Wrestling MarketWatch: The Big Men!

You may not realize it today, but years ago wrestling was a big man’s business. Some promoters lived by the mantra that in order to get a push you had to be noticeable walking through an airport. A head-turner, if you will. There is some truth to that. I think too many of today’s stars look like your average joe walking down the street. But seeing as that the visual of a “big man” wrestler is a major part of the attraction, that obviously translates well into merchandising. In the latest edition of Wrestling MarketWatch we’re going to revisit some of the classic big men of wrestling and maybe even a modern one. As always, recently sold prices quoted are for unsigned examples unless otherwise noted.

*Big men weren’t always lumbering giants. Many had the athleticism of wrestlers a third of their size. Many arguments have been made that the most athletic wrestling big man of all-time was Big Van Vader. Not really hitting his stride in wrestling until a stint in Japan, it’s easy to see why the hard-fighting mastadon did so well over there. “Strong style” isn’t just a catchphrase. Vader, without a doubt, had his most successful years in the business as part of World Championship Wrestling. He honestly may have seen more merchandise there than his less-than-successful WWF run just a few years later. During his tenure at WCW the company had a comic book published by Marvel. Vader made the cover of Issue 12 which recently sold for $20.

*Another mid-‘90s bohemoth was the man known as Mabel. Originally part of the tag team “Men On A Mission,” Mabel would get to the top of the card as “King Mabel” and eventually adopt other monikers such as Viscera and Big Daddy V. He was just as frightening as Vader albeit in a different way. His consistent mass caused audiences to wow whenever the man known as Mabel took to the ring. Before sadly passing away in 2014, Nelson Frazier had quite a career that rarely saw him fully out of the spotlight. He eventually saw action figures under every gimmick name that he had, but the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars figure of King Mabel has been selling at an average of $55.

*One big man who may have been one of the WIDEST wrestlers to ever grace the ring was the late, great King Kong Bundy. The villain of WrestleMania 2, Bundy gained attention wherever he want. Looking like a classic movie brute, or even monster, Bundy eventually left the wrestling business for a small career in Hollywood. In real life, Bundy was a genuinely nice guy who seemed to enjoy his times at the many conventions that he attended over the years. He, along with Junkyard Dog, were the first two wrestling names that I ever remember knowing. At the height of “Bundymania,” King Kong Bundy appeared on the cover of WWF Magazine in September 1986. The issue recently sold for $30 which is up from $17 when the issue was last featured in MarketWatch five years ago.

*How about a little giant? Nothing about Andre the Giant was little, but some of his merchandise could fit that bill. One of the smallest versions of Andre is the Wrestling Superstars Clip-On from HB Toys. The design greatly resembles that of the first LJN Wrestling Superstars Andre figure. The original packaging for these clip-ons even has the LJN Wrestling Superstars logo and color scheme. Hulk Hogan was also done in this form. While no other characters were produced, HB Toys couldn’t go wrong with those two names. Andre himself recently sold for $17 out of the package.

*One man who has carried the tradition of wrestling big men into the modern era is Braun Strowman. A true giant in every sense of the word, Strowman is not just a “big man” but a “monster among men.” WWE surprisingly let him go during one of their talent purges of the past few years, but the immense superstar recently made it back into the company. Strowman also found his way into one of the earlier Mattel WWE Retro figure waves when the company was still including modern talent. The figure, autographed, recently sold for $100. Monster, indeed!

Quite the variety of gargantuan grapplers. I did originally intend to include three little items featuring The Twin Towers – Akeem and the Big Boss Man, however none have seemingly been sold lately! The items are three cards from the 1989 WWF Classic series. Most collectors are familiar with the 1990 release where the only cards of Akeem and the Boss Man are their single cards. The earlier 1989 set featured those as well as three cards of the twosome as The Twin Towers tag team. When the more widely available set showed up on shelves in 1990 the team had already broken up and the cards were replaced. I wouldn’t necessarily call them rare but I’m always intrigued at their going price since many fans aren’t even aware that they exist. Towers or not, this was a MarketWatch of epic proportions!

The 25th Anniversary of Hasbro WWF--Part 3

 As we roll on in the month-long 25th anniversary celebration of Hasbro WWF, it's interesting to note two other silver milestones in wrestling for 2015.  WrestleMania VI, my personal favorite edition of the event, will be celebrating the big 2-5 and in November, the character of The Undertaker will have been tombstoning his way through WWF/WWE rings for twenty-five years.  Who could have imagined that the latter, what easily could've been a throwaway character, would be iconic a quarter of a century later?  I have a feeling that "The Phenom" will show up in our Hasbro remembrances eventually, but for now here are the five for this week...

