I’ve been an anime collector for a long time, dating back to the early 90s. One thing I’ve learned through my journey of collecting is the price doesn’t always equal an amazing figure. There are a lot of knock offs, and it’s hard to tell what’s legit and what’s not. One place I’ve found to be consistently reliable when it comes to collecting anime figures is Big Bad Toy Store.
Not only do they have an amazing selection, but they also have pre-orders for upcoming figures. I am currently collecting “Demon Slayer” and “Naruto/Boruto” figures. The main reason I picked up my first figure of the Vibration Stars collection was because it was a good size, and the price wasn’t going to break the bank.
I’ve come up with a list of the best reasons to get this set first which you can see down below.
The Price
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These are listed at $26.99 from Big Bad Toy Store. Unless you buy them second hand, then they can range from anywhere between $30 and $40. You’ll also want to make sure you’re getting a legit figure, which you can’t do anywhere else but Big Bad Toy Store. I’ve looked at places like Frank & Sons- and it’s hit or miss most of the time. Luckily they started putting stickers on the boxes that say “third party” which means someone bought the mold and made their own figure.
The Paint Job
Vibration Stars are not only amazingly sculpted but they also have a great paint job. You may find even with premium figures, sometimes the paint is not so great. There are bleeds and messy divots. These are pretty consistent as far as the paint jobs go, so you can count on a good looking figure. In the images above there are examples of a good paint job vs. a bad one. (The bad one is a bootleg Vibration Stars Itachi I picked up at a place in the local mall.)
The Sculpt
These figures are always pretty intricate and in an action pose. Each figure is well thought out and truly brings the character to life. For example, the Boruto figure is poised to throw his disappearing rasengan. He’s throwing right hand. His father Naruto (from the same set)his throwing it with his left. So when you put the two figures together it looks like they’re teaming up.
A or B?
When looking at the packaging, you may notice that it says Boruto Uzumaki Version A or Version B. There is a difference with these. Version A is generally more vibrant, and like the colors you see in the anime. Version B is a little more subdued, and sometimes have different expressions. You’ll be able to tell that it’s not that it’s more dull, but the colors for the outfits are a little more pastel. These look nice either way, so it’s alright to mix and match versions when you’re building your collection.
Display Them Anywhere
These figures don’t just have to be on your anime shelves, they’ll look great anywhere. They don’t get too dusty and only need a light dust every couple weeks if you have them outside a display case. If you want to level up your display though I recommend plastic risers. This is a key factor in making your anime shelves look awesome. If you’re looking for a good starter display case or somewhere to display them in general, I recommend Ikea’s Billy Bookshelves or their Detolf glass case.
What’s The Best Place to Get Them?
Because it’s worth saying again, Big Bad Toy Store is the best place to get them. If you order through eBay or Amazon you’re likely going to get a second hand seller who probably will sell you bootleg versions. Believe me I tried going those routes, it’s extremely rare you’ll find them on those sites at 1) a good price and 2) it’s going to be legit. BBTS has ALL the Vibration Stars figures when they launch, once they’re sold out that’s typically it. Luckily they do have pre-orders open for months ahead of a figure release so you can put in your order in plenty of time. They also don’t charge you until they have the product on hand, so there’s plenty of time to change your mind.
View all the current “Naruto” Vibration Stars on the BBTS website here. Make sure you look for Vibration Stars in the search bar if you want to see their entire collection of figures available for that series.
Happy collecting!
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