Mattel's "First Time In The Line" For "The First Lady Of Wrestling"

Ryback!  The Prime Time Players!  Miss Elizabeth!  What do the second coming of Goldberg, an entertaining young tag team, and "The First Lady of Wrestling" have in common?  They're all the newest "First Time In The Line" figures in Mattel's WWE action figure series.  They're also all fairly hard to come by thus far, as is usually the case when Mattel labels a figure as a "FTITL" entry.

As if "hot" or "popular" characters needed any help flying off of the shelves, Mattel has a way of insuring that no one misses these figures by plastering the "First Time In The Line" burst right on the packaging.  I've voiced my displeasure with this and other Mattel practices before, so there's no need to rehash that.  This time we're here to take a look at some nice new figures of some very desirable characters.

If there's a single "hot" WWE figure at retail right now, it's undeniably Ryback.  While not the first figure of the man himself, this is the first figure of the Ryback character.  Labeled as Superstar #22 of the "basic" figures on the new smaller, more compact card backs, Ryback is slated to have three figures out in a short time.  These will include an "Elite" figure as well as another basic as part of a "Battle Pack" with Jinder Mahal.  Nothing like a pre-packaged squash match!

This basic Ryback is a good representation of the Goldberg-esque star.  Kids want it, collectors want it, and with a star-studded feud against John Cena just beginning, it's a good bet that the desirability won't wane.  What I do see eventually happening is exactly what happens with most "hot" figures of main-event level stars.  With three figures already available and more undoubtedly on the way, there will be plenty of figures of Ryback to go around.  Antonio Cesaro, shown here on the blog a few weeks ago, is a better bet from this very same series.  He's a much better wrestler, too, but that's another story for another time.

Continuing with "First Timer's" is one half of a popular tag team.  Titus O'Neil is the "rookie" figure and the team is none other than The Prime Time Players.  The PTP have been released in a "Battle Pack" complete with a stop sign accessory.  As with most "Battle Pack" sets, there is one set with a "FTITL" figure or two and the other sets are common characters packaged together with an accessory.

This is the second figure of Darren Young, with the first being way back in his Nexus days complete with "tall hair."  This re-release of Young as well as the Ryback figure shown above sets a fun and interesting precedence: all of the original Nexus members still with WWE have been re-released in non-Nexus attire at least once.  This is, of course, with the exception of Michael Tarver who is no longer in the company and, unless he is re-signed, will not see any more figures.  It's interesting to see how Young, Skip Sheffield, Wade Barrett, Daniel Bryan, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and David Otunga have evolved since that angle a number of summers ago.  Mattel certainly seems to have given Young a tan since his Nexus days.

Last but not least, Mattel's Elite line gets a "FTITL" that is one of the most anticipated figures in quite awhile, the lovely Elizabeth.  This new figure of "The First Lady of Wrestling" was originally announced to be one of the Legends figures that were available exclusively through Mattel's collectors website store.  Mattel then made the questionable decision to put any future "Legends" figures into their Elite line as "Flashback" figures.  Some collectors were pleased with this, while others such as myself know that we will not see any truly exciting legends in the Mattel line as long as they are released in this manner.  Endless remakes of stars who have had dozens upon dozens of figures like Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker will take up spots that should be going to legends who have never had a figure such as Magnum T.A.  However, we did get a new Miss Elizabeth, and a very nice figure at that.

For as popular as she was, Elizabeth has only seen two previous figures.  LJN released her in the 1980's,
infamously with either a gold or purple skirt, in their WWF line and ToyBiz produced a WCW/nWo version in the 1990's in a two-pack with Randy Savage.  The LJN effort is rather iconic and beloved while the ToyBiz figure, due to being rather small and barely resembling the lady, is all but forgotten.  Thankfully the Mattel version is much more along the lines of the LJN.

