How to Start Collecting Action Figures: A Beginner's Guide

I've been collecting action figures my entire life. What started with a handful of Kenner Star Wars figures on a shelf in my bedroom has turned into a store dedicated entirely to the hobby. So when people ask me how to get started, I take the question seriously — because how you start collecting matters more than most people realize.

The good news is that it's never been easier or more accessible to get into collecting. The bad news is that there are also more ways to get it wrong — overspending on the wrong things, chasing figures you'll never find, or building a collection without any direction. Here's everything I wish someone had told me when I was starting out.

Start with what you love, not what's valuable

The single biggest mistake new collectors make is chasing investment value instead of personal connection. I've seen people buy figures purely because someone online said they'd be "worth something someday" — and end up with a shelf full of things they don't actually care about.

The collectors I know who are still in the hobby after 10, 20, 30 years all started the same way: they picked something they genuinely loved. A franchise, a character, a film, an era. That connection is what keeps you engaged when the hobby gets expensive or a figure gets delayed or a line gets cancelled.

So before you buy anything, ask yourself: what do you actually want to look at every day? That's your starting point. Everything else follows from there.

Pick a focus — at least to start

Action figure collecting can expand in a thousand directions, which is both the appeal and the trap. The collectors who feel most satisfied are usually the ones who have a defined focus, at least when they're starting out.

That focus could be a franchise (Star Wars, TMNT, horror icons), a manufacturer (NECA, Mezco, Super7), a scale (6-inch, 7-inch, 1:12), or an era (vintage Kenner, 1990s figures, current releases). Any of these works. What doesn't work is trying to collect everything at once — that's how you end up broke and overwhelmed in the first six months.

A few natural starting points I see work well for new collectors:

• Star Wars — The Hasbro Black Series (6-inch) and Vintage Collection (3.75-inch) are both excellent entry points. Deep catalog, wide availability, and figures at every price point. The Star Wars Black Series Mandalorian is one of our bestsellers for good reason — it's a great figure at an accessible price.
• Horror — NECA's 7-inch Ultimate horror figures are the gold standard for horror collectors. Start with a character you love and go from there. The horror category has incredible depth once you get into it.
• TMNT — One of the most well-represented franchises in the hobby, with options across NECA, Super7 ReAction, Mezco One:12, and vintage figures. Accessible at every level.
• Masters of the Universe — Super7's MOTU ULTIMATES! line is one of the best currently produced figure lines in the hobby. Deep nostalgia for 80s collectors, and genuinely impressive figures for anyone discovering the franchise fresh.

Understand scale before you buy

Scale is one of the most misunderstood aspects of collecting, and getting it wrong is frustrating — especially when figures arrive and don't look right displayed together.

Here's a quick breakdown of the most common scales you'll encounter:

• 3.75-inch (1:18 scale) — The classic Kenner scale, still used by Hasbro's Vintage Collection Star Wars line. Compact, great for large displays, strong nostalgia factor.
• 6-inch (1:12 scale) — The current mainstream collector standard. Hasbro's Black Series, Mezco One:12, Marvel Legends. Detailed, well-articulated, widely available.
• 7-inch — NECA's signature scale for their Ultimate line. Slightly larger than 6-inch, with exceptional sculpt detail and accessory packs.
• 8-inch clothed — Used by NECA's clothed figure line and retro-styled figures. Larger format with fabric clothing, nods to vintage Mego figures.
• 1:6 scale (12-inch) — Premium display pieces. Trick or Treat Studios' Terrifier Art the Clown 1:6 Scale is a good example — highly detailed, built for display.

My advice: pick one scale and stick to it until you know what you want. Mixing scales on a shelf can work, but it takes some experience to do well.

In-box vs open display — know which collector you are

This is one of the first things you'll have to decide, and it's more personal than it sounds.

In-box collectors keep everything sealed in the original packaging. The appeal is preservation, resale value, and the visual impact of a wall of boxed figures. The downside is that you never actually interact with what you own.

Open collectors remove figures from packaging and display them directly. You can pose them, rearrange them, and actually appreciate the sculpt and articulation up close. The trade-off is that opened figures are worth significantly less on the secondary market.

Most serious collectors I know are open collectors — we're in it for the display, not the investment. But there's no wrong answer. I'd just encourage you to decide early, because it affects everything from how you store figures to what packaging condition you care about when buying.

Set a budget and understand pre-orders

Collecting action figures can be as affordable or as expensive as you make it. I've seen people build genuinely impressive collections spending $20–$30 per figure, and I've seen collectors drop $150 on a single Mezco One:12 piece. Both are valid — but you need to know your number before you start.

A few budget realities to set expectations:

• Entry level ($15–$30) — Basic 3.75-inch figures like Hasbro's Star Wars Vintage Collection, Super7 ReAction figures, and entry-level character figures. Great for franchise fans who want representation without major investment.
• Mid-range ($35–$80) — NECA 7-inch Ultimate figures, Hasbro Black Series, most mainstream collector lines. The best value-to-quality ratio in the hobby.
• Premium ($85–$160+) — Mezco One:12 Collective, high-end 1:6 scale figures. Fewer pieces, higher quality, more considered purchases.

A word on pre-orders: pre-ordering is how serious collectors secure figures before they sell out. Manufacturers like NECA and Mezco produce limited runs — by the time a popular figure hits secondary markets, you're often paying double or triple retail. Pre-ordering locks in retail price and guarantees your allocation. We list pre-orders at Not Just Toyz as soon as they're announced, which is the best way to stay ahead of the market.

Where to buy — and what to watch out for

This matters more than most beginners realize. Where you buy determines what you pay, how reliable your supply is, and whether you're getting genuine licensed products.

Authorized specialty retailers like Not Just Toyz source directly from manufacturers and authorized distributors. You get accurate stock information, legitimate product, and customer service if something goes wrong. This is where I'd always recommend starting.

Big-box retailers (Target, Walmart, Amazon) carry mainstream lines but rarely stock specialty collector figures. You won't find NECA Ultimate figures or Mezco One:12 at Target.

Secondary markets (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, local toy shows) are valuable once you know what you're doing — for finding vintage pieces, sold-out figures, or deals on older releases. But they require experience to navigate safely. I wouldn't make them your primary source when you're starting out.

Watch out for: knockoff figures (common on Amazon third-party sellers and AliExpress), inflated secondary market prices on figures that are still available at retail, and sellers who don't accurately describe condition on vintage items.

Build gradually — and enjoy the hunt

The best advice I can give any new collector is this: slow down. The temptation when you're starting out is to fill a shelf as fast as possible. Resist it. The most satisfying collections I've seen are the ones built over years, piece by piece, with intention behind each addition.

Every figure you add should mean something to you. If you're buying something just to fill space, you'll regret it — especially when a figure you actually want comes out and you've spent your budget on things that don't matter to you.

The hunt is part of the hobby. The anticipation of a pre-order arriving. Finding a grail piece you've wanted for years. That experience is what makes collecting genuinely rewarding over the long term.

Ready to start?

Browse our full action figures collection at Not Just Toyz — we carry NECA, Mezco One:12, Super7, Kenner, Hasbro, and more, all in stock and shipping within one business day. If you have questions about where to start or what figure is right for you, reach out — we're collectors too, and we're happy to help.