I was tidying up the Anthill when I found her.
A shelf-dive had left her in pieces, in need of a repair I could never bring myself to perform. Her shattered pelvis rattled around in the bowl, a sad plastic coda signaling the end of the “Scarlet Mitch” era. Now, VeeBee already talked about his feelings on the Wandas here, but I had to weigh in to address the larger issue — that is, upgrading our long-standing Marvel Legends collections.
Hasbro’s recent enthusiasm for Marvel Legends means new figures, but not all of them will be new characters. For every Misty Knight or Grim Reaper that appears, Hasbro will go “back to the well” for already-produced characters like Wolverine, Spider-Man and the Hulk. Sometimes it will be for the latest movie look, other times a fresh take on a classic costume. And while some long-time collectors might grouse at getting another Captain America, updates keep the line strong and provide new fans the chance to own popular characters in their most recognizable looks.
That’s all well and good, but what do we do with the old figures? They’ve provided years of service, stood beside us since the beginning, but look awkward and dated next to today’s offerings. Where do toys go when we don’t want them any more? (Cue sad “Walking Away” music from the Hulk TV show.)
Sometimes they don’t go far. In the case of a character like Iron Man, you can simply shift the older versions of ol’ Shell-Head to the back of the display, building up an armory of “empty” suits. Variations in the figure’s size, paint and articulation can be justified by the idea these are less or more-advanced versions of the armor. Having a dozen extra suits lying around is really a Stark trait, so it makes sense as part of the visual continuity of your collection. Have a dozen Thor figures standing together — well, that can look weird. The problem is, characters like Thor have been around for so long they have multiple iconic looks. You may be all about the Thunder God’s modern costume, but still have a soft spot for the old-school Kirby design. Now it’s time to go era-specific.
My Avengers display represents the “classic” team for many reasons. Not only is that my preferred version of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but key figures like Giant-Man and Hercules have only been produced in those costumes. That means when a modern version of Thor appears in my collection, my series three figure still has a place to hang his hammer. Even Wal-Mart exclusive Thor can find sanctuary with his fellows on the First Appearances shelf. Where else would you display that yellow Daredevil or Hasbro Namor? What? You keep them in a box? Well, sure, that’s an option.
When your shelves have reached maximum capacity it only makes sense to store your extras. I may not want that Toy Biz Black Widow skulking about in my display, but I’m not necessarily ready to get rid of her, either. While I’m far from being a completionist, I can be sentimental when it comes to those old figures. There’s history there, a consistency that’s inherent to my collection. The new Wasp may prove to be be an upgrade in every way, but I don’t see myself parting with my red-and-blue Toy Biz variant any time soon. Into the box she’ll go — that is, if there’s still room.
As we replace long-standing figures in our collection, our storage needs will increase. Before you know it you may have a closet full of figures you don’t display. At one point the Anthill had more figures in storage than on the shelves. Now, as a collector, I was thrilled to have 15 nearly-identical Spider-Man figures. The minor differences were what made them interesting to me, and I liked having options when the time came to change up a display. Now add in variants of other evergreens like Daredevil, Punisher, and the Thing and suddenly I’m hanging my shirts from the curtain-rods because the closet is full. Time to purge.
There are many options for selling off your old figures. Online auction sites are very popular, as are web-based trading forums. Comic and video game shops often deal in loose action figures, and are prepared to offer you cash or trade for your extras. While you might not be able to get anywhere near what you paid for that Xorn figure, it could still generate some store credit towards something you want — most likely, more action figures. People are always building (or re-building) collections, so a box full of your cast-offs might be just what someone is looking for. Loose action figures are also popular with the customization community, with certain heads, capes and other accessories being in high demand.
If you can’t stand the idea of your old figures being chopped up like the victims in Saw, you can always pass them on. Surprise a niece or nephew with a mismatched set of X-Men or Fantastic Four figures. You might be totally over Michael Chiklis as the Thing but your sister’s kid might still dig it. If you don’t have any young people in your life, donate your extras to your your local thrift store or community outreach program. In today’s economy, many parents can’t afford to buy non-essential items like toys, but that doesn’t mean little Johnny or Sally wouldn’t want a Rocket Raccoon or Groot of their very own. Adults often lament the fact that children don’t “play” many more, but what are those adults doing to make it possible? I’d rather see the kid waiting in the doctor’s office playing with Cyclops than his mother’s cell phone.
If you can’t bring yourself to part with your plastic under any circumstances, more drastic display options may be in order. Remember my 15 Spider-Men? I hung them all from the ceiling, each one in a different web-slinging pose. Same with my legion of Iron Men. Once they began spilling off the out of the display I simply hung ’em up. Was it weird? Well, no weirder than the 15 shelves of action figures already on display. It’s no secret — I like my toys, and my philosophy has always been the more, the merrier. If Howard the Duck ends up in the medicine cabinet or a squad of HYDRA soldiers set up base camp on the second-story landing I’ll just learn to deal with it.
I look at my broken Scarlet Witch and think about her eventual replacement. It appears to be a nice-looking figure: even though she’s not in her “classic” costume I plan on adding her to my classic Avengers shelf. But I’m not just buying this Wanda as a place-holder or for the BaF piece — she truly is an improvement over the older version and I’m excited to add her to my collection. I’ll take these Hasbro “upgrades” on an individual basis, comparing them closely to versions already in my collection. New isn’t always going to automatically be better — but I’ll make room just in case.
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