Elizabeth is clad in a glamorous white outfit that she wore in a well-remembered WWF photo shoot.  The outfit is probably the same as the one she wore for the main event of WrestleMania IV, although at that show she lacked the gloves and sported a different hairstyle.  Many fans will remember the WWF Spotlight magazine featuring Elizabeth with a stunning photo in this particular outfit right on the cover.

I'm unsure why, but I was a bit surprised that this figure uses mostly the same parts as other females in the Mattel WWE line.  Jakks did the exact same thing with their female figures, but I guess viewing the pre-production figure a few months ago simply made me think that Mattel had created a new sculpt for Elizabeth.  The face and head sculpt is all new and could easily be used for future Elizabeth releases should they choose to produce more.  With the trouble that Mattel likely had to go through in order to obtain the rights to the late beauty, it's not a big stretch of the imagination to think that there will be future releases of her.  I would not mind seeing a "WWF debut" version of Elizabeth from her early days in the company.  Unfortunately, many of her post-1990 outfits were rather boring and simply wouldn't translate well to an exciting action figure.

Of these "First Time In The Line" figures, my pick is, without a doubt, Miss Elizabeth.  This figure is the perfect compliment to any of Mattel's Randy Savage figures.  The company's desire to create an amazing figure shows, just as it does in many of their Savage efforts.  It's hard to fathom that both members of one of the hottest young acts of late-80's WWF are gone, and much too soon.  Thankfully us collectors have a great way to keep their memory, and the memories that they created for us, alive forever.

Ryback or Skip Sheffield? Fans Say "Feed Me More...Figures!"

Forget Tickle-Me Elmo, Furby, or even a Cabbage Patch Kid.  One of this years hottest toys is Ryback.  Mr. Feed-Me-More himself.  After all, he is the WWE Universe's answer to Goldberg.  Judging by the traffic to this very blog, people everywhere are scouring the Internet searching for a Ryback figure for Christmas morning.  The problem is...there isn't one.  Well, not yet anyway.  Well, not by the "Ryback" name anyway.

Although a couple of great looking Ryback figures are in Mattel's plans for 2013, they all have yet to be released.  A few weeks back, pictures taken by yours truly of prototypes of the upcoming Ryback figures were seen right here on the blog.  Clad in his signature singlets and with a scowl of destruction on his face, these figures will be ready to dominate any WWE ring...just not this Christmas.  That is unless a parent decides to plunk down a pretty big wad of money for a Skip Sheffield figure.

Under his original WWE ring name of Skip Sheffield, Ryback does indeed have a Mattel-produced action figure.  Hitting shelves around the summer of 2011, the Sheffield figure was in Mattel's WWE Basic Series 11.  The series also included the "rookie" figures of Daniel Bryan and Eve Torres.  "Rookie" figures don't usually attain any sort of extra value based on being a debut figure.  The Sheffield figure was probably the easiest to find of the bunch.  He was also the easiest to obtain of any of the original member figures of rookie super group The Nexus. 

With the WWE Universe getting more and more behind the monster known as Ryback, secondary market price for the Sheffield figure has begun to rise...fast.  Between fans who previously snubbed the figure that are now suddenly wanting it as well as holiday gift giving time approaching, it's a bit easier to understand the demand.  Little Jim...err...Johnny may want a Ryback, but is paying $80 and up really worth it?

This was one of the final Mattel series to be released with their initial basic packaging design.  It wasn't my favorite wrestling figure packaging style of all-time, but it wasn't the worst either.  The basic figures are just that: basic.  While some of the more recent basic Diva figures have included removable apparel pieces, most have absolutely no accessories.  The future Ryback includes nothing but the figure itself.  Had the Skip Sheffield character lasted, a more detailed Elite figure could possible have been produced, complete with the "Corn-fed Meathead's" cowboy hat and vest.  This was not to be the case.

The body is a standard muscular body that has been reused in the basic line.  The head and facial likeness look to me to have repainted for the Ryback prototypes.  It's a great likeness, but I'm sure with the popularity of Ryback that we will see different expressions down the line.  The Sheffield figure does have the Nexus armband present, although that doesn't seem to have driven up the value of any of the other initial Nexus figure offerings.

