Who's new to collecting Action Figures?

[GWGumby]

I've been collecting for a few years now, though as a casual collector, but my toy collection is quickly filling up an entire room at home and much of my cubicle at work. I'm mainly interested in figures and toys from movie and TV licenses that I really love. The Muppet's is my first foray into near-hardcore collecting. This is the first line where I'm actually making an attempt from the very beginning to collect as much as I can including keeping some extra Mint versions for posterity. Other than the Dr. Teeth repaint (and Kermit in a box if you count that) I've got the rest, and mean to continue with the line and get as much as I can.

I missed the beginning of the Simpsons line having no idea they would actually get around to making the cool characters that I really like. Nor did I know that by the time they did (starting with the Comic Book Guy) the first couple series would be long gone from shelves. That taught me a lesson about collecting which is, get in at the beginning or you'll be paying big money later on.

McFarlane's influence on raising the standard of Action Figures as well as tying them into unique cult licenses is what turned me on to action figures, something I never even cared about a few years back.

Being way too late in the game to start attempting to collect Star Wars figures, I recently started collecting Star Wars Legos instead. I'm not a completist, but I've got just about every ship from the Droid Escape Pod to the Millenium Falcon in Lego form. It's sad when you are excited to spend $100 just to get a Leia minifig.

 

[Gonzo]

The ones off the top of my head, in roughly chronological order:

Original Star Wars
Dukes of Hazzard
Adventure People
LEGO
Super Powers
Muppet PVCs
Muppet Show Fisher Price Stick Puppets
Sesame Street PVCs
New Star Wars
Fisher Price Little People (641 and counting...)
JLA
X-Files
Batman Animated Series
Superman Animated Series
DC Direct
Toy Story
World of Springfield (Simpsons--but just the kids and weirdos)
Palisades Muppet Show Line

...coming soon: Peanuts! I caved, all right? And I'm trying NOT to go for the new He-Man figures and Scooby-Doo....ugh.

Quinnnnnnn

 

[kansasteen14]

I have been collecting simpsons since Janurary and now collect muppets but thats it.

 

[Louis Kazagger]

Originally posted by Aerosmith
If it wasnt for McFarlane we wouldnt have the high quality figures we have to day. He raised the standered for action figure quality!

I guess that depends on your definition of "quality". If we're talking about sculpts, McFarlane definitely raised the bar in that regard, and all the other toy companies have tried to follow suit and match his company's attention to sculpting detail. But, his figures also have the highest breakage rate of any toys produced (the average kid can manage to bust something of a McToys figure in under two minutes without even trying). Of course that means nothing to the mint in package collector, but I can't tell you how many breakage horror stories I've heard over the years with McFarlane figures.

 

[grail]

flyingmonkey - yeah, the Sideshow ones...overall, they're pretty groovy, but poor Ash...

Michael - yeah, due to problem after problem with the site, only two have run, and right now none of the pictures are working, but here are the links:

http://www.zentertainment.com/article.php?sid=4491
http://www.zentertainment.com/article.php?sid=4104

i've also written ones for RiD Scourge, and the Playskool Star Wars X-Wing set, but they have yet to go up. i'm writing one for Ash and Evil Ash right now, and I just got a Castle Greyskull this morning that is next. now if only i could figure out what's going on with the site. Marcus has been incommunicado for days.

 

[Louis Kazagger]

Originally posted by GWGumby
I missed the beginning of the Simpsons line having no idea they would actually get around to making the cool characters that I really like. Nor did I know that by the time they did (starting with the Comic Book Guy) the first couple series would be long gone from shelves. That taught me a lesson about collecting which is, get in at the beginning or you'll be paying big money later on.

The good news for you may be that Playmates is considering rereleasing some of the harder to find Simpsons figures from the early waves next year.

 

[Rufus]

Ya know what I just realized? My first foray into action figure collecting was with the "original" Muppet ones from Fisher Price back in the day. I was 4 at the time and my parents would buy them for me, one at a time (except for once when I was able to get two at the same time... boy was I psyched!) Sometimes (or maybe all the time, I can't remember) I would have to do a chore or something to make sure I got one on the next trip to the toy store (I'm sure that was a great bargaining chip for my parents!) Started the collection with Kermit and ended with Piggy ('cause she was a girl... eww! Plus she was kinda boring looking, being a finger puppet with no articulation. Although Kermit, Fozzie and Rowlf only had 1 point of articulation!) Isn't it neat how things come full circle sometimes?!

I've been collecting Transformers since they first came out. Really into the PVCs and re-issues right now (including the keychains - I finally have a Cliffjumper!) Haven't been able to bring myself to pick up an Armada figure yet though...

Also collect Batman: Animated and dabble in LOTR (got most of the Fellowship, need a Cave Troll, and can't wait for Gollum and the Ents to come out. Other than that, I don't know which other ones I'll pick up). I'lll pick up a Star Wars or McFarlane fig here and there. Use to collect Simpsons, but lost interest when I heard Muppets were coming out.

- R -

 

[Slim]

I basically collect Palisades toys (gee...who would have thought?)...and then a few choice others. I really wasn't into toys that much until I started working here. I mean...yeah, when I was a kid I was a huge TMNT fan, and I had the He-man and G.I. Joe's too...but I never really kept them. I had plenty (I think I still do somewhere), but I just played with them until they were worthless. So, I wouldn't consider that collecting.

Other then Palisades stuff...I collect those little 1 to 2 inch plastic "Homies" figurines. I love those things! They are starting to take over my desk here at work. Other then the homies...I really like the "Hoodz" figures from Mezco. That's about all I would say I collect. I have plenty figures on my desk here at work...but most are hand-me-downs from Ken. I get what no one else wants anymore...

 

[Luke]

Over the years i've collected He-Man, Action Man, M.A.S.K, Centurions, Simpsons, and mostly Transformers. I'm just starting a Muppet collection, and i also have some original MEGO Batman figures and vehicles.

 

[GWGumby]

Originally posted by Louis Kazagger


The good news for you may be that Playmates is considering rereleasing some of the harder to find Simpsons figures from the early waves next year.

Yes, I'm pretty happy about that. Plus they're starting to do more variants of earlier figures other than Homer and Bart. The Sunday Best Lisa is so much better than the original Lisa, even if she's in a non-regular outfit.

I've got to hand it to Palisades that it's pretty brilliant marketing on their part to start putting major figures out as variants first rather than as their normal selves. If I had all the original Simpson characters, I would be much less interested in getting the variants. Plus with the potential reissue of the first few series, I will more likely not get a "Scout-master Flanders", etc. If the variants had come out first, I would probably have got the variant to tide me over until the regular one came out, or at least continue to watch the line waiting for the regular to be released.