There are two types of figure collectors: those who like to unbox them for display purposes, and those who prefer to keep them sealed in the original box. I would consider myself to be part of the latter category. While I don’t consider myself much of a figure collector, I do own a few, and they remain sealed inside their box to prevent damage from occurring. Now some may think, “What’s the point of owning a figure then?” Well, sometimes it’s worth to preserve the quality of your precious figures, especially if you intend on selling them in the future.
Just the other day, I was overjoyed to discover a sealed boxed containing an old Zelda figure stored away in my home for many years. I actually had no idea until doing some research on this figure, that I happen to own one of the rarest pieces of Zelda merchandise considered by collectors.
In 2001, a company named Epoch produced a series of Majora’s Mask figures originally sculpted by Fumihiko Ennou. The backside of the box showcases the five figures to collect, including: Link (with sword and shield), Deku Link, Goron Link, Zora Link, and lastly, Link & Epona. Standing at a 1/12th scale, the Link & Epona figure is considered the rarest out of the five, as well as one of the rarest Zelda figures in general.
While I personally have not come across any of the other figures (except maybe Goron Link at one point), I have seen Link & Epona appear on eBay a few times, ranging anywhere from $600 to $1000 for the duo. According to the price tag on my box, the original retail price was $14.99. I forget where it was originally purchased, but I assume it was either from GameStop or Toys R Us at the time. It’s crazy to see how much the value has gone up over the years for this item, and it will only continue to increase. I’m curious to know if there is anyone who is lucky enough to have the entire series in their possession, because I would love to see them all together!
