Purchasing an action figure¹ may seem like a trivial exercise, but in fact it has come to be viewed by some as an art form, a never-ending search for the perfect figurine. Through this search a process has been developed by an expert on toy-selection and will now be shared so that all who wish to get the fullest experience out of their puny plastic pals can do so with ease.

THE BASICS

The basic things to consider when purchasing an action figure are, needless to say, fairly basic. They are the normal concerns that any consumer experiences when buying any kind of item. These things consist of:

• Price
• Size
• Quality

Price and Size

When it comes to action figures, price is usually directly proportional to the size. While it is also influenced by the quality of the figure and popularity of the character the figure portrays, they are often inconsequential in this area.

Most action figures' size falls within the range of 5 - 7 inches(13 - 18 centimeters), but others can be found. GI Joe has made figures as small as four inches, as large as twelve, and numerous other manufacturers have made figures as large as 18 inches(46 centimeters). Popular Transformers figures have even gone above and beyond that, and on a general view of toys, Barbies have even gone as high as four feet(1.2 meters).

So, as long as you're just looking for something to combat your He-Man collection, a six or seven inch figure of comparable price will suit just fine. It may lack in some of the finer points of perfection, but it will serve its purpose.

Quality

Quality, as will be later discussed, can be a very complex consideration. However, the basics of it go as follows.

When studying an action figure for quality, the main points to consider are as such:

• Functionality
• Articulation
• Accuracy
• Accessories/Features

For functionality, you need a figure with a decent number of joints². At a bare minimum, the shoulders, legs, neck, and hip/torso should all have some kind of joint. Another thing to consider in this area is range of motion.

For articulation, take a special note to the amount of detail in the figure. This includes both the level of paint detail and the sculpting detail of things such as clothes and muscles. In general, most action figures are about the same level of articulation, but there are a number of figure series that are known for a higher standard of articulation.

For accuracy, you need to check the accuracy of the figure as compared to the character the figure is portraying. Make sure the colours are correct and, if there is a face, that it is a good likeness. Faces on action figures are often not as well moulded as they could be. In this area, there is some grey area. Companies will often make alterations to characters when put into figure form. This is prominent in Batman figures, where they are in 'specialized' forms such as 'Freeze Batman' or 'Underwater Batman'. The key is to know what you are looking for and not be tricked by gimmicks.

For accessories/Features, you must be careful. This can be the most fun category to look for, but it can also be the worst of traps. These are things like spring-fired 'missiles', body attachments, interchangeable parts, and weaponry. These can look neat, but be careful, because an excessive amount of such things can impede on the other attributes that contribute to quality.

The Basic Choice

By following the basics of action figure choosing you will, guaranteed, find yourself enjoying a satisfactory figurine. The previous steps are to help you to choose a figure of a good quality and will allow your imagination to run at its wildest. One final word on the basics: Be as observant as possible. Obviously you cannot interact and use an action figure before you buy it, so study it while in its case as best you can. Look for seams and balls when trying to decipher where the joints are, holes and strange clips for where accessories would attach, etc.

THE NOT-SO-BASICS

Joints

For the extremist, the more joints the better. Unfortunately, this does not always hold up to the test. While it is generally a good thing, it can also cause problems if it is not done well. Often times an action figure with many joints is put together in a lacklustre way and will not retain its position. It will go limp and immediately transform into an inaction figure³. Another thing to consider when considering joints is size. Many joints can often lead to a larger sized figure, however, in some cases this can be a very good thing. An 18-inch(46-centimetre) Spider-man figure was released featuring 67 joints, giving it an innumerable amount of positions and also being one of the first to feature fully posable hands. The downside to this is that it makes it difficult to use it in conjunction with other action figures, as it towers over them, but from an artistic standpoint it is an excellent mannequin and can stand freely on as little as its toes.

One other very important thing to consider about joints, as previously stated, is range of motion. Be sure to watch out for things like fixed shoulder pads, as they immediately hinder the arms from reaching upward. Finally, after opening your figure, if it seems to have a smaller range of motion than it should, do not fret. New figures almost always need to have the 'kinks' worked out of them. Spend some time rotating its limbs and twisting its joints before you really begin to use it. This can help prevent damage in the future.

Accessories

Accessories is a very complicated subject. This is mostly based on personal preference, but a few words of wisdom can be offered to help you make your decision.

As a general rule, unless the gun itself looks really awesome, spring-loaded 'missile' launchers should not be a factor in your decision. The ammunition will get lost or broken and they are rarely of any use when playing with your action figures. So if you find an action figure that is of high quality, whether it has or is without a 'missile' launcher, it is still worth buying. In other words, do your best not to consider the missile launcher aspect as neither good nor bad. As a side note, accessories involving string or 'zip lines' are of equally little value and should not be considered due to their inherent nature to become horrendously tangled no matter the precautionary measures taken.

Attachments and interchangeable parts involve a basic tradeoff⁴. While they can be very interesting and add a very dynamic quality to the action figure experience, they almost always hinder the all-important functionality. That is, certain joints either lose range of motion or are lost entirely. In this case the most often loss is in elbows and knees. So one must carefully observe the good and bad aspects of the attachments and make the decision accordingly.

Extra Stuff

The best example of something that would fit under the 'Extra Stuff' category are a series of Marvel toys that feature an action figure accompanied by a comic book. In general, this is a very good thing to look for. The figures are often of higher quality, and even if they are not fantastic you are getting your money's worth. Adding a comic book to accompany a figure is a sign that the company put more effort into that specific line of figures than they might normally have. Other things that might be of a similar nature are things like trading cards or mini-cds.

Models and Collectibles

If you are not really interested in playing with your action figures, for whatever reason, then things like how many joints they have or how much fun they will be is not very relevant. For such cases, accuracy and articulation are the only concerns. Be sure that the figure is made well, posed to your satisfaction, and is of sufficient size.

Todd McFarlane, a well-known comic book artist and creator, is notorious for producing extremely articulate figures. He is best known for the comic book character Spawn, but his studios have produced many other figures including life-like representations of the infamous rock group Motley Crue.

THE INFORMED PURCHASE

Now that you have all the necessary information to buy an action figure that suits your needs best, you can go out and expand your collection with purpose. Consider the philosophy that 'there is no knowledge like empirical knowledge⁵.' Everything said here can be of great help, but until you go out and experience the process for yourself you cannot truly understand why all the considerations are necessary. But know that you are now well informed and can no longer be roped into buying a product that does not meet your needs.

Manufacturers

In closing, it may also be of some help to know a few of the better brands of action figures so you can avoid cheap imitations as best as possible.

Toy Biz is a toy company owned and operated by Marvel Enterprises and is known for highly functional and articulate action figures.

McFarlane Toys is a highly reputable company and make extremely detailed figurines.

Bandai is a Japan-based company and has a wide variety of characters licensed to it. Usually not the most articulate, but still fairly well made.

Hasbro is mostly known for making children's toys, but is also the producers of Transformers and Star Wars toys.