun days of collecting them and maybe getting some of them back again.

I know I certainly do. At the time I was BIG on Pokemon. I had them ALL! I even had an Illustrator Pikachu and a Secret Mewto, two of THE rarest cards.

But alas, being a trader I sold them all of, but now...

I often wish I had saved a few.

Another piece of advice is to look for niche markets. A niche market is a specialist market. If you can find a small "niche" that has a loyal following then again these are likely to become highly collectible simple because although there is a lot less demand the supply or amount of product available will also be a lot scarcer and therefore more likely to become collectible or valuable.

In the long term, if you "invest" in the right things, the return in 10-20 years can be huge. Certainly better than the average return on your bank savings.

So, in order to decide what will hold it's value or increase in value you should consider:

What's popular now.
Check the top comics, cartoons, TV programmes, films etc and look for the common themes.
What are popular household items?
What games or toys do your kids and friends want and trash?
What are the popular niche markets?
What has become part of our everyday lives, a part of our culture, our language (an excellent example here would be Google, even the term "to Google" something has become common) ?
Consider the answers to these questions, these are the things that are likely to hold their prices and increase in value over the years.

Written by Colin Dorman

Are you interested in collecting Action Figures? How to buy cheap Action Figures? Want to learn more about this fascinating hobby?

http://www.mcfarlanes-figures.com

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Whether by email, snail mail or blog the McFarlanes Xpress is the quickest, simplest, fastest way to get all the gossip and news on the latest action figures.

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What to Do With Kids Do on a Rainy Day - Action Figures Such As From Schleich Could Help

Well, of course kids can watch television when it's a rainy day. Indeed they do anyway on a daily basis from a very early age. There is no doubt that the right television programmes for children can help them learn about the world outside whilst also entertaining them.

Watching television though is a passive pursuit, requiring little or no interaction, so it is not desirable that they should spend all their time in front of it, however appealing it may be for busy mothers who want to keep their child out of their hair. Very small children will not sit still for very long anyway, and nor should they. They need to move around, and to explore the world around them, which they do by touching things, putting them in their mouth, moving them about, and generally playing with them.

It is extremely important for a child to have some indoor toys that stimulate them and encourage them in creative play. The traditional toys such as model cars for boys and dolls for girls are all very well but, in addition to these, children need toys they can actually manipulate and do something with. Toys like wooden or plastic bricks that can be used to build something, shapes that will only fit into a board in a certain way, easy jigsaws, and Plasticine or Play-Doh, are all examples of these kind of toys that are exactly the kind needed to keep children occupied on a rainy day, whilst stimulating their creativity and allowing them to practise their skills in handling and manipulation.

Other valuable toys are those that reflect real life in model form, and can be arranged in various ways to set up different scenarios around which a child can develop a simple story. When I was a boy we had Dinky toys that could be raced across the lino, and sets of knights and soldiers which could be painstakingly laid out in battle formation and allowed various strategies to be developed to engulf the enemy. As these soldiers were made of a soft metal alloy, it was inevitable that a number of heads would be lost in the course of a battle.

Nowadays there are much better sets of models available which are virtually indestructible, and are excellent for such games. The company called Schleich is relatively small in world terms and may not be familiar to many, but it ought to be, since it produces several different magnificent sets of models based on the natural world, historical figures, and the mythical world. For example, there is a range of medieval knights, courtiers, ladies, and accompanying accessories including a castle. These figures are hand-painted, incredibly detailed, and really bring the world of the knights to life.

These kinds of activity toys, such as playing with Schleich figures, should keep your children occupied for many hours when they cannot get outside to play, and are an essential part of children's development, allowing them to interact with actual things that stimulate the mind, and to interact socially with each other.

J Timothy Mitchell works with Totally Schleich

Ways To Maintain and Protect Your Action Figures

When you have a large collection of action figures, you need to have the knowledge on how to protect your collections. Be it you keep them as a hobby or an investor, protecting them can make your collections last longer without any discoloration and degradation as well as fetch much higher price in the market.

There are few things to take note in order to maintain and protect your beloved collectibles. The most basic thing is to move them as little as possible. It is because frequent movement on their joints will cause their joints to be loosened. Besides that, try to minimize direct contact with them from our fingers. It is because on our fingers, there is a layer of grease or finger oil that will cause yellowing to your beloved collectibles. Be sure that you dust them frequently as dust and some particles will cause damages to your collections. For those that have batteries in them, remember to take them out because battery acid will cause a serious damage. This is the most common mistaken make by hobbyists as well as collectors.