My feeling is that desperate parents are driving the demand up for this figure.  True collectors should know better for a multitude of reasons.  As I mentioned above, rookie figures rarely carry any extra value.  Many "actual" Ryback figures are on their way.  After the initial panic dies down, Ryback figures will be as common as John Cena based on Mattel's desire to overproduce the top characters.  At that time, the Sheffield figure will again be selling for $15, if that.  If Ryback's popularity continues, don't be surprised to see a "Flashback" Skip Sheffield figure coming your way. 

The verdict?  Wait.  Ryback is coming...with a vengeance.  But what if you're a parent who has a child that won't speak to you unless a Ryback figure is under his or her tree?  What can I do but offer some simple parenting advice?  Feed them more...soap. 

1985 Meets 2012 Via WWE and Topps

I love these cards.  I'm not even waiting until the final paragraph or two to give my opinion and verdict.  In fact, I'm imploring you right now to go out and buy as many packs, boxes, etc. of this set as you can.  Not only will you get a great set of cards, but high sales always help the possibility of future similar products.

I've made it no secret that I have wanted a new Topps WWE Heritage set for awhile now.  Although a few regular WWE series have had Heritage subsets of solely legends, I wanted a complete set full of both current and past stars utilizing designs commemorating the trading cards of yore.  This past summer we learned that not only would this happen, but it would actually pay homage to a classic wrestling trading card set design, that being the 1985 Topps WWF series.

From 2005 to 2008, Topps produced four Heritage sets featuring both then-current and past WWE Superstars.  Based on past Topps sports card designs, the sets were beloved by collectors for their retro look.  Autograph collectors coveted the cards for their non-glossy finish thus making them easier to sign.  The second WWE Heritage series, released in 2006, ended up being my personal favorite.  The cards featured a large studio shot and a smaller action shot with great color and that classic cardboard feel.  Well, it was my personal favorite set...until now.

Four years since their last similar offering, Topps has finally given us another full WWE Heritage set.  Although the cards are advertised as being based off of the Topps 1985 WWF design, the "Legends" portion of the set is actually based upon the 1986 O-Pee-Chee produced Series 2.  This set, which was exclusive to Canada, featured names like Siva Afi, Jimmy Hart and Leilani Kai as well as shots from WrestleMania 2.  The difference is that the 1985 set featured red lettering on a yellow starburst while the second series flipped that color design.

The box and packs, in lieu of TNA-contracted Hulk Hogan, star the one and only Andre the Giant.  Andre even gets his own ten-card subset which highlights his career once he became exclusive to the WWF.  Previously unpublished shots from WrestleMania III and the 1987 Survivor Series shine in this subset, which is also based on designs from action cards in the '85 and '86 sets.

As is usually the case in modern card sets, subsets abound here and provide an extra, yet often frustrating, incentive for collectors.  In the 2012 Heritage line we have subsets based on the '85 and '86 looks with "Superstars Speak," famous families and tag teams, finishing moves, and those great stickers.  The backs of the stickers create two different "puzzle photos," just as was famously included in many sport and non-sport card collections of the 1980's.  A new subset has cards featuring sketches by Jerry "The King" Lawler (very few lucky fans will pull an actual hand-sketched card) as well as a new "Allen & Ginter" set made up of smaller cards designed to resemble tobacco cards of a century ago.

The base set itself is the real gold here.  The 110 cards feature a nice balance of current stars and legends as well as a small group of more recent "legends" such as Steve Austin, Trish Stratus, and Batista who are lumped in at the end of the current lineup.  Different colored border cards are once again included as parallels with black seemingly the most common and gold being the hardest to obtain.  Parallels are one of two current card trends (the other will be mentioned ahead) that don't necessarily appeal to me, although certain cards do look nicer with alternate borders.

