Answer: Whether or not a specific action figure increases in value is largely dependent upon the figure. Some figures will show significant increase in value over time, while other will see little to no increase. Regardless, if you want your figures to increase in or retain their value, there are certain measures you can take.

There is a bit of a misconception non-collectors have about the long-term value of any given action figure. They seem to think that if you keep a figure in its packaging and don’t open it for five to ten years, the value will increase substantially. A figure that retailed for twenty dollars seven years ago is now $200 – $500. While this value increase does happen from time to time, its not the norm, and shouldn’t be expected.

Before I go any further with this, I want to be perfectly clear: I’m talking about action figures alone in this post. Funko Pops and other types of collectibles like that are a whole other animal.

What Can You Do to Increase Your Action Figures Value

If you have action figures that you think will be worth more one day, there are some measures you can take to make sure you make a good profit on them when the time comes to sell:

• Don’t remove them from their packaging. This is a given. When action figures are opened, the long-term value immediately decrease exponentially. If you plan on making a good deal of money off your figures, you have to keep them in the box.
• Keep them stored in a clean, climate-controlled environment. Closets are usually good storage spaces for them. Avoid storing them in the attic, garage, or basement because of temperature fluctuation and humidity. Extreme temperatures altogether are very bad for your figures and the packaging, but the extreme heat is much worse than the cold.
• Keep them out of the sun. The sun/UV rays will cause discoloration to the packaging and the figure over time. I have a whole post about this here. Also check out my post about storing action figures.

How to Tell Which Figures Will Increase in Value?

While pretty much any unopened vintage Star Wars or Transformers figure is going to be worth significantly more today than its retail price, those are hard to come by. Maybe you can find some at a thrift store or garage sale—where the sellers really don’t understand the value of what they’re selling, but generally, if you want these figures in good condition, be prepared to pay hefty price.

Its a given that vintage Star Wars and Transformers action figures and the likes are going to be worth something, but I want to address more recent figures since those are what most of us are likely buying and curious about. In my experience, as a Transformers fan of about seventeen years, I can say it can be very difficult to predict which figures are going to be very valuable and which ones will only see a 50% – 100% increase in value or less. That being said, there some things to look out for if you’re looking for figures to buy and hold onto for a few years:

• Are there going to be only a limited number of the figure produced. Limited editions are by default rarer than other figures in the line. Scarcity could be a good predictor for future increase in value.
• Exclusives. This means that the figure is only available through certain retailers (Wal-Mart, Target, Amazon, etc.). This could indicate that a figure will increase in value; however, its not a consistent indicator of this. I’ve seen it have little to no impact on a figure’s future value.
• Rarity. Scarcity is a good indicator that a figure may increase in value, and some figures, whether limited edition or not, are just harder to find than others for whatever reason. This encompasses both exclusives and limited editions.
• Homages and throwbacks. This is probably a little more unique to Transformers, but this is when a new mold might be given colors to resemble a classic version of the character or a different character altogether.
• The figure is just really cool. I know this is subjective, but there are some figures that are exceptionally cool and the price goes up solely for that reason. I’ve seen this happen numerous times with Transformers figures over the years. Transformers Animated Blurr and Transformers Cybertron Sideways are good examples of this.
• Figures are part of a team or set. With Transformers at least, there are certain figures called Combiners—these figures combine with other figures which are sold separately to form a larger robot. The fact that each figure is needed to complete the combo could cause the value of each individual figure to increase substantially if the combine form is popular enough. I know other action figure lines don’t necessarily have combiners, but I’d imagine that figures made of certain teams or groups might increase in value in a similar manner.

Keep in mind that just because a figure might meet the criteria above does not guarantee that the figure will sell for much in the future. There are Transformers figures I know of that, on paper, should see a good increase in value five years after they’re out of stores, and they don’t increase in value much at all, which leads me into the next point.

Be Familiar With The Figures In Question

If you want to make a profit on your action figures one day, its best to have familiarity with the franchise. I’d go farther than familiarity though—you should be a fan and have some degree of passion for it. Yes, the list I provided can give you a general guide for what figures might potentially increase in value, but ultimately, if you’re a fan of something, you’re going to just have a better feel for what is going to be valued, and ultimately what people are going to want badly enough one day to pay 5-10 times the retail price for.

Action Figures Are Bad Investment if You’re Not a Fan

I don’t think action figures are a good investment as a whole. Its difficult to predict which ones will be worth more than others, and the upfront cost is high. Action figures aren’t cheap, you quickly spend hundreds of dollars and then have to hold them over for years so that one day maybe you’ll sell a figure that once was priced at $20 for $35-$40 ($50-$60 if you’re lucky) after five years of holding the thing over. Mind you, this has been my experience as a Transformers collector—things might be different for Marvel, Star Wars, or DC collectors, but I wouldn’t imagine they’re much different. Again, if you’re a fan of a particular franchise, then you have an understanding of the product and the fanbase, so investing in some of the figures you think will be profitable one day might be not be a poor use of your money and might just pay off for you one day.

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