*For as big as they were, the Von Erich family did not see an action figure until "The Texas Tornado" hit shelves in 1992.  A great likeness coupled with a "Real Wrestling Action" that fit his actual finishing move, the Tornado was a great addition to the Hasbro lineup. The sad reality was that the figure was released less than a year before the untimely death of Kerry Von Erich.  That being said, Von Erich did several known autograph appearances in that time period and was known to be a gracious signer regardless.  Does a signed Texas Tornado Hasbro figure exist?  Time will tell should one ever surface, but until then we have a great figure of one of wrestling's most storied and charismatic legends.

*Kamala may be beloved now, but in his ring days "The Ugandan Giant" was terrifying.  The mask, paint, spear, and wailing battle cry were enough to scare any young fan and make the big man fascinating at the same time.  From Andre the Giant to Hulk Hogan to The Undertaker, Kamala was a formidable foe for all. Hasbro brought collectors the second action figure of the headhunter, and I can still remember the day that I found it.  A small mob of kids were crowded around the Toys "R" Us Hasbro WWF section, so I knew something good had to be there.  It didn't take me long to notice the yellow borders of the newest figure set. It took even less time for me to decide that Kamala was joining my collection that day.

*Hasbro was no stranger to Sgt. Slaughter.  His deal with Hasbro's bread and butter, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero, is legendary and made him a household name and pop culture celebrity.  However, this figure was his first to officially be produced under the WWF banner.  It has an interesting design, as his attire is patterned after gear wore in a photo shoot and not actually in the ring, but it fits the Hasbro style perfectly. I doubt a more perfect facial likeness of Slaughter will ever be captured.  Sgt. Slaughter was the first wrestler that I ever met, was in the first tag team match that I ever saw live, and the first (and only) male wrestler to sit on my lap.  At ease!

*There's no doubt that the One Man Gang would have made a cool looking Hasbro figure, but Akeem was absolutely made to be in the line.  As "The Gang" himself tells it, Vince McMahon wanted a more colorful character than the "OMG," thus Akeem was born.  "The African Dream" hasn't been seen in WWF rings since shortly after the figure was released in 1990 and it's a shame. The One Man Gang has made a few token appearances, but with all of the goofy WWE humor, we need at least one more appearance from the former Twin Tower.  Rumor has always been that Akeem was to have been in the WrestleMania X-7 Gimmick Battle Royal, but that Gang had lost too much weight to fit the costume.  These days, the big man is once again large and in charge.  It's time for Akeem to jive down the aisle, one more time.

*Talk about having the "look" of a wrestler, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart fits that bill.  The Hasbro figure captured that.  Though many of us would have preferred "The Anvil" in original Hart Foundation attire, instead we got him in the baggy pants of The New Foundation.  His partner in the latter team, Owen Hart, did not come along until a year later.  If ever you could hear an action figure verbalizing his catch phrase, it's this one.  The Hasbro "Anvil" is screaming "Yeah Baby!" and cackling just as he performs one of his flattening clotheslines.  Hasbro also captured the oft-jiggling paunch of Neidhart as well as they did his facial features. 

A tornado, an anvil, a Ugandan headhunter, an African dream, and a real American hero.  A battle royal if there ever was one is forming among these Hasbro elite, and next week we add another five to the fray!

WrestleMania XXIX Weekend: The Memorabilia

WrestleMania weekend is so big that it deserves two entries!  Last week I took the opportunity to tell the story of my own "WrestleMania Moment."  The experience, which I have dubbed "The MetLife Miracle," certainly made my first live WrestleMania one for the books.  I had also briefly skimmed over the memorabilia and other memory-making activities that took place in the NY/NJ area, so in this second installment we'll take a bit of a closer look in that direction.

For the past several years it seems that every independent wrestling promoter wants to "piggyback" on the success of WrestleMania.  You can't put them at fault, as nowhere during the year will you find a bigger collection of wrestling fans in one metropolitan area.  As scary as that may be to some, it can also mean big bucks.  Still, with all that New York City has to offer, I'd venture to say that those promoters had more competition than ever before.

Many autograph and photo opportunities took place under the WrestleCon banner.  Wrestlers from the past and present were booked into the convention, meeting many fans for the first time.  While regular conventions draw a few fans from other countries, WrestleMania attracts hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world.  These fans seemed to take advantage of the opportunities presented and met dozens of stars that they have admired for years.

