Action Figure Resource Magazine May + June 2016 | Page 4

t5
pa
r

THE

SURVIVORS

GUIDE TO COLLECTING

BUYING TIPS
Last time I talked about where to go to buy your that you have to buy the figures from them, generaction figures and places to look for them as well ally at double or even treble the price!
as how to choose the best stores etc. Well today I’m
going to continue on the same theme but this time
I’m going to give you some insider tips on how to
save money when buying your figures which I’ve
accumulated over more than 15 years of experience
in the business and 30 years as a collector!

I can help!

ACTION FIGURE RESOURCE MAGAZINE

But first, let me ask you how many times have you
gone to your local Wal-mart, Toys R Us or Target
store to buy the latest Marvel, DC, or Star Wars
action figures only find empty shelves when you
get there, no matter how early you arrive?

The trouble is that due to the hobby’s increased Well, here are a few tips to help you keep one step
popular and the exponential growth of the secondary ahead of the scalper and help you to find the figmarket there are now many “scalpers” about.
ures you are looking for and how to make sure you
Scalpers often buy up ALL, or most of the toys, from get “first pickings” of any new releases.
a popular line, rare figures, or figures of a popular 1. Get to know your local store, how it stocks items
character, in order to resell them for a quick buck,
and how it rotates them. When it gets its new
but they are NOT collectors.
deliveries and when these are shelved, as not
all new deliveries get shelved immediately as
sometimes stores will wait until the old stock is
Who are the scalpers?
sold first!
Scalpers are often the employees of stores such as
Wal-Mart, Toys-R-Us, The Entertainer etc and are 2. Some stores stock mid-afternoon, some overnight others in the morning. So if you know your
not serious collectors; they are only interested in
stores delivery days and when they re-stock
making a quick buck off of the traditional collector.
their shelves you can pretty much guess when
Also because it generally means buying large
new releases will be “shelved”.
quantities of the figures at once, you can mostly
3. Sometimes new stock lies out the back in the
rule out kids.
store room until the current stock has been sold
These greedy people don’t care if kids or the collecso if you don’t see it ask.
tors can’t get the toys; in fact they WANT to ensure
that you can’t, and that you are disappointed; so 4. Get to know the staff, be friendly and talk to
4