• Discover Action Figure Milestones

• Learn Action Figure Terms

• Protect Your Action Figures Collection

• Find Action Figures on eBay

• Buy Action Figures With Confidence

Discover Action Figure Milestones

Discover Action Figure Milestones

In 1964 the Hassenfeld Brothers (later renamed Hasbro) came up with the idea for a pose-able, dress-able play toy designed for boys. The result, a 12-inch action figure by the name GI Joe, was a huge success. In addition, children could buy their fully-articulated GI Joe action figures a wide range of clothes, vehicles, and accessories.

1965–77: Action figures take off

The action figure trend continued on for the next 12 years as more companies cashed in on the popularity of GI Joe and developed action hero figures for mass production. Presto debuted Captain Action, a figure that could change clothes and become whichever popular TV or movie character you wanted. Mego introduced an 8-inch line called “World’s Greatest Super Heroes” which featured popular characters from Marvel and DC comics.

1977: Star Wars changes the world

The whole industry changed in 1977 when Kenner released the 3 3/4-inch Star Wars line of action figures. The small size of these figures meant they were less flexible, but provided a low price point, and the variety of figures and accessories meant that kids could play out any of their favorite scenes from the movie. The success of the 3 3/4-inch action figure revolutionized the way people thought about action figures and the size soon became the new standard.

1980s: TV takes over

With the relaxing of an FCC regulation that prevented toy companies from developing children’s programming in the early 1980s, an explosion of toy lines with TV show tie-ins hit the market. The first company to take advantage of this deregulation was Mattel with its “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.” The figures were slightly larger, and many incorporated features like cap firing, swivel waist, or other mechanical abilities.

The Transformers soon followed suit with incredible success. The TV series and toys followed the adventures of robots that could transform themselves into planes, cars, and radios, among others. The diecast toys were more than double the cost of most other action figures. Suddenly, super-hero action figures, soldier action figures, and Star Trek action figures took off and the toy industry continues to create new toys, many with accompanying television shows, to this day.

Today: Special Collector Editions

Today, many action figure lines now have special edition, also called collector’s edition, toys that promote the collector’s market. Toy designers are also creating non-poseable figures for display purposes only.

Learn Action Figure Terms

Learn Action Figure Terms

Collecting action figures should be something you do because you like the figures. You’ll need to keep your records in order and keep up on the latest trends and developments in your chosen brand. The action figures collector’s community can help you keep up while you meet new people and celebrate youth and imagination. Also get to know the specialized terms that help collectors organize their figures and collections. 

• A/O: All Original. The doll comes complete with everything it came with originally.

• Book value: Price of a particular figure.

• Collectible: Any action figure that you can collect. The most valuable collectible action figures are in high demand and low supply.

• Exclusives: Exclusive figures are often found at retailers that can order in large quantities. These retailers ask for figures that will only be available at their stores.

• HTF: Hard to find.

• Limited edition: Figures that are not produced in large quantities. Often figures that are not expected to sell well will find themselves with the moniker “Limited Edition.”

• Mail-in premiums: Mail-in premiums were originally only offered through the mail. Often you needed to clip and send in “proofs of purchase” for the figures.

• MIB: Mint in box. Factory condition in original box.

• MIP: Mint in package. Similar to MIB except all accessories are in their packages.

• Mint & complete: The figure has all the accessories and is in excellent shape.

• MNB: Mint, no box.

• NM: Near mint.

• NRFB: Never removed from box.

• Prototype: Prototype action figures are designs that never made it to production. These were often factory-only figures to help designers and marketers develop the product. Possibly the most famous prototype is the Boba Fett with the firing rocketpack.

• Semi-exclusive: Semi-exclusives are similar to exclusives, but are often offered to more than one store. However, the stores that receive semi-exclusives are often not in the same geographic area.

• Shortpacks: Shortpacked action figures arrive in a limited quantity compared to other figures in the line. Sometimes this is done due to higher production costs, expected limited demand, or to specifically make one figure more valuable.

• Variation: Variation action figures have been changed. Often a mistake in production is noted and the figure is pulled, fixed, and then reissued. Variations can become valuable since they are usually limited in supply.

There are two main scales used to judge the condition of collector-level action figures. The first is the “C” scale, the second is the AFA.

Understand the “C” scale

The “C” scale rates condition on a scale of one to 10, with a C10 rating indicating high quality and a C1 rating indicating poor quality.

• C10: The C10 rating represents perfection and is incredibly rare.

• C9: C9-rated figures have minimal defects and are excellent collector-quality toys.

