COLLECTING
ACTION FIGURES
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Most people collect something!
Whether they are items that have been handed down from someone we
know or items we once owned when we were young and lost along the
way and years later we searched and searched to reacquire them.
Maybe they are items people have always had a love for and they have
kept them for a long, long time.
We all collect something.
Collecting action figures is one of the most fun and most exciting
hobbies anywhere.
Where else can you purchase a piece of pop culture for less than
$10. Where else can you own a figure of a character or someone real
that brings to life in three-dimension right in your hands that
evokes so much great memories and emotions for thousands if not
millions worldwide.
That is one of the main foundations of collecting action figures.
People love to collect them. They are great to play with and great
to display and we always want more. We always look forward to the
next set of figures to come out so we can continue to add to our
collections.
We are proud to show our families, friends and people we know our
action figure collections. In due time most who do not collect will
appreciate what it is these pieces of plastic do for us and makes us
feel.
The hobby has been around for decades, but in the last 15 years has
seen some great breakthroughs in how toys are made, packaged and
marketed with the collector in mind. The hobby has grown
considerably and continues to grow as more and more themes are
brought to life as action figures.
There are so many different subjects that action figures have been
made to resemble from television characters, movie characters, comic
book characters and real live people from past and present. There
are figures based on sports stars and war personalities. There are
even action figures based on Presidents and celebrities.
There are figures that have been created taking one concept creation
and making many more that don’t exist anywhere but in action
figures. Batman is one example.
Technological advances in developing and constructing action figures
have far surpassed what was mostly available when action figures
came on the scene in 1964 with the 12 inch GI Joe figures debuting
to the world.
Although the creators were able to basically replicate the human
body with its movements due to its many points of articulation, most
action figures were not as well sculpted and seamless in their
points of articulation and design as they are today. Their
likenesses were also not as similar as their subject matter. Some
were rather stiff looking and not well constructed and well painted.
The paint applications and schemes have been surpassed of those in
previous eras with today’s action figures, but that’s not to say
figures of the past are not worthy of collecting. They are
and some have become classics like Star Wars from the 70s and 80s,
Indiana Jones from the 80s, Micronauts, 3-3/4 inch GI Joe from the
80s, Transformers from the 80s and Kenner’s DC Super Powers and
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.
Mego World’s Greatest Super-Heroes from the 70s and the aforementioned GI
Joe from the 60s and 70s are some of the most highly sought after
action figure toys ever made and have a great fondness for those who
bought and received them when they originally came out. They each
continue to increase steadily in value.
Even younger and newer collectors recognize the significance of
these past action figure toy lines and have searched and built up
their collections with these items as their featured key pieces.
Each toy line has its own charm and appeal and in its own right -
revolutionary.
A lot of talented people have entered and remain in the industry
creating many refinements and advances to original past designs.
The likenesses are so real it’s like having the real subject right
before you.
Some manufacturers have taken to using computers and laser
technology to create the figures including the figures’ faces to
mirror the characters they portray.
Some of the great toy lines of today and in recent years are DC
Universe Classics, DC Justice League Unlimited, Marvel Universe,
Marvel Legends, Lord of the Rings, Alien, Predator, Terminator and
Wrestling-WWE and WWF.
Some toy lines are still going strong after debuting back in the 70s
and 80s and reinvented with a modern and updated look and feel -
Star Wars, GI Joe and Transformers.
What this means is that this is a great time to collect. There are
so many wonderful toy lines that have come out and are available for
anyone to collect and enjoy for many years.
There are quite a few resources available to help collectors find
the items they are looking for when in the past would have taken
years to accomplish. Internet and local stores and shows offer
plenty of material for collectors.
I have created different feature pages to help anyone who is
beginning to collect or is already collecting and for those who want
to assist someone they know give a hand to that special person.
You’ll
find sections on
how to collect,
where to buy,
how to store and
protect your collection,
how to check how much your collection is
worth and
where to find books and magazines on this great hobby of
ours.
You’ll find sections on various action figure toy lines that I think
are worth collecting and would interest those who are beginning to
collect and those who may already be collecting them.
Happy Collecting!!!
Johnson's Collectibles
