What type of figure do you prefer to collect?
I’m not taking what shows or characters you prefer, or what figures I wish you could get. I’m talking more of typically when you buy a figure what type of figure you collect mostly!
from Mass produced Prize Figures (BanDai Banpresto, Sega, Furyu, etc) which are usually on the lower end of the cost scale (running anywhere from $15 in cost to about $100 at the higher end, average price of the figures in this category is about $25 to $30).
But do come in a wide variety of characters, but mostly focus on the main characters of an anime show.
Example:
Or Scale and Cast off Figures Which are more intricate in design and usually have a very limited run and can cost anywhere between $50 to $1000+, but usually run around the $100 to $300 range. Since they have a limited run and rarely get re-released they many times skyrocket in value on the second hand market. Scale figures are usually advertised as anywhere between 1:12 to 1:1 in size with 1:7th being the average. The difference between a scale figure and a cast off figure is the cast off figure usually has removable parts that can be swapped out such as clothing that can be removed. Cast off Figures lean more towards the ecchi side of the scale for that reason. Scale figures also focus mainly on popular or waifu type characters, side characters or more obscure characters rarely are made (but never say never).
Scale figure example:
Or do you prefer more Mid tier figures like Pop Up Parade. ( I can’t think of any other examples of mid-tier). Pop Up Parade line is made by several manufacturers, mostly by Max Factory or Goodsmile Co. though. The price range of Pop Up Parade figures is roughtly around the $50 mark at release on average but can be lower or higher. The range and scale of the Pop Up Parade figures all seem to be the same scale across all the figures, but they do cover many shows and characters and are not afraid to give a more obscure character from a show or game a figure. The sculpt and paint is more detailed and better then Prize figures overall but less detailed then scale figures. Most Pop Up Parade figures have an hexagonal base. Pop Up Parade figures tend to get re-released depending on the demand of the figure as well.
Example:
Next is is the mid step between toy and figure, with nendoroid’s, They are a more chibi super deformed version of characters but cover a vast wide variety of shows and are much more customizable and come with many parts and accessories most the time and swappable faceplates. The price range is usually in the ballpark of $50 a figure, but could be less or more based of popularity of the character or number of parts and customization available. Nendoroids and typically have a limited run at first but and prone to getting re-releases down the road which is helpful for people to get a figure they wanted without paying second hand market prices.
Example is a re-release of Lina Inverse I preordered myself:
Next is your typical high end Japanese action figures such as Figma, SHFiguarts, or Revoltech. These are typical highly posable action figures that are super detailed. These are action figures marketed towards adult collectors mostly. Typically you can switch hands, heads, faces, and other parts and they come with several accessories. The prices can range from low to very high in price but the average price is around the $50 range. I have a few Figma’s and SHFiguart figures myself, but only a few.
Example is a Chainsaw Man Denji Figma figure:
Lastly is GK’s or Garage Kits, they can be licensed releases or custom non-licensed fan kits, Typically they are rough model kits your have to buy and put together and paint yourself. I’m not talented enough to do that myself, but I own a few that were professionally painted and put together. Prices are all over the place for these kits can can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars depending on how intricate the model is. Since you put them together they are more customizable then normal figures, and they tend to have more obscure figures released or produced in GK form as well.
Example is a Rachnera GK, (I own this one but mine was professionally put together and painted):
Lastly is your typical knock off or bootleg figures, they are usually on the cheaper end of the figure collector end since they are not licensed or fakes of an legit product. Quality control is all over the place with these figures and some may look decent while others look like hot garbage. Collectors usually avoid these figures in general, but not always as sometimes the knockoff looks decent enough and is a much cheaper option then a fairly pricey scale figure. In general knockoffs are illegal to sell second hand or even first hand and the producer does not have the license to produce the product or is faking a legit product. Knockoffs and bootlegs are typically found on sites like Wish, Aliexpress, ebay, etc, and are typically produced in china with stolen molds. The difference between a knockoff and a bootleg is that a knockoff will copy an already existing figure and sometimes make minor changes to the figure as well, bootlegs usually are unique products based on an anime or game but made and sold without acquiring the license to do so. Technically TOB figures are bootleg, but since they do not claim to be the character or show on the package of the figure anywhere and instead are based on fan art (usually by C.C.R. Sia) instead of copyrighted work, they walk a legal grey area. GK’s do the same thing at times.
Typically I have figures covering most the categories listed, But these days I’m finding myself more attracted to Pop Up Parade figures (I own 15 currently) as they typically give screen accurate figures even covering some more obscure characters from the line while not breaking the bank. But lately I’ve been getting more and more into Nendoroids as they are more customizable and take up much less space typically, I currently only have 3 of them (Saphentite Neikies, Inuyasha, and Nezuko) but I have a few more on the say I just bought (Aqua from Konosuba, Kemono Friends: Serval, and pre-ordered the re-release of Lina Inverse). I have about 9 scale figures with a 10th pre-ordered, but a vast majority of my collection consists of Prize figures thanks to my earlier collecting habits on Amazon and different subscription boxes like the Nihon Box. I also have lots of non-licensed figures thanks to TOB, but I still love them and at least they are not knockoffs.
Genuinely curious as to what type of figures your collect, or if I left any type out on this post that you collect, let me know!
