So, this X-Men ’97 thing dropped, and man, it pulled me right back in. Watched the first few episodes and the nostalgia hit me like a ton of bricks. Then, of course, they announced the action figures. My wallet let out a little whimper, but I knew I had to check ’em out. It wasn’t really a plan, more like, “Oh, these exist? Let’s see.”
Getting Started with the Hunt
First thing I did was casually browse online. You know, just seeing what was out there, what they looked like. Didn’t jump on pre-orders right away. I’ve been burned by that before, stuff arriving damaged or looking nothing like the pictures. So, I waited a bit, wanted to see them in the wild, so to speak.
Then I started actually looking. Popped into a few local stores when I was out running errands. My first thought was, “Are these even going to be easy to find?” Because you know how these things go. Hype builds, and then poof, shelves are empty.
First Finds and Building Momentum
My first score was Wolverine. Walked into a store, not even really looking for him specifically, and there he was, just one left. Snatched him up. Felt pretty good, not gonna lie. Like a small victory. He looked decent, better than I expected for the price, actually.
After that, it kinda became a thing. I wasn’t going crazy, but if I was near a toy aisle, I’d take a peek. It’s funny how it works. You get one, then you think, “Well, Wolverine needs Cyclops.” So, I started keeping an eye out for him next.
- Found Cyclops a week later, different store.
- Then I stumbled upon Storm, she looked pretty cool.
- Rogue was a bit tougher; took me a couple of weeks of casual searching before she turned up.
It wasn’t like I was dedicating whole days to it, just integrating it into my usual routine. If I saw one I wanted and didn’t have, and the price was right, I’d grab it. Sometimes I’d go into a store and find absolutely nothing. Other times, I’d find a couple I was missing. It’s a bit of a crapshoot, really.
The Current State of Affairs
So now I’ve got a small lineup going. Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Rogue, and I even managed to find a Morph, which was a pleasant surprise. They’re just sitting on a shelf in my office. Nothing fancy, but it’s cool to look over and see them there. Brings back good memories of the show, both old and new.
It’s not always easy, though. Sometimes you see the empty pegs where they should be, and you know someone either beat you to it, or the scalpers got there first. That’s always frustrating. And online prices can be ridiculous. I’m not paying double or triple for a piece of plastic, no matter how much I liked the character as a kid.
I’m still keeping an eye out. Gambit is one I’d like to find. And Magneto, if they make a good one. But I’m not stressing over it. If I find them, I find them. It’s more about the fun of the hunt and having a little piece of that X-Men ’97 magic. It’s a simple thing, but it’s been a nice little hobby to pick up again. Just taking it one figure at a time, seeing where it goes. No pressure, just enjoying the process. That’s the key, I think.
