Even for adults...it's O.K. to play!

There's no doubt that society is ever changing. For better or for worse ideals and situations that were once unacceptable to the general public have rapidly been making a complete 180. No, we're not getting political here. We're staying on the track of collecting but perhaps in a bit different manner than usual. Collecting action figures hasn't always been the most accepted practice. To some it's just "collecting dolls." But what about playing with them? Surely only kids do that. Interestingly enough, adults have found a new way to "play" with toys ranging from superheroes to Star Wars to wrestling: action figure photography.

Go ahead and plug that hashtag in on Instagram. You will be amazed at what you see. Real events and matches recreated. "Dream" bouts and settings that never occurred. "Bookers" creating their own promotions and lineage. Even custom figures of wrestlers who never truly existed. It's all there. Taken with cameras ranging from professional jobs to the one packed right in your cell phone. Go ahead and look around. See what there is to see. I'll wait.

Did you see all of those cool pics? The truth of the matter is that "action figure photography" is an adult way to play with toys. And it's accepted. Did you take a gander at the "likes" and "follows" that these account receive? Escapism. Art. Fun. Whatever you want to call it, it's here to stay.

The action figure manufacturers themselves have totally helped. Figures are becoming more and more realistic every day. You're hard-pressed to find a wrestling action figure these days that doesn't have interchangeable hands included, not to mention heads and of course clothing and accessories. With varying ways to make a single figure appear visually, a crafty photographer can place that figure in any number of different situations with a variety of interesting results. Even mixing accessories and outfits from a variety of different releases can surprise the most seasoned toy photographer.

There are even some companies away from the licensed groups that are getting in on the action. Any variety of dioramas and backdrops can be found to make these photographs completely immersive. Sure, the Rebels can hop aboard a starship or Batman can surprise The Joker in a dark alley, but now wrestling rings can be set up in full-sized arenas. Need a backstage area and/or locker room? You're covered there, too. And of course there's no substitute for imagination and a little elbow grease. Heck, Mattel has supplied some fantastic interview backdrops as cardboard backing with some of their releases over the years. You didn't throw that packaging away, did you?

Believe it not, I'm of the opinion that this hobby will have a lasting effect on the collectible market itself. With more and more buyers opening their figures to have some fun, less will be left boxed. While some will argue that these modern figures are mass marketed and thus will never hold the same value as their counterparts from the past, just point out how lack of proper distribution (thought I'd avoid that word in this entry...) on some of the figures instantly cemented their collectability.

Now then, open up that Mattel King Harley and take a great pic!

The Marketable Visage Of Rick Martel

When you heard the strumming of the harp strings, you knew that the arrogant one was about to enter the arena. Yes, he was "The Model," and despite beginning his career in the relatively merchandise-light era of the 1970's, Martel ended up being featured on a load of items over the next few decades. Some of those pieces were reeking with arrogance, while others showed a clean cut hero who was virtually always striking with force. As we take a look at a few of them, perhaps you will want to cue up his famous WWF theme as mood music.

Originally making his mark in tag team wrestling on the '70s World Wide Wrestling Federation scene, Martel ended up honing his craft all over the world. The French-Canadian star began, as mentioned above, as a babyface who made the men cheer and the women swoon. Similar to his later partner Tito Santana, Martel may have had an accent but the fire in his promos came across crystal clear to all audiences. That fire translated perfectly into the ring with a style that was adaptable to virtually any opponent. Add it all together and Rick Martel had the perfect recipe for success.

Many fans will recall when Rick Martel shot to the top of the American Wrestling Association. "Ricky" made a credible AWA World Champion and was a good compromise between the ever-changing 1980's wrestling scene and the often-antiquated AWA approach to the industry. Martel, always a favorite with the magazine publishers in those days, appeared on covers as both "World Champion" and "rising star" simultaneously.

Famously, this period also saw the first action figure of Rick Martel. Originally packaged with opponent Baron Von Raschke, Martel's figure is one of the first that flashes to mind when the Remco AWA line is mentioned. Complete with jacket and occasionally a championship belt as well, there were several head sculpt variations for the figure that have previously been shown in these pages. Martel also appeared on the kid-sized championship belt carrying case that was supplemental to the Remco figure line.

