Are You a Frustrated Action Figure Collector?

Collecting Action Figures is a unique and diverse hobby with many different elements that appeal to the young and old alike. It's more than a hobby, it's a passion.

Nothing can describe the joy or pleasure in finding an old figure from your childhood after years of hunting Comic-cons, garage sales and the internet and the long lost but fond memories those moments can bring back to life.

Then there's the pleasure and joy that comes from simply displaying them like treasured pieces of art, which they are of course, in their own way.

With a huge range of action figures available from comic book characters to military, Disney to video games, baseball to ice hockey, wrestling to fantasy, movies to TV series and even the surreal there is something for every taste.

But it can also be frustrating and fraught with pit holes because of the lack of accurate and trustworthy information available, and its increased popularity has meant it is more important than ever to know exactly what is available, when it was released and how rare they are, or aren’t!

My aim here is simple, and that is to provide you all the resources, information and tools you need to collect, buy, grade, value and catalog your figures as expertly and professionally as you can.

With a manually collated database of more than 40,000+ action figures produced from 1964-2010 at my fingers tips The AFR guides and checklists take an in-depth look at each line manufactured with information on their release dates, exclusives, rarities, variations, accessories, prototypes, galleries and more!

Not only that but I’ll also show you how to clean, store and protect them with the step by step Survivors Guide to Collecting Action Figures!

• GUIDES
• TUTORIALS
• CHECKLISTS
• GALLERIES
• REVIEWS
• NEWS ALERTS

Not Sure What to Collect?

If you're new to collecting one of the most daunting decisions is try to decide WHAT you want to collect.

After all you only have a certain amount of money to commit to your hobby and you want to make it stretch as far as you can to get as many action figures as you can.

Not only that but once you've decided you'll make it easier for friends and family to buy them for you!! [ READ MORE... ]

More Tutorials + Articles

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How to Predict What Will Become Collectible?

People often ask me how I know if something is going to be collectible or not?

Well, to be honest I would say 705 of it is pure gut feeling and about 30% of it is an educated guess, however both of these are heavily influenced by my experience and knowledge of the business.

You see, I’ve been in this business for more than 15 years, both offline and online, as a trader and this “being” in touch with the grass roots collectors and consumer means I’ve had my finger pretty much on the pulse.

But I’ve also been an avid collector since childhood and spent hours of fun with my Action Men and Steve Austen figures in the 70’s and my MOTU and TNMT later on.

The best piece of advice I can give you is to remember that [ Read more... ]

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Where to Buy Your Action Figures?

These days there are numerous places and options open to you when you want to buy any action figures, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.

 I usually have a short list of three places that I regularly buy from, depending on what I’m looking for.

Why three? [ Read more...]

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How to Beat the Scalpers?

Today I’m going to continue on the same theme and give you some insider tips on how to save money when buying your figures. 

Remember these tips and knowledge come from more than 15 years of experience in the business and 30 years as a collector!

[ Read more... ]

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What is a Variant Figure?

In the good old days all figures were created equal, but not so today!!

The modern day collector needs to be aware of the different levels and rarity of figures and the different terms used to describe them. 

It is becoming increasing difficult, and frustrating, to know what is available and to make matters more difficult most manufacturers are very secretive about exactly what is available and how many have been made.

But even if you’re a casual collector it’s important to know the different terms so that you can recognize an important or valuable figure when you see it or just as importantly that you don’t get duped with an overpriced figure. [ Read more... ]

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Looking After Your Figures

OK, so far we’ve looked at everything from deciding what figures you want to buying them, but what will you do with then once you get them home?

Most people either hide their figures away in some dark and dingy cupboard where they are left forgotten for eons, or put them proudly on display in the most prominent place at the mercy of the elements.

But if you had just bought a new car, sofa or TV would you treat it the same way? [ Read more...]

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Storing and Displaying Your Figures

Taking care of, protecting and storing your action figures correctly is of tantamount importance if you wish them to keep their value, whether it’s a sentimental or financial value.

Loose figures are a lot easier to store than carded figures but carded figures are better protected so storage isn’t quite as problematic as it is with loose figures.

One of the most important factors to take into account when storing them is their value. 

There are many companies now, both on and off the internet that supply various ways to store and protect them.

[ Read more...]

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Cleaning Your Figures

When was the last time you cleaned any of your figure?

Is your Luke Skywalker looking a little brown around the edges, is your Storm trooper more gray than white?

Does your G.I. Joe have dirty, greasy matted hair?

Would you like to have them looking new and pristine again? 

Whether your figures have been displayed carefully in a cabinet, on a shelf, desk, or just lying loose in a large storage box the chances are that at some point, if not now, you will need to give them a clean. 

But how do you clean them without the risk of damaging them? [ Read more...]

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What Causes Your Figures to Become Sticky? 

Why do your Action Figures have Sticky Plastic?

Do your action figures have sticky plastic?

Have they been stored or displayed for a long period of time?

What can you do to protect them and prevent this from happening again? [ Read more ]

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How to Grade Your Action Figures?

Find out how to grade your action figures professionally and save yourself money!

Trying to find accurate grade and values for your action figures can be a minefield but if you know what defects to look for you can save yourself money when buying second-hand figures and also how to check your own action figures when valuing them. [ Read More ]

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