Actions Figures: Should They Be Removed From Their Packages?

[startrekwatcher]

I try to get 2 of everything that way I can open one and leave one MOC. The only ones I don't open are the truly rare ones that I was lucky enough to get period like Playmates' Star Trek 1701 Picard figure or Yesterday's Enterprise Yar. When I was a kid though I opened all of them but surprisingly all my childhood toys(GI Joe, Transformers, He-Man, She-Ra, M.A.S.K., Super Powers, Thundercats, Star Trek)--which I've managed to still have 2 decades later--are about as in good a condition as they originally were.

Since Star Trek toys seem to be fading though in terms of releases I've only been collecting the nostalgic toy lines Mattel has resurrected that I collected as a kid -- the brilliant DC Universe Classics and Masters of the Univers classics--those I get two of each--one to open and one MOC plus additional ones when they come with multiple heads you can switch out.

 

[General Kang]

Food - should it be eaten?

Houses - should they be lived in?

Cars - should they be driven?

All good questions, if your primary concern is retaining the value of whatever is purchased, rather than enjoying it for the reason it was created. Never ceases to amaze me that people would buy an ACTION figure and then have it never see action. Why not just buy a picture of it if you don't want to play with it?

 

[Nick Ryder]

I used to be a carded collector doing the buy 2 of the ones I wanted to open, but now I just open them. I have a small house now and honestly it takes up too much space, especially when you try to put them in bins carefully. I've ruined too many carded figures and gotten mad at myself for not packing them better when I moved. That I'm planning on selling off most of my carded stuff. The loose stuff is far easier to store and enjoy and display. I bought them to enjoy not to have stored in boxes and never seen again.

Sure initially I thought of the investment purposes but honestly... unless you luck onto a truly rare variant or its very old and very limited in terms of production and release, nothing new is going to be worth a lot. Even locally "rare" and "hard to find" items may be pegwarmers and overly abundant in other areas. Case in point. The original POTF2 Princess Leia from 1995 was so rare for a while that she was selling for over $150 bucks at comic shops and people were buying her. Then... cases upon cases upon cases of her were found. Now you're lucky if you can give away Monkey Faced Leia. I regret not selling her when I could have gotten $75 bucks for her. Now I can't get .75 cents!

So y'know what, open them up, play with them, enjoy them. Collect to Collect. You don't have to "Collect 'em All!"

 

[exodus]

Are you going to play with it? Then yes.

Are you going to display it? No.

Though I sometimes will buy two and keep one untouched and then open and display the other.

Bingo.

If you're into collecting for value, then keep them in the package.

If you're just into collect because you think it's cool, then open them.


However, so many modern toys are so mass marketed w/ so many people collecting, I doubt many of the toys of today will have much value in the long run.

 

[Flibble]

Most of the action figures I have are still in their packaging, but I have a few that I bought doubles of to take out of the packaging to display.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

However, so many modern toys are so mass marketed w/ so many people collecting, I doubt many of the toys of today will have much value in the long run.

That and will the kids of today grow up into the type of people who go back and rebuy the toys of their youth? More likely they'll rebuy old Playstation 3's and the like.

 

[Broccoli]

The few action figures I buy, I usually take out of the package and display them. However, sometimes they look kinda cool in the packaging and I display it unopened.