The first thing a person has to do is decide which action figure line that he wants to collect. There are many on the rise in the market today and the waves continue to roll through rapidly. My advice to you is to choose one line and set your focus, then go for it.
The cool thing about the action figure market and collecting hobby these days is the rapid appreciation in value of the new lines of figures that are rolling out. It is amazing how the first wave of toys are doubling, tripling, quadrupling and even more in value as a year or so passes by.
I have seen a single action figure go from about seven dollars in value to about thirty dollars in value in just a year and a half. This is unheard of in any line of collectibles especially when it comes to toys. You will seldom find anything that appreciates that rapidly. When you do, my advice is to latch on fast and grow your collection.
Run comparisons. Go to popular auction websites and gauge how action figures are selling. Check out the amount of bids on them. Auctions can tell you so much about what is going on in a collectibles field very quickly if you pay attention to the details.
Another great source for rating and gauging how a collectible line of action figures is appreciating is by following a few blogs. This is my favorite way to keep up with my chosen line of collectibles. With this method, you get to see a real collector or subject matter expert dive into the material and report to you what he/she is discovering in the nitch you enjoy. It is also common to see a variety of comments from blog followers.
Display your collection proudly. I am so proud of my collectible toys that I have a nice little shelf devoted entirely to their display in my computer room. The world does not see them, but I do and so do my guests that I choose to invite into my little corner of the world. I keep them neatly lined up so I can view them when I get the urge. I am constantly rearranging them and rotating them about.
Another idea for your action figure collection is to catalog them with a digital snap shot. I do this from a variety of angles and name the photo accordingly. This is ideal for me so that I can display them on my website should I choose to do so. This is also great for creating a nice historical file as the photos will be dated so that you will have a quick reference on when the action figure was purchased should you take your snap shot the same day.
I follow the appreciation on all of my action figures and I have designed a spreadsheet to follow this information. Now, you do not have to get as technical as I have and throw together a spreadsheet. It is just as handy to use a legal pad or a notebook. This little chore will stir quite the excitement when you can view how much your figures have gone up in value and how they are pursued more and more by other collectors.
Stay tuned in to the entertainment industry. Watch for upcoming movies or television shows involving your chosen action figure line. If a movie is in the works, I suggest your stock up fast. Buy a few extras for sellable and tradable material. Once that movie hits the big screen, your collectibles line is going to go crazy. I can promise you that.
Another great piece of advice for you that I wish I had always followed is to purchase two of every figure. The reason is simple. You will absolutely want to open one for your display. The other should be stored away safely in the packaging so you will always have that one figure in mint condition. Trust me; this will be vital for the future value of your figures. There are collectors out there that would pay a pretty penny for some mint condition action figures.
Heed my words closely because they will pay off in not only monetary value, but in your personal enjoyment of your new collection.
Your Own Action Figure
What do I mean by that? Well, you must do your research or you will absolutely end up with a closet full of plastic junk not worth anything more than the screws and rubber bands holding them together. There are many avenues to do some price comparisons and also to learn what is hot and what is not.
Another major factor causing grief in the world of action figure collecting is the knock-offs, the fakes and the imposters. Yes I know; that is a slew of ugly words. But, I calls it likes I sees it. So, what you must do is research, research and then research some more.
I know. Now you are feeling the burdens of work and study. You should enjoy action figure collecting to be successful at growing your collection in value. The reason I say this is simple, you are going to have to work at it. This work is really not work if you enjoy the action figure genre you are into because you will simply be seeking and absorbing information about the line of figures that you like.
How do you go about doing the research? It really is not that difficult. I would recommend you do some research in the major search engines. Begin by typing in the name of the brand that you are after or simply type in the phrase "action figures" to locate some starting points for you research. This will get you started.
You should consider following a few blogs in the form of RSS feeds. This is not as difficult as it sounds and following blogs could really streamline your research in action figure collecting. Learn about RSS feeds and how to use them. Again, they are very simple and extremely helpful. They put the information right at your fingertips and they will keep you updated on everything new and improved in your favored action figure genre.
Now, as you begin to dig your clutches into your chosen action figure collectible genre, you will want to start shopping for the figures that you want to collect. Set up some bookmarks in your favorites of the online shops that market the collectible figures that you are into. Subscribe to the newsletters and email campaigns so that you may get the latest deals and specials.
Now you have some information coming in on a steady basis. The next step is to subscribe to some actual snail mail newsletters and possibly join some collectible action figure clubs. Believe it or not, they are out there. I am a member of a few and really enjoy the mailings, sales letters and all the other goodies that come with the memberships.
Hopefully, this will get you on the track to becoming a top-notch action figures collector.
William Doggett has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Careers and Job Hunting and Interest. William "Cole" Doggett has been collecting GI Joe action figures since their first inception. He hosts an informative blog at GI Joe Action Figure Blog that brings you e. William Doggett's top article generates over 27100 views. Bookmark William Doggett to your Favourites.
