Why do people buy action figures but not open them?

Those are investors, hoping the toy becomes a collectible and demand a much higer price later. Most of those who buy these never got the chance to play with them when they were kids. It's a pity they had to wait that long just to find out the toys never really wasn't that much fun to play with anyway.

It is good my son is not one of them. On the way back home after shopping, he tears up the box and starts playing right there in the car. By the time we reach home, the toy goes straight to the glass cabinet to pose there 'til eternity.

Depends on the person, really. Maybe you would regret not opening them. Others do regret opening them because they lose value. Even when people don't intend to sell their collection, including the package might make it more meaningful for them.

Anyway, when you open yours you make the ones mint in box that much more valuable in the future. When a popular toy comes out, most kids open it and play with it. Most likely, eventually the toy gets broken, lost, thrown away, given away. Then in, say, 30-40 years, they start to get nostalgic for their childhood toy, and can't believe they don't have it anymore. They want to buy another one, and given the choice, they would rather buy the new in box one than the one that has been played with and dirtied up by some other kid. This whole cycle is WHY they are valuable in the first place.

Some people who buy action figures, buy them as an investment hoping the value will increase. Sometimes it happens and sometimes it doesn't. There is always an option to open the figure or to buy a second one to open and display. I have a few Halo and Harry Potter figures I bought just for that purpose.

Some hope to sell them later when their value has gone up from being in mint condition and some people just like to have a mint condition collection.

I've got a friend that buys them as an investment, in hoping that their value will go up. He's not really interested in playing with them to begin with.

we buy them and leave unopened as they increase in value,simple. i do the same with hotwheels cars