Apex Display Case from SmallJoes.com

During most of my G.I. Joe collecting life, I was never much of a "display" guy. To me, it was much more important that figures had articulation, movement, and a certain style that was more in tune to playability rather than simple display. However, a funny thing happened when the Anniversary line came along...I suddenly became a fan who cared about displayability.

Perhaps it's because sculpting and media-accuracey has improved so much in recent years to the point that the figures look a lot more like they're portrayed on the tv screen or the comic page, but whatever the reason is, I've become more interested in having figures display well. Needless to say, I was thrilled when I heard that SmallJoes was distributing a new stackable, dust-free display case system by Apex, perfectly suited for G.I. Joe scale figure displays (and all sorts of other things as well).

The case comes in three separate pieces, the clear poly-styrene floor, the "steps", and the case over the top. The material is crystal clear, yet light, but very sturdy. Like ridiculously sturdy. I was surprised at how thin the plastic felt, yet it's very rigid and solid.

The steps are a totally movable part of the display so they can slide forward or back to accomodate more troops (or even a small vehicle) in front of the case. Or, if you prefer, you can remove the stairs entirely and just use the empty display to showcase a medium sized vehicle, or even figures of larger scales.

Which, of course, brings me to the whole size angle. The dimensions of the case are as follows:

But for a more "real world" measurement, check out how it compares to a few different scales of figures:

One of the biggest draws of something like this is obviously the look. The nice, polished clear plastic plays into that considerably, but another aspect is the fact that whatever's inside remains remarkably dust free. Dust is a constant battle in the toy display world, and a case like this that keeps things so free of dust and grime is something that display folks have been clammoring for for a long time. The way the upper case fits into the bottom floor creates a seal so nice and tight that it keeps things inside remarkably clean and polished.

Really, this is one of the more versatile display cases I've seen, but even better is the price. For folks to buy a nice clear display case, you're talking significant funds...however, the complete set of the floor, top panel, and "stairs" retails at SmallJoes for only $24.99. The smaller size gives you infinite versatility, flexibility, and lets you create a nicely displayed, organized collection anywhere in your home or your office. Even if dust isn't one of your biggest concerns, you can pick up the stair stand on it's own for only $9.99, which is a deal in and of itself. It's stackable, customizable, and quite strong.

It's convenient...the Anniversary stuff really kicked in my love of displaying figures, and that's going strong now with The Rise of COBRA, and just in time, this new Apex display case comes along and makes displaying things a lot easier, and more convenient. I think everyone who collects and displays 3 3/4" (or 4") figures should kick the tires on one of these. I have a feeling you won't be buying only one!

GRADE: out of FIVE