In 1986 Martel jumped back to the World Wrestling Federation and immediately returned to the tag team ranks. Initially teaming with Tom Zenk as The Can-Am Connection, Zenk's departure led to Martel joining forces with Santana as Strike Force. The team saw a nice burst of success including a classic theme song in "Girls In Cars," a tag team championship run, and inclusion in LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars figure line.

1989 finally brought us a side of Rick that we did not yet know existed. At WrestleMania V, Martel turned on Santana and became an arrogant heel. Later that year, Martel became "The Model." Complete with his own cologne appropriately named "Arrogance," Martel took the ball and ran with the character. While he did not add any titles to his resume during this time, "The Model" had several memorable feuds all the way up to 1995. His inclusion in the Hasbro WWF figure line has always been a favorite of mine and in many ways was unexpected when released in 1993. Over the years "The Model" has also been produced by Jakks and Mattel as action figures, was included in the Remco WWF Superstars Shoot-Out table top hockey game, and appeared in several video games.

As arrogant as "The Model" was, Martel himself has always seemed to be a likable guy. Though he has appeared on the convention circuit in the past, promoters report that he has been relatively unavailable for bookings in recent years. By all accounts, Martel has had a happy and successful family and business life outside of the wrestling world. With all of the tragedy and sorrow that has surrounded many of his colleagues from the same wrestling era, this can only be taken as good news. Last seen on WWE television over twelve years ago, I think it's time that we hear that harp one more time, perhaps as part of the WWE Hall of Fame?

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Figures of the Divas

Divas often make very collectible action figures. Oh, wait. We're not allowed to say "Divas" anymore. But in this case, we are looking at the era in which females in WWE were referred to as Divas. It was a long period that produced many superstar names. Whether the wrestling was good, bad, or even ugly, these women proved to be as big as the men at the box office as well as on the merchandise shelves. It's the latter of which, as usual, that we'll be exploring here. Most notably action figures of the WWF/WWE Divas. As always in the MarketWatch feature, we will take a look at recent auction prices of several items. Despite what is shown, prices are for carded, non-autographed figures unless otherwise noted.

*Kelly Kelly certainly personified being a WWE Diva. She was hired by the company for all of the wrong reasons, but left the position years later as a beloved member of the roster. Her in-ring performances may never have been the greatest, but something about her was simply endearing. She continues to thrill fans in convention appearances around the world, as well as continuing her modeling career. Heck, she even made an appearance on "Days of our Lives" in recent years! Kelly had several action figures from Jakks and Mattel, but her Elite figure is her best representation. It recently sold for $53.

*Molly Holly took a different approach to being a Diva, a combination of girl-next-door looks and great wrestling skill. Molly is a favorite to many, and the wholesomeness of her character was said to be an extension of real life. Molly also proved that she could play a sweet innocent girlfriend character or a conniving heel with the greatest of ease. Is it any wonder that we all still miss Molly? The buxom blonde had but only one figure during her long stint with the company, that being from Jakks. The figure recently sold for $20.

*Yet another blonde bombshell comes in the form of Maryse. Still starring on Monday Night Raw alongside husband The Miz, Maryse has been stellar in her performance since returning the night after WrestleMania 32. Although there are no true qualifications, Maryse has become WWE Hall of Fame material in her sneaky valet role. Though the lovely Frenchwoman has a few figures from Mattel, her first release from Jakks is in demand. A loose example recently sold for $14. Pourquoi?

*She's the original Diva according to WWE and in many ways will never be topped. Say what you want about Sunny, she was the most downloaded woman on AOL years ago. Many of those images have never left our minds. "What Sunny wants, Sunny gets!" was her motto, and I truly hope that she finds peace and happiness one day. While I'm not sure that we'll ever see a new Sunny figure on the horizon, we have plenty of past releases to enjoy. Her first release in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line recently sold for $40.

*And if we're mentioning troubles, we have to bring up Paige. The young British star was one of the top prospects for WWE superstardom just a few years ago. In 2017, her career and life seem to be in absolute limbo. Too much too soon can do that, as well as many other factors. The former Total Divas star saw her first figure released with both the NXT and Divas championship belts and looks great holding both. The figure recently commanded $25 at auction.

