Doctor Who Figures & Collectibles: Buying Guide
December 12, 2025
Even the most casual of Doctor Who fan can appreciate a well-made figure, or a Sonic Screwdriver from their favourite Doctor. But, if you’ve finally decided to take your first steps into the world of collecting, it pays to know what to look for when you’re purchasing Doctor Who merchandise.
As the licensed vendors of Doctor Who merchandise, through Character Options, we’re delighted to share our top tips and key considerations when buying everything from sets and figures to Doctor Who Sonic Screwdrivers. Let’s get into it…
What are collectibles?
Collectibles are incredibly popular. They’re the perfect way to showcase your interests, and collections often have a huge sentimental or personal value to the collector. A large collection can also be incredibly satisfying to look at and display in your home. Plus, figures and sets in mint condition may even increase in value over time - with rarer or limited edition pieces sometimes fetching a lot of money in the right market.
But collecting is not always driven by financial reasons; sometimes it’s the simple joy a collection can give you that makes all the difference.
Collectibles themselves can be anything: stamps, playing cards, coins, vintage toys, or popular culture figures - like, perhaps, Doctor Who action figures. However, whatever you choose to collect, you need to make sure you’re picking the best items for your collections to enhance and build with each purchase.
Fun fact: Doctor Who is the second-largest action figure line ever produced (slotting just behind Star Wars).
Buying Doctor Who merchandise: what to look for
A new addition to a collection needs to fit in with the vibe of the rest of your items. With Doctor Who merchandise, this means there are several key considerations you need to think about before you buy a new item.
To help you make the best choices as a new collector, we’ve picked out some of the most important things to look for before you buy…
Figure articulation
Figure articulation describes where and how much an action figure can move. For Doctor Who figures, this is important for out-of-box display purposes, as it allows you to pose your figures in different ways. When you’re considering figure articulation, you should look for joints and movement around key areas such as:
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The neck, allowing the head to turn.
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The arms, from shoulder down to wrist.
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The hips, with hinging, allow a figure to bend and move.
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The legs, including knees and ankles.
Want an example? Check out the Doctor Who Fifteenth Doctor and Ruby Vortex Edition 5.5” Collector Figures. These Gen 3 Doctor Who figures have been designed with internal pivots on the neck and ankles, a ball-jointed waist and shoulders, and even internal pins on the arms and legs for maximum movement and articulation.
Top tip: articulation also matters if you want to play with your Doctor Who action figures, as you can pose and move them as you wish.
The evolution of Doctor Who figure articulation
Doctor Who figures have gone through a lot of amendments to maximise the potential movement and articulation around the joints. Knowing which generation of movement your figure has can help you build out a fuller collection (including older pieces). To help you spot the difference, the generations look like this:
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Gen 1: gen 1 Doctor Who figures, for the most part, had visible planar joints. Planar joints only really allow for sliding movements.
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Gen 1.5: moving forward, Doctor Who figures from this round benefited from added ball joint shoulders where necessary (offering more movement).
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Gen 2: gen 2 Doctor Who action figures had a mixture of planar and ball joints, AND better deco on the base plastic. This allowed them to show more detail on the moulding, for a more comprehensive end product.
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Gen 3: an improvement on all of the previous qualities, gen 3 Doctor Who figures have better moulding, which produces more detailed designs and decoration; and increased articulation points, including internal pin joints and ball jointed necks.
Size
When you’re beginning your collection, size matters: both for display purposes and general storage. If you’re building a display, having figures of the same size helps you to present your collection in a cohesive, uniform way because everything looks in proportion.
Top tip: if you have limited space, smaller figures are easier to store and display, allowing you to show off more of your collection at once.
Larger Doctor Who figures have more scope for detail, as there is more to work with; so, if micro-details are important to you as a collector, this is something you should keep in mind. They also tend to have more articulation, as there is more room to fit in joints and pins for movement.
Appearance
If you’re collecting something, you want it to look right. So, the appearance of your Doctor Who merchandise is incredibly important; after all, a Doctor Who figure needs to be immediately recognisable as the intended character.
Take our Doctor Who Constable Zreeg and Sergeant Zogroth Wrarth Warrior Set. This “Vortex” set has two of the most identifiable Wrarth Warriors from the episode ‘The Star Beast’: Constable Zreeg and Sergeant Zogroth. Using key attention to detail through unique paint detailing and individualised carapace fronts, Doctor Who fans are able to distinguish between the appearance of the two figures with ease. Even the colouring and contour on the skin help to make these Doctor Who figures instantly identifiable.
Accessories
There are two main categories of accessories you need to consider when you’re buying Doctor Who merchandise for a new collection. These are:
Doctor Who figure accessories
Not all figures are sold alone - they can come with unique accessories to enhance your collection. For example, our online exclusive Doctor Who The Master and TARDIS Vortex Edition Figure Set includes:
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Two interchangeable heads, one neutral, and one with the renowned sneer of Ainley’s Master.
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The ‘Doric Column’ TARDIS, seen in classic Who episodes ‘Logopolis’ (the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker’s, final story), or ‘Castrovalva’, where we first see Peter Davison as the Fifth Doctor.
