Welcome
As the popularity of action figures increases, there are new manufacturers that pop up every year. Some manufacturers include: NECA, McFarlane Toys, and Jakks Pacific. NECA licenses tons of movies, musicians, video games, and much more. McFarlane Toys also licenses many films, as well as television shows, and musicians alike. Part of McFarlane Toys strength is in their sports picks series. These include figures from many pro sports including NFL, NBA, NFL, and NHL. There are many themes that behold the action figure universe. Themes such as The Dark Knight, Scarface, Terminator, Alien, Predator, and Planet of the Apes. With the popularity of video games, toy manufacturers have jumped into licensing hit video games such as Halo 3, God of War, Guitar Hero, Hitman, Tomb Raider, Castlevania, Call of Duty, Gears of War, and so many more.
Action figures are becoming very popular with each passing year. Since the very first action figure was created in the 1950's, action figures have gained immense popularity. With the very first G.I. Joe action figure created, the world of action figures snowballed into a universe of collectibles. Long after the first G.I. Joe action figure was brought to life, Star Wars was born and the action figure world would never be the same. Kenner had spawned some of the greatest collectible action figures on the planet from the movie Star Wars.
Action figures come in all sizes, but the most common size is 6-7". Other popular sizes include 3", 3 3/4", 12", and 18". Plastic or vinyl is what most action figures are made from. Each figure (most, usually) comes loaded with accessories. Accessories may include guns, knives, weapons, interchangeable parts, etc. Clamshell, boxed, or carded are all methods of packaging that action figures come packaged in.
There are people who purchase action figures with intention of displaying them and there are those who collect them. Depending on how serious of a collector you are, collecting action figures can be easy and fun or your collecting needs can be very tedious work. The rarity of your action figure and the condition of the packaging that the figure is packaged in are determining factors as to its value.
If you are looking to ride the action figure wave all the way to the top, toy conventions are a great way to check out the latest figures or to network and meet people. Plenty of toy conventions are waiting for you to check out. Just to name a few, Comic Con in San Diego is the largest. Wizard World and American International Toy Fair are big conventions, as well.
So, start collecting something new and exciting and welcome yourself to the wonderful world of action figures.
McFarlane NFL, NBA Sportspicks Update 9/14/11