While most toy companies tend to mass-produce action figures that are meant for children, there are also companies that are specialized for more affluent collectors. These types of action figures are meant to be as well-made and detailed as possible, and the potential clients for these action figures will really pay top-dollar for these action figures. If you are thinking of getting into this niche market though, you should really have a plan. Here are eight ways to establish a luxury action figure line of your very own.
Come Up With A Business Plan
Before you set out and establish your action figure line, it is important that you come up with a workable business plan. Remember that you are going to devote a good amount of time and money to the project, so you should know the costs, risks and potential rewards of this business venture.
Look For A Plastic Supplier
If you are going to set up a luxury action figure business, it is important that you look for a trustworthy plastic supplier. Remember that you are going to provide action figures for a more sophisticated market. It is important that you use the best quality plastic. If you go cheap, and use low-quality plastic that chips, and discolors, you will be doing your potential clients a great disservice. They will be able to spot that you are using low quality plastic and no longer want to purchase from you. What’s worse, they might even tell their fellow collectors about it, and they might steer clear of your products altogether.
Craft Unique Designs For Your Action Figures
Before you start making your action figures, it is important that you make your designs as unique as possible. Remember that there is a lot of competition in the luxury figure market.
If you want your products to stand out, it is important that you hire a seasoned action figure designer. Of all your expenses, this might be one of the costliest because action figure designers are very specialized artists, and would usually ask a substantial amount for their work. However, if you want your action figures to stand out, then it is all worth it.
Articulation Is Key
Aside from your action figure design, it is also important that you give your action figures as much articulation as possible. Collectors put a lot of stock in the articulation of an action figure, because they want to be able to pose their action figures in certain ways.
When you design your action figure’s articulation , it is important that you don’t overdo it. Some companies tend to overdo it with the articulation, then the action figure looks strange. As a whole, it is important that you minimize your articulation to at least 15 to 20 at most. An ankle and waist swivel is a good kind of articulation. You could also add shoulder and arm articulation, however, if you overdo it with the articulation, it might make it too unstable.
Invest In Quality Molds For Your Action Figures
Once you have finalized the designs for your action figures, now is the time to have molds made for your action figures. When you choose your molds, they should be as high quality as possible. They should not only be able to create sturdy action figures, but highly detailed ones as well.
If you are interested in getting good quality molds, you should invest in double injection molds from RYD. This company offers some of the best double shot injection mold services in the world. Their molds are known for being extremely strong, and affordable as well.
Invest In Automation
Back in the day, action figures used to be assembled by human workers, however, the action figure production became prone to errors. If you are going to mass produce luxury action figures, you should invest in robotic automation. Robot arms are much more efficient than human workers because robot arms could work for hours on end. They are also very accurate and fast, which takes away any chances of human error.
A good majority of luxury action figures also have cloth apparel. The best answer for this need is to invest in automated knitting machines. This type of automation will allow you to create costumes and apparel for your action figures in no time.
Invest In Your Branding
Aside from the quality of your products, it is also important that you invest time and resources in your branding. There are already a lot of luxury action figure lines out there, and if you are not serious about your branding, you will have trouble making an impact with your potential clients.
One of the best ways to do this is to set up a website for your company. When you make your website, you should make sure that your website is attractive and easy to use. It is also a good idea to utilize social media to advertise your action figures. Having a luxury product also requires packaging that matches it. It is best to leave the job to luxury packaging manufacturers to make your packaging stand out through materials from top suppliers, internationally-certified facilities, and skilled manufacturing teams.
Ask For Permission To Use The Likeness Of Iconic People or Fictional characters
When it comes to creating a luxury action figure line, it is always a good idea to create action figures from well-known characters from comic books and movies.
However, if you are going to use their likeness, it is important that you ask permission first.It’s frustrating when you want to create a whole batch of action figures, but you don’t have the right to use them.
Conclusion
If you are planning on getting into the luxury action figure market, you should know that it won’t be easy to get a foothold on the market. Once you do though, it is potentially quite lucrative. With these tips, you’ll be able to establish a luxury action figure business in time.