A major problem that almost all action figure collectors must face is how to display your collection even though it has outgrown the amount of space they have to devote to it. This can stem from simply living in a small apartment, or trying to limit the area in which your figures cover in order to keep the rest of the house from looking like a toy museum, or probably even more common, keeping your display to a level that won't annoy your significant other.
Let's say, for the sake of argument, that the space you have allotted to display your figures is rather small, say, a single shelf in a bookcase. It's easy to see how quickly that space could fill up with figures and it's only a matter of time before you'll need to either take some down to display newer additions to your collection, or your newer figures will never get a chance to be properly enjoyed.
We're going to take a look at a couple of ways in which you can enjoy all of your figures in a limited space, without suffering from the dreaded "toy sprawl" or the even more dreaded "I forgot I even bought that syndrome".
Rotation
One great way to get a chance to enjoy all of your figures in your collection is to develop and implement a rotation schedule for your figures. This simply means that one a month, or perhaps once every couple of weeks, you switch out figures that have been on the shelf for a while with some figures that haven't gotten much shelf-time.
Out with the Old, In with the New
One obvious way to get a rotation rolling is to simply take down and properly store the oldest figure on the shelf whenever a new figure is added to the collection. This can work with several figures, of course. Three old figures come down when three new figures go up.
This easy system will keep your collection looking fresh and is a great way to ensure that all of your figures get some great shelf-time.
Display Themes
Another great way to display your collection in a limited space is to think of the various themes that you may have within your collections and display them that way. While this doesn't necessarily allow shelf-time for every figure in your collection, it does show a pleasing method behind your collection which can make for an awesome display. Here are some ideas for the types of themes one could use in their displays:
- Movie & TV Figures: A display of nothing but Star Wars or Smallville figures can show a focused devotion to a particular movie or TV show. This type of display can say a lot about you, the collector, besides what it says about what you collect.
- Particular Brands: A display of nothing but, say, McFarlane or NECA action figures shows that you have a liking for that companies style of figures, perhaps due to their detailed sculpts or intricate paint applications.
- Vintage Figures: Many collectors only collect, or at least only display, figures that they had from their childhood, and a display of strictly vintage figures (usually 20 years or older) will show an appreciation for the history and evolution of action figures while giving an almost museum feel to the collection, which can be incredibly satisfying.
- Specific Characters: Another great way to display your collection is to stick to one character. For example, you may be a Superman fan or just really love the Boba Fett character from Star Wars. A collection of nothing but Superman or Boba Fett will show an elevated level of devotion on the part of any collector. Also, this can be a fun way to collect for people who enjoy the hunt of finding all the various figures of one single character.
- Random/Crossover Themes: One last idea for displaying a theme is to simply make one up yourself! Perhaps you've noticed that you seem to buy a lot of action figures with wings, or many of them seem to be robots. You have your new theme right there! You could get as strange as you'd like; figures with skull heads, figures of centaurs, figures with beards. Truly, the choices are limitless and the only real rule you need to stick to is that you have fun.
Enjoying a Small, but Well-Maintained Display
Whatever type of small display you decide to put up on your shelf, remember that it all boils down to your enjoyment of your collection, so there are no hard and fast rules. Also, part of enjoying a collection is taking good care of it, so remember to keep the display out of direct sunlight and as free of dust as possible. All of those Boba Fetts will appreciate it!