It's safe to say that action figure collecting has surpassed everyone's expectations in terms of general interest. The popularity of this rewarding hobby has exploded, expanding rapidly to encompass all ages and corners of the globe. Many newcomers to the pastime's dedicated following have been attracted by the curiosity of the collectors' devotion, and find themselves hooked. From Star Wars to Star Trek, Transformers to G.I. Joe, and Masters of the Universe to X-Men, the most vital element of collecting is the passionate enjoyment of it all. And, who knows, one may hit the jackpot with a profitable rarity along the way!
In order to make informed decisions about purchasing the traditional 12" action figures, the importance of doing your homework cannot be stressed enough. Know your history, and familiarize yourself with the lingo.
It was 1964 when the Hassenfeld Brothers, who later became Hasbro, came up with the perfect toy doll alternative for boys: a foot-tall plastic GI Joe with changeable clothing, accessories, and vehicles. The GI Joe took off, and was so successful that other toy companies were left scrambling to cash in on the trend. Mass production soared. Presto unleashed Captain Action, an action figure prepared to change clothes and become whichever TV or film character the consumer chose. Mego was the first to seize the popularity of Marvel and DC comics, and debuted a line of "The World's Greatest Superheroes", which were only eight inches.
The whole craze was turned on its head in 1977, when Star Wars came out. Kenner released a line of extremely profitable 3 3/4 inch figures, an unheard of size that proved to be golden. The figures were less flexible, but were much easier to play with, so the other companies followed suit. The game was revolutionized yet again in the mid-1980s, when Mattel released the immensely popular "He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" line, the first TV-show tie-ins on the market. They were a little larger than the standard 3 3/4 inch, and were capable of "doing things", such as cap-firing and turning the torso and upper body. Around this time, the Transformers toys were launched, costing about twice as much as other typical action figures of the day, and were quite profitable. Star Trek followed, as well as more variants of superheroes and soldiers, continuing with consistent success to the present day.
In more recent years, when action figures gained a collector's market, toy companies began releasing lines specifically for this purpose, known as collector's editions, or special editions.
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