Are Action Figures Worth the Grade?

Like many collectibles, action figures are often graded on their condition. A higher grade means that a particular figure is in really nice condition, even attaining near mint or mint status. A grading scale has been in use for several years, but professional grading has drastically changed how people think about grading action figures. Here are the essentials as far as grading your own figures or having a professional do it for you.

The Basic Condition Scale

Long before professional grading services came along, action figures were graded on the Condition Scale, or C scale for short. The ratings ranged from 1 to 10, with 1 being in poor, almost worthless, condition and 10 being absolutely perfect condition. For example, a figure being sold as a “C-9” is considered a near mint figure. If it’s a loose figure, it might have been played with once or twice, but the paint is intact, all pieces are there, and nothing is broken. If it’s a packaged figure, it might have some stress marks from being on a toy shelf for a certain period of time, but otherwise, there are no bends, creases, tears, dents, or other damaging marks on the package.

Though a figure in poor condition usually adds provenance to the fact that it was owned by a child and played with, collectors are very interested in condition, and it definitely affects the price of a figure. Most dealers only buy and sell toys that are at least a C-8 or above, unless it is a vintage item or a particularly hard to find item. If you are buying a new toy from a dealer and not a toy store, it should be at least C-9 because it hasn’t had enough time to be seriously damaged. Of course, if you plan on opening your figures, the condition of the package usually doesn’t matter.

Flaws in the Condition Scale

When dealing with reputable collectible dealers, the grading system is usually fine. It also really didn’t matter to most collectors because if you were able to look at an item in person, you could identify flaws in its condition. The problem as of late has become dealing with sellers through mail and on the internet.

Though internet auctions do allow a seller to post multiple pictures of an item and describe its condition as accurately as possible, a buyer can be deceived. For example, a toy may appear fine in a picture on the internet, but when it arrives at your home, you might find it has been carefully glued back together. For vintage carded figures, many have been resealed by collectors, a practice that is fine for display, but resealed figures are worth very little more than a loose figure to a true collector. It was because of these problems that a professional grading service was created.

Professional Grading of Action Figures

Action figures were not the first items to be professionally graded. Baseball cards and comic books have been graded for several years. Professional grading services are meant to be the final say in a figures condition. And they do mean final. These services create hard acrylic cases that are completely sealed. They allow the item to be displayed but it is never meant to be touched by human hands ever again, thus preserving it in its graded condition forever.

The professional grading service for action figures is called the Action Figure Authority. They grade every kind of action figure, but they do have certain rules. If a figure has ever been tampered with, meaning that the package has been resealed or some aspect of the figure has been damaged and replaced over the years, AFA will not grade the item. Prices also vary depending on the value of the figure. Figures that are worth more money are more expensive to grade.

The Difference of Professional Grading

For vintage figures, the prices for AFA graded figures versus non-AFA graded figures differ drastically. Many action figures from the 1970’s and 1980’s have set new records. If you are planning on selling a figure or keeping it as a worthy investment, it is definitely worth the cost of grading. However, if your figure has any flaws, no matter how minor, be prepared to be disappointed. Figures that score an AFA grade of 85 or above tend to sell very well. Figures that score lower tend not to sell nearly as well, since people can usually find ungraded figures in similar or better condition for cheaper prices.

The demand for modern AFA graded figures isn’t quite as high right now. Most collectors take very good care of their action figures. Individual plastic cases are available to fit many figures, and several collectors make it a habit of putting a figure in one of these cases for protection the moment they have it home. Because the minimal cost of grading a figure is relatively high, most people don’t see the practicality in using the professional grading service for a figure that retails for five dollars. However, those that do use this service for modern figures are doing so for investment, and if a figure is especially valuable in fifteen or twenty years, collectors will want it in the best condition possible.

Is Professional Grading Necessary?

If you plan on selling a very valuable figure and you want to get the most money for it, professional grading is definitely the way to go. Think of it like expensive auctions from galleries. Those items have been professionally appraised and have caught the attention of the most elite bidders. For action figures, you are having the item authenticated and its condition verified, and with the world wide web being as active as it is, many people can sell their figures for record prices without doing any other work.

However, when investing in action figures, it’s important to understand that professionally graded action figures are relatively new, and so there are many action figures in fantastic condition that have yet to be graded. Examine condition extremely carefully when purchasing one of these figures, but know that it is possible to find an extremely good example of a rare action figure that isn’t in an AFA graded case. Many collectors have taken painstaking efforts towards taking care of their toys for a long time.