How To Grade Your Action Figures ?
ACTION FIGURE RESOURCE MAGAZINE
One of the most frustrating aspects of collecting Action Figures as a hobby is getting them accurately graded and valued . Hopefully this guide will help you evaluate and grade your collection .
Satisfactory , but there are many important factors that contribute to a figure ’ s grade and / or value , including :
• The figures condition
• Is it on its original backing card
• Is it loose ?
• Does it have its original accessories ?
• Is it free of any dents , scratches or marks etc ?
One of the most important factors in determining an action figures grade or value is the condition of the backing card . This is because most collectors are looking for MOC ( Mint On Card ) figures . A figure that is said to be MOC is therefore presumed to be in a Mint or Near Mint condition .
However , its value could decrease quite considerably if the card is damaged and in poor condition , particularly on older or rarer figures . Most modern day collectors are generally looking for MOC ( Mint On Card ), or MIB ( Mint In Box ) figures , but some older vintage action figures are still highly sought after , even loose , particularly :
• Mego figures
• Early Kenner figures
• Rare and obscure figures that have gained a cult following over the years
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Probably the most important factor in valuing your figures is the supply to demand ratio . But we will concentrate on the grading of your figures , because accurately valuing them is a completely different ball game , and we ’ ll discuss that another time .
Also , due to the complexity of trying to grade and value loose figures I will only be dealing with how to grade your carded figures here . However , as a rule of thumb a Mint 10 ( highest possible grade ) loose figure will be valued at approximately 40 % of its MOC value , IF it is a genuine Mint 10 figure .
It may seem a little strange to new collectors that the backing card is deemed so important in the grading of the figures but it is simply because if the backing card is in Mint 10 Condition then the figure inside is also assumed to be .