In the world of high-end toys and action figures there are few brands bigger than Hot Toys. Yet many collectors often ask the question: Do Hot Toys go up in value?
The simple answer is yes. For the most part, Hot Toys will increase in value or at the very least are likely to maintain their value. In fact, some figures can even double or triple their value on the secondary market, particularly if they’re limited edition or based around a character from a film or television property that’s gaining attention.
What makes Hot Toys so valuable?
Since Hot Toys released their very first action figure in 1999 they’ve become one of the most popular and sought after sources for high-end, one-sixth collectible action figures, and are renowned for the incredible level of detail they bring to their products.
Additionally, they now hold a variety of popular licenses from film, television, video games and comic books, including Marvel, DC and Star Wars, to name just a few.
With the average figure costing several hundred dollars or more, they’re definitely not a typical action figure. There are, however, several reasons why these particular items are so valuable:
- They’re extremely high quality
- They’re highly sought after by collectors
- They’re handmade and hand painted
- They have limited production runs
- They take a significant amount of time to produce
- They’re based on popular IPs with high licensing costs
It’s worth noting that as Hot Toys has become more popular, the quality of their action figures has gone up along with their reputation, which has allowed them to further increase the overall cost to collectors, with supply and demand clearly a factor. (For more information, read our blog Why are Hot Toys So Expensive).
Are Hot Toys a Good Investment?
While most collectors purchase Hot Toys action figure simply because they love them, there are those who end up investing in the figures and flipping them on the secondary market.
Many Hot Toys figures will also pick up additional value due to changes in the market or. For example, when Hot Toys released a new Anakin Skywalker Clonewars figure the value of the older (and now sold out) Anakin Skywalker Darkside figure increased significantly on the secondary market (with large spikes in on eBay in particular as collectors now sought out all variants of the figure).
A great place to find information on investing in Hot Toys (and current market trends) is via the Market Chart Show on YouTube, which offers weekly market analysis and speculation on new and upcoming figures.
How to determine the value of a Hot Toys action figure
Unlike other collectibles (such as comics) there isn’t really an accurate centralized database that keeps track of Hot Toys sales. Instead one of the best sources of market value is eBay.
When looking at prices, be sure to select the “Completed” and “Sold” options on eBay to see recent sales. You can then filter by price and date to get a good sense of the overall cost of any recent purchases. Remember: just because someone is asking for a small fortune for a Hot Toys figure doesn’t mean that’s what it’s actually worth. Taking the time to do some research (and average out recent sales) is definitely worth doing to ensure you’re paying fair market value.
Sideshow Collectibles (which remains the primary distributor for Hot Toys for most of the world) also keeps webpages in place for figures even after they’re long sold out or discontinued. For example, this Hulkbuster sixth-scale figure has been unavailable for years, but you can still see the original price on the webpage, allowing you to get a good sense of the overall worth of a particular action figure and any increases in value on the secondary market.
Another great resource is the Hot Toys Reddit community, as well as forums on sites like Collector Freaks and One Sixth Warriors, both of which have knowledgeable groups of Hot Toys collectors and fans who can help offer more insight about pricing and availability of certain figures.
What are some of the most expensive Hot Toys figures?
While there are a ton of incredibly valuable Hot Toys, below are a few examples of figures that have acquired a hefty price tag over the years, primarily due to their scarcity.
Iron Man Mark III Gunmetal (Silly Things Variant)
Originally the Gunmetal Mark III was 2009 Comic-Con exclusive. However, an even rarer version was created by the Hong Kong-based record label Silly Things, with only about 300 of the figures put in production. Currently these Hot Toys creations can fetch over $5,000 US or more on eBay.
Iron Man Mark VI (Joint Promotional Edition)
Released in 2012, the Movie Promo Edition was limited to just 3,000 copies. At the same time, an even rarer “Joint Promotional Edition” was created in conjunction with 7-Up Hong Kong and limited to just 16 versions worldwide. While sales figures are hard to determine, estimates are that these have gone for thousands of dollars or more.
Hulkbuster
One of the largest Hot Toys ever released, this massive creation originally retailed for $800 US when it launched in conjunction with the Avengers: Age of Ultron Marvel film. Since then it now routinely fetches $2,000 – $3,000 on eBay and the secondary market.
Final Thoughts
So do Hot Toys go up in value? Based on eBay sales data and the observations of collectors, they can indeed see a significant increase in value, sometimes doubling or even tripling their original retail cost. In fact, there’s currently a vibrant secondary market of users who flip or resell valuable Hot Toys action figures and often speculate on new and upcoming figures.
Of course, for most collectors the real value of Hot Toys isn’t measured in monetary gains. It’s the enjoyment that comes from owning an amazing, high-end action figure featuring some of the greatest and most beloved characters in pop culture history.
More About Hot Toys
Learn more at the links below or visit our Hot Toys Collectibles Guide.
- The 4 Best Hot Toys Display Case Options
- What Are Hot Toys Made Of
- How to Display Hot Toys Figures
- How to Clean Hot Toys Figures
- How to Spot Fake Hot Toys
- How Much Do Hot Toys Cost?
- How Are Hot Toys Made?
- What Are Hot Toys Action Figures?
- Is Sideshow and Hot Toys the Same Company?
- Do Hot Toys Go Up in Value?
- Where to Buy Hot Toys Figures
- Why are Hot Toys So Expensive?
Hot Toys Reviews & News
Check out our latest coverage below or visit our Hot Toys Reviews page.
- Hot Toys Boba Fett Deluxe Version Review
- Hot Toys Iron Man Neon Tech 4.0 Review
- Spider Punk Hot Toys Figure Review
- Hot Toys Cyborg Spider-Man Review
- Hot Toys Spider-Man Black and Gold Suit Figure
- Hot Toys Thanos Infinity War Figure Review
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