Toy collector and reseller glossary

Last updated October 4, 2026

Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll see on action figure listings, in collector forums and in reseller talk. Each term has its own link, so you can share a single definition.

Who wrote this: BuyHoldCollect is run by a collectibles reseller. The collector terms come first; terms mostly used by sellers are in their own section below. More about us.

Collector terms

Chase variant (chase): A deliberately rare version of a figure or toy, packed in much smaller numbers than the regular version, often one per case or fewer. It might have a different paint scheme, finish or accessory. Hot Wheels Super Treasure Hunts are a well-known example. Chase variants often ship only in full case packs, and they usually have no separate Amazon listing, so most are bought and sold on eBay, at shops and between collectors.
Chase ratio: How often a chase variant is packed, such as one per case or 1 in 72 blind boxes. Some manufacturers publish the ratio; for others it's only estimated by collectors.
HTF (hard to find): A figure that is difficult to buy at retail, because few were made, it sold out fast, or it was only sold in limited places. HTF describes availability, not value, and it can change quickly: a reissue can turn an HTF figure into an easy one.
Peg warmer: A figure that sits on store shelves (the pegs) unsold for a long time, often until it's marked down to clearance. Peg warmers are usually less popular characters, or figures packed several to a case. The opposite of a shortpack.
Shortpack: A figure packed in smaller numbers than the others in the same case assortment, for example one per case while other figures get two. Shortpacks are harder to find at retail and often become HTF.
Case fresh: A toy taken straight from a sealed shipping case, never handled on a store shelf, so its packaging is usually in the best possible condition. Collectors who display figures in the box often pay attention to this.
Wave: A group of figures from one line released together. A wave usually ships in one or more case assortments.
Case pack (case assortment): The sealed shipping case a manufacturer sends to retailers, holding a fixed mix of figures, commonly 4, 6 or 8 per case. The mix decides how many of each figure reach stores, which is where shortpacks and peg warmers come from. Some lines also come in single-figure cases holding only one figure.
Solid case (solid pack): A case pack that holds only one figure, instead of a mixed assortment. Also called a single-figure case. Solid cases let stores stock up on a popular figure without taking the rest of the wave.
Build-a-Figure (BAF): A larger figure sold in pieces, one piece packed with each figure in a wave, so collectors must buy the whole wave to build it. Some manufacturers have moved away from BAF waves in recent years.
In-line (mainline): A figure from a line's regular retail release, sold through ordinary stores, as opposed to an exclusive. In-line figures are usually made in larger numbers and are more likely to be restocked.
Exclusive: A figure sold only through one retailer, a fan channel (such as a manufacturer's own store) or a convention. Exclusives are made in limited places and are less likely to be reissued, so their aftermarket prices tend to stay higher.
Reissue (reprint): A new production run of a figure that was already released, often with the same or slightly changed packaging. When a reissue ships, the price of the original usually falls back toward retail. Reissues are typically announced as preorders months ahead. See why is this toy so expensive, and will the price come down?
Restock: When a retailer gets more of an item it already sold out of, from existing stock rather than a new production run. A restock can lower aftermarket prices, but the restocked price isn't always the original retail price.
Running change: A change made partway through a figure's production run, such as a corrected paint color or a different accessory. It creates two versions of the same figure in the same packaging, and collectors sometimes hunt the scarcer one.
Repaint and repack: A repaint is an existing figure mold released again with new colors, often as a different character or version. A repack is the same figure sold again in new packaging, sometimes with different accessories. Neither is the same as a reissue, which reproduces the original figure.
Preorder: Ordering a figure before it's released, usually months ahead. Most retailers take payment when the item ships, not when you order. New figures are often available for preorder before any photos of the final product exist.
MSRP: Manufacturer's suggested retail price: the regular price the manufacturer sets for a toy. Retailers can sell above or below it.
Aftermarket (secondary market): Sales after a toy has left regular retail, usually by third-party sellers and collectors, at prices set by supply and demand rather than MSRP. Aftermarket prices can go well above retail, but there is a ceiling on what buyers will pay.
Sealed (MISB, NRFB): A toy still in its original, unopened packaging. MISB means mint in sealed box; NRFB means never removed from box. Loose means opened, with or without the packaging.
MOC (mint on card, carded): A carded figure, sealed in a plastic bubble on a printed cardboard backing, in unopened and near-perfect condition. Retro card means packaging styled after vintage cards from the 1970s to 1990s, used on some collector and reissue lines.
Unpunched: Packaging whose hanging tab (the peg hole at the top of a card or box) is still intact and has never been punched out. It suggests the toy never hung on a store peg, so collectors who keep figures sealed often prefer it.
Box wear (dinged box): Minor damage to a sealed toy's packaging, such as dents, creased corners or scuffs, with the toy itself unaffected. How much it matters depends on the buyer: collectors who display in the box care a lot, while many gift buyers don't notice.
Grail: The one item a collector wants most, usually rare or expensive.

Seller terms

Terms you'll mostly hear from resellers and in online-selling communities.

Q5: Toy sellers' nickname for the weeks right after the holidays, mainly January. Retail splits the year into four quarters, with the fourth (October to December) the busiest; toy sales often stay strong into January, so sellers treat it as an extra "fifth quarter."
Unlisted inventory: Stock a seller owns but hasn't listed for sale yet, usually held in storage. Sellers of collectibles often hold sealed stock unlisted while major retailers still sell the same item at retail.
Third-party seller: An independent business selling on a marketplace such as Amazon, as opposed to the marketplace selling its own stock. When Amazon itself is out of stock, the offers you see come from third-party sellers.
FBA and FBM: Fulfilled by Amazon (the seller stores stock in Amazon's warehouses and Amazon ships it) and fulfilled by merchant (the seller ships orders itself).
UPC and ASIN: A UPC is the barcode number printed on the package; an ASIN is Amazon's own ID for a product listing. A chase variant sometimes shares the regular figure's UPC, which is one reason chases rarely get their own Amazon listing.
Gated brand (restricted brand): A brand or category a seller needs approval to sell on a marketplace. Some toy products are also restricted by the manufacturer from online sales entirely, or from specific marketplaces.
Invoice requirement: For many toy brands, Amazon can require sellers to show purchase invoices from a manufacturer or distributor before they can sell. Collectors selling their own collection usually don't have these, which is why eBay, local shops and Facebook Marketplace are often simpler for a one-time sale.
Retail arbitrage (RA): Buying products in retail stores, often on sale or clearance, to resell online. RA buys into items whose sales history is already visible, and the stock is usually resold right away.
Wholesale: For resellers: buying products in bulk from a licensed distributor, often by preorder before the item is released.
Sell-through: How much of a batch of stock has sold, and how fast. Usually stated as a share sold within a time period.

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To cite: BuyHoldCollect, "Toy collector and reseller glossary," last updated October 4, 2026, https://buyholdcollect.com/glossary. Link to a single term with its anchor, for example https://buyholdcollect.com/glossary#chase.