After making sure that our collectibles are exposed to a minimum human touch, it is time to store them. When you do the storing, there are three main concerns to be taken care of. First concern is to avoid direct sunlight when you store your collection. It is because UV light can cause discoloration and degradation on your action figures. If is put under the exposure of UV light for longer period, it might cause crack and brittle to it as well. Second is to avoid a place that is high humidity. It is because if your collections are kept in a place with high humidity, it can cause damage such as mold grows on them. Lastly, you have to avoid place that is in high temperature. It will be advisable to keep your action figures in room temperature as too high or cold of temperature will cause damage to your action figures.

After you have a perfect place to store your collections, you need to think of a proper container to keep them. The best container is the sealed storage container. It is considered the best container but normally collectors or hobbyist will use them to keep those expensive action figures because sealed storage container itself will cost quite a high price in order to get them. The most common container that is widely used among the collectors and hobbyist is the plastic container as they are affordable and reliable.

Collecting action figures used to be considered as an act of wasting money but the market has grown over the years and now they became a valuable investment for some of the people. Some of them might cost up to thousand of dollars depending on their conditions.

Jim Sim is an avid collector of action figures. He has been collecting action figures for many years. One of his favorite action figures is the Zelda Action Figures

What Do I Need To Know To Get Started Collecting Action Figures

If you are a fan of action heroes, collecting may be a fun, interesting hobby for you. Imagine, you get to shop in the toy stores for action figures just like you did when you were a kid, only this time you're all grown up and can buy anything you like! There are a few things you'll need before you get started and this should be a good guide for you to start building that collection of action figures you wanted as a kid.

Think about which action figures you have a real interest in. Find out the history of the figures and then decide where to start. You may not be interested in finding the entire collection of the original Transformers because that could be heavy on the pocketbook. Instead find out trends about the figures and go from there. Now could be a great time to collect the entire collection that will be released with the upcoming movie. Starting with series of new figures is a great way to begin building your collection.

With the resources available through the internet more collectors have access to the items they're looking for. The tricky part is deciding which sellers are selling the real deal. Contrary to the collecting day of past where retailers or collector's shops had an interest to build a solid reputation, there are many scammers online trying to sell you unauthentic or fake products.

This is where researching the items you're collecting comes in handy. The more you know about the action figures you are collecting, the better. Ask for pictures and detailed specs about the product before selling. Some details such as lip color on an action figure can mean the difference between a great find or a big waste of money. So do your research. The internet is a great way to find out complete histories on the figures and many websites have guides on what to look for and what the common knock offs look like.

Stores are still a great place to find action figure collectables. Many comic book stores have hundreds of collectors items available. The great thing about going to the stores is that you can see the action figures in person. This way you don't have to go off of a stranger's description of the item you're looking for. Instead you can see and touch for yourself before deciding on purchasing.

People have been collecting action figures for years and the value of many action figures does indeed tend to rise. Especially on hard to find or complete collections of action figures. So, find out what you like, do the research and have a great time building your own action figure collection.

John Gibb is the owner of Action Figure resources For more information on Action Figures check out www.Action-figures-guides1k.info

WWE Flexforce Hook Throwin' Big Show Action Figure

Big Show, Hook Throwin', figure is part of the World Wrestling Entertainment FlexForce Action Figures line. Figure is authentically sculpted and detailed. As part of the FlexForce line, now your favorite WWE® action figures can deliver match-ending finishing moves. Deliver a Knockout Blow! Just pull back your Big Show Hook Throwin' figure's arm to recreate Superstar signature moves. Action figure is movable at shoulders and elbows as well. Come out of nowhere to take down your opponent! Other figures(sold separately) feature Fist Poundin' and Flip Kickin' moves. Play out all the drama of a WWE® exhibition! Collect all the figures in the FlexForce assortment! Other figures sold separately. For ages 6+.

Price: $10.99

Click here to buy from Amazon

Smart Women Can Be Action Figures Too!

In my Success Circles, women create vision boards which represent their big ideas, dreams and plans for living a life filled with energy, passion and purpose. I invite them to bring in favorite photos or magazines they enjoy reading, as possibilities for their board. This week, Dawn, a Circle member (and smart woman) brought in "The Big Book of Action Stickers." It was a big colorful book filled with stickers for just about everything you can imagine from animals to people. As I flipped through the pages, it got me thinking about how simple it is to become who you want to be in the world.