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The Tissue Compression Eliminator (TCE), used by The Master to shrink his targets down to doll-size.
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A Matrix Internment Orb, used by the Seventh Doctor (Sylvestor McCoy) to return The Master’s remains to Gallifrey in a 1996 TV movie.
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A Time Lord Funeral Casket, another prop from the 1996 Doctor Who TV movie.
Prop replicas
Replicas of famous props from the show are the perfect accessory for any Doctor Who merchandise collection. And, obviously the most iconic, is the Sonic Screwdriver.
Practically every Doctor used a sonic device of some kind, but the Doctor Who Sonic Screwdriver really started with the Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton). Each incarnation has often redesigned, or built, a Sonic Screwdriver to reflect their personality and the type of Doctor they are. Replicas of these are incredibly popular with collectors, as they’re instantly recognisable and intrinsically linked to the Doctor in some way.
So, when you’re just getting started, why not choose something so immediately recognisable?
For this piece of Doctor Who merchandise, it’s important to make sure you know which one you want (from which Doctor), as they are so intensely different. Just look at the sonic of the Fifteenth Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa.
A total diversion from the cylindrical shape that somewhat resembled an actual screwdriver, Doctor Who The Fifteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver Two Tone Chromed Edition is bright, curved, and completely unique. As such, it’s an integral part of any Fifteenth Doctor collection. Our replica is complete with five unique sound and light effects, the swivel out power core, and a spring-out and retract Emitter.
Quality
Whatever you choose for your Doctor Who merchandise collection, the quality matters. However, when you’re just getting started, it can be difficult to know what you need to look for. We recommend:
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Always look for items that are well-made and packaged properly.
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For figures and replicas with moving parts, make sure any joints and articulation points are secure and not liable to break.
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Check the appearance of your items, including paint work, coatings, and textures to make sure you’re getting the best for your collection.
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Buy from somewhere you can trust. At Character Group, we’ve been in the game for 20 years (and counting) - so when it comes to Doctor Who merchandise, we’re unsurpassed.
Tips for building a Doctor Who merchandise collection
Ready to get started? Check out our top tips for building a Doctor Who merchandise collection right here for some extra advice to help you get going…
Collect what interests you
Collectibles, and collections themselves, are inherently personal. If you’re planning on displaying something in your home, you need to be interested in it. With Doctor Who collectibles, this means you don’t have to collect anything and everything. You might prefer Classic Who over New Who (or vice versa), or only want to collect items from a specific Doctor.
When you’re curating your collection, investing time, money, and energy in your own interests within the wider Doctor Who Universe is far more satisfying than simply picking items at a whim.
Start small
When you’re just starting out with Doctor Who merchandise, we recommend starting small. You don’t need to buy in bulk to have a massive collection straight away: the joy is in growing your collection, not starting with hundreds of items.
Plus, as a beginner, it’s important that you take the time to get to know your collection and interests. As your experience with figures and other merchandise grows, you can get more creative and take more risks; but for now, concentrate on building a solid foundation with quality pieces you can trust.
Don’t rush
There’s no rush to collecting Doctor Who merchandise: somewhat ironically, it’s not locked to a specific timeline. While rarer or limited edition items will naturally have a tighter turnaround, in general you don’t need to rush to amass loads of items all at once. Instead, look for quality pieces that you like, and pick them up as and when your budget allows.
The best Doctor Who collections take years to build and curate, so don’t feel that you have to have everything straight away.
Top Tip: at Character Options, we’re often releasing new items and online exclusives, which is perfect for building your collection over time.
Store your collections properly
You want your Doctor Who merchandise to last, so you need to store them properly. There are a couple of general rules to making sure your collections are stored well.
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If you plan to keep your collectibles in their original boxes, make sure you keep them flat, or upright to avoid squashing the packaging.
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Keep your figures out of direct UV light, as this can cause colours to fade faster.
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Don’t overcrowd your displays or storage bins, as it can cause accidental scratches or scuffs.
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Keep them somewhere cool and dry, as extreme temperatures or damp can damage your items.
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Use display cases where applicable to stop dust from setting in the nooks and crannies of figures and prop replicas.
Top Tip: spend some time thinking about your display or storage system before you buy items for your collection. This allows you to start as you mean to go on, rather than scramble around after the fact.
Buy from reputable vendors
To get Doctor Who merchandise you can trust, you should ALWAYS buy from reputable vendors. This ensures you’re getting a quality, well-made product at a guaranteed price. This also helps you to prove providence and authenticity of each piece, which is useful for future valuations (if you choose to do so).
If it’s Doctor Who merchandise you’re looking for, Character Options should always be your first stop. Character Options has been the licensed manufacture of Doctor Who merchandise since 2005, so you know that you’re getting top quality, authentic items. And, with 490 figures (to date) produced since 2005, and 12 replica Sonic Screwdrivers (some with different colour options and electronic components), we’ve got you covered.
Character Options: home of licensed Doctor Who merchandise
Looking for Doctor Who merchandise? You’ve come to the right place. We’re the home of Doctor Who merchandise online.
Shop Doctor Who merchandise at Character now