Of course, the fans aren't the only ones who find themselves feeling a heckuva lot younger.  In my many years of attending conventions, one of the highlights is always seeing the stars themselves reunite.  How often do you see your former co-workers?  Rarely if ever?  The same goes for professional wrestlers.  While they may spend a lot more time with their co-workers than us regular folk do, when places of employment change they often lose track of each other in the very same way that we do.  These shows allow the stars to reconnect and reflect on years gone by.  The difference between our co-workers and fellow wrestlers is that no matter the era or company where they may have work, wrestlers ALL seem to know each other.  It's a beautiful thing.

Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, and Jushin Liger are just a sampling of some of the major names that met with fans during the weekend.  WWE even permitted William Regal to make a rare appearance due to the company pulling Bruno Sammartino from the event in order for "The Living Legend" to do media.  As thrilling as of the above names are to meet, my money is still on stars like Butch Reed, Heidi Lee Morgan, Barry Horowitz, and Tony "T.L. Hopper" Anthony as far as the true highlights of the show.  The above four are among names that simply do not do many appearances on the circuit and are always the ones that bring forth the true "wows" when reflecting upon the event.

As far as memorabilia from the weekend, nothing can truly top the WWE's marketing machine.  Open to all without a ticket of any kind, the WWE Superstore was a destination all weekend right in MetLife Stadium.  Entrance themes and promo videos blared as thousands of fans passed through the doors to stock up on WWE goodies.  Shirts, hats, piggy banks, programs, belts, action figures, and so much more filled the store to the brim.  Anxious fans and shoppers equally filled the WWE's tills after paying the prices asked.

That isn't to say that the store was completely devoid of bargains.  In the previous entry I showed my own personal favorite item, the WrestleMania pullback taxicab toy.  At only $10 it was a unique and inexpensive collectible that looks great as a paperweight for your WrestleMania tickets or just to recall memories of the weekend.  Much of the apparel offered at $35 and up has already starting appearing at reduced prices through WWE's online shop.  If you ever wanted that WrestleMania ballcap or beanie bear, there hasn't been a better time to stock up.

Based upon the past, one major future collectible is the official program for WrestleMania XXIX and the WWE 2013 Hall of Fame ceremony.  While it has the largest price tag ($25) of any WWE program in my memory, it is without a doubt the most massive WWE program in history.  The program is taller and thicker than any live event or pay-per-view oversized program previously produced and is stuffed full of great content.

The WrestleMania side features a profile on each match from the event
(including the cut 8-person tag team match) as well as new "capsule" profiles on each of the previous twenty-eight WrestleMania events.  Also featured is a photo of nearly each and every person currently under contract with WWE.  This includes all of the NXT stars, many making their first appearance on official WWE merchandise.  Next to each photo is a space where, in theory, you could obtain an autograph.

The Hall of Fame side features some very nice shots of the 2013 class and a look back on all previous Hall of Fame classes.  I greatly miss the smaller, unique Hall of Fame programs of the past.  I realize that those days are gone, but it could be a thought to produce a smaller program exclusively available at the ceremony itself in addition to having the Hall of Fame portion in the WrestleMania publication.  A small request that will go unanswered, yet still needed to be said.

So now that the 29th edition of WrestleMania is over, surely the marketing must be as well.  Wrong!  I'm sure that in the coming months there will be a Toys "R" Us exclusive figure series commemorating the stars, moments, and ring gear from WrestleMania XXIX complete with the NY/NJ logo right on the package.  Will I be all over them?  You bet!  Anything that reminds me of "The MetLife Miracle" and the weekend that was has a home in my collection.

WWE Cards Are "Topps" Again With Adult Collectors

Nothing like a punny title to start off an entry. It is based off of fact, however.

It's been almost a year since a true, serious, card set has been released for the WWE. With the current direction of the product, it's also completely understandable. Collectible dog tags, poker-style chips, and "Rumble Packs" largely looking like a card version of the WWE Kidz Magazine have dominated the store shelves. Kids who are enthralled with the ring wars of Cena, Orton, and The Miz, among others, have been buying these items up like hot cakes. Adult collectors, looking for everything that serious card collectors look for, haven't had much to look for.

That is, until now.


Within the past month, Topps WWE 2010 cards have hit stores. Featuring 110 cards in the basic set, 6 subsets, 2 autograph subsets, 2 swatch subsets, and 1 autograph/swatch subset, any enthusiasm lost in the other 2010 releases should quickly rebound.

