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The Ever-Growing World of Toy Collecting: Trends, Design, and Must-Have Collectibles

Credit: Adventures in Collecting

Whether you’re a seasoned collector or just starting your journey, the world of toys and action figures is more exciting than ever. With cutting-edge toy design, innovative collectibles, and ever-changing toy trends, there’s always something new to discover.

The Rise of Nostalgia in Toy Collecting 

One of the biggest driving forces in modern toy collecting is nostalgia. Companies like Hasbro, Mattel, and NECA are capitalizing on fan-favorite franchises from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and early 2000s. Action figures inspired by classic cartoons, video games, and movies continue to dominate the market, offering both vintage-style designs and modern upgrades with enhanced articulation and detailing.

The Role of Toy Design in Today’s Market 

Credit: Adventures in Collecting

Toy design has never been more sophisticated. Advances in 3D printing, digital sculpting, and articulation engineering have allowed designers to create highly detailed and posable figures. Collectibles from brands like McFarlane Toys and Mezco showcase intricate craftsmanship that brings characters to life like never before. Additionally, companies are embracing sustainability, using eco-friendly materials in production to meet growing consumer demand for greener products.

Toy Trends to Watch 

The toy industry is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of the trends can help collectors find the next big thing before it skyrockets in value and slips through your fingers. Here are some of the latest toy trends shaping the market:

  1. Retro Remakes – Brands are re-releasing classic toy lines with updated molds and packaging to appeal to both new and longtime fans.
  2. Premium Collectibles – High-end action figures with premium soft goods, LED features, and alternate heads/hands are becoming more common.
  3. Blind Box and Mystery Figures – The excitement of the unknown keeps collectors coming back for more, making blind-boxed figures a hit.
  4. Crowdfunded Collectibles – More toy companies are using crowdfunding platforms like Kickstarter to produce highly detailed, niche collectibles that might not get traditional retail releases. Check out our recent interview with successful crowd fund, The Cursed Dead.
  5. Crossover Collaborations – From Transformers x G.I. Joe to MonsterVerse x DC Multiverse, brand collaborations are fantasy-booking collector interest.

The Future of Collecting 

With technology playing a bigger role in toy design, we’re seeing more interactive figures, augmented reality integration, and digital collectibles entering the space. While traditional physical toys will always have a place, and in our humble opinion are irreplaceable, the blending of digital and tangible collectibles is a trend worth watching in the years to come.

Final Thoughts 

Credit: Adventures in Collecting

Toy collecting is more than a hobby—it’s a passion that connects people of all ages. Whether you’re into action figures, limited edition collectibles, or vintage finds, there’s never been a better time to dive into the world of toys. Stay tuned to Adventures in Collecting for more insights, interviews, and the latest in the toy industry!

What’s your favorite current toy trend? Let us know in the comments!

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July 2020 – Top 5 SDCC Toy Moments

by Erik Weinbrecht

San Diego Comic Con’s virtual adventure has come to an end – and even though the venue was certainly something different this year – the events still brought to the toy world MANY an announcement. While a lot of collectors were caught up in the whirlwind that was scalpers swooping in and/or broken and beaten down websites, there were a TON of wow moments from brands, big and small. In no particular order, here are 5 announcements that blew us away during this year’s Comic Con at home. 

Hasbro

It’s no surprise with the plethora of IPs that the folks at Hasbro manage that they had quite the showiing. All of their exclusives were revealed, but won’t be available until September through Hasbro Pulse, and whether it was the Star Wars, GI Joe, Marvel Legends, Transformers, or Power Rangers announcements, they covered a lot of ground.

Mattel

I hope you like wrestling – and if you do – I hope you’ve been saving up! WWE basics, elites, and ultimates were all shown off in various stages of development. Notable highlights were all things Bray Wyatt (including the Ringside Collectibles exclusive set), the incredibly detailed ultimate Rock, Hollywood Hulk Hogan, and Fiend, as well as a ton of new faces like Rhea Ripley coming to the line for the first time. 

McFarlane Toys

Since McFarlane Toys snatched up that DC Multiverse license, they’ve been getting a lot of feedback from collectors – many saying that the scale and deco is a little “off,” and that their Batman-centric lens has been frustrating; the latter of the two sets of critics will not be pleased with what Todd and Co. had to show off, but it’s hard to argue their new offerings aren’t a MARKED improvement over their early waves. Rounding out the Dark Knights Metal crew, introducing the Flash and characters like Red Hood, many thought the brand, “stole the show.” Also announced were new additions to the My Hero Academia line, as well as DOOM, and a new RAW10 line of monsters. 

NECA

Turtles, turtles, turtles, and tension. While NECA revealed more of their Alien, Predator, and final shots of their upcoming Back to the Future figures, it was obvious that the focus was on the TMNT. With their movie realism two-pack of Casey Jones and Raphael unable to stay stocked at Walmart (at the time of writing this) and their con-exclusive Mutagen Tour 4-pack depicting the TMNT in their 90′s concert glory selling out in mere seconds, NECA’s announcements were both parts exciting, and maddeningly frustrating. That being said, they responded quickly to the backlash by announcing the upcoming Tokka and Rahzar two-pack will be subject to pre-order window – something brands like Super 7 have had a lot of success with.

The Major Wrestling Figure Podcast

Not to be left out of the fun, the pro-wrestlers and action figure aficionados Matt Cardona and Brian Myers of the Major Wrestling Figure Podcast had their own slew of announcements during SDCC – firstly they announced that they, as podcast personalities, will be getting Super 7 Ultimate figures – insanely awesome ones at that – and those will scale with Super 7′s other Ultimates like what they’re making for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Secondly, they announced 4 sets of Ringside Exclusive REMCO-style vintage figures in their likeness, along with a ref, and Smart Mark Sterling himself.

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