No matter what the overly-PC world wants, even in wrestling, the term Divas will always be out there. That word takes nothing away from the women who were labeled as such. Memorabilia like what we've just seen does not detract, either. Stars are stars and many shown here will continue to shine for years to come.

The Peaks & Valleys of Wrestling Figure Collecting

It's that time again. Every decade or so, it happens. Lapsed wrestling fans are looking to unload their unwanted toys of the past, in most cases looking for a huge windfall. Message boards, Craigslist, and even my various inboxes are stuffed with ads from those who, a decade ago, couldn't wait to get their hands on the newest Jakks WWE figure. Now, looking at the rose-colored past, those same collectors are hoping to cash in on their childhood. At this point their celebratory dinner will likely be constricted to the Dollar Menu.

It isn't as if the figures from that era are bad, it's just that a number of factors have left the toys dead in the water for the time being. For starters, let's look at the previous time period, known to many as "The Attitude Era." While WWE capitalized on the nostalgia for that late-1990s period when launching WWE Network, the popularity has not translated to most of the corresponding collectibles. Mass production was at its peak and Jakks could not churn out enough Stone Cold, The Rock, and Undertaker figures. To this day, those and other Superstars of the era are consistently sold on store shelves, now by Mattel and with modern production techniques.

If the figures of the icons of that immensely popular era aren't doing well, you can imagine that those of just five years later aren't fairing much better. That period of time saw very low-level interest in wrestling as a whole. It was a time of virtual identity crisis for the business when it seemingly could not decide between the adult themes of the "Attitude Era" or the family friendliness of the decade prior.

While I continually have little hope of the 1997-2001 toys ever making a comeback, I do have good news for those of ten years ago. My advice? If you're one of the ones that I addressed above initially, hold on a bit. Although John Cena, Randy Orton, and other headliners from then are continually remade, others from the 2002-2008 WWE will likely never see additional figures. While great stars, they never saw the popularity that the mid and undercard stars of just a few years earlier enjoyed. For various reasons, collectors will want figures of these stars again. One reason? Compatibility.

When Mattel rolled out their WWE line, interest in the first TNA figure line from Toybiz shot up. This was because many of those figures were similar in scale to the Mattel offerings. Suddenly, figures of Jeff Hardy, Sting, Samoa Joe, Kurt Angle, and others that were unlikely to be made by WWE at the time were seeing a greatly renewed interest. With several new lines coming soon from Figures Toy Company in the Jakks scale and style, I could see the same thing happening with the old official Jakks product.

As with any collectible, collectors are also always looking for top condition. If you've collected the Jakks product, you know that many have not stood the test of time. Loose or missing limbs, scuffed bodies, and chipped paint are very much the norm when finding these figures second hand. Those who kept their figures pristine should have an advantage, as it seems that there's little middle ground when it comes to condition issues.

It's hard to predict trends. If it was easy, we could all be making some big money. But as far as those "Ruthless Aggression" era WWE Jakks figures? I wouldn't give them away just yet. Collectors may come a'knockin', and a'buyin', in the relatively near future.

#WhereIsDixie? Right Here On The Blog!

It all started with the legendary LJN WWF figures.  They not only gave us rubber representations of the top wrestlers of the era, but also managers, referees, commentators, and even...pets!  Any child worth his or her salt knew that to have successful wrestling matches at playtime, you needed these key non-wrestler figures to accentuate the action.  Thanks to LJN, collectors today almost expect non-wrestler figures to be released in subsequent lines.  Unfortunately, the toy companies usually don't believe that these figures will sell and tend to shy away from producing them.  Jakks has been rather committed to bringing non-wrestler figures to collectors, and their latest effort is no different.  Forget managers, refs, and announcers...how about a president?

Complete with her own Twitter hashtag of "#WhereIsDixie," the newest Jakks exclusive figure is that of TNA President Dixie Carter.  The past few years have been hit or miss as far as frequency of releases for Jakks regarding their TNA line.  While many great figures have been shown and promised from the manufacturer, it seemed for awhile that the line was dead in the water.  Releases were few and far between.  One of the bright points was the release of a new Knockout figure in nearly every series.  Figures of Velvet Sky, Angelina Love, Daffney, and Madison Rayne were all produced with impressive likenesses for all.  How does the President herself match up?