Have you ever watched a child take an action sticker and place it somewhere on their body? They instantly become their version of who that sticker represents to them. When my daughter puts on a "Batman" sticker, you better believe that she is Batman. Same thing with Spider-Man (for those of you who know Jenna---she is not going to put on a Cinderella sticker!) Children have this incredible imagination that they can become anything they choose. My son Jack, will tell you with great confidence that he is going to be both a professional baseball and basketball player. You may be reading this and thinking, "Oh well, children have such a big imagination." Yes, they certainly do.

How about you? Do you have a big imagination? Is there something that you would like to create in your life but you just can't seem to get your arms around it? Do you need an Action Sticker with your Action Figure on it to create that excitement within you to do something bold and daring? Are you living your life each day authentically? Becoming who you really want to be in this life---accomplishing any sort of goal really is just a decision. It's developing the mindset to make it happen. When I was a little girl, I remember going on big adventures all over the world. I imagined that I was leading a group of people to these beautiful places where they would make new discoveries. (By the way, I was living in Charleston, West Virginia and riding a Schwinn Purple Fair Lady with a silver metallic banana seat, sporting a white wicker basket!). In my work with women, I support them in their journey to their next big idea, dreams and goals. I'm there to assist them with their new discoveries about their own lives.

It's actually pretty easy to live your life filled with energy, passion and purpose. If you think you can, you will. If you think you can't, you won't. Again, it's about a mindset. It's essential to live your life according to your plan, making room for the people who matter most to you along the way. I invite you to start looking through your own "Big Book of Action Stickers." Find the Action Figure that's right for you. Place it right over your heart, where you can feel it with every breath you take. Who knows? It just might stick...

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

? 2010 Joy Chudacoff

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it: Joy Chudacoff, ICF, PCC, is the founder of Smart Women Smart Solutions?, a Professional Certified Coach to 1000's of women, Motivational Speaker, and Entrepreneur. She publishes a weekly buzz generating ezine, Reflections On Life and Business for Women Entrepreneurs. If you're ready take your life and your business to the next level, get your FREE Tips, FREE Report and FREE MP3 now at Profits With Passion.

Rock Music Action Figures - Plastic Noise

Over the past few years, the arena of licensed action figures has seen something of an influx of rock music related figures, with varying levels of success. These have proved to be a hit with many fans of the artists that companies have depicted, and an industry has been born to cater for the growing desire for sculpted plastic versions of famous musicians. The most obvious range that people will see on sale in collectibles outlets is of course the McFarlane range of licensed Elvis Presley figures. Thus far eight have been released, each showing the late rock n roller in a particular era of his career. Some have proved to be more popular than others, such as the Comeback 68 edition and Las Vegas edition, both of which have also surfaced in both 12 inch and commemorative versions as well as the regular clamshell-packed items. The McFarlane music figures range got off to a strong start in 1998 with the initial set of figures based around rock legends KISS in all their glammed up glory. These proved to be a hit with fans and figure collectors alike, and thus the demand for more was born.

Other early successes in the McFarlane range were the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison of The Doors, Ozzy Osbourne and arena legends Metallica (originally available as both single figures and an elaborate box set). More sets of KISS related action figures also followed, including the perennially popular KISS ALIVE stage box set, which is still a strong seller to this day.

Since then a slew of officially licensed rock music action figures have surfaced (and a few unofficial ones here and there too). The main creator of these figures remains the industry giant McFarlane Toys, which have been responsible for some of the best figures in recent years such as two Jimi Hendrix figures, Jim Morrison, Alice Cooper, Metallica, Motley Crue and more, but they have increasingly stuff competition from NECA, who have created some excellent Iron Maiden figures after Mcfarlane lost the license, as well as Kurt Cobain, John Lennon, Freddie Mercury and others. Even museum-quality merchandise company Sideshow Collectibles has got in on the act, with Elvis, Kiss and, ahem, Spinal Tap items on offer.

It does show that the demand is there for music related items other than posters and T shirts, and these companies have been bringing out wave up[on wave of figures to meet with demand. McFarlane even began making '3D album covers' of legendary albums from Led Zeppelin, the sex Pistols, Jimi Hendrix and more. They have created a new market for licensed collectible action figures, and music fans are now eagerly awaiting the next batch. A space in the market has been filled, and with 7 inch and 18 inch versions of various figures available, along with headknockers (think nodding dogs but sculpted to look like celebrities. Joey Ramone and Iron Maiden's Eddie are the biggies here) and all manner of other licensed items, there's plenty for fans to choose from. This is one area of collectibles fandom that is not suffering from overkill. The right balance seems to have been struck, and the figures don't stay in production for long enough to saturate the market, which, in an age of so much memorabilia on offer, is a very good thing indeed.

