For those in the know and those new to the hobby, here are a few helpful thoughts and facts about 1/72 scale figure collecting.

• Visit www.plasticsoldierreview.com  By far the mecca of information on new releases, manufacturers, reviews & scans of figure sets.
• If you are planning on painting your figures: Wash them in warm dish soap water, dry thoroughly.  Remove from sprues completely except where attached to the base of the figures.  Base coat with primary flat colors using outdoor plastic furniture spray paint.  Durable, flexible, crack resistant, and much cheaper than modeling paint cans.
• Don't hesitate to use sets of similar uniform design for conversions to your projects.  Example:  Many American Civil War figure sets made for one side can be detailed or primed to fit in well with the opposing army troops.
• Accumulate and sell off your excess figures, your discards are someone else's replacements.
• Play sets are better $ deals than individual sets of equal set quantity.
• Be careful not to buy re-releases or re-issued sets if that is not your intention.
• Ask sellers if older issued figures for sale are showing signs of being brittle.
• Sets sold complete may not be on the sprue, which changes the value of the set.
• Make sure before you purchase multiple auctions from any seller that you understand their rules applying to combined shipping savings as it varies from seller to seller.
• 1/72 scale is larger than a true HO scale.  A true HO scale is 1/87.  20mm is close to 1/72 scale.  25mm is larger than 1/72.
• Not all Giant brand figures are stamped GIANT on their bases.
• Make sure-ask- sellers to secure figures & set boxes in proper shipping containers.  Some sellers are not aware of the decreased value of sets when the boxes they come in are damaged due to inadequately packaged items.