Immediately upon first viewing the figure, the packaging is striking.  It's an all new and very grand design that is somewhat similar to the Jakks TNA Legends of the Ring figure packaging.  The window bubble is a perfect place for an autograph, but we'll get to that in a bit.

The Dixie figure utilizes the standard Knockout figure body.  While not an in-ring competitor herself, Dixie is fit thus making the body an agreeable choice.  Although this and all of the current Jakks TNA figure bodies have the "torso joint" that I so often lament, I've always been fine with it on the Knockout body.  Thanks to the soft goods clothes on this figure, we don't even see it.  The clothes are a really nice touch and necessary since the standard Knockout body was used.  Dixie is clad in an all new "glittery" top and "leather" skirt.  She's all business with a feminine touch.

The facial likeness is dead on, perfectly capturing the classic Dixie smile.  My only qualm is that she does not have a hand that is able to hold a microphone accessory.  Though the figure does not include a microphone, it's always been my belief that non-wrestler figures should be able to hold an accessory.  She can wave to the crowd, punch another Knockout, or break up a fight, but at least she'll be smiling the whole time.  Dixie's hair is sculpted in a style that we've seen Dixie wear many times.  Through all of that Impact Wrestling action, she won't have to worry about having a single hair out of place.

TNA has done an entire commercial campaign around this figure and rightly so.  It's nicely designed, packaged, and presented.  I've been extremely pleased with all of the Knockout figures thus far and Dixie hits the top of the list.  She's not the only new Knockout on the block, though.  After being in the business for over a decade and being one of the original shining lights of the TNA Knockouts division, Gail Kim has finally been immortalized in figure form.  She is part of Jakks regular TNA offerings and will be joined by the debut figure of Brooke Tessmacher this summer.

The Dixie Carter figure is available exclusively through TNA's online store and will most likely be available at select live events as well.  Online you also have the choice of purchasing a version personally signed by Dixie Carter.  The figures are signed in silver which, as I mentioned above, look very nice signed on the plastic bubble.  Although Dixie occasionally appears at the Fan InterAction events held on pay-per-view weekends, I wouldn't pass up this opportunity if signed figures are your thing.  It's a nice authentic signature and you don't have to worry about lugging around a packaged figure.

This is yet another Knockout figure that I have to give my highest recommendation.  Seeing as that it is indeed a "non-wrestler" figure, it gets even more points with me.  When a company like Jakks puts forth a quality effort like this, everyone wins.  Dixie seems thrilled with having a figure and rightly so.  In meeting and corresponding with her several times, she has always been an extremely friendly and accommodating individual and also one that I believe has been underrated as of yet for her contributions to the company that she strives to grow.  She is a hands-on business woman, and one that you can now have in the palm of your hands thanks to Jakks!

Mass Production Killed The Wrestling Figure?

People often claim that nostalgia is clouded by, for lack of a better term, rose-colored glasses. The idea is that things and ideas which we remember from the past were not actually quite as nice as our memories would portray. Usually I go against this train of thought, as I'm someone who nearly always believes that what came before just HAD to have been better than what passes in today's society. You name it. Movies. Music. Television. Even food. It was all better in the past.

But we really don't tackle movies, music, television or food on this blog. Our subject is wrestling memorabilia. There's one section of wrestling memorabilia that I do think is being clouded by rubber and plastic memories. That would be wrestling action figures.

90% of the people reading this blog have fond memories of growing up with the WWF LJN and Hasbro figure lines. The LJN line is somewhat iconic in all sections of toy collecting, as I've known of many toy collectors who weren't even necessarily wrestling fans who owned some of the figures. If you grew up in the era when the line was first introduced, you really would've had to have tried to hard to avoid them. The roughly 8 inch tall rubber figures were a staple in toy and department stores. The characters were names that were known the world over thanks to the "Rock N Wrestling" connection all over MTV, NBC, and Saturday morning not to mention the ubiquitous "WWF television network" constantly touted by Gorilla Monsoon, Gene Okerlund, and the rest of the WWF announce crew.