Curiously, such regularly featured acts like Vickie Guerrero, Heath Slater, and Michael Cole are not included in the base set while Aksana, Cameron, and Naomi are out in full force.  More curiously is how legends who are obviously not contracted for cards are handled when popping up in photos used.  While Slick shows up in an Andre the Giant subset card, Mr. Fuji is blurred from a Yokozuna "Superstars Speak" card in which Fuji's "quote" is used on the back.  Neither man is signed to be used for the cards.  There is also an error card in the finishing moves subset.  Ted DiBiase's "Dream Street" card is mistakenly labeled 86 instead of 37.  Don't fall for unscrupulous dealers trying to get more for this particular card.

Autographs and relics you ask?  A wide variety of autographs are out there and differ between packs obtained through hobby shops and those available at nationwide retailers.  Purchasing a full hobby box, collectors are once again promised one relic and one autograph OR WrestleMania relic card.  Relics generally do not appeal to me, and these WrestleMania relic cards (featuring 2010's WrestleMania XVII) are a slap in the face to collectors purchasing boxes.  For as much money as is spent on the product, an autograph should be guaranteed one per box.  Relics are becoming just what the name says--a relic.  They're overdone, especially the "mat" relic cards.

This is the set that I have been waiting years for and the wait was worth the while.  I would love to see a Heritage set done once per year, although the question is where they could go as far as design.  Topps did not have the WWF/WWE license for nearly twenty years.  There are certainly more non-wrestling classic designs to be explored, although I would settle for looks similar to non-Topps wrestling card product if it could be pulled off.  A new crop of legends would be nice too, although that is an issue out of the hands of Topps.

Blaster boxes (including a relic card) and jumbo packs have been showing up at national chain retailers.  Single packs are just slowly starting to follow at retail.  There's no doubt in my mind that Topps will want this product in the stores soon in time for stocking stuffer ideas.  Dusty Rhodes, Eve Torres, and Howard Finkel in your stocking this year?  Could happen...if you will.

Ringside With CM Punk, Sin Cara, & Ungrateful A.J.

 I am a wrestling fan.  No matter the ups and downs of the business, I'm fairly sure that I always will be.  In that fandom, I'd like to think that I'm one of the more respectful fans.  I've come to realize that I'm seen that way by the industry's stars that I've met through both those encounters and my written word.  Even when I've had a less than favorable experience (a rare occurrence), I tend to overlook it publicly and rather keep it as an anecdote to tell at the right time.  Those encounters do not show up here, although I feel it may be time to break the rules a bit.

This past Saturday the annual Ringside Fest was held in New York City.  With CM Punk, Sin Cara, and A.J. Lee on the bill, it made for a nice weekend trip to The Big Apple.  Reviews and feedback of this event are always positive and seeing as that it was a paid event and not simply an "appearance" piqued my interest.  In recent years, "appearances" of WWE contracted stars are usually events that I avoid.  Overcrowding, poor-crowd control, and limits on what exactly a fan will get out of it (i.e. autographs, photo ops) usually keep me away.

Seeing as this was an event that you paid to attend, you are to get exactly what you paid for.  I believe everyone did, as I heard no complaints at the event nor have I seen any in the little feedback that I've come across on the internet since.  Crowd control got a bit out of hand near the middle of the event, but that can happen at any appearance and was ultimately remedied.

Any veteran of autograph collecting knows that no matter how they plan on getting the items signed, they have those items planned out well in advance.  You have your items ready to go and ready to be signed.  Often collectors will go back and forth for weeks over the decision of just what to get signed.  For a star like Punk you have a multitude of items from which to choose.  For someone like A.J., it's a bit more cut and dry.  The WWE's resident "crazy chick" (a PG-Rated version of a ring rat character) has about three trading cards and a few official photos.  Her action figure is not yet released, although, along with Vickie Guerrero and Eve Torres, she recently graced the cover of Inside Wrestling.  This was to join my collection of many other signed covers from the Stanley Weston family of wrestling magazines.

