Buying and Selling Figures and Statues in Australia: Value, Condition and Fakes

MV Guides · Figures & statues

Figures and statues cover everything from a $40 prize figure to a $2,000 limited edition statue. The same few things decide what any of them is worth: who made it, which edition it is, whether it's complete, and the condition of both the figure and its box.

1. Who made it

The maker matters as much as the character. Collectors pay more for well-known premium makers like Hot Toys, Sideshow, Prime 1 Studio and Iron Studios, and for popular lines like Good Smile Company's Nendoroids and figmas, Bandai's S.H.Figuarts, Kotobukiya ARTFX, McFarlane, NECA and Hasbro's Marvel Legends and Black Series. Always put the maker and the exact line in your listing. Buyers search for them.

2. Which edition

• Regular and exclusive editions. Many statues come as a regular version and an "exclusive" (from the maker's own store or a convention) with an extra part, like a swap head or extra hands. Exclusives usually sell for more, so say which one you have.
• Limited, numbered editions. Limited statues are numbered, like 1234/2500. The number is usually on the box as well as on the figure's base or the certificate of authenticity. Collectors check that they all match. A missing certificate, or a box number that doesn't match the statue, lowers the value, and it's something buyers will ask about.
• Artist proofs and prototypes are rarer again, and worth noting clearly.

On MVCollect, pick the edition from the list and enter the edition number (for example 1234/2500), so your figure is compared with the same edition in the Market Value guide.

3. Complete in box

"Complete" means the figure, every accessory, the stand, the instructions or certificate, the original styrofoam or plastic trays, and the box. A figure missing even one small accessory sells for noticeably less, so check against the maker's product photos before you list.

4. Condition: the figure and the box

Condition matters a lot, and for sealed or boxed figures the box counts too. Look for:

• Box wear: dented or crushed corners, creases, tears, and shelf wear on the edges.
• Sun fading: a box or figure kept near a window fades fast in Australian sun. Compare the colour against an unfaded photo.
• Yellowing: clear plastic parts and white figures can yellow with age and light.
• The figure itself: paint rubs and scuffs, loose or floppy joints, stress marks in the plastic, and any broken or glued parts.
• Smoke and pets: buyers will ask, so it's worth saying if it's from a smoke-free home.

MVCollect's condition choices are: mint in box (unopened), opened and complete (displayed with care), opened and complete with no box, and damaged or missing parts. Photograph every side of the box, the edition number, the certificate and any flaw. Clear photos of the flaws build more trust than hiding them.

5. Watch out for bootlegs

Fake figures are very common, especially anime figures. Some are close copies sold at full price. Collectors look for:

• A price far below what the same figure normally sells for, or "brand new" stock of a figure that sold out years ago.
• The box: blurry printing, wrong colours or fonts, spelling mistakes, and missing official stickers. Many genuine figures carry a holographic authenticity sticker from the maker or licensor. Good Smile Company is well known for these.
• The figure: sloppy paint, rough seams, soft or shiny cheap plastic, a strong chemical smell, and a face sculpt that looks slightly "off" compared with official photos.
• A seller who won't show all sides of the box, or only uses the maker's stock photos.

Don't confuse bootlegs with prize figures (like Banpresto and SEGA): those are genuine, officially licensed figures made to a lower price, often won in Japanese arcades. They're worth less than premium scale figures, but they're the real thing.

Only genuine, officially licensed figures can be listed on MVCollect.

6. Price it from what it actually sold for

Look up sold prices for the same figure and the same edition, in similar condition, and ignore asking prices. Many figures are sold overseas in US dollars or Japanese yen, so convert to Aussie dollars before you compare. MVCollect's Market Value guide shows real sold prices under Figures & Statues as sales come in.

7. Post it properly

Figures get broken in the post more than they should. Keep the original styrofoam, box the retail box inside a shipping box, and send it tracked with full cover. Our guide to packing and posting figures covers it step by step.