TMNT Action Figures: Open 'Em, or Leave 'Em Carded?
 

Out of curiosity . . . .

I detest people leaving their figures carded, especially ones that have no hope of gaining value.

I open them.

I used to collect loose only. But I reached a point where I had to buy carded figures to get complete figures with all of the weapons. Soon I was amassing a MOC collection as well.

Open 'em!!! What fun are they in a box?

two sets all the way! its not about the cash value, just that the collection looks very impressive, covering the wall and all. but out of package is fun and allowes for exciting display.

Then you detest me...heh. Until I can get enough money to buy two of each, I will keep them in great condition. However, I do display my 12'' Leo...

Ryan

i keep them MOC and hang them on my wall. i love to walk in a look at them just lined up perfectly all over.

i open 'em. they're toys after all ^_^.

i open them, and put them in killer poses on a reserved shelf on my book case.

I'm gonna display mine, but at the moment I don't have any shelf room. I needed to get rid of all of my MTG crap.

MOMC!
 

I keep everything MOMC and wont even buy it unless it's near 100% mint! You guys are told old to open them and play with toys, and if you leave them on shellves they get knocked around and dirty...

-Errol

Since when can you go around telling people what they're too old to do?

yeah were old enough to do what ever we want.

*Some* of us are. *Points at Garet*

god damn u man, I, *try*, to, be, on, ur, side, but, u, just, have, to, come, up, WITH SUM DUMB ASS REMARK.and im gonna try and predict the future and gusse that ur gonna say sum thing like "geez I was just joking". good day to u sir.

:lol:

Well usually the first set i buy, I open, and then if I can afford it, I'll start buying second's to keep MOSC/MISB. Although there are some exceptions. For example, I am only planning to buy 1 set of the new Extreme Turtles (Purely to complete the series) and so they will stay MOSC. Other examples included old carded figs. My rule is, If I buy old figs carded, they stay carded :)

I buy way too much sh*t to keep them on-card. I'd have to keep half of it in storage.

I open them first, and I might buy seconds of really cool guys. I was thinking of having an open and an MOC collection. but really is there any point? I still need to think about it.

I would probably open the new figures if I had any. I would never open any of the old ones though.

To answer the question myself, I rip those muggas right off the card. I simply don't have enough space for opened figures and dupes left on the card. Given a choice between opening ‘em or leavin’ ‘em carded, they’re gonna get opened and displayed in my studio. My philosophy is this: If they’re cool enough to buy, they have to be cool enough to open. Otherwise, my money gets saved for more important things.

BTW, E-money: Carded or not, they're still toys intended for kids. There are some oh-so-mature (supposedly), self-righteous, insecure types out there who would tell you that you're too old to be buying toys period. You gonna listen to ‘em? Are ya gonna attempt to validate your hobby by tellin’ ‘em that it's an “investment”, that they're “collectibles” and will one day be “worth lots of money”? (They probably won't, by the way.) To those types, it doesn't matter—buying toys for any reason makes you a dork and a loser. Last time I checked my driver's license, I was old enough to vote, buy booze, and basically do whatever the hell I wanted to.

Very well said.

Re: MOMC!
 

Speak for your bloody self. I love toys, and if I'm gonna spend good money on 'em, I'm damn well gonna tear 'em out of their packages and enjoy them.

I'm not "too old" to do anything. I'm an adult and I'm living in a free society, so I can do whatever the blazes I choose to. That kinda "grow up and fit the mould" mentality makes me want to vomit.

I've got a hyperactive inner-child, and I'm proud of it!

I just got all the Wave One figs last night. I tore Leo open in the parking lot because I'm horribly impatient. The rest are opened and posed in a battle scene on the table beside me right now.

