Action Figures

Today action figures come modeled after every type of creature from animals to super heroes to fairies but these figurines have come along way since their creation. The modern day action figure was first created in the mid 1960's with the introduction of the 12-inch GI Joe action figure. Hasbro execs thought that boys wouldn't be interested in playing with a doll so they created the term action figure to make the toy more male friendly.

Comic books fueled the next wave of action figures in the early 1970's. Though comic books had been around for years, in the 1950's and 1960's they gained wide popularity in the United States with favorites like Spiderman, The Flash, and The Fantastic Four. In the early 1970's toy companies followed the superhero trend by creating action figures modeled after famous characters from the comics.

Star Wars action figures followed comic book characters. They were immediately popular but these action figures looked a little different from their predecessors. The oil supply crisis decreased the supply of plastic and Star Wars action figures and many that followed were made much smaller than the original 12-inch figures. They were just smaller than four inches. Despite the smaller stature, Star Wars action figures were an extreme success.

Action figures in the 1980s were modeled after people from popular television shows of the time. The action figure industry was taking off. Another introduction in the 1980s were transforming action figures. These were so popular that they were followed by a television series, The Transformers.

The action figure industry hit its peak in the 1990s which has been deemed the Golden Age. Interest in television shows, comic book characters, and Star Wars movies all spurred on the action figure industry making characters from these different media mediums very popular. In the 1990's, people that had played with action figures as a child were now buying them as collectors in their adulthood. Instead of just being toys, action figures became a common collectible item.

Star Wars once again boosted the action figure market in the 1990s. After seeing the movie, people would seek out the figures they'd seen on the big screen. Collectors and children bought new figures of the famous personalities.

The internet was another key change in the figurine market. It brought together collectors and vendors of action figures from around the world. Geographical proximity no longer limited the purchase of action figures and collectors had access to a much wider range of figures. After the Golden Age, the action figure market declined. Manufacturers of action figures were leaving the market and niche stores that had carried favorite figures were closing down.

A new set of action figure personalities debuted in the 2000s. Action figures were not just made of superheroes or fictional characters. There was a new focus on movie stars and characters, animals, fairies, mythical creatures, political personalities, and athletes. Anyone could have an action figure, even if they didn't have a super power.