My Journey into Collecting Finn Bálor Toys
Alright, let me tell you how I got into collecting these Finn Bálor action figures. It wasn’t really a plan, you know? I’ve always liked watching WWE, and Finn Bálor, especially when he does the whole ‘Demon King’ thing, just looked cool. One day, I was just browsing in a store, I think it was Target or maybe Walmart, I don’t remember exactly which one now.
I walked past the toy aisle, something I don’t usually do anymore, but something caught my eye. It was a WWE figure, and it was Finn Bálor. Not the Demon King one, just regular Finn. It looked pretty decent, good detail for a toy. I picked it up, looked it over. Thought, “Huh, kinda neat.” So, I bought it. Didn’t think much more of it, just put it on my desk when I got home.
Starting the Hunt Properly
A few weeks later, I saw another one online. This time it was the Demon King version, full face and body paint. Now that one looked awesome. I thought it would be cool to have both versions, the regular guy and the Demon alter ego side-by-side. So, I ordered that one too. That’s when it kinda clicked. Maybe I could collect just his figures.
So, I started actively looking. My process was pretty simple at first:
- Check the toy sections whenever I went to big stores like Target or Walmart.
- Do some basic searches on places like Amazon or eBay.
Finding the common ones wasn’t too hard. Mattel makes a bunch, the Basic figures and the Elite Collection figures. The Elites are way better, more joints, better accessories, paint is usually sharper. I decided early on I preferred the Elite Collection ones if I could find them.
Expanding the Collection and the Search
Soon I had a few different versions. Some in ring gear, some in his entrance attire. I learned there were exclusives too – figures only sold at certain stores or events. Those were tougher. I started checking collector forums online, not to chat really, but just to see what figures existed and where people were finding them. Saw folks talking about older figures, chase variants, things I hadn’t even known about.
My searching got a bit more involved:
- Regularly checking specific online retailers known for collectibles.
- Setting up saved searches on eBay for “Finn Balor Elite”.
- Visiting local comic book shops or collectible stores, though those are hit-or-miss for wrestling figures sometimes.
- Looking out for the different packaging too, like the NXT versions or special event series.
It became a bit of a routine. Find out about a new release, figure out where it’s being sold, and then try to track it down before it disappears or the price gets jacked up by resellers. Sometimes you get lucky and find one just sitting on the shelf, other times it takes weeks of checking online every day.
Where It Stands Now
So now I’ve got a decent little shelf dedicated to Finn Bálor figures. Mostly Elites, a couple of Basics if they were unique enough. I got the Demon King from NXT, the first main roster Demon, the Balor Club versions, even one with the Universal Championship belt. It’s satisfying seeing them lined up. It wasn’t some grand plan, just started with buying one figure I liked, then another, and it just sort of grew from there. Still keeping an eye out for any new ones they release. It’s a fun, simple little hobby.
