Mario is one of the most well known and best selling characters ever produced by Nintendo. All over the world, people know of Mario and his brother Luigi, the stout Italian plumbers who drive through Mushroom Kingdom, stopping enemies like Donkey Kong and Wario and preventing Bowser from kidnapping the Princess Peach. Mario has made appearances in platform games, sports games, racing games and role playing games. There have been comic books, television programs and children's movies designed after the man in the blue overalls. He has progressed with technology from the 2D character running up the ladder to save the princess into the 3D character racing his car driven with your Wii wheel. With the mass popularity and major impact that Mario has had on pop culture, it is no wonder that there is an extensive line of merchandise featuring his face, including a selection of action figures.

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In 2003, a line of Mario action figures was released based on the characters in the Mario Kart 64 Nintendo 64 game. Mario, his friends and rivals are all featured as five inch tall figures with accessories specific to each character. Yoshi, Luigi, Princess Peach, Bowser, Donkey Kong and Wario were all featured in the popular collection. Today, these collectibles sell for as much as two hundred dollars if they are still in mint condition.

One of the more fun Mario action figures released was the Mario Kart N64 Radio Controled figures complete with their corresponding vehicle. These collectable toys were released in 2006 and feature the characters Mario, Yoshi and Donkey Kong. They are battery operated and users report that they maneuver well and quickly over and around obstacles. Both 1/12 and 1/32 scale sizes were sold for these selections and today are available for purchase at prices ranging from $25.00 to $75.00.

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Nintendo has also released plush collectibles of the most loved characters of Mario Kart. Toad the mushroom, Mario, brother Luigi, Yoshi the dinosaur and Koopa Troopa were sold in five series produced by PopCo. These characters were designed to be five inches tall and don't have any hazardous parts for young children. Individually, the plush figurines sell for about fifteen dollars, but as a set, they can be purchased for prices in the vicinity of sixty-five dollars. The plush Mario action figures have made collecting figurines an activity that the whole family can enjoy.

There are a wide array of other Mario action figures that are available to the public. Key chains and twelve inch figures are aimed at children and are fun not only to put on display but to play with, attaching a key chain to a backpack or playing make believe with a foot tall figure. For those with goals aimed at collecting rather than play, six and four inch vinyl figurines can be purchased at major toy stores or through the Internet. In September of 2010, PopCo and Nintendo are set to release their tin Mario action figures. One of the biggest perks of collecting Mario memorabilia is that because he is not a traditional super hero, the price is much, much lower for Mario and the gang compared to Superman or Batman action figures.

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image source: Alain-Christian

Marvel Legends has incorporated many of the "chase" characters of other collections. "Chase" characters are those that are not immensely popular and therefore fewer figurines are produced. Collectors end up chasing down these models to add to their own sets, giving them the name "chase" characters.

Beginning in 2002, the Marvel Legends collection began while the rights to Marvel were still owned by the company Toy-Biz. The action figures were each six inches tall and made of brightly colored plastic. The packaging was similar to that of the Spider-Man Classics line and each figurine included a comic book. The first characters to be released were Hulk, Iron Man, the Toad, and Captain America. The next wave to be released included Dr. Doom, Doombot, the Human Torch and Thing all from Fantastic Four and Namor from the comic Savage Sub-Mariner. Thirteen more series were released under Toy-Biz.

In 2007, Hasbro purchased the rights to Marvel toys from Toy-Biz and picked up the Marvel Legends action figures line right where the previous company had left off. They continued packaging a piece of a larger figure with each toy. They did, though, make a few changes. For one, they removed the comic book that had been included with each of the collectibles during the reign of Toy-Biz. They also removed the finger joints that had been a part of the previous items, rendering the fingers themselves immobile. Since Hasbro took over, seven more series have been released in the line of Marvel Legends action figures.

In mid-2005, the Marvel Legends line was in full swing when Toy Biz incorporated the Build A Figure (or "BAF" to those in the collecting community) into the Marvel Legends. Along with each figurine, an additional piece of a larger figure was packaged in. Once a collector acquired each of the six pieces in the series, they would be able to assemble the larger character. The large character was not individualy sold and the only way to own one was to hunt down each part of the series.

