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

Collecting Action Figures - What's Behind This Modern Day Craze

Remember when you were a kid and your mom, dad, uncle, aunt or grandparent would take you to the toy store or some other leading big-box department store. As you rush towards the action figure aisle, your heart speeding in fervour as you make your means to this supernatural toy of imaginativeness.

Now a lot of men still might purchase an action figure or two sporadically. Action figures today have become so detailed, so artistic and so coveted. These so-called "toys" remind us of our freewheeling youth. I personally have purchased around 16 action figures in the past year.

Athlete Action Figures

What I'm really into, just like so many other grown men, are action figures associated to professional athletes. The detail in some of these pieces of new art are spectacular. They have a team jersey down to every tone of color. Currently manufacturers of action figures actually make licencing arrangements with companies who sponsor a specific athlete and professional sports teams. These are reflected in some action figures as well. I am a massive professional ice hockey fan, and really am a great fan of Alexander Ovechkin. Ovechkin has an endorsement deal with CCM, wearing a CCM helmet, gloves, hockey pants and skates. The Ovechkin doll that I have has all the logos in place just like the real Alexander Ovechkin when he takes the ice in the Verizon Center.

Sci-Fi Action Figures

With the revitalization of sci-fi films and television, sci-fi action figures have also been best-selling. This movement started out with the successful Star Wars franchise films. These love affairs with the figures were rekindled when the original trilogy and the new prequel trilogy were released about a decade ago.

Original action figures were produced in celebration of these films. However this time the dolls were made with such detail and preciseness, it made accumulating these figures by grownups much more acceptable than in the past. The original marketplace for these toys were youngsters, nonetheless this higher level of detail can only be prized by the eye of an adult. This tendency retains today with other sci-fi characters of today's pop culture.

Todd McFarlane Toys

Comic book creator Todd McFarlane has created a toy company that was really at the forefront of this new breed of action figure explosion. Being an artist of sci-fi and comic books he understood the detail that can be crammed into these action figures.

Collecting Action Figures

When garnering action figures, you should collect as if they are fine pieces of art. You must not collect for investing purposes instead for the admiration of these works of art. If you like what you see then buy it. Even if it does not go up in value you can still delight in the aesthetics of your action figure. If you ever desired to collect as an investing opportunity then there are a few things you should know.

When a new film or television series is premiered, especially if it is a sci-fi base project, then chances are action figures will be manufactured in alignment with the premiere of these motion pictures or television series. If this is the case, eBay has hundreds of vendors who deal these investment objects before the film or series premieres. Normally the price for these items will be modest and are fitting for purchase.

After the sci-fi movie or series is premiered, usually the cost of these action figures will rise. Especially if the film becomes an unanticipated commercial success. This is great because once the motion picture is popular there will be more need for their affiliated action figures however supply will already have been dried up. This is where, you as a collector or investor can turn a profit big time. Merely trade your action figure back on eBay. It's that easy. I've been doing it for quite a while, with what I regard pieces of artistic creation that I no longer love or treasure any longer.

Wishing you the very best in your action figure investment opportunities and this incomparable form of art collecting.

I write a lot about modern action figures at http://www.inchactionfigures.com - I especially like Star Wars Action Figures.

Thanks for Reading

Tips on Collecting Action Figures

Do you recall those fond memories of going to the toy store with a family member and gazing at all of those amazing toys? A quick sprint to the action figure aisle reveals the latest figures in all of their glory. A good deal of people take their love of action figures into their adulthood, buying action figures on occasion. The detail and accuracy of modern day action figures is incredible, but figures of days past are no less popular. The motives for collecting these amazing toys possibly lie in the fond memories of playing with them in our childhood.

Athlete Themed Action Figures

Athletes, both professional and imaginary, have been modeled in action toy form since their inception. These detailed pieces are often so accurate that you can immediately tell who the figure was modeled after just by looking at their face. Details on these figures include colorful team jerseys with accurate numbers, helmets, bats, and more. To get these figures on the market, toy companies sign licensing agreements. Without these agreements, the company would be limited to making generic toys with no real-life likenesses. Athletic figures allow kids to play out their most imaginative fantasy games, even combining players from different sports into one big game. Posable limbs allow users to leave their figures in iconic stances such as making a slam dunk or pocketing a golf ball on a toy green.

Science Fiction Figures

The popularity of science fiction has made its way into the action figure field. One of the most popular of these figures are the ones from the popular Star Wars films.

Starting with only twelve original figures back in 1977, the lines have since grown as the rest of the trilogy and eventually prequels made their way into the world. Now, there are thousands upon thousands of high quality, amazing action figures on the market. Some of the collections people have are truly outstanding, taking up an entire room or even home. Other science fiction action figures depict characters from Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, Dr. Who, and even generic things like aliens and monsters. Although originally marketed for kids, they are equally popular with adults, who usually keep the figures in their box for protection.

Todd MacFarlane

A man named Todd MacFarlane started out as a comic book maker and eventually created his own toy company. As a science fiction and comic book artist, he used his skills to create some of the most detailed and accurate toys around.

Collecting

Collectors are a different breed of person when it comes to gathering large amounts of action figures. Instead of playing with the figures, collectors like to protect them by keeping the pieces in their original boxes if possible. They often put them into display cases. While some people collect as a long term investment, the true pleasure of action toy collection comes when you collect pieces you truly love. Regardless, any well kept figure collection is bound to increase in value over time. To gather figures that are both fun and valuable, one must buy strategically. When a new series or movie is premiered, many new products will hit the market. Using toy guides, one can get an idea of which toys will be the most value over time. Unanticipated successes such as Star Wars have spawned highly desired toys which can hardly be found today. Action figure collectors need to be on their toes if they want to snatch up these surprises.

Garner is a toy lover and collects all sorts of Star Wars action figures. He has recently started getting into Marvel superhero figures, buying a Deadpool action figure just recently. His love of toys has spurred him into starting a new toy website called Gamevidia.