Hasbro came along next filling toy stores for roughly five years beginning in 1990. The figures were smaller yet poseable and each with a "Real Wrestling Action." Playing right off of the then-colorful WWF world, the roster at the time was perfect for action figures. Wrestlers like Akeem, Brutus Beefcake, Demolition, and The Ultimate Warrior were living, breathing, superheroes. It's no wonder the figures took off the way that they did.

Next we come to where the controversy begins. In late 1996, a relatively unknown company known as Jakks introduced their first line of WWF figures. Beginning with a modest offering of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Goldust, Razor Ramon, and Diesel (of which the latter two had already departed for WCW) the company started off small enough. Production problems such as loose joints and likenesses that could have used more work initially plagued the line. By the fall of 1997, more characters ushered in by the "Attitude Era" such as Stone Cold Steve Austin, Faarooq, and Ken Shamrock were introduced. Things seemed all well and good until more and more different series and store-exclusive sets were introduced. More repaints of stars like The Undertaker, Austin, and Triple H also began to arrive on shelves. While the figures sold due to the wrestling industry being in a particularly fruitful boom period, the success of over a decade ago has now left collectors speculating over the future value of those attitude-packed toys.

First, we must keep in mind what I always try to remind collectors: you should never collect something for profit. Collect things because you like them. As with every toy line and many other collectibles in the world, in the past twenty years items have been made with collectibility in mind. 25, 30, and 40 years ago toys, cards, and comics were produced to be just that. For the most part, people did not save them for future value and really had no idea that there would be ever be a market for such things. When the demand began to surge for the items they suddenly became collectible. People then had the idea to buy up all of the then-current items and set them aside for the future. We all know what happened there. The truth of the matter is that aside from specifically limited production items the majority of "collectibles" produced in the past two decades will never see the high demand or prices that those of years before have achieved. This, sadly, is where most of the post-1995 wrestling toys fall.

On the other hand, a lot of collectors fail to remember that LJN WWF figures could be found in toy clearance aisles into the early '90s while the Hasbro WWF product had a similar fate. When the wrestling "boom" period hit, suddenly prices began to go up for the items. Also while countless repaints and re-releases weren't the practice of the day, many youngsters went into stores such as Hills and Toys "R" Us looking for new LJN releases only to find peg after peg full of Hogan, Hillbilly Jim, and Freddie Blassie. The styles and names may change, but some characters will always fill the pegs due either to overproduction or general disinterest.

My view is to hold onto those Jakks figures. Yes, even the early Austin and Undertaker figures. Thanks to a huge current love fest for the WWE Mattel line (talk about rose-colored glasses!) the value of the Jakks line has largely fallen. When the kids who grew up with the early Jakks product suddenly have large disposable incomes and want their "WWF Attitude toys" back, the prices will follow suit. When figure collectors wise up and realize that the post-2002 Jakks product "wrestles" circles around Mattel's Rey Mysterio and Jack Swagger pea-sized head figures, the same change in interest and value should occur.

Just like the wrestling business as a whole, it's all one huge cycle. My advice as always: if you like it, buy it now. Prices are great and you never know when another boom will hit. While the business is fairly popular right now, the current business model does nothing to appeal to fans who stopped caring five or ten years ago. When that changes, so will the interest in the memorabilia. When that happens, the rose-colored glasses will be stepped on.

It Figures!--The 2011 Wrestling Action Figure Scene

Action figures used to be the prime toy that "Little Johnny" (Little Jimmy is someone else...) could talk mom or dad into buying on a whim. There were tons to choose from, beginning in the mid-1970's nearly every property had them, and they were relatively cheap.

There are still tons to choose from and every property be it cartoon, movie, or comic book character still have them, but action figures really aren't cheap anymore. Like trading cards and comic books, figures are no longer the cheap item that will quiet a kid during a trip to the department store.

Although the prices no longer favor kids, in 2011 there are still several different wrestling action figure brand representing the current wrestling organizations. What are they doing right and what are they doing wrong?