Wal*Mart has purchased some exclusive rights in the selling of characters in the Marvel Legends line. Along with several other retailers, they sell each character that is released. They also release certain special models. For example, the Hulk that was released in the first series was shirtless. Wal*Mart sold not only the shirtless model, but offered a Hulk with a removable white shirt. Small differences like these can mean a huge spike in value and worth and give collectors something new to search for.

image source: Tim.Deering

The Terminator was a science fiction movie that was released in 1984 and directed by James Cameron. The movies begin in a futuristic setting where terminator cyborgs are battling to take over the human race. Arnold Schwarzenegger starred as a cyborg with the sole mission of destroying humanity. He travels back in time to kill the mother of the John, the future head of the resistance before John can be born. The 1991 sequel has Sarah Connor, the mother of the future resistance leader trying to put a stop to the company that will one day create the humanity destroying cyborgs. Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines features more time travel and angry robots. The final installment in the Terminator series was released in mid-2009, in Terminator 4: Salvation the surviving humans continue fighting back after a nuclear holocaust. This intense series cemented science fiction's spot in mainstream media and featured stunning special effects for their time. Classic lines like "I'll be back" have become a part of vocabulary, even for those too young to understand the reference. The awe-inspiring costume and makeup of the movies spawned a line of Terminator action figures that are sought after still today.

Arnold Schwarzeneger was the star of the movies as the T-600, T-700, T-800 and T-850 cyborgs. Although action figures featuring John and Sarah Connor and other characters from the movie are available, the most popular and sought after action figures are different variations of the Arnold Schwarzenegger robot. Dozens of cyborg action figures have been manufactured, each one highlighting a particular movie in the series or even a certain scene. Most of these figures with the designated gun that the cyborg used in a certain movie. For example, the T-800 Arnold Schwarzenegger Terminator action figure comes with the shotgun that Schwarzenegger used in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Most of the figurines come with adjustable arms and legs so that they can be posed however their owner sees fit, if they remove it from the packaging, that is. More guns, weapons and vehicles are some of the many other accessories that are included or sold separately to complete the Terminator action figure collection.

Action figures from the two most recent Terminator movies, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator 4: Salvation, are much more common and lower in price. These toys or collectibles can be found at most local toy stores or comic book stores. K-Mart is a licensed distributor of all action figures from the Terminator series. Generally, the prices at K-Mart run around twenty-five dollars for the most expensive action figures from the two newest movies. Terminator action figures from the original two movies, Terminator and Terminator 2: Rise of the Machines can be much harder to find and costs can run up into the hundreds of dollars. If the items you are searching for are not available in retail stores, you can find most any figure online. You might have to do some searching (we'll try to help narrow that down a bit) but if you're patient you'll be able to complete your collection at a reasonable price.

image source: shaun wong

300 is a pivotal movie that created interest in history where there was none, with themes of war reenacted through historical aspects – with a sense of adventure and a handful of A-list celebrities. The movie rose to popularity with hundreds of thousands of people becoming overnight fans of the movie and action figure collectors raring to add the popular figures to the collections that were being established.

Through the plight of the Spartans, the small details in the action figures can be likened to the characters that we have come to associate with the movie, 300.

The action figures are loosely based on a combination of the movie, but also based on a graphic novel that had been created by Frank Miller. These action figures depict some of the most popular characters within the historical tales, as well as the movie and are available with the small details that cannot be found through other brands. This sets the 300 action figures apart from the other similar movie figures that are available to choose from.

There are multiple action figures that can be chosen from when it comes to adding to the popular collections. Some of the action figures that are available include Leonidas and Queen Gorgo, but there are various scales that are available (as high as 1/6 the actual size). Action figure sets are also available from the movie and include four characters that can be added to the collection.

The higher the scale and the larger the action figures – as well as the rarer the action figure, the higher the price. Some of the action figures can range as much as several hundred dollars in price, depending on these factors and shopping around using collector’s stores, private sales and even collection marketplaces can be an effective way to ensure that you find the best available price for the action figures within the collection.

There are many avenues that are available for potential collectors of the 300 action figures. Although collectible stores often have options that are available, local stores may have a low supply or options that are available through the collections. For this reason, people are likely to choose action figures that are available through the internet, not only because there is a larger selection that is available – but also because the prices are comparative when it comes to shopping through the collection.