• C8.5: C8.5-rated action figures are in very good condition. However, collectors may shy away from them.

• C8: Action figures with a C8 rating, the lowest collector-grade rating, have visible flaws, but do not look worn.

• C6/7: C6 and C7-rated action figures have rips and apparent flaws. Collect them for nostalgic value only.

• C5 and lower: Action figures with a rating of C5 or lower are of very poor quality. They often have large parts missing and well-worn features.

Use Action Figure Authority (AFA) ratings

Action Figure Authority (AFA) bases quality on a percentage scale.

• AFA 100: AFA 100 ratings indicate near perfection.

• AFA 95: Very rare quality AFA 95 toys have glossy cards and no discoloration.

• AFA 90: Only 1% of action figures have an AFA 90 rating. These high-quality toys contain only factory-made flaws.

• AFA 85: Display-quality AFA 85 action figures have slight fraying or apparent discoloration.

• AFA 80: AFA 80 is the lowest top-level collector quality.

• AFA 75: Good-quality AFA 75 action figures do not stand out as excellent figures.

• AFA 70: AFA 70 ratings indicate average collector-quality items. Discriminating collectors do not usually find them acceptable.

Lower AFA qualities are not considered collector-quality and you should only buy them for sentimental value.

Protect Your Action Figures Collection

Protect Your Action Figures Collection

Whether you want to keep your action figures in mint condition or play with them regularly, protect your action figures from harmful elements so that they always look their best.

• Avoid direct sunlight: Keep your toys out of direct sunlight. UV light is a killer and unless you want the dashboard of your Generation 1 Optimus Prime to look like the cracked and dry dashboard of your ‘82 Corolla, keep him out of the sun. Sunlight will also make boxes and cardboard backings fade and become brittle.

• Watch out for humidity: Keep action figures in boxes or with cardboard-backing out of humid areas. Humidity won’t easily damage plastic, but it will quickly warp cardboard.

• Carefully remove price tags: To remove unwanted price tags, first try fingertips and tweezers. If that doesn’t work, try a commercial product called Goo-Gone. When used improperly, Goo-Gone can damage cardboard. Practice before using it on something you really value.

Aside from the basics, avoid touching your figures or boxes excessively. Finger oils can lead to yellowing or spotting over time. Pick up the figure by the blister, or use a cloth when touching boxes. Comic book bags are great for most blister-pack action figure cards.

If you have something that needs even more protection, durable plastic boxes are available and many of them are sized specifically for action figures.

Storing loose action figures is often much easier since the cardboard backing is usually much more fragile than the figure itself. Aside from many carrying cases that are designed for a specific brand of figure (such as the ubiquitous Darth Vader carrying case) plastic boxes with 4-inch compartments are fairly easy to find and are great for most 3 3/4-inch figures.

Find Action Figures on eBay

Find Action Figures on eBay

Once you know what type of action figures you want, go to the Toys & Hobbies portal, click Action Figures, and start searching for items on eBay.

• Categories: The Categories list on the left side of each page will help you narrow down your listings by item type. You’ll find links for Star Wars, Transformers, Masters of the Universe, and more. As you dig deeper into the site you’ll also be able to narrow down your choice further.

• Keyword search: Search eBay listing titles for specific words. For example, if you want to find a Snake Eyes figure, type “snake eyes” (without quotation marks) into the Search box. Click “Search title and description” to expand your results. Visit eBay’s Search Tips page for more tips on searching with keywords.

If you can’t find exactly what you want, try shopping eBay Stores, tell the eBay Community what you want by creating a post on Want It Now, or save a search on My eBay and eBay will email you when a match becomes available.

eBay Toy Finder can also help you find hot and award-winning toys appropriate for kids of any age.

Buy Action Figures With Confidence

Buy Action Figures With Confidence

Before making your purchase, make sure you know exactly what you're buying, research your seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.

Know your purchase

Carefully read the details in item listings.

• Figure delivery costs into your final price. If you spend a lot of money, make sure the seller will insure the item when it ships.

• If you want more information, ask by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link under the seller's profile.

• Always make sure to complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay protection programs.

• Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services through Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know.

Know your seller

Research your seller so you feel positive and secure about every transaction.

• What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have?

• What do buyers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?

• Most top eBay sellers operate like retail stores and have return policies. Do they offer a money-back guarantee? What are the terms and conditions?

Buyer protection

In the unlikely event that a problem arises during your transaction, eBay and PayPal are there for you.

• Pay safely with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. In fact, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. Plus, with PayPal Buyer Protection, your purchase can be covered up to $1,000.

• eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.