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1/6th Scale Stands

If you're like me, keeping your 12" and 9" action figures standing for any long period of time can be quite the trick.  Sure, there are some figures that would stand in a down home San Fran bed rattler, and others can't handle the wind turbulence of the average house fly going by.

I've tried a variety of stands and methods to keep my guys and gals on the shelf out of harms way, but some just seem destined to dive.  Now that's come to an end, with these cool little stands from InToyz.

InToyz has been making accessories for 1/6th figures for awhile, and has just started branching into the 1/6th figure market as well.  The also make 4" scale military figures.  To find their products, check out their web site.  I picked up a case (16) of these stands from www.toymaniacs.com for $52 (about $3.25 each without shipping).

Design - ***1/2
So what makes them special?  First, they are designed to hold the figures by the leg.  The small gripper is spring loaded to hold the figure tightly and secure.

These stands are also adjustable, and come with two different lengths of pole.  The shorter one works very well for 9-10" figures like Famous Covers, while the taller pole works perfectly for 12" figures.

Having two poles is not the only adjustable aspect - each pole can further be adjusted by an inch or two, up or down.  Screws at the base and at the joints of the pole allow you to position the gripper in almost any direction, giving you tremendous flexibility.

To add to this flexibility, these stands come in four colors - clear, black, blue and camo.  You can select the one that's best for a particular figure or your display over all.

Not only are the flexible, but they work terrific. I placed several of my problem child figures on them last week, and not a single one has managed to relocate.

My only improvement would have been to make the base a little larger, to give you some additional options on stances.

Value - ***
These aren't cheap, so shop around.  Most places sell them for about $4, but you can get that down around $3 if you buy in bulk and do your homework.  Since traditional doll stands are often $2, provide far less flexibility, and are much more obtrusive, these really are a decent value.

 Overall - ***1/2
For figures that have a tough time standing on their own, I'd recommend grabbing a few of these stands.  At the price point, I wouldn't buy them for every 12" figure you have, but for those vertically challenged, it's well worth the couple bucks to keep them off the floor.

Where to Buy
The only bricks and mortar store I know of that carries this is Rider's Hobby, and then only some.  Your odds of finding these is pretty slim, so on-line is your best bet.

The Intoyz site has a terrific retailer locator.  Here's my suggestions:

- Toymaniacs.  I picked mine up there, because they sold them by the case. Cost came out to about $3.50 each with shipping.  They sell them individually for about the same price, plus shipping.

- Legends Hobbies.  They have them for about $4 each, which is pretty common.

- The Toy Box.  Another web site selling them for about $4 each.

And at least a dozen more...I'd avoid Entertainment Earth on this one.  They're charging $5 each, which is a dollar more than almost every other site.

   From the collection of Michael Crawford

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