Art of the Shelf: Display

Welcome to Art of the Shelf my attempt to help the world better understand my hobby of figure collecting. This entry we will talk about display and how to improve upon the shelf's visual appeal. Most figures are pose-able, though the amount of this varies, this can add to visual appeal of the shelf. This can sometimes make display difficult. To combat this difficulty most collectors use figure stands. There are two basic types of stands a foot peg stand, and a flight stand.

A foot peg stand is a small piece of flat plastic with a small peg on it that fits into the foot of the action figure.

Peg stands come in a variety of colors and shapes, but the most common is a black circular shape. This offers stability for unbalanced figures and allows for a limited number of dynamic poses.

The flight stand, like the foot peg, also can stabilize a figure. It allows for more pose options, like jumps and flying.

Flight stands also come in varying shapes and colors. Some even have jointed arms to vary the height of the jump or flying pose.

Now many companies include stands in with their figures or offer stand packs. Two of the best are Diamond Select and Tamashii Nations.

Tamashii Nations makes a series of flight stands they call Stages. They come in different varieties of stands for their figures. On top of the flight stand they also have a line called Effects that add to the overall display value of the shelf.

Now while Tamashii Nations has some of the best flight stands. Diamond Select includes more dynamic foot peg stands with their figures. Their stands often act more like a diorama than a stand. Examples: Jay and Silent Bob and the Amazing Spider-Man.

Now both these stands are awesome and add to the over all visual appeal to the shelf and can give it a more dynamic display for your shelf.

With the right combination of stands and other decorative pieces you can make your shelf and your collection look like art.