The Toy-Hunter’s Guide to Bagging the Big Prizes

Being a longtime toy collector, you pick up certain habits and learn to enjoy hunting hard-to-find toys. The Internet has taken some of the fun out of toy hunting, though. It's a nice backup when you can't find that rare toy on shipment day and you just need it in your collection. The only problem is, you pay a premium online -- not retail prices -- and that can limit your buying power.

When it comes to toys, stores receive new products on certain days. Those days are your best bets for finding those rare figures you can display or add to your collection. Certain figures come only one per case, and that makes them more valuable. Every collector is different, but I'll explain a few reasons why I buy two action figures on occasion.

1.) One to keep mint-in-box and one to open and display.
2.) One to keep and one to sell after they become harder to find.
3.) One to keep and one to get signed by the superstar.

I don't buy two of every figure because it can get expensive and finding a place to put them can be a challenge as well. I've never sold any of my autographed items and to be honest, most figures don't hold their value. Do you collect anything?