In this category, identity lives in the details that look identical to outsiders and obvious to collectors. Two figures from the same line can be a $20 store pull and a $400 grail separated only by a date stamp, a paint variant, or a sticker on a corner of the box. What you actually need to record is specific: the line and the wave or series it shipped in, the character and any variant or chase designation, the manufacturer, the year, and the sculptor or artist behind designer pieces. For vinyl and art toys you add the colorway, the edition size, and whether the piece is an open edition, a numbered limited run, or a one-off custom. Packaging state is its own field entirely, because a figure is only ever 'mint on card' (MOC), 'mint in box' (MIB), 'mint in sealed box' (MISB), or loose, and the difference moves the value more than the toy inside. Bubble crush, blister yellowing, a creased J-hook, a price-sticker tear, factory flaws, and reissue versus original tooling all matter, and none of them survive in your memory across a few hundred pieces.
The Hoard is the record that holds all of it. It is a collector-first, object-first vault built for people who actually know the difference between a first-run Kaws Companion and a later open-edition reissue, and it is non-custodial: every figure stays physically with you, on your shelf or in its case, while the vault entry is your private, structured record of what it is and what condition it is in. A brand-co-authored registry confirms identity so a line, a series, and a specific release resolve to the same thing every time you reach for it. You photograph a piece, the Gideon scanner identifies it against a reference catalog, and you confirm the match. Nothing is listed, nothing is for sale, and nothing leaves your possession. You end up with a catalog that knows the line, the wave, the colorway, the edition number, and the packaging grade for every object you own.
What to record for every figure and toy
Start with the fields that pin down exactly which release you own, because lines reuse character names and tooling constantly. Record the manufacturer or brand, the line or property, the specific wave, series, or assortment, the character and any variant designation (chase, exclusive, repaint, glow, metallic, GID), the year of release, and the scale where it applies (the 1:12 'six-inch' standard, 1:6 sixth-scale, 3.75-inch, or the freeform sizing of vinyl). For designer and art toys, the artist and sculptor are primary, not footnotes, and so is the colorway, since the same sculpt is reissued in dozens of finishes across a piece's life.
Edition is where this category rewards precision. Capture whether the piece is an open edition, a numbered limited edition with a stated run (and the figure's own number if it carries one), a convention or store exclusive, an artist proof, or a one-of-one custom. Blind-box and sofubi releases need the series and the specific design within it, plus whether it was a standard, secret, or chase pull. A retailer exclusive (Target, GameStop, SDCC, a specific gallery drop) belongs in the record because exclusivity, not the sculpt, often defines the piece.
Then document condition and packaging as separate, deliberate fields. Note the packaging state precisely (MOC, MIB, MISB, loose-complete, or loose-incomplete), and for carded and boxed pieces describe the blister, the card, the J-hook, the bubble, and any yellowing, creasing, sticker residue, or factory dents. For loose figures, record paint apps, joint tightness, accessories and how many of the original count are present, and any stress marks, discoloration, or sun fade. Photograph the box's UPC and any date or copyright stamps, since those are what separate an original run from a reissue.
Identifying a figure or toy by photo with Gideon
Telling releases apart by eye is genuinely hard in this category, which is exactly what the Gideon photo scanner is built for. You photograph the piece, and Gideon identifies it against a reference catalog, matching the sculpt, the deco, and the packaging to a specific known release rather than just a character or a line. You confirm the match, and the line, wave, year, and release details populate the entry instead of you typing them from memory.
Shoot the details that actually distinguish releases. Capture the front of the card or box, the character art and logo, the printed line and wave name, and the barcode region. For loose pieces, frame the full figure plus any maker's marks, copyright stamps, or country-of-origin and date codes molded into the plastic, usually on the back, the foot, or inside a limb. For vinyl and art toys, get the stamp or signature on the base and any edition numbering, since that is what separates a numbered limited from an open-edition reissue of the same sculpt.
When a piece is genuinely ambiguous, a variant that differs only by a paint application or a chase that shares a sculpt with its common counterpart, confirmation is yours to make. Gideon proposes the closest catalog match and you accept or correct it, so a repaint never silently gets logged as the standard release. Once confirmed, the brand-co-authored registry keeps that identity consistent, so every entry from the same release resolves the same way across your whole vault.
