For years Figures.com has provided you with all the latest action figure and collectible news. But collecting is more than a checklist of what’s to come. Collecting is a personal passion. I’m not going to dive deep into the age-old question of WHY WE COLLECT, the simple matter is we do what we do because we like what we like. And things that we love we often like to SHARE.

Do you have a toy collection you’d like to share with the world? Figures.com wants you!

Simply provide your real name (or handle), photos of your collection (big or small), along with a brief (or detailed) description of what your collection is all about for the chance to be featured as a COLLECTOR OF THE WEEK.

Email info and photos to me, Jeff Saylor at editor@figures.com, with the subject line “MY COLLECTION”. Please keep photos to an email-size, jpg format, Zip files for multiple images. Text welcome in body of email or as an attached doc.

To get this all started, we present collector Samsun Lobe! Take it away Sam(sun)!

COLLECTOR OF THE WEEK: SAMSUN LOBE

I am a fantasy and science fiction author living in the South West of the UK. I have been collecting action figures for 25 years. I collect anything from the 80’s, select lines from the 90’s and occasionally new lines. My figures are all mint on card or boxed and I have approximately 40% of my collection professionally graded. I have over 600 figures so far which are stored in my converted garage.

I like most lines from the 80’s but have made a point of not collecting Star Wars, not that I don’t like them, but that it is a collection in its own right. My main 80’s sets include: A-Team, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, Bionic 6, Black Hole, Blackstar, Buck Rogers, Bravestarr, Captain Power, Chuck Norris Karate Kommados, Dyno Riders, Defenders of the Earth, Dune, DC Comic Superheroes, Golden Girl, Infaceables, Marvel Secret Wars, Masters of the Universe, Rock Lords, Rambo, She-Ra, Super-Naturals, Shogun Warriors, Super Powers, Sectaurs, Thundercats, Tron, Tigersharks, and Visonaries.

I like the popular series like MOTU and Thundercats but my favourites are the more obscure. The Blackstar set is a favourite as Galoob tried to replicate the success of He-Man. There are two series, the second coming with a ‘Lazer-Light’ feature. This was effectively the rolling flint mechanism from a lighter, which when dragged caused sparks to light up the figure! Health and Safety would never allow this now, so these are great toys. Another favourite from the 80s is Bionic Six by LJN. I love these simply because they are die-cast. The other standout series from this era is Rock Lords. There are two versions – one by Bandai and the other by Tonka. They are effectively transformers, but they all transform in or to a rock! I understand that this is completely lame which is why I like them.

From the 90’s I have collected lines where I like the figures, packaging or story behind the figures. My collection includes: Captain Simian and the Space Monkeys, Captain Planet, Dragonheart, Exo Squad, Gargoyles, Mummies Alive!, Robin Hood, Skeleton Warriors, and Thunderbirds.

Series from this era are still affordable to collect compared with older figures so I am always adding to this part of my collection. The Gargoyles series which was based on a great cartoon are some of my favourites, great sculpts and packaging all apart from Ultimate Goliath which is complete rubbish. Still had to have it though!

I also collect newer series or an individual figures when it’s something that really catches my eye. These include: DC Comics Batman – The Animated Series, Lego Brickheadz, Funko-Playmobil, GI Joe Sigma 6, Lightseekers, Mezco Mega Scale Thundercats, and Voltron.

My favourite of the ‘newer’ lines must be Sigma 6. This is probably my favourite line overall. I appreciate that die-hard GI Joe collectors didn’t like the move away from 3 ¾” format but that is their loss. The figures are brilliantly sculpted and designed with loads of accessories – all of which fit into the supply case which is comprised of the top and bottom of the packaging – genius! Only problem for me is that these are very rare in the UK, so most of my collection has been imported from the US.

I am as enthusiastic now as I was when I started collecting, I just know a lot more and have a lot less cash!

-Samsun

[See image gallery at www.figures.com]

Keep up with all the latest toy news by following Figures.com on Facebook and Twitter!

To buy action figures, take a look at Hobby Link Japan, BigBadToyStore.com, TheToySource.com, Toynk.com, and BriansToys.com.