Hello everyone, I am new here. I have been collecting star wars figures for about 3-4 months now and I have been keeping them MIB. I really want to open them but something is holding me back, so I am wondering, do you keep yours MIB or Sealed?

The overwhelming majority of my STAR WARS toys are still sealed up in their original packaging. I prefer how they look boxed and carded. I have a full set of 25th Anniversary G.I. JOE figures carded, as well, along with most of the Modern Era figures that followed.

On the other hand, I also have a couple hundred G.I. JOE figures from the same collection that I display loose. All of my DC Direct, Justice League Unlimited, DC Infinite Heroes, and Marvel Universe figures are loose. It all depends on the line for me.

Whenever a topic like this comes up, someone will invariably insist that you should remove all of your figures from the packaging, because, "toys are meant to be opened!" Nonsense. They're your figures; it's your hobby. Everyone should collect in whatever way makes him/her happy. Before you go on an opening spree, my advice would be to buy a few figures to open. Try three or four, take them off the card, play around with them, and display them loose somewhere for a while. See which you prefer. Personally, I like the STAR WARS figures better in their packaging, but that's just me. You might decide you want to open everything you own.

Every single figure I own is MIB or MOC, I don't open any of them and have no interest whatsoever in doing so. It's a collection, I'm not interested in playing with them or displaying them, I'd need a whole new wing to the house to be able to do so anyhow.

OPEN THEM UP!

They are toys. Get 'em out of the package and have some fun.

Set up a display.
Pose them.
Play with them.

Just do it.
or not.

Up to you really.

Once you open the first one you'll know which way would make you happier. Pick one that is easy to replace or not significant and rip it open. See how it feels. Then decide.

But my vote is to OPEN.

AMEN! If it isn't open, I just haven't got to it yet.

CCC.

I open most. Dups or variants will stay MOC unless they are too cool and need to be posed.

I collect Star Wars moc.

But the rest of my collection is loose.

For my two vintage collections I have two of each figure, one moc and one loose.

Then go for it. CC offers good advice. Open a few, check 'em out for a while. Then decide.


If its just that you prefer to see them carded - keep them carded and buy a few extras to open. If what's holding you back is a hesitancy about spoiling an investment, then let me disabuse you of that idea! For the most part, Star Wars figures are like new cars - drive it off the lot and it immediately loses value!

Ain't that the truth? I could open my own small business with what I spent on my STAR WARS collection. I could get everyone in this thread drunk for what I'd get if I sold it now.

OK, I'm thirsty!

When I had the money & space, both. I have just about every Toy Biz Marvel Legend opened and MOC. The same for the first ten single series of DCUC.

Since I have run out of both space and money, I normally buy with the intent to open, but I have many things still MOC or MIB because I no where to put them once opened.

I do still buy some things with the purpose of leaving them MOC, usually doubles, but no always. It was pretty cool when I had my attic walls lined with MOC Marvel Legends and sports Picks.

Like Caped Crusader said:



... you will get the same amount of people that will look at you as if you were crazy when you tell them you plan to open up a toy. So, you just have to do what you want to do. And it seems like you want to open them up, so go for it!

In all my years of collecting action figures and talking toys on the internet, I've encountered a lot fewer of those, and almost never with the kind of real collectors do it my way attitude some opener fundamentalists have. The biggest exception I can think of would be some guys on the McFarlane forum.

Great thread newbie, and welcome!

Like others have mentioned I keep some stuff MOC and some are loose/displayed. It just depends on the line. I have zero interest in the hobby from an investment standpoint, so the ones I leave carded/MIB are just that way because that's what I like.

You've gotten some good advice so far. Mull it over awhile, and tell us what worked best for you.

That's my philosophy.

But I do have a friend who often followed the MIB route and it has helped him out on occasion when money is tight. I'm a bit surprised at how much he can get some times, especially for SDCC exclusives. Fortunately, I haven't been in a position where I have to sell off pieces of my collection to make the rent!

It has been the opposite for me, specifically in person -- I have encountered a lot more people who give me that crazy look when I say I am going to open up a figure. Admittedly, this comes from non-collectors as I don't really deal with many collectors off the internet. But I find that everyday people think that collectors keep everything MOC for value sake.

On the internet, I have probably encountered more openers than MOC'ers, but certainly not by a wide margin. On the McFarlane Sports Board, people are definitely more MOC'ers, but not with any attitude like Sports Picks have to be kept that way. I never go onto the TMP toy board, so I don't know about their attitudes about MOC vs. Openers.