Display Smarter: 3 Tips for Showcasing Action Figures with Style | By: Jordan Fash
Displaying action figures can be tough. Oftentimes it might feel overwhelming or daunting just getting started. Perhaps you’ve had too many heavy figures tumble over and take the shelf with them. Then there’s the issue of shelf space which we can never get enough of. Even for the seasoned displayer, it can be nice to get some inspiration from the ways others do things. Here’s a few easy ideas that can help your displays and make even limited space look great.
-Tip 1: store the figures you aren’t displaying
You’ve seen it before: an entire shelf crammed full of action figures in single file lines. Their arms are at their side in the “sandwich man” pose and everyone is totally nuts to buts. If you prefer displaying this way, go ahead and do you. However, we’ve found that this isn’t the most flattering look for your figures. You paid good money for those things and you deserve to have them shine!
If you feel like you have to fit every figure you own into a single display, there’s a good chance it will get a bit overcrowded. This makes it hard for your figures to stand out as they all end up blending together. With this approach you can rotate figures out by swapping those on display with those in storage to get more variety and remain within those pesky display space limitations that we all have.
-Tip 2: add some height
Even with limited space, figures can still be arranged in a way that’s dynamic with depth. One approach is to introduce some variety by getting a few figures off the ground. For your fliers, this can be easily achieved with flight stands. Some flight stands come with figures (I’ve gotten a lot of use out of some that have come with my figures) but they can be bought in a variety of places. You can even make your own with a bit of 12 gauge wire. Any character can be elevated with plastic risers or whatever else you’d like to use (a few graphic novels stacked up can look cool for this too!)
-Tip 1: store the figures you aren’t displaying
You’ve seen it before: an entire shelf crammed full of action figures in single file lines. Their arms are at their side in the “sandwich man” pose and everyone is totally nuts to buts. If you prefer displaying this way, go ahead and do you. However, we’ve found that this isn’t the most flattering look for your figures. You paid good money for those things and you deserve to have them shine!
If you feel like you have to fit every figure you own into a single display, there’s a good chance it will get a bit overcrowded. This makes it hard for your figures to stand out as they all end up blending together. With this approach you can rotate figures out by swapping those on display with those in storage to get more variety and remain within those pesky display space limitations that we all have.
-Tip 2: add some height
Even with limited space, figures can still be arranged in a way that’s dynamic with depth. One approach is to introduce some variety by getting a few figures off the ground. For your fliers, this can be easily achieved with flight stands. Some flight stands come with figures (I’ve gotten a lot of use out of some that have come with my figures) but they can be bought in a variety of places. You can even make your own with a bit of 12 gauge wire. Any character can be elevated with plastic risers or whatever else you’d like to use (a few graphic novels stacked up can look cool for this too!)
-Tip 3: make small scenes
Sometimes it’s tempting to make the entirety of your display a single scene which can be difficult with limited space. It can also be hard to even get started on bringing that beautiful vision in your head to life. A way of addressing this can be to think of your display as several small scenes within a bigger one. Pairing characters together in groups of two or three can add more dynamics to your displays. Maybe Daredevil and Bullseye are fighting. Spidey isn’t far away, looking towards DD and running to help but Carnage is lunging at him from behind! If you have a Captain America with the shield throw effect, the path of his shield might be heading right towards Carnage. This scene isn’t too complicated, but the interactions are linked together with small details that can work together to bring a shelf to life
Those are some ways to improve your displays. If you like these and would like to see a more comprehensive breakdown on the topic (or anything else Marvel Legends), check out The Strong Collectors on YouTube. Stay Strong!
Here's a link to the video some of this is taken from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPA6r7BQNm0
Share
