A Slammy Award Winning Product

Since the days of the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line, wrestling figures have had fun accessories. Belts, foreign objects, even pets. One accessory, around since the LJN era, has eluded the hands of wrestling figures even when one legendary star was noted for carrying one (or two) to the ring. There has even been a full scale replica released. That missing item? The Slammy Award. Finally, over thirty years after the introduction of the coveted award, Mattel has enabled figures everywhere to "take home" that very trophy.

Though the accessory was originally released as a bonus with specially marked "Basic" WWE figures, Mattel wasn't done there. As part of the Toys "R" Us WWE Network Spotlight series, a playset called "Slammy Awards Anarchy" was produced. Similar in style and packaging to the "WWE Behind The Scenes Brawl" set from a few years ago, this release is another environment that figures can be posed with away from the ubiquitous ring. The design is based upon the more recent Slammy Award ceremonies held on RAW. They weren't quite as interesting as the '80s events of the same name, but then again, Kaye Fabe was the director in those days. No one could top her work.

The meat and potatoes here is the backdrop. It's essentially three pieces consisting of a "curtain" piece and two "glass" ends, one of which has breakaway panels. You also receive a podium with microphone, breakaway announce table, one Slammy Awards-labeled chair, a camera, and, of course, a Slammy Award for good measure. An additional Slammy instead of the camera would have been better, but I guess we're looking at "play value" for the kiddies here. If you feel the need for additional trophies, the "chase" figures that included them can be found at below retail prices all around the Internet.

The backdrop is cool looking, although again I could have done without the "play value" with the breakable window. Still, we probably aren't ever getting a Barber Shop set, so you could have Shawn dispose of Marty this way. A cardboard Slammy Awards sign fits above the backdrop. It looks good enough in photos, but appears sort of cheap in person. Most kids would bend this thing in five seconds. The podium is the same one that was included with the Bruno Sammartino figure aside from being molded in a deeper blue color. This is still one of my favorite Mattel accessories to date, so it's cool to see it reused.

The announce table adds a lot, as it is always a coveted accessory. It seems to stay together a bit better than the one included with Shane McMahon. Perhaps the only thing that would have been better if included was one of the larger-than-life Slammy Award trophies that once adorned the stage, even making WWE Hall of Fame ceremony appearances for a few years. Tony Atlas claims that a famous photo taken of him slamming Hulk Hogan was used as the reference for designing the Slammy Award. Whether or not that fact is true, it did make for an impressive cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated.

This is a fun set that is still to be found at some Toys "R" Us stores as the chain fades into memory. Due to the uniqueness, I could definitely see demand and value rising over the years as collectors decide that they want to add a little "anarchy" to their collections. Even the legends would look cool displayed here. With the amazing "King" Harley Race figure being released by Mattel this year, you could even recreate his infamous 1987 Slammy Award brawl with "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. Gorilla Monsoon and livestock sadly not included.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The 1990s

I would have never thought that I'd be nostalgic for the 1990's.  For me, the really fun times were in the previous decade.  Although I was born in 1982, I consider myself a full-fledged '80s kid.  Nonetheless, the passage of time and some rose-colored glasses have finally made me yearn for a dose of the '90s.  In amongst the neon colors, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Crystal Pepsi, there were some fun times in wrestling and plenty of memorabilia to reflect that.

It would be hard to collect wrestling memorabilia and not own something from the '90s.  Action figures, trading cards, magazines, programs, t-shirts, and videos dominated the market.  Because of the large amount of items and the beginning of a collectors consciousness to save, much of this merchandise can be obtained for about the original retail price.  Other items from the decade are still in high demand and, for various reasons, have risen in value.  We're about to take a look at a handful of these '90s wrestling treasures and their recent sale prices.

*The decade began with two wrestling action figure lines, WWF from Hasbro and WCW from Galoob.  The WWF line lasted until late 1994, while Galoob only made a single series in the United States.  A second series featuring several new wrestlers (as well as repaints from the first series) was released in the U.K.  Of these figures, one of the coolest was Michael P.S. Hayes.  The founding member of the Fabulous Freebirds was in a flashy "glam rock" period of his career and this figure reflects that.  A loose example of this figure, my favorite of Hayes, recently sold for $71.50.

*Figures weren't just released in small sizes.  Larger figures were also produced, often with a gimmick attached.  Multi Corp released several water-based WWF toys, including water pumper figures of The Ultimate Warrior and Hulk.Hogan.  Both figures have much more detail than water toys have any right to.  If they had been a few inches shorter, they would have fit right in with the Hasbro line considering the great likenesses.  Their only drawback was a rounded foot design that made them impossible to stand, but after all, they were just essentially water pistols.  A loose Ultimate Warrior recently sold for $10.

*Who said that the advent of WWE Network would kill VHS and DVD prices?  Not me!  For the most part, I've been right.  There will always been an uncertainty with streaming.  You don't have that with tangible media, and the demand is still there.  The 1990's WCW Turner Home Videos have always been popular, and titles like Beach Blast 1992 are still commanding $30 and more.  Is it the Ricky Steamboat-Rick Rude Iron Man Challenge Match or the Missy Hyatt-Madusa Bikini Contest that is still drawing fans?  You decide!

*One event that has yet to show up on WWE Network is the Slammy Awards.  Although they have been an annual part of Raw over the past few years, the ceremonies were irregularly held in the 1980's and 1990's. The 1996 and 1997 events were held in conjunction with WrestleMania in the slot that the Hall of Fame ceremony occupies today.  These 1990's Slammy ceremonies had programs given out at the event. Both programs have the Slammy Award design embossed on the cover.  Though rarely seen, one of each recently sold for a bargain price of $22.50 per program.

