Since the 1960s, Marvel action figures have been best sellers among children and collectors alike. The Marvel name has been sold and passed around several times, but no matter what company is behind the toys, Marvel action figures remain among the favorites in the vast world of action figures. The most dominant company behind Marvel has been Toy Biz from the end of the 1980s until 2007, Toy Biz was the genius behind the mass production of some of our culture's most popular heroes. In the late 80's, ToyBiz bought out Marvel Entertainment as they were about to go out of business in order to continue marketing the toys from the Marvel Comic books. In 2007, Toy Biz renamed itself Marvel Toys, as the majority of their sales were the Marvel action figures. In 2009, Marvel Toys sold the rights to produce and sell Marvel action figures to Hasbro and today Hasbro is the sole producer of action figures from Marvel.
The original line of Marvel Action Figures was made of six super heroes and was released from 1972-1973. This line broke new ground, as this was the first time that the Marvel characters ever had their own representation as action figures. The next wave of Marvel action figures was released over the next two years as Green Goblin, the Lizard, Falcon, Iron Man and Incredible Hulk hit shelves for the first time. The toys were made of brightly colored plastic and their joints were held together will small elastics so that arms and legs had more flexibility. They were far from durable, however, yet the low price tag made it okay to purchase replacements. Both children and adults rushed to the store to purchase their own collectible, perhaps with the insight that the toys they held would be worth hundreds of dollars decades later.
One of today's most popular collections of action figures have been those in the Marvel Universe collection. Measuring at three and three quarters of an inch, the Marvel Universe line was released in the beginning of 2009 and has been a commercial hit since day one. Each figure in the series comes with a "Top Secret" registration of super human powers and a file for each character. Characters include Iron Man, Spider Man, Silver Surfer, Wolverine, Daredevil, Human Torch, Captain America, Green Goblin, green and grey Hulk, and more. Hasbro recently added a poll to their website allowing fans and collectors to choose the characters they want to see in the next series. While Hasbro has not yet announced all of the winners, fans are waiting eagerly to snatch up the next in the Marvel Universe Line to hit shelves.
Today, collectors scour toy stores and the Internet to find Marvel action figures that span across several generations. Ranging in prices from nine dollars to nine hundred dollars, a classic action figure still in its mint packaging is a rare find and a deeply desired treasure. Superheros have become a part of American culture and the Marvel action figures have made them seem a little bit more real to the young and young at heart.
image source: rob blatt
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