How do I determine if something is a Doll, Action Figure, or Figurine? As a collector I have an easy way to label these. I am using Wonder Woman as my main example… probably because I love Wonder Woman.
My Rules:
- A Doll is a representation of an entity that you can dress or undress. It can be stripped nude and has no identifying marks as to what it is supposed to represent. Regardless of rooted hair or not, if you can strip a toy down, redress it and purchase multiple outfits… it’s a doll.
- An Action Figure is an articulated representation of an entity that is what it is. It may have soft goods or rooted hair but the figure is established as an identifiable character. Sure it may have accessories, or purchasable accessory packs but even if I loos Darth Vader’s cloak and lightsaberβ¦ he’s still Darth Vader.
- The figurine, simply, is a just a statute. No articulation, just eye candy.
Dolls
Barbie Wonder Woman Doll
- Facing a great enemy, Wonder Woman and Batman join forces to recruit a group of meta-humans to stand against this newly awakened threat
- Having formed an unprecedented league of heroes, they set out to save the planet from an assault of catastrophic proportions in Warner Bros. live-action feature film, Justice League
- This Barbie Wonder Woman doll is sculpted and costumed just like the movie character
- Armed for battle, this Amazon warrior wears her iconic Super Hero costume with headdress, boots, armored bracelets, “magic” lasso, sword and shield
- Doll also features a fully articulated bodyβperfect for high-action poses
Action Figures
Wonder Woman Fumikane Shimada Version Model Kit
Wonder Woman returns as a plastic model kit based on an original illustration by the beloved Fumikane Shimada! Three face parts are included (normal front-facing, normal left-facing, and yelling). The sword, shield, the Lasso of Truth, various armor parts, shield effect parts, and a simple base are included in this kit. Each joint has a wide range of flexibility to allow for diverse posing such as crossing the arms like in the comics. Wonder Woman stands 6 1/3-inches tall upon assembly.
Figurines
Wonder Woman Movie Q-Fig MAX Figure
Steely eyed and fully armed, Wonder Woman is ready for her next challenger! This adorable, yet tough Wonder Woman Movie Q-Fig MAX Figure features Diana of Themyscira wearing her trademark red and blue costume atop her trusty steed. Unique and amazing details like the soft, textured bridle really brings this figure to life, as well as enables some movement and pose-ability in Wonder Woman. Armed with her sword and lasso, this dynamic PVC figure measuring about 5-inches tall and comes packaged in a window box.
I don’t mention plush items. Plush is plush. They can be articulated, have rooted hair, and even have accessories… Plush is still plush.
So, those are my rules. By my rules, the original Hasbro G.I. Joes were… yep, Dolls. I played with Dolls as a child. Mego was a bit different since some characters couldn’t escape what they were… I am looking at you Spider-Man, but I still consider that line to be Dolls. In the end, these are just labels. It really doesn’t matter what categories your toys fall into. As long as you love them, that’s all that truly matters.
