Purchasing an action figurine, those relatively small plastic and often fully poseable representations of favourite movie or television characters, cartoon or comic book characters and even rock stars 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 perfection in a non-life¹. Action figures have come along way since the first toy soldiers and indeed the Action Man himself, with many more options to take into consideration other than the fact that if his arm might break off when you throw him off the roof in an attempt to recreate the Battle of Arnhem. The following steps should make this ever complicated process even simpler, especially for the novice collector.

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
• Age Appropriateness

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 centimetres), but others can be found. G.I Joe can be found in a titchy 4 inch hero size or as large 12 inches, and numerous other manufacturers have made figures as large as 18 inches (46 centimetres). Popular Transformers figures have even gone above and beyond that, and on a general view of toys, Barbie has even gone as high as 4 feet(1.2 metres).

So, as long as you're just looking for something to combat your He-Man collection, a 6 or 7 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 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 'specialised' 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 weaponary. These can look neat, but be careful, because an excessive amount of such things can impede on the other attributes that contribute to quality.

It is also vital that if you are buying for a certain age group to take heed of suggested age range on the packaging, or indeed if there's bits and bobs that come with the action figure that parents would prefer a surgeon not extract from various areas of their offspring.

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

The basics are a good place to start and to find an action figure that meets your needs, but for the enthusiast whose lust for perfection seems insatiable, the basics are just not enough. It is for this person that the next segment has been created. In it, greater detail will be given as to ways of picking out the perfect figurine, recommended manufacturers, and specific things to watch out for so to get the most possible usage out of your figure.

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, plus it's always amusing to see if Batman can put his ankles behind his ears.

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 trade-off⁴. 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 collectable 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 KISS.

The Informed Purchase

Now that you have all the necessary information to buy an action figure that best suits your needs, you can go out and expand your collection with purpose. Consider the philosophy that 'there is no knowledge like empirical knowledge⁵.'

What Action Figures Can I Buy Then?

• Action Man
• Barbie
• Power Rangers
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• McFarlane Toys Spawn, KISS, Movie Monsters (like Freddy, Jason and Mike Myers from the Halloween movies) and Clive Barker themed characters.
• Star Trek
• Thunderbirds, Stingray and Captain Scarlett
• The Simpsons
• Japanese Manga and Anime Characters
• Little Goths
• Star Wars
• The Lord of the Rings
• Alien
• Marvel and DC Comic Book Characters
• Doctor Who