Parallels, a current staple in card collecting, are included as well featuring different colored borders of the basic 110 cards. Blue parallel bordered cards are limited to a run of 2010 each, while gold borders are limited to just 50. Even rarer red bordered cards are limited to just 1.

The unique subsets combine superstars from all facets of WWE including past and present stars and divas. Sets titled "World Championship Material," "National Heroes," and "History of" mix stars such as The Undertaker, Nikolai Volkoff, and Chris Jericho among many others, providing glimpses into title reigns, home counties, and the careers of these stars.

Autograph and event-used item collectors should be equally appeased, as several combinations of each are seeded into the set. Both single and dual-signed cards are included, with the dual autographs featuring some stars known for teaming and others known for heated in-ring rivalries.

The swatch cards, featuring swatches of superstars attire, come in both the "Superstar Swatch" set and the "Superstar Super Swatch" set, the latter of which features an extra large swatch.

Also up for grabs are "Superstar Signature Swatch" cards, which seem to be included via redemption card insertion. Included in this set is "The Game" himself, Triple H, who has not been included in an autograph subset in many years.

For those of you like me, it's the basic cards which are the most fun to collect. Simple, basic, shots of all of your favorites. While the WWE Legends cards, the final 32 cards in the basic set, includes an amazing array of the best of WWE's past, it's the inclusion of the original 8 NXT Rookies that had me truly pleased. Great studio shots cropped with the NXT logo and a yellow sidebar make these cards a fun extra.

For those collectors who like to get the cards signed themselves, photo-wise this is a great set. One drawback is the high gloss on all cards aside from the "ToppsTown" subset. While the gloss has become somewhat of an industry standard, it was nice to have the four WWE Heritage sets for ease of autograph purposes.

All in the all, the set is beautiful and well produced. New ideas for subsets are always welcome, and many show up here. With the parallels, autographs, and swatches, there's truly something for everyone.

Each pack contains 7 cards. I have yet to open a pack that did not include at least a blue parallel card. Blaster Boxes, 10 packs and an additional relic card featuring a piece of the mat from the 2010 Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, are available at most retailers. Hobby boxes featuring 24 packs are available at many card shops. The hobby box that I opened included one swatch card and one autograph card.

Special thanks to Chris Holmes!

Signed Classic Superstars

Since the line began in 2004, Jakks WWE Classic Superstars collection changed the entire landscape of wrestling collecting. Some collectors who had never entertained the notion of collecting "toys" suddenly changed their tunes. After all, who would've thought old school wrestling legends such as Bruiser Brody, Harley Race, Ron Bass, The Midnight Express, and The Rock & Roll Express, to name a few, would be made into action figures in the new millenium?

Say what you want about the company, Jakks Pacific changed that. Getting off to a rocky start in this collectors opinion, as each new series was announced, thoughts of future figures to be produced began forming in the heads of fans everywhere. "If such-and-such gets a figure, why not this guy?" Into 2005 it was clear that the lame initial lineup featuring stars who'd already had a host of figures produced, not to mention many product inaccuracies, was not going to be the standard.

Hundreds of figures and five years later, we are nearing the end of the line. It's uncertain as to whether or not Mattel (who will take over the WWE line) or Jakks (who will start producing TNA Wrestling figures) will try to tackle or some sort of "Legends of Wrestling" series.

One major concept that came out of the Classic Superstars lined was getting the figures autographed. While getting items signed is obviously nothing new, getting the Classic Superstars signed has been a goal of many collectors. Personally, I have around one hundred of them signed, and I've always felt one of the appeals of getting them signed is the visual aspect. There's no question as to WHERE these things should be signed. The plastic bubble or window encasing the figure is the end-all be-all spot.

For examples, I've peppered this entry with various examples of a few signed pieces from my collection. I hope you've enjoyed this very brief history of the line as well as the photos, as I plan on doing a lot more features on the Classic Superstars in the future. And now, onto my personal favorite...as if you had to guess by now...

I have all of the Dusty Classic figures signed, but this, by far, is my favorite because of the signature. It's the full Dusty signature and is also personalized to me, both concepts that used to be fairly rare in a Dusty autograph.

Again, like you had to guess?

Other Pictures Include: Superstar Billy Graham "Black & White" Exclusive signed, Akeem & One Man Gang signed, Demolition Tag Team Set signed (the singles are more visually appealing, however this is the first one that Bill "Ax" Eadie had ever signed), and "The Outlaw" Ron Bass signed (one of the ones I never thought would get a figure, and was very pleased about).