I started collecting the Hot Toys line of Marvel sixth-scale figure this year. I’ve long been a Marvel fan, and I love what they’re doing with their cinematic universe, so when I saw the products Hot Toys were producing, I had to own one. An Iron Man led to a Captain America, which led to a Thor, and then another Iron Man, and… you get the picture.

I have, at one point in my life or another, collected things, but I have never felt like I was a big collector. I rarely latch onto things in that way, in a need to amass an assortment of one type of thing for display or otherwise.

Of course, I never really grew up though, so I still love a good super hero toy (or, toys in general really). Hot Toys are a bit of a paradox, though. At their price tag, you’d never give one to a kid to play with, even though their articulation begs to be enjoyed through the imagination of a child. But while I am long past playing “guys” (as my sister and I used to call it when we played with my action figures), I still get a lot of enjoyment from the sheer amount of work that’s gone into replicating the costumes and likenesses from the movies.

Outside of a sculpted statue, you’ll rarely see costume detail this great on an action figure. The Iron Man armors alone, since they are entirely sculpted, are not only a feat of crafting detail, but of engineering as well.

Even if these figures are never something you feel the need to own, I still recommend ogling the craftsmanship.