<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!-- - EDGAR Ease Plus 1.0                                   04/22/03  TZ    -->
<ownershipDocument>
    <schemaVersion>X0101</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>
   <periodOfReport>2003-07-01</periodOfReport>
    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000892147</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>ACTION PERFORMANCE COMPANIES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>ATN</issuerTradingSymbol>
   </issuer>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001135018</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SAB CAPITAL ADVISORS LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001090963</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SAB CAPITAL PARTNERS LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001251940</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SAB CAPITAL PARTNERS II LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001135020</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SAB CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LLC</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001251938</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>SAB OVERSEAS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT LP</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <reportingOwner>
      <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001251933</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>BOMMER SCOTT A</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>  </rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>  </rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>  </rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>  </rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>  </rptOwnerZipCode>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
            <reportingOwnerRelationship>
         <isDirector>0</isDirector>
         <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
         <isTenPercentOwner>1</isTenPercentOwner>
         <isOther>0</isOther>
       </reportingOwnerRelationship>
   </reportingOwner>
   <nonDerivativeSecurity>
      <securityTitle>
         <value>Common Stock, $.01 par value per share (&quot;Common Stock&quot;)</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <transactionDate>
         <value>2003-07-01</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
         <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
         <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
         <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionAmounts>
         <transactionShares>
           <value>150000</value>
         </transactionShares>
         <transactionValue>
           <value>18.49</value>
         </transactionValue>
         <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
           <value>A</value>
         </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
     <postTransactionAmounts>
         <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
           <value>2088500</value>
         </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
         <directOrIndirectOwnership>
            <value>I</value>
            <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
         </directOrIndirectOwnership>
         <natureOfOwnership>
            <value>See Footnotes</value>
            <footnoteId id="F1"/>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
         </natureOfOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
   </nonDerivativeSecurity>
   <nonDerivativeSecurity>
      <securityTitle>
         <value>Common Stock</value>
      </securityTitle>
      <transactionDate>
         <value>2003-07-01</value>
      </transactionDate>
      <transactionCoding>
         <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
         <transactionCode>P</transactionCode>
         <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
      </transactionCoding>
      <transactionAmounts>
         <transactionShares>
           <value>400</value>
         </transactionShares>
         <transactionValue>
           <value>18.77</value>
         </transactionValue>
         <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
           <value>A</value>
         </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
      </transactionAmounts>
     <postTransactionAmounts>
         <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
           <value>2088900</value>
         </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
      </postTransactionAmounts>
      <ownershipNature>
         <directOrIndirectOwnership>
            <value>I</value>
            <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
         </directOrIndirectOwnership>
         <natureOfOwnership>
            <value>See Footnotes</value>
            <footnoteId id="F2"/>
            <footnoteId id="F3"/>
         </natureOfOwnership>
      </ownershipNature>
   </nonDerivativeSecurity>
   <footnotes>
<footnote id="F1"> The shares of Common Stock to which this note relates are held directly by SAB Capital Partners, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (&quot;SAB&quot;), as to 82,938 shares; SAB Capital Partners II, L.P., a Delaware limited partnership (&quot;SAB II&quot;), as to 3,994 shares; and SAB Overseas Fund, Ltd., a Cayman Islands exempted company (&quot;SAB Overseas&quot;), as to 63,068 shares.</footnote>

<footnote id="F2"> The shares of Common Stock to which this note relates are held directly by SAB as to 191 shares, SAB II as to 5 shares and SAB Overseas as to 204 shares.</footnote>

<footnote id="F3"> SAB Capital Advisors, L.L.C. (the &quot;General Partner&quot;) serves as the general partner of, and has investment discretion over the securities held by, SAB and SAB II. SAB Overseas Capital Management, L.P. (the &quot;Investment Manager&quot;) serves as investment manager to, and has investment discreition over the securities held by, SAB Overseas. SAB Capital Management, L.L.C. (the &quot;IMGP&quot;) serves as the general partner to the Investment Manager. Scott A. Bommer is the managing member of the General Partner and the IMGP.</footnote>
   </footnotes>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer, Managing Member of SAB Capital Advisors, L.L.C.</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer, on behalf of SAB Capital Partners, L.P.</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer, on behalf of SAB Capital Partners II, L.P.</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer, Managing Member of SAB Capital Management, L.L.C.</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer, on behalf of SAB Overseas Capital Management, L.P.</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
   <ownerSignature>
      <signatureName>/s/ Scott A. Bommer</signatureName>
      <signatureDate>2003-07-03</signatureDate>
   </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>

