So I was thinking about what tools one should really have handy if they're hardcore action figure collectors. Things you always need handy to deal with the daily things that happen to figures. Obviously things like bins for storage and Detolfs or some type of other display cabinet. But then there are those little essentials to keep everything as it should be:
- Super glue. Absolutely necessary for when something breaks, obviously. I personally use a Loc-Tite gel control thingy. works pretty good and is really easy to dispense. Nothing's worse than having super glue get everywhere, on your hands, or worse all over your broken figure.
- Acrylic based paints in various colors. For touching up of minor scuffs and paint scrapes. I find enamel never quite bonds with action figure plastic right, so acrylics seem to be best. I try to buy Tamiya paints, or Testors acrylic.
- Sharpie markers. Same principle as the acrylics, but typically for smaller areas. Metallics (gold & silver) are particularly important.
- WD-40 pen. Works like Goo-Gone, but not as abrasive and much easier to control. Gets rid of marks and dirt on figures pretty nicely. But don't overdo it, you can still take off the factory paint if you get too heavy with it.
Those are the ones that pop into my head, but if you can think of any others, let's hear 'em! Also, if you have better alternatives on what you use (types of glue, paint) let's hear them as well!
WD-40 pen is also pretty neat with getting more garish tampos off of Hot Wheels- I used it to get the flames off of the Burton Batmobile that was in the last 'basic Batman' case they did.
An X-Acto knife for opening up fingers that have been painted together, and nail clippers for cutting twist-ties...
I use Reaper Paints, but that's because I also paint miniatures. They're very well made, but expensive.
X-Acto Knife for trimming mold lines, along with jewelry files for really fine stuff.
Super glue - I use Scotch or Gorilla Glue, both gel and liquid, and now avoid Krazy Glue because it often dries out alarmingly fast, and can leak.
Boiling Water and Ice Baths for resetting sculpts.
Nail clippers because they're just handy.
Sticky-tack - how else is Spider-Man going to stick to the wall?
Definitely the knife (I also use it to cut the bubble off cards and cut tape sealing boxes) and the nail clippers.
Personally I find a cataloguing system essential, otherwise it'd be real easy to lose track of what I actually have. Sadly I still haven't found a really good program for doing that (yes I know there's Dash out there and a couple of other lower tier programs, but I haven't found anything yet that fits my needs in terms of customisability) so I just use Toy Collector from Data Village - it has more than it's fair share of unhelpful quirks and issues, but it's as close as I can find to what I really want right now. Anyone have anything better that they use?
but then you'd miss that wonderful feeling of digging through bins you haven't opened in years and finding toys you completely forgot you had. oh man...i have too many toys.
Nope, still get that feeling when I look thrlough the list and find something I forgot I had or when I dig through the storage boxes and find something I haven't catalogued... I have way too many toys too 🙂