Action figures have been a staple of nerd culture for decades. Whether it be comic books, movies, anime, or video games, action figures hold a special place in nerds’ hearts that other memorabilia just doesn’t fill. Action figures were first invented in 1964 with G.I. Joe figurines manufactured by Hasbro. This series of action figures not only spawned its own comic book series, but also spawned a whole new hobby with nerds and enthusiasts all over the world. Today, action figures span from every interest that someone can think of, video game and anime figurines are extremely popular, and comic and movie figurines are popular but were mostly popular in the 80’s and 90’s and are now popular collectors items.
The world of action figures has evolved and changed over the years, and so has their prices. Figurines from pop culture like Star Wars and DC Comics generally go for the highest prices, from the famous Rocket Firing Boba Fett figurine going for around $150,000, to the original Superman action figure going for $25,000. LEGO versions also go for incredibly high prices, like the original Millennium Falcon going for $16,000 and even some individual 14 karat gold cast minifigures going for thousands of dollars on their own. However what might be the holy grail for collectors seems to be the original G.I. Joe prototype figurine, which went for $200,000 at auction in 2003. Even the original G.I. Joe figurines that followed that prototype go for around $3,000-4,000 today.
The cool thing about these figurines also is that it is quite easy to get into collecting your own figurines that may be worth something in the future. Today, the best way of going about getting your hands on figurines would be finding ones that cater to your interests. Finding anime figurines that are from your favorite shows, or comic book characters from your favorite series is quite simple if they are from new or modern shows. From there, you just need to search at yard sales, thrift shops, estate sales, collectible shows, conventions, or simply at a toy store for new figures. Some figures today can be bought and sold within months and go up in price significantly if they are in high demand or of a popular character.
Although the hobby of collecting action figures can be a way to make money, and definitely many people are in it for the profit, it takes huge passion and dedication to amass a collection of things that you are nostalgic for or enjoy very much. Once you find that niche that you fit into, collecting figurines that pertain to your interests should be as simple as looking online or in person for them. From there, enjoying your loose figurines by putting them in display cases or keeping them mint in their box will keep them safe and secure until they are sold or rotated out for a new set that piques your interest.
