The era of the action figure

I think some form of action figure collecting has existed for at least 30 years, longer if you count Barbie. But the release of Star Wars in 1995 really put collecting in a frenzy. It started the era we are in imo.

Will this era ever end? I don't mean ending action figures in general, but ending an era in which an almost disturbing amount of adults spend thousands of dollars on various action figures and accessories.

Anyone have any insight as to what existed before widespread adult action figure collecting? Hot Wheels? Baseball cards?

And what will come after action figures are dead?

I really doubt I will stop buying action figures when I am 60 and I will slap my kid so that he continues the tradition.

What you want a car for your 16th birthday?
No. Fuck you. Here is a Spider-Man 5 figure. Don't go showing off to the neighborhood now.

im thinking the boom in the 90s was due to us 80s kids.

i dunno if kids these days are into action figures as much as we were, what with video games n stuff. so when their generation reach the age where they have disposeable cash in say, another 10 to 20 years, im not sure the market will be the same as it is now.

the true vintage stuff that have longstanding following (like star wars) im sure will retain value. just look at rare mego prices now.

I think you're right. And since we were so heavily exposed to an explosion of cartoons and movies in the 80s, that's a strong dose of nostalgia, which leads to collecting.

So the question becomes, what will the 21st century kids-to-adults be nostalgic about? Pokemans? Children's card games?

I figure they won't be nostalgic for anything, Everything comes with preplanned obsolescence now. So no reason to get too attached, something better is always just around the corner. Now go whine to your parents till they buy it for you!

I also think the boom is due in most part to 80's kids being grown up. Not that sales aren't highest thanks to kids, but when I go to a store's toy department, the most real estate for the action figures goes to figures based on toylines that have been around for at least over a decade. Plenty of Star Wars, TMNT, TFs, and now even GI Joe and Power Rangers. I can't really think of a completely new line or series of figures that are actually doing really well or that has stuck around from within the past 8 years. My point being that there won't be anything kids of today are going to think back about the 00's as we think back about the 80's. Will all the 80's lines perpetuate on with adults and kids alike? That may be its saving grace, but I seriously think video games and such are what's appealing to kids more these days.

I'm pretty sure adults would have thought the same thing about kids from the 80s.

If this were true, I think Power Rangers and Pokemon would already be gone.

i worry that kids will just get lazier, and into more video games.
i look at McFarlane Toys and wanna bitch slap Todd (figuratively) for veering wayyy off from action figures into things you can't even take out of the package.
he makes statues.

kids will continue (well, i am only guessing) to buy his sports lines because they want a realistic statue of a player, nothing else.
and his other stuff is decor items- like the 3D movie/album posters, the Jaws diorama, etc..
if other companies do that, then AFs will die out and be almost forgotten like lincoln logs or Lite Brites and things.

watching friends who have kids, they only buy AFs as pacifiers on long shopping excursions, and the kid is almost encouraged to break them so he has reason to get another one to replace it when he's bored of it.

i just see trends where the only salvation for them are kids that grew up, saw us and recognize where the passion comes from.

just my 2 cents.

Jonathan Swift

i think the next generation will be worse than us.......

cuz of "collecting" geared toys like yu gi oh and pokemon. I mean most of the appeal of those are spwaning 9 yr old completionists............. they are gonna be way more broke than us lol

It wasn't just Star Wars in the '90's that built this huge toy market today, other lines also contributed. How do I know, I was in the thick of it. In the days before E-bay we did every show we could book ourselves for and one of the big driving forces of those sales were toys.

If you guys think Scalping is bad today, you should have seen what it was like then. Star Wars, Playmate's Star Trek, McFarlane figures, ToyBiz Marvel figures... it was a zoo. Now some of those lines are gone but the fact that new ones rise to take their place is a good sign that the market is still hungry for toys. I think the market will continue strong for a good long while but as to what's next over the horizon? I wish I knew so I could buy it and sell it. (nobody even saw CCG's coming.)