*Hasbro is probably the best remembered WWF licensee of the decade, but their products weren't solely limited to figures.  The company marketed a number of roleplaying items that enabled children to "become" their favorite WWF Superstars.  One such item that had a relatively short shelf-life was Jake Roberts' Snake toy.  Although it was marketed simply as Jake's snake, the toy was released around the transition between Damien and Lucifer.  The toy snake even included the famous drawstring bag that held Jake's reptilian friend. A boxed example recently sold for $56.

A variety of items from a decade that offered a variety of wrestling choices.  It would be my guess that demand for these items will only rise, as children of the era who let go of their items at some point are looking to get them back.  The rise in popularity of the Hasbro WWF toys is a big example of this.  As vast as the wrestling of the decade was, I'm sure that we'll revisit this time, and its merchandise, again for another edition of MarketWatch!

Wrestling's Original Diva: From Your Wall To The Hall!

While some may call wrestling a man's world, there are more than a few ladies from the past and present that would make a person eat those words. Mildred Burke. The Fabulous Moolah. Penny Banner. Sherri Martel. All of these women had the wrestling world in their hands at different points in their career due to their actions and presence in the wrestling ring. Taking nothing away from any of these legends, one young woman created a different role for females in wrestling. Borrowing from the charismatic antics of past "lady wrestlers" and adding her own wiles into the mix, Tammy "Sunny" Sytch originated the modern day wrestling "diva."

Anyone who followed wrestling in the 1990's should not be surprised to hear that Miss Sytch is among the 2011 WWE Hall of Fame Class. While stepping into the ring as a competitor very few times in her career, Sytch created the "Diva" style without actually coining the term herself.

From her earliest days in the business as "Tammy Fytch" in Jim Cornette's Smoky Mountain Wrestling, Sytch's Hillary Clinton-esque character was in ways almost a female Cornette. Even those who only followed SMW through the magazines of the time knew that Fytch was destined to be a fixture on the scene for years to come.

After a brief stint as host of the WWF's "Live Event News" segment, Sytch became "Sunny" to Chris Candido's "Skip." Although The Bodydonnas were a success, it was not until Sunny took on a bit of her earlier Tammy Fytch persona as a gold-digging manager that the marketing machine exploded.

Posters. Magazines. Figures. Much like Miss Elizabeth a decade before, Sunny was the preeminent woman of the World Wrestling Federation. Unlike Miss Elizabeth, Sunny had a presence which eventually went beyond the wrestlers that she was associated with. In addition, Sunny was the WWF's first true multimedia star. Due to the WWF's then-association with America Online, Sunny was the most downloaded person on AOL with new photo shoots seeming to hit weekly.

In the 1996 and 1997 incarnations of the WWF Slammy Awards, Sunny was arguably the centerpiece. Between managing, commentating, and hosting, Sunny seemed to be involved in every aspect of the WWF product. The company could not have found a better female face.

Although her main stint with the WWF was just around three and a half years, Sytch would go on to grace the rings of ECW, WCW, and various other promotions throughout the world. Still involved in the business to this day, I have a feeling Sunny will be joining the group of WWE Hall of Fame members who continue to cultivate their careers even after their induction. After all, what else is the "baby" member of the Hall of Fame to do?

There also is perhaps no other WWE Hall of Fame member so close to their fans. Tammy goes out of her way to keep contact with her legions of fans. With such an active calendar full of appearances, it's not hard to meet the "Original Diva" herself.

I, myself, first met Sunny at a WWF appearance in 1997. Her first figure, the JusToys Bend-Em, was also the very first autographed figure in my collection. Since then, I've grown to know Tammy as one of the kindest people in the business. I'm proud to see that someone I've followed, supported, and have grown to know and treasure as a friend is being honored for their career.

The true "Sunny's Secret" is that the best from Tammy is yet to come!

To visit "The Original Diva" herself please visit Tammy Sytch Online. For an entire gallery of Tammy Sytch memorabilia, please check our Facebook Fanpage.

It's Not The Grammy's...It's The Slammy's!

While tonight's Slammy Award broadcast on Raw may not quite have the feel of the Slammy ceremonies of yesteryear, I'm sure it will still contain the WWF/E style humor that the pseudo-awards show has been built on since its inception in 1986.

With such a fun concept and the marketing prowess the WWE has shown over the years, it's always been surprising to me that very little merchandising has been done using this particular idea.

Sure, video tapes of the 1996 and 1997 Slammy Award ceremonies are available, with snippets of the '86 and '87 events on various Coliseum Video releases. Several Owen Hart figures from 1996 featured Owen in his "Slammy Award Winning" tights. However, one would imagine that with the craze of replica title belts, surely a replica Slammy Award would be available. Or possibly a figure-sized Slammy Award included with various action figures over the years? Neither ideas have ever made production.

Two of the lone Slammy items in my collection are actually direct mementos from the '96 and '97 ceremonies themselves...

Both ceremonies had a program which was only available to attendees of the dinner/ceremony of those particular years. My own examples are both autographed by a Superstar who made her mark both of the years, the one and only Sunny. Each are beautifully done and while they do not include photos, they do feature an embossed rendition of the comical Slammy trophy itself. These do not show up very often at all and are most likely all but tucked away into collections worldwide.


I leave you with a photo of your favorite blogger, yours truly, and the Queen of the Slammy's herself, Sunny, holding her Slammy Award for "Best Buns." One can only imagine how much more desirable the recent limited edition Sunny WWE Classic Superstars figures would be had they included little Slammy's...

Enjoy the show!