Jakks Pacific is a toy company that truly built its name thanks to pro wrestling. Joining up with the WWF in 1996, Jakks still holds the record for the longest company to hold that toy license. Evolving as the product did, Jakks produced countless memorable figures over their decade and a half with the WWF/WWE. Although they had their faults (including countless repaints and releases of top stars) they cemented their legacy with the creation of what is perhaps the greatest wrestling figure collection of all-time, the WWE Classic Superstars.

Starting in 2010, toy giant Mattel took over the WWE toy line. Known for Barbie, Hot Wheels, and Masters of the Universe, Mattel is a well-known toy juggernaut going back decades. Around the same time that Mattel announced their new partnership, WWE's former toy producer Jakks announced that they would be assuming the TNA Wrestling toy line.

TNA Wrestling had previously struck a deal with Marvel Comics-owned ToyBiz for production of action figures and accessories. While that line had a large following and produced many nice pieces, inconsistency with releases and distribution plagued the line eventually resulting in an early demise.

Nearly two years into the current licensees runs for both companies we've seen a mixed bag of results. Both companies have brought figures to the table that have been desired by collectors for many years. Both companies have also failed in ways that have once again alienated some collectors.

One victory that the WWE Classic Superstars line brought to the table was the return of collectors long gone. Fans who were no longer interested in the current product were suddenly able to obtain quality action figures of stars from years gone by. I've touted this fact before, but these gains to the genre have largely been ignored by both of the current companies. Jakks, who should know of this fact already, was the first to drop their "Legends of the Ring" TNA subset after the first series. While figures are still being released under this banner in other forms, series releases are no longer being produced. This all but guarantees that middle and under card names from wrestling's past will no longer be made into figures. This was a key factor in the popularity of the Classic Superstars line.

Mattel recently followed suit with their WWE Legends line by announcing that future figures will only be available on their collectors store website. Although other stars of the past will be featured elsewhere in their offerings, it is not the same as being able to obtain these figures at brick and mortar retail stores.

I fully understand that numbers both monetary and logistically are main factors, but it's crucial for the companies to know that there is a market for these figures. Mattel is currently basing their numbers on the failure of the WWE Legends Series 3 and Tag Team figure collections. These figures were clearly overproduced and, in the case of the tag teams, overpriced. Not to mention that most of the figures in both of these series were produced by Jakks a short time long ago. There is a reason that figures of Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat have sold as well as they have. Neither man had a figure in years. This is also the reason that the Classic Superstars figures of such men as Lanny "The Genius" Poffo, Ron Bass, and The Barbarian sold briskly and are popular to this day. Fans want new characters...not rehashes of figures that didn't sell very well in the first place.

One complaint of many fans that Jakks seems to be handling better than Mattel at this time is the inclusion of female figures. Fans have requested female figures in toy lines going back decades. The excuse the companies gave has always been the same--female figures "don't sell" in "boys" toy lines. I've never known this to be the case and have always viewed it as a very flimsy excuse.

In the past twelve months Jakks has released their first three Knockout figures with several more planned. The likenesses on all three (Velvet Sky, Daffney, and Angelina Love) have been nothing short of amazing and are true highlights of the Jakks TNA, now Impact Wrestling, figure line.

Mattel, while releasing Diva figures, have taken more of the traditional approach and hesitated to release females. Although several have been released, they are short packed in the shipping cases. The company has cited both the "female figures don't sell" myth and the failure of their first Diva offering, Mickie James, as reasons to shortchange the ladies. The Mickie James figure was not only released after her departure from the company, but it also barely resembled the ladies champion.

On the positive side we have seen some very nice releases on both sides. Mattel is steadily introducing new characters into the line. Figures of the original Nexus, Internet sensation Zack Ryder, and continual new figures of Randy Savage have all graced collections. Alberto Del Rio already has several releases and Sin Cara is said to be fast on the horizon for 2012. Heavy hinting and rumors of a long awaited Miss Elizabeth figure may also be available from Mattel within the next twelve months.

Jakks has also delivered some nice TNA/Impact product, but the continuous production and distribution problems which I've chronicled before are still an issue. Series release dates continue to be pushed back as the list of vendors carrying the product dwindles. Figures such as the aforementioned Knockouts, Sting figures of various designs, and online retailer exclusives have kept fans happy but not exactly satisfied. With the amazing crop of talent under contract to the company, Jakks is not even scratching the surface of what they could do with the license. This company knows how to utilize it as they showed for nearly fifteen years with WWE. They can't let us down now.

