They adorn tabletops, display cases and office cubicles, propped up against walls or striking intimidating poses. Thanks to the widespread popularity of video games, film, anime and other media across the world, and the Internet spinning off its own pop culture, the collectible action figure market has taken off. As a result, a lot of young professionals now actively seek out and purchase figurines, statues and other memorabilia related to media they identify with.
For Anand Pillai, who handles technical sales at Akamai, the fascination began with G.I. Joe action figures.
“I’ve always been into collecting, whether it is stamps or currency, and I did the same with G.I. Joe and Hot Wheels. After getting more into pop culture, I moved on from toys to collectible figurines. With more stores selling such merchandise opening up in Bengaluru recently, it has become more accessible as well.”
Many high-end action figures originate from Japan, with Kaiyodo being one of the mainstays in manufacturing collectibles based on Japanese pop-culture.
Their Revoltech series, which uses special revolver joints that allow the figure to achieve a wide range of movement, is among fan favourites, with designs by sculptors Katsuhisa Yamaguchi and Yuki Watanabe being perennially in demand
Rahul K.D. a self-employed professional who started off by buying figures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles based on the 1989 video game and TV series that followed, explains that collectible figures are broadly divided into articulating figures like Revoltech, chibi dolls that possess oversized heads akin to bobbleheads, smaller figurines with swappable parts called Nendoroids and larger, lifelike statues and busts.
“At first, I used to think twice before buying collectibles, because they tend to be expensive, but once I started earning for myself, I have gotten into collecting anime and pop culture figurines. Depending on the upkeep, the value of these figures, especially limited edition ones that have ceased production, can go up.”
Despite the appreciating value, Anand and Rahul prefer to unbox their collectibles, removing their 'mint condition' tag. “I like to have them on display at home and at office, where they also serve as conversation starters,” says Anand, “I've noticed almost everyone has a figurine of some sort in their cubicle, even if they are not serious collectors.”
Merchandise for a lot of popular content from the west, such as comic book-based memorabilia from Marvel and DC comics, also originates in Hong Kong, while Hasbro is one of the major American players, according to Rishi Walia, CEO of The Vault (Gundam Galaxy), a collectible store on Cambridge Road. “Collectors in the country have been actively purchasing for at least ten years, and when we started in 2012, we realised that focusing only on anime-related merchandise would not work. So we tied up with companies like Square Enix, Kotobukiya, Hot Toys, Sideshow and more, who also make a lot of merchandise related to games and comic books, between them.” In terms of value, the sky is pretty much the limit when it comes to collectibles, with something available for every budget. “For example, DC and Transformers statues by Prime 1 Studio can range from R.s 1.2 to about Rs.2.4 lakh,” Rishi adds.
All said and done, for the collector, the reason for having a shelf full of their favourite characters goes beyond having a pretty display piece. For them, their collections represent a preserved fragment of childhood in increasingly busy adult lives. As Anand summarises, “I open up the boxes of all my figures; there is a certain amount of joy in handling them and coming home to see them displayed.”
Budget breakdown
The cost of collectible figures varies depending on the accuracy with which the characters are depicted, quality of components used, and sometimes age.
Average Hasbro comic book / Transformer action figure - Rs.800 and upwards
Average Revoltech moveable action figure - Rs. 4,000 - Rs.7,000
Average 1/6th scale action figure - Rs.20,000 - Rs.35,,000
Average 1/4 scale statue - Rs. 35,000 - Rs. 65,000
Mood for mystery?
Mystery gift box subscription services are another fad rapidly gaining popularity among geeks and collectors. Subscription services like Lootcrate and Zbox allow subscribers to sign up for a monthly gift box filled with pop-culture related merchandise, typically exceeding the value of the monthly subscription. While Lootcrate's international shipping list does not include India, Zbox does ship to the country. For Indian buyers, a home-grown option called Geekcrate is now available and slowly gaining popularity.
Average subscription price: 19.49 pounds (ZBox), 13.25 dollars (Lootcrate), Rs.1,549 (Geekcrate) per month for a three month plan.
