At Cooledtured, we know how daunting it can be to get into a new hobby (believe us). That’s why as toy enthusiasts ourselves, we’ve always wished that there could be some sort of guide for each new hobby that beginners could look at to get a bird’s-eye glance of what they need to know before diving in.

We’ve always believed in the phrase that if it doesn’t exist, make it yourself - that’s why we’ve written this guide on the different types of anime figurines including their makers, how to identify them, and other things a beginner might need to know before making that deep plunge into the toy figurine world.

1 - Funko

Funko POP! Television: Invincible - Atom Eve #1501 - Vinyl Figures

If you’ve been anywhere near a toy or hobby store, it’s pretty much guaranteed that you’ve seen a Funko figurine before. Their uniquely stylized features including large head and eyes, stand-out rectangular see-through packaging and branding have made these a staple in the figurine scene - not to mention the presence of brand collaborations such as Invincible, The Walking Dead and The Office. These highly cute and collectible figurines would make an indispensable addition to any nerd’s collection, which is why we’re proud to offer a large selection of Funkos on the Cooledtured website - take a look and see which one resonates with you the most.

2 - Good Smile

Azur Lane - Unicorn - Nendoroid #1990-DX (Good Smile Arts Shanghai Company)

Consider yourself more on the “otaku” side? No worries - we’ve got you covered. Produced by the Good Smile Company, most of the Good Smile figurines you’ll see on the market can either be classified as “Nendoroid” or “figma” figurines. Nendoroid are highly posable and articulable “chibi”-style figurines with swappable body parts and faces, making them playable as well as displayable. “figma” figurines resemble your typical action figure much better - with full human proportions, these super cool figures are lifelike and realistic in appearance, though don’t think they skimp out on the playability features for just a second. 

Featuring popular anime and otaku series such as Hololive and Azur Lane, It’s up to you whether you’re more in tune with your “Nendoroid” or “figma” side, but just know you won’t be disappointed either way.

3 - Kotobukiya

Haikyuu!! - Hinata Shouyou - ARTFX J - 1/8 (Kotobukiya)

Kotobukiya figurines are a little different - while they usually come as non-articulable, they make up for it by being amazing mantelpieces for a hobby display. These figurines come in scales of 1/8th or 1/7th scale, meaning that you get a great close-up look at how detailed and well-modeled they are. They’re also made in tough ABS plastic and PVC, so that you can be assured that they’re super tough and durable.

We offer Kotobukiya figurines featuring characters from Jujutsu Kaisen, Persona 3, and even Star Wars: The Clone Wars (who would’ve expected that?).

4 - Hasbro

Marvel Legends: X-Men '97 - Cyclops - 6-inch Action Figure (Hasbro)

Does the name “Hasbro” spark any memories of childhood for you? After all, who hasn’t picked up a Nerf blaster or played Monopoly before? It might be to nobody’s surprise, then, that Hasbro is also a prolific maker of action figures. Most of the Hasbro figurines that we carry are 6 inches in scale and made out of toy-tough ABS plastic, though you’ll occasionally see the 3 and 3/4ths scale figurine as well. Marvel Legends, Ghostbusters and Transformers are all figure offerings by Marvel that we carry at Cooledtured.

5 - McFarlane Toys

The New Adventures of Batman DC Retro Commissioner Gordon Action Figure

In terms of comparison, you can expect pretty similar offerings that Hasbro has in McFarlane Toys. 6-inch scale figurines, ABS plastic construction, multiple points of articulation and sporting familiar faces from series such as Batman, featuring characters from story arcs such as DC: The New Batman Adventures, DC Multiverse, and DC: The New Batman Adventures. Great for the Batman fan in you or your loved ones!

Conclusion
With all the figurine selections at Cooledtured, it can still be hard to pick out a figurine you’re going to love. Hopefully, due to our wide selection from each of these toymakers (and more!) you can find your niche. Why not try something new and purchase one of our figurines today?