A/O: All Original. The figure comes complete with everything it came with originally. Book value: Price of a particular figure. Collectible: Any action figure that you can collect. The most valuable collectible action figures are in high demand and low supply. Exclusives: Exclusive figures are often found at retailers that can order in large quantities. These retailers ask for figures that will only be available at their stores. HTF: Hard to find. Limited edition: Figures that are not produced in large quantities. Often figures that are not expected to sell well will find themselves with the moniker “Limited Edition.” Mail-in premiums: Mail-in premiums were originally only offered through the mail. Often you needed to clip and send in “proofs of purchase” for the figures. MIB: Mint in box. Factory condition in original box. MIP: Mint in package. Similar to MIB except all accessories are in their packages. Mint & complete: The figure has all the accessories and is in excellent shape. MNB: Mint, no box. NM: Near mint. NRFB: Never removed from box. Prototype: Prototype action figures are designs that never made it to production. These were often factory-only figures to help designers and marketers develop the product. Possibly the most famous prototype is the Boba Fett with the firing rocketpack. Semi-exclusive: Semi-exclusives are similar to exclusives, but are often offered to more than one store. However, the stores that receive semi-exclusives are often not in the same geographic area. Shortpacks: Shortpacked action figures arrive in a limited quantity compared to other figures in the line. Sometimes this is done due to higher production costs, expected limited demand, or to specifically make one figure more valuable. Variation: Variation action figures have been changed. Often a mistake in production is noted and the figure is pulled, fixed, and then reissued. Variations can become valuable since they are usually limited in supply.

There are two main scales used to judge the condition of collector-level action figures. The first is the “C” scale, the second is the AFA. UNDERSTAND THE "C" SCALE The “C” scale rates condition on a scale of one to 10, with a C10 rating indicating high quality and a C1 rating indicating poor quality. C10: The C10 rating represents perfection and is incredibly rare. C9: C9-rated figures have minimal defects and are excellent collector-quality toys. C8.5: C8.5-rated action figures are in very good condition. However, collectors may shy away from them. C8: Action figures with a C8 rating, the lowest collector-grade rating, have visible flaws, but do not look worn. C6/7: C6 and C7-rated action figures have rips and apparent flaws. Collect them for nostalgic value only. C5 and lower: Action figures with a rating of C5 or lower are of very poor quality. They often have large parts missing and well-worn features. USE ACTION FIGURE AUTHORITY (AFA) RATINGS Action Figure Authority (AFA) bases quality on a percentage scale. AFA 100: AFA 100 ratings indicate near perfection. AFA 95: Very rare quality AFA 95 toys have glossy cards and no discoloration. AFA 90: Only 1% of action figures have an AFA 90 rating. These high-quality toys contain only factory-made flaws. AFA 85: Display-quality AFA 85 action figures have slight fraying or apparent discoloration. AFA 80: AFA 80 is the lowest top-level collector quality. AFA 75: Good-quality AFA 75 action figures do not stand out as excellent figures. AFA 70: AFA 70 ratings indicate average collector-quality items. Discriminating collectors do not usually find them acceptable. Lower AFA qualities are not considered collector-quality and you should only buy them for sentimental value.

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