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Action figures toy sale and auctions in the
Antique Web!
Collectible
Action Figures
Is About Fun Memories And More Money
By
Royce
Armstrong
Superhero action figures first
stormed the doors of department
stores and toy stores nearly 35
years ago. Constructed of various
kinds of plastic and clothed in
uniforms, costumes and capes G.I.
Joe, Superman, Spiderman, the Lone
Ranger and others marched, flew and
rode off store shelves and into our
lives. After short stops under the
Christmas tree or at birthday
parties, these action figures found
their way into toy boxes and
playrooms around the world.
These
action figures did their superhero
work of incredible feats, saving
scores of lives and neutralizing
villains. They accomplished these
heroic deeds on lazy summer
afternoons and rainy Saturday
mornings in front of the TV set. Too
often, they also needed our help
after school when we were supposed
to be doing homework.
These superheroes were always our
friends and they helped us through
our childhoods. They taught us to
share, to value friendships and that
good will triumph over evil.
Perhaps, most importantly, they
stretched our imaginations and made
us believe that anything was
possible. These mighty action
figures were invincible to
everything but time. Time finally
did them in. Or did it?
For more and more people, these
action figures are returning to
superhero status. The Star Trek crew
along with Power Rangers, the Star
Wars characters and transformers are
popping up in offices, dens and
family rooms everywhere. These
action figures have become
collectibles.
The most popular of these action
figures include G.I. Joe, Captain
Action, the Six Million Dollar Man,
the Lone Ranger and the Mego line of
action figures. These include
characters from Super Heroes, Planet
of the Apes, Star Trek, Happy Days,
CHIPs, Monsters and others. There
were literally hundreds of different
action figures produced during the
decades of the ‘70s and ‘80s.
The action figures come in
different sizes. Just as with other
collectibles, size, condition,
original popularity and whether or
not the figure is readily available
now all come together to determine
price. Prices are all over the
board. Some of these figures have
been known to sell for thousands of
dollars. Others go for a few
hundred. Most are in the $10 to $100
range.
Action Figures Make Great
Collectibles
How do you know what to pay?
There are a number of sources for
current price information for these
action figures. One important source
is toy magazines such as “Toyfare”
and “Lee’s Action Figure News”.
There are also dozens of websites
that have pricing information. More
good sources are the online auction
sites, such as eBay.
The auction websites are also
great places to buy these action
figures. Numbers of these toys are
sold on these sites every day. You
can determine the condition, see
what other people are bidding and
then make a bid. The top online
auctions are safe places to do
business.
These action figures crop up in
other places as well, just waiting
for the opportunity to march into
your collection. You can find them
in flea markets and sometimes in
antique shops. You can buy them from
other collectors, at garage sales
and estate auctions. There are
dozens of toy shows around the
country where dealers and
individuals buy and sell
collections.
You will find these action figure
toys in every conceivable condition
from mint in the box condition to
pieces of the original toy. There is
a rating system to help collectors
determine condition that runs from
condition C-1 through C-10. The very
best condition is mint in box or
mint on card. These toys are in the
original box or bubble wrap card.
They are in exactly the same
condition today as the day they were
first packaged. They are, of course,
the most valuable.
One of the first steps in
collecting action figures is to
decide which toys to collect. A good
place to start is with your
favorites when you were a kid.
Collections will be more valuable if
you have complete sets. For example,
you might build a collection of a
complete set of the Marvel Comics
heroes. Part of the fun is putting
these collections together –
acquiring hard-to-find figures in a
set.
The next step is taking care of
your collection of action figures.
If you are lucky enough to find a
toy sealed in the original box or
package, leave it in the box. Do not
open it. Display your toys on a
shelf or in a cabinet where they
will be kept dry, out of direct
sunlight. You will also need to keep
these toys above the reach of your
own youngsters. They will be just as
tempted to play with them as you
were.
Finally, enjoy your collection.
Owning these action figure
superheroes will bring back many of
the wonderful feelings of those
carefree days before mortgage
payments and college tuition bills.
The dollar value of your collection
is likely secondary to assembling
the collection and enjoying its
aesthetic value. Even so, your
collection will almost certainly
become more valuable in time,
especially if you can assemble
entire sets.
These action figure superheroes
are reminders of your childhood and
will serve to tell your children and
grandchildren a little about whom
you are and how you learned that
good triumphs over evil. Somehow it
is comforting to know that Superman,
G.I. Joe and the Lone Ranger are
still fighting crime and saving
lives.
About the author: Royce Armstrong
is a successful freelance writer
with a business and banking
background who believes consumers
should get the best value for their
money when shopping for
action figures,
superheroes and
creative toys.
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