Short answers, pulled from the story.
A model figure is a scale model representing a human, monster, or other creature. Subjects include generic figures of a type such as a World War II Luftwaffe pilot, historical personages like King Henry VIII, and fictional characters. They are sold as kits for enthusiasts to construct and paint, or as pre-built collectable figurines.
Military model figures are commonly produced in 1:72, 1:35, 1:48, and 1:32 scales. In the early 1980s and 1990s, 1:72 and 1:35 were the dominant scales, with 1:48 typically reserved for aircraft crews and 1:32 used largely for vehicles and their crews.
Aurora Plastics Corporation was one of the largest producers of monster model figures in the United States, producing many thousands of figures from each mould. They made 1:8 scale plastic kits of movie monsters including Frankenstein, The Wolf Man, Dracula, and the Creature from the Black Lagoon during the 1950s and 1960s. Aurora's moulds were later sold to Monogram.
Garage kits are model figures produced by both amateurs and professionals, usually cast from polyurethane resin. They are produced in limited numbers and are more expensive than typical injection-molded plastic figures. In Japan they often portray anime characters; in the US they are more commonly movie monsters.
A chase figure is a model released in limited amounts relative to the rest of an assortment, often at a ratio of one chase figure per two cases of regular product. The name reflects the extra effort collectors put into tracking down the rare variant. Chase figures are more common in collector-oriented lines like Marvel Legends and WWE Classics.
The global animation merchandising market from Japan is estimated to be worth around 663 billion Japanese yen. Well-known manufacturers for quality include Good Smile Company, Aniplex, Hot Toys, and Bandai. Scale figures in this market can cost several hundreds to thousands of US dollars, while prize figures are lower-cost options often found in claw crane games.