I'm a big fan of action figure stands. Anytime an action figure comes with a stand I'm much more likely to give that figure a higher rating simply because I like the assistance in displaying my figures. It's comforting to know that my collectible action figures are less likely to fall over, knock other figures over in a domino-like chain reaction, and take a shelf-dive that possibly leads to breakage. Last February I was rearranging my Masters of the Universe Classics display and I decided I really wanted to spread my collection out more with
Castle Grayskull as the centerpiece. While for the most part MOTUC figures stand pretty well, I was concerned about the aforementioned chain reaction of one figure falling over and knocking down a whole row of other figures. Many of the earliest MOTUC figures have loose ankles, too, so
Mattel's traditional peg based stands just didn't seem like they'd do the trick. After a great deal of searching I came across the stands I'm reviewing today from the
Kaiser Manufacturing Company. While Kaiser predominately makes stands for dolls and teddy bears, it turns out these things are great for action figures. After experimenting with a few different models, I settled on the model 2075 Black Doll Stands for 6 1/2" to 11" inch dolls. These work great for action figures that are in the 7" to 9" inch range, particularly Masters of the Universe Classics, many NECA figures, G.I. Joe Sigma 6, and most everything put out by DC Collectibles. Ready for a look at these stands? Then join me after the break...
Pictured to the left is the Model 2075 Kaiser Black Doll Stand for 6 1/2" to 11" Dolls. These stands are made of metal and come in two pieces. The clasp that fits around the figures chest or waist simply slides into the post on the base. The large, flat metal base definitely help to keep heavier figures from falling over and delivers a nice, clean look. The clasps that fit around the figures are rounded on the tips to prevent excess scratching of paint or plastic.
The two stands on the left are the same size; I've placed them at different heights to show how low and high the clasp on the stand can go. I have over 100 of these stands and have not had any problems with breakage or the clasp being too loose in the bracket.
As I mentioned in my intro, I primarily purchased these in order to display my Masters of the Universe Classics collection. I've found that these stands work great for both male and female characters. Depending on how high you set the clasp (waist, ribs, etc.) figures with different body types can comfortably be held in place. The figures stand up with little to no risk of falling over but can be removed fairly easily. I like that because I tend to pick up my figures quite regularly and don't like anything that causes wear and tear.
Here's a view of the stand from the side. It's not very tight around He-Man's waist. It actually provides a nice deal of support and you can pose your figure a bit as well if you choose to do so. I've fount that the clasp can easily be tucked under things like cloaks and capes or worked around wings, tails, and other accouterments that cause irregular appearances for figures.
These stands say they're for 6 1/2" to 11" dolls, so be careful if you're planning on buying these for true 6" scale lines like Star Wars Black. They work well for the larger figures in these lines (such as
Chewbacca from Star Wars Black) but for the regular sized figures, I use Kaiser's model 1175 stands for 6" to 7" inch action figures. These don't work well for MOTUC or figures with bulkier builds, but they work great with Star Wars Black and Funko Legacy figures. I have a couple MOTUC females on the smaller 1175 stands but overtime I'm transition all MOTUC to the the 2075s.
The ability to raise the height on these stands definitely makes them very versatile. If you're planning on displaying a variety of figures from companies like DC Collectibles, Square Enix's Play Arts Kai, Mezco, NECA, and Mego styled figures, you could probably buy a pack of these and be pretty confident you'd be able to make them work.
because of their enlarged body proprotions, most superheroes work well in these. Anything from DC Collectibles should do well as well as most Marvel Legends, too. What is also kind of cool is that since they are made of metal and have a decent sized area of support for the base, they can support some weight. Check out Nightwing mid kick! Doesn't he look....well, happy is not the right word. Content, maybe? Doesn't he look content delivering a flying kick? yeah, you know he does.
I really like how clean these stands are. I don't find them particularly intrusive at all. The bases are wide enough that they keep the stand and figure sturdy but they're not so large that they cause problems in your display. They have a very nice simple presence to them that lends your displays a crisp, clean, museum like quality. There seem to be some other colors floating around (white and an assortment of pastels) but I'm much more partial to the black stands. I think it adds some sophistication to a display, and it looks like
Clubber Lang agrees with me.
Here's a picture of a G.I. Joe: Sigma 6 figure using one of these stands. These guys are around 8 inches tall and they look fantastic with these stands. At some point, I think I wan to get my Sigma 6 collection all geared up with these nice stands as well. Since foot pegs are rather irregular across action figure lines (and sometimes even across figures in the same line) using a stand that doesn't require using them is a much better option.
One cool thing I've found that you can do is reverse the stand with the clip facing the other way. In the event that you have some figure with really awkward proportions who wants to fall backwards (maybe something with massive wings or something) this is a great way to help keep the figure stable.
These are definitely my favorite action figure stands I've purchased. I'm happy with both their functionality and how they display. Heck, a talented customizer could even customize the bases to add little touches like fake grass, rocks, or other environmental details, kind of like how the bases are decorated in miniature war gaming. Kaiser is my go to company for stands now. While they can seem a bit pricey, the quality is there and I'm thrilled with how well they work. Since these stands keep some of my favorite collections on their feet with style, I feel totally justified in giving them an Epic rating.
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