What would you like to see these companies do with the WWE and TNA licenses? I know that you all have ideas and I'm sure that Jakks and Mattel would love feedback from the most intelligent wrestling collectors on the planet. Feel free to share your thoughts either here or on our Facebook Fanpage and I will pass them along! You, the consumer, should be their most important decision maker.

A Summer of *Wrestling*

I'm not one to put something down just for the sake of doing so. I'll give credit where credit is due. While I'm no huge fan of the current wrestling scene it seems that this summer, in particular the last couple of weeks, everything is going right in the industry that we all know and love.

Coming off of a great pay-per-view event headlined by one of the greatest matches that I've ever seen, WWE finally seems to be understanding their audience. There has always been a way to present the product in order for all of their target viewers to get what they want out of it. Did it take an "approved shoot" promo and storyline involving CM Punk for the company to "get it?" Maybe. For all we know, this current wave of interesting angles and amazing in-ring action could end by next week. This time the WWE's signs of change just feel...different.

The unheard amount of in-ring action coupled with continued twists and turns concerning the future of the storyline side of WWE's authority figures made this past Monday's episode of Raw yet another glimmer of hope. Results from the taping of the next Smackdown episode seem similarly promising.

Aside from Punk's win, the winner of the Smackdown Money In The Bank match at the pay-per-view pleased many fans as well. Daniel Bryan, just highlighted on this very blog for the release of his first action figure, could very well be on his way to winning the approval of WWE fans the way that he captured independent fandom for so many years. Similar to the Punk situation, given the proper time and build Bryan has the opportunity to be another breakout star.

The pay-per-view also made headlines on the memorabilia front as well. An exclusive CM Punk shirt dated and emblazoned with the statement of "Best In The World" completely sold out at the live event in Chicago. Since then the shirt has sold on eBay for several hundred dollars. Fakes and unauthorized reproductions have already shown up on the auction site while the authentic versions continue to sell.

There's no doubt that the shirt is being coveted now, but my advice for anyone who's in possession of one and wants to make some money is to sell now. Just because the shirt is dated does not mean that WWE won't reproduce it. Since the event is most likely to become the defining moment in Punk's career, there would be no reason that WWE couldn't reproduce the shirt date included. As always, time is of the essence when trying to make a profit. With the DVD and Blu-Ray of the event already schedule for release on August 16, it would not surprise me to see a package deal of the event and shirt available for purchase on the WWE's shop website.

Elsewhere in the world of memorabilia comes this weekend's San Diego Comic Con. The SDCC has almost become a second Toy Fair where companies unveil their future products. Both Mattel and Jakks (for WWE and TNA respectively) are slated to have booths as well as stars from both companies making appearances. Video has already leaked showing a very brief glimpse of Mattel's WWE offerings. Certainly didn't look poultry...I mean...paltry!

Collectors are as interested in hearing from the companies as they are in seeing new product. The popular Legends lines from both manufacturers are rumored to be in jeopardy. Jakks continued production delays on all of their TNA products is another topic sure to be brought up by those attending the show.

And of course the arrival of August marks the annual NWA Fanfest. This year the event will be held in Atlanta, Georgia with more than 100 wrestling stars including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Rob Van Dam, Harley Race, Terry & Dory Funk, Nick Bockwinkel, Jimmy Snuka, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Ted DiBiase, Greg Valentine, Jerry Lawler, The Glamour Girls, and so many, many more! Over the years this event has meant more to me than any other wrestling related event that I have attended in my life. I'm definitely not alone in this feeling and will be marking my fifth Fanfest with a preview in an upcoming entry! If you've ever counted yourself a fan of Roddy Piper, you will not want to miss this event.

There's a reason why you are reading this and why any of the names mentioned in this entire text mean anything to you. You cared. Whether you cared twenty years ago, two hours ago, or never stopped caring, something in this industry captured your emotions. This summer, whether it be a fleeting moment or a feeling carried well into the future, you have a bevy of reasons to care once again. Wrestling is back.