Action figures today are modeled after everything from real life characters to super heroes to mythical creatures to animals. But these figurines have come a long way since they were first created. The action figure was born in 1964. Hasbro developed a 12 inch representation of GI Joe geared toward boys. Hasbro thought that boys wouldn’t want to play with a doll so they coined the term “action figure” to make the figure more appealing and acceptable to boys.

Comic books fueled the next wave of action figures in the early 1970′s. Though comic books had been around for years, in the 1950′s and 1960′s they gained wide popularity in the United States with favorites like Spiderman, The Flash, and The Fantastic Four. In the early 1970′s toy companies followed the superhero trend by creating action figures modeled after famous characters from the comics.

Star Wars action figures followed comic book characters. They were immediately popular but these action figures looked a little different from their predecessors. The oil supply crisis decreased the supply of plastic and Star Wars action figures and many that followed were made much smaller than the original 12-inch figures. They were just smaller than four inches. Despite the smaller stature, Star Wars action figures were an extreme success.

In the 1980′s, television shows popularized a new set of characters which were followed by their own action figures, and the popularity of the action figures in general grew. In 1984, the pattern of action figures modeled after characters shifted when transforming action figures were brought to the US. These transforming figures, or Transformers, were then made into a television series rather than the other way around.

In the 1990s, action figure purchasing was at its height. The industry was supported by heroes in just about every form of media: television, movies, and comic books. The industry was also being shaped by a rise in collecting. Early action figures had been created solely for play. But by the 1990s, children that had played with action figures as children were grown ups and took a renewed interest in figurines. Instead of the market being restricted to children’s play things, action figures were also collectible items for adults.

Star Wars once again boosted the action figure market in the 1990s. After seeing the movie, people would seek out the figures they’d seen on the big screen. Collectors and children bought new figures of the famous personalities.

The internet was another key change in the figurine market. It brought together collectors and vendors of action figures from around the world. Geographical proximity no longer limited the purchase of action figures and collectors had access to a much wider range of figures. After the Golden Age, the action figure market declined. Manufacturers of action figures were leaving the market and niche stores that had carried favorite figures were closing down.

A new set of action figure personalities debuted in the 2000s. Action figures were not just made of superheroes or fictional characters. There was a new focus on movie stars and characters, animals, fairies, mythical creatures, political personalities, and athletes. Anyone could have an action figure, even if they didn’t have a super power.

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