Some people collect for fun, and some people collect for investment. Most people will start out collecting for fun, and a few people will become serious collectors. I have been collecting action figures for 23 years, and only seriously for 18 years. The biggest difference in the two types of collectors is one buys or adds to their collection by convenience, the other by careful planning and extreme searching. There are some good guidelines for both collectors to use to make the best decisions when buying for any collection.
Collect something that you enjoy. If you enjoy it, you will spend the time to know everything about that subject. If you don't enjoy it, you will make decisions based on whim or book price. I tried to collect GI Joe and Barbie, but I wasn't into them. I made a few mistakes because I didn't do the correct research to make an informed decision. I specialize in Marvel and DC comic book action figures. That's what I love to read and discuss. Because of this, I have the inside track on what's new and what's happening in the comics. There are sagas and stories inside of stories, that's why you'll find slight variations in one action figure. Bottom-line is collect something you love to read or study.
Where do you buy action figures? There are several places to buy them, but keep a few things in mind. First, antique stores are out there to make money on anything that looks older or is old. You will not find a “good” price here. If you go to small towns that have an antique store, you will have a better chance of buying something for a descent price. Second place to buy is at a discount retailer. These include for example, Wal-Mart, Target, Toys-R-Us just to name a few. One thing to keep in mind with a discount retailer is to make friends with the employees.
I had a friend in Toys-R-Us. He would pull action figures for me before they went to the shelf. He would also keep me informed on recalled toys. This made my life easier; I didn't have to worry about getting to the store before a certain action figure was sold out. Third, and probably the best depending on what you collect are flea markets and garage sales. These will have the best price but you will have to know how to buy something from them. You can negotiate a better price and get discounts for buying multiple action figures. I would not buy from these last two places unless you know what you are collecting inside an out.
How do you know what to buy? Keep these things in mind when you are buying collectables. It's all about condition and demand. If you are collecting for your own enjoyment, then you can buy anything you want to buy. For an example, I also collect comic books and have many comics that are worthless because of damage but they complete my set. I will never be able to sell these, unless someone wanted to complete their set. They act as a place holder until I can find a near-mint condition one to replace it. If you are collecting action figures as an investment then you need to follow these steps when buying them. First, never ever use this line “it looks good for its age”. If you can say this about an item, it's probably not worth buying. Price or worth is based on two things.
Demand and condition, when buying action figures in a store look for the most popular and for a box that has NO defect. When buying out of the box items, make sure that they are old enough that having a box is just a bonus. If the item is only 20 years old it should have a box and that box should be in great condition. If that item is 50 years old, you can get away without a box, but the item must be in great condition. For example, no broken parts, everything is there that came with the toy when it was new. Another thought is to buy action figures that aren't popular, I have seen many of these go up in price. Mostly because of demand, a comic will start to market that character and everyone will want it. Unless you are in the know, this is the hardest one to guess.
Collecting is a fun past-time and can really be a good investment. Just remember to do your research and try to have fun. Buy items using a method, not by impulse especially if you are looking for investments. And know everything about the line you are collecting, this will help you buy the correct action figures and know when to sell them.
