A Gift-Buying Guide for Your Nerd | By: Dakota Phillips

When you’re trying to buy a gift for the collector in your life, it can feel impossible. They’ve got boxes arriving what feels like every day, shelves filled with plastic heroes, and preorders stretching into next year. What more could they possibly need? How do you know they’ll like what you get them? How do you know they don’t already own it?

Don’t worry — here are a few ideas to help you pick out the perfect gift for any collector.

First, make sure you’re looking at in-stock items. Collectors talk about figures they’re excited for all the time, but that doesn’t mean those figures actually exist yet. True story: my wife once spent a week searching online and in stores for a figure I couldn’t stop talking about… only to discover it wasn’t releasing until the next year. Save yourself the trouble and choose something that can ship right away.

Now that we’re safely looking at in-stock figures, let’s talk about reliable choices that work for almost any collection.

If you’re not sure what your collector is into, stick to the classics. The A-list icons never miss. You can’t go wrong with a Spider-Man, Iron Man, Optimus Prime, Darth Vader, or Batman. Even if they already have one, collectors love different versions — trust me.

But if you want to go a little outside their normal collecting habits and surprise them with something unique, there are some amazing independent toy lines worth exploring.

One standout option is the Cosmic Legions Amazing Alien & Creature Creator 2-Pack. If you want to blow their mind with how much comes in one box, this is the one. Two bodies, tons of extra parts, endless customization — and perfect for anyone with a sci-fi, Star Wars-adjacent vibe.

Another great pick is Animal Warriors of the Kingdom. These anthropomorphic characters are incredibly fun, look great next to other lines, and have their own comic series if your collector likes diving deeper into the lore. Personally, I recommend Kah Lee and Atreiu.

And if you want to play it really safe, go with army builders. This doesn’t necessarily mean military soldiers (though it can). It just means figures collectors can own multiples of and still integrate perfectly into their display. For Star Wars collectors, you can never have too many Clone Troopers or Battle Droids. For G.I. Joe fans — especially those who mix and match with other brands — you can’t go wrong with the Classified Series Retro Cardback Trooper or Grim Viper.

Hopefully this gives you a good starting point for picking out a gift for your favorite nerd. And if all else fails, remember: collectors love surprises even more than they love figures — because it means someone thought about what makes them happy.