Bored Of Collecting Stamps? Action Figures Are A Very Cool Alternative

Posted by on 1/29/2011

Action figures are becoming very popular with each passing year. Since the very first action figure was created in the 1950′s, action figures have gained immense popularity. The first G.I. Joe action figure was created in the 50′s, and since then countless genres have been introduced. After the 1st G.I. Joe came to life, the hit sci-fi film Star Wars produced tons of action figures from those great characters. Star Wars action figures were extremely popular and were the foundation of the 3 3/4″ action figure for play.

The most common size is 7 inches, but other sizes available are 3″, 3 3/4″, 12″, and 18″. Plastic or vinyl is what most action figures are made from. Another thing that makes these items collectible, is the accessories and extras that you receive included in the packaging. Clamshell, boxed, or carded are all methods of packaging that action figures come packaged in.

There are plenty of manufacturers that make these fine fun interesting figures. Just to name a few would include: McFarlane Toys, NECA, Jakks Pacific, and Mezco Toyz. NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) licenses hundreds of movies, video games, music entertainment, and much more. McFarlane, like NECA, also licenses tons of films, video games, etc. McFarlane Toys also specializes in sports figures from all professional sports including: NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. Jakks Pacific is a manufacturer that specializes in WWE action figures. Since themes vary in genres, film characters can be from such films as Halloween, Friday the 13th, Alien, Star Wars, Robocop, Star Trek, The Godfather, and Nightmare on Elm Street. While movie action figures are popular, licensed action figures from hit television shows are extremely popular as well. 24, Lost, The Simpson’s, The Girl’s Next Door, Futurama, South Park, and Family Guy all have quality action figures made from characters of each of these shows.

There are people who purchase action figures with intention of displaying them and there are those who collect them. Collecting action figures is a fun reason to obtain these artistic pieces. With intense detail applied to creating action figures, one can appreciate the artistry that these figures hold. If an action figure is rare or a limited number of them made, this raises their value. The condition of its packaging is also a determining factor of the value.

If you are looking to ride the action figure wave all the way to the top, toy conventions are a great way to check out the latest figures or to network and meet people. Plenty of toy conventions are waiting for you to check out. Just to name a few, Comic Con in San Diego is the largest. Wizard World and American International Toy Fair are big conventions, as well.

Now that we know action figures are fun items to collect, shouldn’t you be thinking about which action figure you’re going to purchase next?