How I Started Customizing Action Figures

In 2014 I first took an interest in customizing action figures. I have always been a collector, and like most children of the 1980’s, Star Wars action figures have always held a special place in my heart. 

The Vintage Collection

Shortly after 2012, I became frustrated with Hasbro (the owner of the Star Wars toy license) for ending their Vintage Collection line of super articulated figures and replacing it with the cheaper, lower quality Black Series. The company had started to move away from articulated figures with lots of accessories in favor of cheaper, less collectible toys aimed more towards children than adult collectors. 

The Black Series (3.75″)

The price point on the figures were going up while the quality of paint jobs and sculpts were going down, not to mention that Hasbro just wasn’t releasing new characters nearly as much as they were releasing the same handful of heroes.

Custom 3.75″ Figures

I realized that I was never going to get the characters that I needed for my dioramas and displays, and that if I wanted them, I was going to have to make them myself.

Thus began the road to customizing action figures for me. I researched what paints I should be using and picked a brand that I liked. I found a lot of helpful information and tutorials online to get me started, and I hope to pass on what I’ve learned to you.

This blog will cover all of the basics and some techniques I learned along the way.

Some of my custom Black Series 6″ figures