Once the collection has been established it is important to ensure that proper care is taken of the collection to ensure that the 300 action figures are going to retain their value. To ensure that the collection is going to retain the value the action figures should remain in their original packaging and stored in an area where they are not going to be damaged by moisture. As well as avoiding moisture, it is important to ensure that the action figures are kept from direct sunlight or stored within a UV case to reduce the discoloration that may occur through excessive exposure to sunlight.

image source: maurdyn

Batman action figures have been around for decades, since the introduction of the original cartoons, television shows and movies. Through the many types of action figures, modern or collectibles and even antique action figures, fans can have many choices when it comes to collecting the popular action figures.

There are many places that you can buy action figures that have been created as the batman characters. Some of the places that you can buy the figures are through online marketplaces and other places that you can purchase the action figures include through collectible stores, comic stores and even through private sellers that have maintained their personal collections. Through these many places the figures will vary in price between the least expensive (Those that are currently available and based on modern and recent batman depictions, such as the The Dark Knight) and the most expensive batman action figure choices that are considered collectible and rare that are decades old.

While choosing which action figures and characters to collect there are a variety of choices. One can choose to collect the various depictions of one certain character, or one may choose to collect entire collections that are released, making use of these groupings of certain characters. Some collectors choose to focus on the new and modern batman action figures that are available while others choose vintage and antique action figures that can be purchased through auction sites and antique shows. Depending on your interest, this can determine which types of action figures that are going to display through the collection.

There are certain things that should be remembered while caring for the batman collection and while shopping for action figures. Collections, especially action figures, maintain the most value when they are in pristine condition and maintaining the action figures in pristine condition means that they should remain in the packages, unopened and untouched to ensure that you are able to make the most of the collection. Maintaining the collectable figure is just as important as maintaining the package and therefore it is important to reduce sun exposure to reduce the fading that may occur in the figure, as well as the packaging and to store the action figures in a dry and cool place. Taking these methods to safeguard the collection can ensure that the collection reaches its maximum potential when it comes to value.

Ensuring that you safeguard the collection to help maintain the value of the collection can be an effective way to ensure that you are able to make use of a collection that is going to surely increase in value over time. Maintaining the collection and making choices of action figures that are going to increase in value over time, from popular brands, can be an effective way to ensure that you are able maximizes profits once the collection matures or is sold.

Whether you choose to keep the collection, or create a profit once the value has risen of various pieces, it is important to maintain the batman action figures in their best condition to ensure the collection maintains its maximum potential.

image source: mikecs83

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Doctor Who was a British science fiction television program produced by the BBC which originally ran from 1963 to 1989, depicting the adventures of a mysterious humanoid alien known as “the doctor.” Doctor Who travels through time and space in his TARDIS, which is actually an acronym for “Time and Relative Dimensions in Space.” The fictional character became an important part of British pop culture and exploded into what would be a record-breaking influence.

The television program is listed in the Guinness World Records as “the longest-running science fiction television show in the world,” and as the most successful science fiction series of all time (this is based upon its overall broadcast ratings, DVD and book sales, and iTunes traffic).

Doctor Who was re-launched in 2005 and was produced by BBC, though series two of the three received some development money from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

Comic strip adventures of the infamous Doctor Who were developed around the same time as the television series. In the 1960s, the comic’s first appearance was in the publication TV Comic, during the 1970s in the related comic Countdown later renamed TV Action, and after TV Action ceased publication, the strip returned to TV Comic until 1978.

Action figures of Doctor Who can be found in hundreds of online stores. Many of the figures are based upon specific episodes or comic strips, such as “Doctor Who, the Green Death Third Doctor” action figure. But keep in mind that the collectibles are not just of the doctor himself, but so many other aspects of the television show and comic series. In addition to characters such as the doctor himself, his alleged grandchildren, and other people with whom he traveled and had his adventures such as Cyberman. Another popular collectible figure is the oh-so-famous TARDIS in which Doctor Who travels, and from the exterior, oddly enough appears to be a blue police phone box. Still other collectible figures associated with the doctor include the “End of Time Journal of Impossible Things,” and Doctor Who’s “Fob Watch.”

Search the online world of stores and sellers for the widest collection of Doctor Who action figures available. If you have a favorite episode that you recall watching as a child, you may just be able to find an action figure based on that very episode! Either way, you’re guaranteed to find unique figures of the doctor and his memorabilia. Prices vary depending on the age, condition, and availability of the action figure.