Organizing a collection that keeps growing
Figure and toy collections grow in waves, literally, and a vault has to keep up with that without turning into a flat list. In The Hoard, every item carries a primary category plus secondary tags, so a piece can sit under its line as the spine of your collection while tags hold the cross-cutting facts: the artist, the colorway, the year, the exclusive it came from, whether it is sealed or loose, and its scale. That means you can pull every numbered limited edition you own, every GID variant, or every piece from one convention drop without rebuilding your filing each time a new wave lands.
Tag by the questions you actually ask. Collectors track completion against a wave or an assortment, separate the display army from the sealed-and-stored copies, and watch which sculpts they own across multiple colorways. A clean tag scheme answers all of that: a 'sealed' tag and a 'displayed' tag, a tag per line or property, a tag per artist for designer pieces, and a tag for edition type so open editions, numbered limiteds, and customs stay distinct.
The primary category gives you the structure and the tags give you the angles, so a collection that spans 3.75-inch retro lines, six-inch modern figures, sofubi, blind-box runs, and gallery-drop art toys still reads as one coherent vault. As pieces arrive you scan, confirm, and tag, and the catalog stays current instead of drifting into a backlog you mean to sort out eventually.
Provenance, condition grading, and protecting what a piece is worth
What a figure is worth tracks tightly to what you can prove about its state, and the proof has to be captured before anything happens to the piece. A dated condition record, clear photos of the sealed packaging or the loose figure with its full accessory count, and a note of where and when you acquired it together form the provenance that matters when a piece changes hands or needs to be valued. For sealed pieces, the integrity of the box and blister is most of the value, so documenting bubble, card, and seal condition up front is the single most useful thing you can do.
Grading in this category is partly formal and partly collector convention. Carded vintage figures move through third-party grading services that assign numeric scores and seal the piece in an acrylic case, and if you own graded examples you should record the grader, the grade, and the certification number. For the far larger pool of ungraded pieces, the working language is condition shorthand (MISB, MIB, MOC, loose-complete) plus an honest description of flaws, and The Hoard gives you a place to keep that consistent across the whole collection rather than re-guessing each time.
Because The Hoard is non-custodial, your figures never leave your shelf, your detolf, or their cases. The vault is a private record, not storage, escrow, or a listing, so cataloging here protects what you own without exposing it. If you ever do sell, insure, or pass a piece along, you hand over a clean, photo-backed history of exactly what it is and what condition it was in, which is worth far more than a memory and a guess. The record is yours, it stays private, and it makes every other decision about the collection easier.
Frequently asked
What is the best way to catalog an action figures and toys collection?
Catalog each piece by the fields that actually define it: manufacturer, line, wave or series, character and variant (chase, exclusive, repaint, GID), year, scale, and for designer pieces the artist and colorway. Record edition type separately (open edition, numbered limited with run size, exclusive, or custom) and grade packaging state precisely as MISB, MIB, MOC, or loose with an honest note of flaws. In The Hoard you photograph each item, the Gideon scanner identifies it against a reference catalog, you confirm the match, and you tag it by line, artist, colorway, and condition so the collection stays organized as it grows.
Is The Hoard free for action figures and toys collectors?
Yes. The Hoard has a free tier you can use to start cataloging your figures and toys. If you want more, Collector Pro is available monthly, annually, or as a $179 lifetime unlock while founding seats remain. Free members can keep cataloging; Pro unlocks the full collector toolset.
How does The Hoard identify a figure or toy from a photo?
The Hoard uses a photo scanner named Gideon. You photograph the piece, ideally capturing the card or box front, the logo and printed line and wave name, the barcode, and any molded date stamps or maker's marks, and Gideon matches it against a reference catalog to identify the specific release rather than just the character. It proposes the closest match and you confirm or correct it, so a repaint or chase variant is never silently logged as the standard release. A brand-co-authored registry then keeps that identity consistent across every entry from the same line.
Does cataloging on The Hoard list my figures and toys for sale?
No. The Hoard is not a buy/sell marketplace and it is non-custodial. Your figures and toys stay physically with you, on your shelf or in their cases, and the vault entry is a private record of what you own, not a listing, storage, or escrow. Cataloging a piece never puts it up for sale or exposes it to buyers.
How should I record sealed versus loose figures and packaging condition?
Treat packaging as its own field, because it often moves value more than the figure inside. For sealed and carded pieces, record the exact state (MISB, MIB, or MOC) and document the box, blister, bubble, card, and J-hook, noting any yellowing, creasing, dents, or sticker residue, since seal integrity is most of the value. For loose pieces, record whether they are complete with the full original accessory count, and note paint apps, joint tightness, and any sun fade or stress marks. If a piece is professionally graded, also record the grading service, the grade, and the certification number.