I've never been big on the "collector" thing. I did that with some toys before, but I wound up ripping them open after a few months just because leaving them in their package seemed... wrong. If I ever wind up buying doubles, it'll just be to have a back-up around in case a head falls off or something. :twink:

The stereotype around adults who read comics and watch cartoons and buy toys is utter nonsense. Yeah, there are some maladjusted uber-nerds who fit into the stereotype. But hey, I'm 19 years old, averagely-proportioned, intelligent, and not a social misfit - and I do all these things. It's just a little something called honesty. If you're open about what you're into, confident about it, and don't give a flip about what the ignorant, prejudiced nitwits have to say about it, then you'll be fine. The uber-nerds of the stereotype tend to be overly defensive and ashamed about everything. Hey, their loss.

I don't have any TMNT figures :cry:

But I do intend to remedy that situation come payday.I've got two of the 12 inch turtles ( Raph and Mikey if you must know ) in layaway at Wal Mart.They will come out of the package.
As for being too old to play with toys.,to hell with that.I don't drink,I don't smoke and I don't do drugs.I think I'm allowed one vice and as vices go I think collecting and playing with toys is pretty harmless.It may make me eccentric,but I'd rather be wierd than normal and boring.

i have all five inch chars. except the extream sports turtles and a shirt and the leo and don rp set.

Display cases
 

The packaging material is basically designed to transport and display the figures for retailers.
The plastic on the cards isn't stable enough to properly preserve the figures for very long, a couple years max. After a while the plastic breaks down, turns yellow and if any of the figures and/or accessories are taped in, the tape get gooey and interferes with the plastic on the figures. I've seen some toys in sale bins that had probably been warehoused for 5-10 years and the tape and supporting material discoloured the toy itself in places.
If you have anything you highly value that you want to preserve, take them out of the package and put them in proper display cases like what people buy for dolls, sculptures and such. Or keep them on a shelf --or better yet, a cabinet with glass doors-- out of direct sunlight, dust them off every so often, and they'll keep nicely.
If you buy larger sets, vehicles or figures that come in a box, the box will do as a kind of display case, after you take all the supporting plastic off the figures and accessories...

Yep, I've done preservation and museum archival work for a living, so I know a little about this sort of thing.
Plus I've been told this advice by toy collectors as well. Just passing along the info. Hope you find it helpful. :D

Wow, Aignatius . . . it sure seems like you know your stuff. Thanks for the info!

Got it from people who know their stuff, and now, you know about it. Hehe... ;)

My TMNT Collection is loose and probably going to stay that way, so I voted to open them up.

But, I definitely don't think that vintage figures should be taken off the cards unless the card is totally trashed. There are plenty of loose figures availabe for collectors. But I guess that's just the vintage snob in me. :P

Although I collect my TMNT loose I have decided not to open my blue stripe April.

Re: Display cases
 

Wow, you know, I was really going to keep all mine in the boxes. I'm really proud of me that I haven't just flipped out and ripped every one of them open yet. :wink: But what you said makes lots of sense. Makes me eye those pretty packages and question whether or not I really am going to keep them this nice and unbroken for the next twenty years... Part of me wants to keep them nice and in the box. Then the other half of me says: what good are toys if you don't play with them, and set them up like you really, really want to? :) I know I'll end up opening them... Someday.

i
 

I keep mine carded. i have no place to put them if i open them up and mom doesn't like me collecting so i have to hide them in a secret opening wide stand under neath stuffed animals in my sister's room. but one day if i can get a shelf and some place to put them i will open them up.

I never open up vintage figures because you can buy those cheaper loose. But I do buy 2 of each figure from the new line. 1 to keep MOC to display on the wall and the other to open up and display. Vehicles are to expensive to buy 2 of each so I just get 1 and open them up but save the boxes for display.

But as for the degrading of the cards and bubbles, all my vitage TMNT's have clear bubbles and no card problems. As for sticky tape, can't answer that as I don't open them up.

I'm with you 100% Rob...i have the same philosophy about the new line and have had virtually no prblems with my vintage 14+ year old toys on card...still looking beautiful!!!