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Every collector is always looking for new, inexpensive, attractive ways to
display their figures. One such option are acrylic containers such
as those manufactured by Ballqube (http://www.ballqube.com/).
They manufacture a wide range of sizes and shapes, something to fit just
about every collectible. I've pictured two different ones here - the
'Figure Holder', which is sized for 8"-9" figures, and the
'Basketball Holder' which is sized for basketballs. Duh.
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Their standard figure case works quite well for a single
8" or 9" figure - a 10" one might fit, but he'd be crowded,
and there's no room for a 12" figures. Exact dimensions are
5.20" x 3.90" x 10.45". You can see below that a
Famous Cover figure fits nicely, as does the Lone Ranger figure to the
right.
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At 2 for $14.96, or 10 for $66.10, they cost as much as many of the
Famous Covers figures themselves. I'm not sure that the value is
there for the average figure, but if you want to ensure that you will keep
your favorites dust free, I'd recommend these babies.
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They make lots of other sizes as well, intended for all kinds of
collectibles, from sport jerseys to cereal boxes. One of these other
cubes is the Basketball Holder, and it's dimensions are 9.44" x
9.44" x 9.44" - it's too small for anything bigger than a
9" figure, but it's squarer design will allow you to hold more than
one figure, or set up small dioramas under protection.
To the left you'll see this holder containing a bundle of Star Trek
Megos, and three Famous Covers figures. I've also seen this cased
used to set up the Flatt World Bela Lugosi with his coffin and
extras. If you're looking to set up a scene, but still want the
protection from dust, these larger models will do the trick. This
one costs $25.83 for one, $23.08 each for 2 or 3, and for 4 or more they
drop to $20.70 each.
They also make wooden bases for these larger figures, at an additional
cost.
All of these cases open and close the same way - there are two pieces,
each one accounting for three of the sides of the cube. They slide
together to form the plexiglass box. This makes for a very seamless
container, but I found that you have to be very careful taking them apart
and putting them together to avoid scratches and breakage.
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Overall - ***
This product works just like advertised, and looks terrific on the shelf
holding your action figures (or other collectibles). My only
complaint is the price - whenever an 'extra' costs more than the
collectible itself, you have to question the value you're getting.
If the figure holders were more on par with $5 a figure, I'd be much more
pleased with these. Still, if you have a few figures you consider
your favorites, it would be worth it to give them the kind of dust and
damage protection these will provide.
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Figure from the collection of
Michael Crawford.
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