My apologies in the slow updating of the site loyal visitors!  I got some kind of a fever and even though I nearly had this article finished a couple of days ago, I’ve had no energy and difficulty getting out of bed.  I’m finally feeling better and hopefully will resume updating the site regularly now.

I have always intended for this site to be a resource for collectors and Nintendo fans alike and while there are some great articles for anyone getting into a particular line of Nintendo figures like Micro Land or Nendoroids already on the site, I haven’t talked that much about figure collecting as a whole.  I predominantly collect Nintendo figures but I have thought about extending out to other ones as I have the money and I think you may start collecting figures out of a love of Nintendo, but if you don’t enjoy the hobby of collecting figures then you’re unlikely to stick with it long term.  So with this goal in mind, I’m starting a new series of articles called Figure Collecting 101 to help anyone new to the hobby better understand and enjoy it.  Today’s topic is going to start with one of the first questions anyone might ask about the hobby: why collect figures?

Collectors Will Collect – There are tons of things you can collect.  Some people like coins, stamps, or cards, but of course not all collectibles are the same.  Generally, if you’re going to collect something it should be something you enjoy and appreciate and that someone else you know also enjoys.  This is important because otherwise, there is no social aspect to the hobby and you won’t have anyone to share your collection with.  Figures are a very interesting thing to collect because they actually can have some value, but they also are something you can play around with in a variety of ways whether it is posing the figures, making a display, admiring them, or many other things.  If you’ve ever seen a figure while walking around a store and thought it looked cool, then collecting them makes sense.  If you’re going to collect something, why not figures?

Figures Let Us See and Touch Digital Characters – For me, one of the absolute best parts of owning a figure is being able to see and touch a character I controlled in a game or have only seen off a TV screen.  Figures turn our favorite characters into something tactile and let us play around with them.  With a bit of imagination or some artistic talent, you can recreate poses, scenes, or even dioramas from the video games, movies, TV shows, etc. in figure form.  This is one aspect of collecting figures that other hobbies have no equivalent to and is a big reason why I collect.

Figures Can Become Valuable (In Some Cases) – I wanted to include this in the article because it is a side of figure collecting that many people find appealing and while some criticize (and there are valid reasons for doing so like scalping),  I am one of those people who finds it appealing to have a valuable figure, especially if I figure out that a figure may be valuable on my own and it proves to be true.  People who collect for value tend to not open their figures which some collectors would say strips the fun away, but I think this is a totally valid way of collecting and you have to do what you find most fun.  Investing in figures is not like the stock market and it can be tricky to play the game and I absolutely do not recommend betting much money on any one figure becoming valuable, but there are definitely times were you might buy a figure and be pleasantly surprised when you come to find it is rare or valuable.

Figures Are Fun To Own And You Can Make The Hobby Your Own – While I hinted at this with my first reason for collecting, it is the perfect way to end this article.  There are many different reasons why figures are fun to buy and to own.  They can be cheap or expensive and finding them in retail can be a thrill or rush.  I can think of a number of figures where I was so excited and relieved to finally see it in store and be able to buy it.  Honestly, if any of this article sounds fun or appealing to you then figure collecting could be a fun way to spend some time and money.  In future articles, I will talk more about how to enjoy figure collecting, what the challenges are, and more advanced topics for intermediate to advanced collectors.  If you have questions about figure collecting, ideas for future articles, or just want to share your experience as a figure collector and why you enjoy them, please let us know in the comments below!