The Beatles have also been a hit in plastic form, with 'Yellow Submarine' and 'Saturday cartoon' editions of the fab four being released. These items fill a need for items fans can display and pose. They give the fans the opportunity to own something physical of their idols without having to pay over the odds for the opportunity. Even Bon Jovi have got in on the act recently, with figures of Jon Bon Jovi himself and Richie Sambora finding their way onto the shelves. As long as fans want them, these collectibles will continue to be made. Some of these figures have proven to be amongst the biggest sellers in the collectibles field of late, probably down to the musicians they follow having much more in the way of longevity than most movie and TV franchises. Long may it continue. For those about to rock, we, erm, snap you up and put you on a shelf!

Andrew writes for the pop culture/memorabilia site starstore.com and its blogs, covering the latest and greatest in film, TV, music and comics merchandise and collectibles.

Sarah Palin, Hockey Mom, Super Hero, Action Figure

Whether you like her politics or not, Sarah Palin is quite a story. She is the governor of Alaska and the Republican vice presidential nominee in the 2008 presidential election. She was on the Wasilla, Alaska city council from 1992 to 1996 and mayor from 1996 to 2002.

She chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission from 2003 to 2004. She was elected governor of Alaska in November 2006, becoming the first woman and the youngest person to hold the position in Alaska.

All that is very impressive but now she has become something she can be really proud of. That's right Sarah Palin has been immortalized with her own action figure.

Move over Obama and McCain posters and campaign buttons. This may be even bigger than the "I like Ike" campaign button.

Yes the Sarah Palin action figure has arrived. The dolls are the latest in a line of American political candidates who have been immortalized including John McCain and Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

The Sarah Palin action figure comes in two different styles. The super hero ready to take on Washington, And the business style with a skirt so short it could get her thrown out of any board room.

The doll is made of high quality plastic, it looks just like her, and will no doubt become a collectable. The Sarah Palin action figure may go down in history as the most popular political campaign item of all time. Congratulations to Sarah Palin on her new action figure and place in political memorabilia history.

By Mark Doyle Go to http://www.killercomedyonline.com to enjoy free comedy clips from top headliners and "Funnier Than Famous" Comics and see the new Sarah Palin Action Figure along with other fun gifts.

Some Of The Best Action Figures

Some of the latest and action packed new action figures are already out in the stores and up for grabs. Buy these action hero toys and play sets, so that your kids can cherish throughout their life.

Some of the new action figures that are great for kids are the ones which do not have any preconceived characters or stories laden with it. There are huge collection of some of the best in toy stores that are inspired from television shows and movies. The new ones that are inspired from superhero movies are the ones which have huge fan following. These action hero toys sell like hot cakes and especially the majority of takers are the youths and teenagers. Some of the latest superheros are so popular that even additional merchandise are sold with it.

The new action figures from DC comics are the Batman figures which are the custom built edition from the Dark Knight movie. The action hero sculpt is good, the Batsuit has nice details and has decent Christian Bale likeness. There is a nylon glider cape that retracts back into the figure when the Batman's left arm is cranked. When you press on its stomach, it pops out a cool effect. The arms of this Batman action figure is spring loaded at the shoulder region to throw the Batarang accessory that comes with it.

Iron Man Mark III new action heroes boast wide range of articulation like the Marvel Legends figure and it comes with a missile launcher. This is an update of the Mark I and the red and gold Mark III armor is sleeker than the older version. The armor contains the life-saving pacemaker and provides Tony Stark with humongous strength, near-invulnerability and the advanced weaponry like repulsor blasts and missiles has been externalized in the form of an arm mounted canon.

Hasbro's new action figures such as the Cyber Stompin Bumblebee are something that your kid going to enjoy because it comes with fearsome sound effects and sleek design that recreates movie like environment in your living room. It features crashing sound and speech clips taken from the movie itself. It has powerful launching fists to combat deception. It also has robotic glowing effect.

There are also companies which are well known for new action figures and play sets made from plastic. These action heroes and play sets come with cool accessories to make the game popular among kids and youth. Apart from these action figures like Marvel's iron man and Hasbro's transformers, which are extremely popular, DC comic's batman is not far behind in the race.

All in all these are some of the best action figures that you can buy for your kids.