Approaching A.J., the ticket taker informed me that Miss Lee would not sign the magazine.  I did a bit of respectful protesting, but even A.J. herself chimed in that she could not sign it, and could only sign "official WWE items."  She was kind enough, but friendliness means nil when scribbling two tiny letters on a piece of paper is the issue at hand.  A Ringside Fest staff member made a really nice gesture by bringing me, at no charge, one of the official 8x10 glossy licensed Photo File photos to use as my signed item.  These were being sold at the event, and I wasn't asked to pay for it at this point.  A Top Loader protector was even included.

While I did get what I had paid for, nowhere was it ever said that certain items would not be autographed.  At a free signing, this type of behavior can be tolerated.  When an item is of questionable taste, this can also be excused.  But the star in question's first magazine cover?  The same type of cover signed just an hour later by one of the industry's biggest stars?  I can't say that it tainted the event nor a day in an amazing city, but it was just a bit troubling.

Is this behavior that someone in the company told her to follow?  It must not apply to the champion or various other stars under contact who have signed similar items over the years.  Does she understand that the Weston publications often use WWE-licensed photos nowadays?  For someone who claims to be a lifelong fan of the business, she certainly doesn't seem to understand that a magazine cover is an extremely high honor.  One of the same magazines that someone she claims to have looked up to, Miss Elizabeth, often graced herself.

I'm not spiteful.  I'm not mad.  I just hope to get a point across.  Miss Lee may or may not ever see this.  Based upon her actions, she probably would not even care.  My point is that just as I am respectful as a fan of the business that I love, Miss Lee needs to learn to be respectful to the business that's currently putting food on her table...although...she could use an extra sandwich or two.

Ringside Fest was not just a place for photo ops and autographs, but a showcase for the Mattel WWE toy line as well.  Mattel representatives were on hand to show off current and upcoming product and answer questions.  They were also very patient with the throngs of young fans who wanted to touch and play with everything on display.

New figures of current stars such as Ryback, Brock Lesnar, Brodus Clay, and others were on display as were figures of legends like Jerry Lawler, Shawn Michaels, and Randy "Macho Man" Savage.  The two highlights for myself and many others were prototypes of the upcoming Miss Elizabeth and Honky Tonk Man figures.  Although I still dread the in-store searches for Elizabeth, it is a beautifully done figure of someone who never saw as much merchandise as was deserved.

The Honky Tonk Man figure did not yet have a jumpsuit but is clad in red tights.  I particularly appreciate the fact that the hair is sculpted to be a bit messed up in the front as if he is in the middle of a match or one of the legendary five-hour television tapings of the era.  Hopefully a guitar will be added to the jumpsuit.  Many fans are hoping for a red jumpsuit as it is one of the few that Jakks did not produce with their figures of HTM.

Miss Elizabeth marks the last legend who has not been overdone that we will see in figure form.  By inserting the legends into their Elite line, going forward we are only likely to see characters that are known by both diehard and casual fans.  The days of seeing figures of largely territorial stars are dead.  While the Mattel product is well-produced and usually visually impressive, it's not going to sustain the interest of fans that Jakks brought to the table with their Classic Superstars.  A sad but true reality, for sure.

A WrestleMania XXVIII version of The Undertaker was shown and is already hitting Toys "R" Us stores in purple "20-0" packaging.  Wal Mart will see their own exclusives with a line of current stars clad in t-shirts painted directly onto the figures.  Ryback will be hitting the shelves first (well...first as in not as Skip Sheffield) in a pack with Jinder Mahal, and Lesnar will have both basic and elite figures.

The Mattel license continues to roll on.  If distribution issues were addressed concerning fans who don't want Royal Rumbles full of John Cena, Randy Orton, and Rey Mysterio, I think the line would really be on the right track.  With figures now in four or five series, I predict that Sin Cara will soon join the shelfwarming regulars. And if you ever felt that your area alone was stuffed with endless Cena's, I can assure you that even the "crossroads of the world," Times Square, is feeling your pain as well.  All Cena, All The Time...