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.

WWE Magazine Bids Farewell

Two weeks ago on this page we were celebrating the thirty-fifth anniversary of one wrestling magazine.  This time we are lamenting the loss of another.  The issue cover dated October 2014 is indeed the last installment of WWE Magazine. Though it barely resembled the magazine that many of us grew up with, seeing it on the shelves was almost comforting.  Along with the main monthly title, the WWE Kids title and special titles released periodically will also be seeing their end.

WWE Magazine officially considered their first issue to be the WWF Victory Magazine.  Victory lasted two issues before it evolved into WWF Magazine.  Despite the company not really wanting to acknowledge it, their first in-house publication was actually Wrestling Action.  Five issues were produced in all in midst of the transition between WWWF and WWF.  I was once offered an explanation as to why they did not consider it part of WWF/WWE Magazine, but it didn't amount to much.  If you want to see the true evolution of WWE Magazine, you start with Wrestling Action.  It captures an amazing time in the history of the company and the fifth and final issue features the first magazine cover of Hulk Hogan, or so The Hulkster himself told me.

Whereas the Wrestling Action issues showcased amazing cover art, the first Victory/WWF Magazines had great photography of the "Rock N Wrestling" era stars.  Jimmy Snuka, Sgt. Slaughter, Hulk Hogan, Wendi Richter, Captain Lou Albano, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Cyndi Lauper, and even Mr. T shined on those early covers. Inside was an interesting mixture of features on WWF action and some stories that might surprise readers today.  Articles on wrestling's past were not uncommon, and despite being well into the WWF's national expansion, even the first WCCW David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions was covered.

As the WWF grew further and further away from anything aside of their own bubble, so did the magazine.  In fact, the magazine began to almost directly reflect the formats of WWF television programming.  These days, WWE pay-per-view lineups often don't seem settled upon until the weekend or day of.  In the early days of the magazine, lineups for WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and other events were often included, in print, months in advance.  In the instances where bits and pieces of shows were changed, those magazines offer an interesting glance at what could have been.

The magazine also helped with the company's direct merchandise sales long before Shop WWE existed. Most every issue included a merchandise catalog full of items that weren't usually available outside of attending an event.  Shirts, posters, caps, and teddy bears were just some of the items featured, often modeled by young Stephanie and Shane McMahon.  That shirt of "The Rebel" Dick Slater?  Here.  The poster of Miss Elizabeth actually donning bikini?  Here.  Mine?  Yep, he was here, too.

As the WWF steered more towards an adult slant, the magazine followed.  Edgy covers and content eventually led to the spin-off of Raw Magazine.  When the brand split and change to WWE occurred, the original WWF/WWE title was switched to Smackdown Magazine.  In 2006, the title was finally amalgamated back to WWE Magazine.  This version tried to be a cross between Maxim and a wrestling magazine.  It included seemingly "shoot" interviews, "Best of" lists, and features on fans both male (even me!) and female.

One of the coolest issues in this final form of the magazine was April 2010.  In honor of WrestleMania XXVI, twenty-six different covers were produced, each featuring a different WWE Superstar.  John Cena, CM Punk, Bret Hart, and Santino Marella are just a few of the stars featured, and others like Drew McIntyre and Evan Bourne may have received their only cover thanks to this gimmick.  Distribution was not even as far as the variant covers upon their initial release.  Since then, various back issue sales have evened up the ability to acquire certain covers.

Although Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns all have a great shot at making the cover of Pro Wrestling Illustrated in the future, the final issue of WWE Magazine is their cover debut. It's a great shot, and the issue itself makes no secret that it's the end.  Budget cuts have been the reported reason as to why the title is ending. There were rumors that an outside company would pick up the publication, but that does not seem to be the case.  With the great characters that continue to churn out of WWE, it's a shame that they will no longer have this sort of exposure that once meant so much to the warriors of the ring.

A 30 (or 37...depending on your belief) year run is nothing to sneeze at.  Thanks for the covers, the articles, the merch catalogs, the Sunny centerfolds, The Informer, Scoop Sullivan, and...the memories.

The Long Lost WrestleMania Program

Early 1996 was a great transitional period for the World Wrestling Federation.  The company, although about a year-and-a-half away from the true start of the "Attitude Era," was beginning to become edgier with their content than they had ever been before.  Fans were anxious to see what the dominate monster of WCW, Big Van Vader, was going to do in his new WWF war zone.  Other newcomers such as Goldust, Sunny, and "The Ringmaster" Steve Austin were equally as intriguing.  Fan favorite Shawn Michaels seemed to be closer than ever to a run with the WWF Championship, despite obstacles both on and off-screen.  And before the first quarter of the year ended, it was known to Internet wrestling fans that stars Diesel and Razor Ramon would soon be departing.

WWF Magazine had seemingly not quite kept up with the changes.  The style of the magazine, including both graphics and writing, had become increasingly geared towards children.  With the change of the company's direction and the "knowledge" of the Internet wrestling fans, something had to be done.  Articles actually acknowledging the existence of WCW?  Photos showing the blood and violence that was creeping back into WWF matches?  Risque photo shoots of female stars?  Raw Magazine became the answer.

Debuting with the May/June 1996 issue, the magazine burst onto the newsstands with a double bang on the cover.  Not only was the iconic first Sunny swimsuit spread advertised, but the main photo was from a recent incident on Monday Night Raw where Vader had attacked beloved WWF President and icon Gorilla Monsoon.  Inside, in addition to the cover stories, were columns and features that appealed to the "new breed" of WWF fans.  From a story on Goldust's "stalking" of Razor Ramon to a full-color feature on the bloody match between Bret Hart and Davey Boy Smith of a few months earlier, this was not like the usual content of WWF Magazine.

Both magazines would continue to co-exist until the "brand split" of the following decade transformed WWF Magazine into "Smackdown Magazine."  Raw would keep its name and represent that particular "brand" of shows and talent accordingly.  Nevertheless, that first issue would never quite exit the memories of many fans.  Little did many of us outside of Anaheim, California know, there was actually a second version of that debut issue.  A version that, considering the content inside, makes it ten times as desirable to collectors.  It would, that is, if more collectors actually knew that it existed.

When the WWF ceased production of its separate "program" publication in the mid-1990's, the company would often produce a variant edition of the monthly WWF Magazine, print a $5.00 tag over the standard bar code, and include an unattached match sheet for each individual show.  The content inside was exactly the same, but many collectors, including myself, often bought the magazine at live events regardless simply for the match list included.

WrestleMania programs, however, have always been a different ball game.  Highly collectible and nicely produced,  'Mania programs are fun records of "The Greatest Wrestling Extravaganza of All-Time."  So, what happened when WrestleMania and the debut issue of Raw Magazine collided?  The WrestleMania XII program.  The LONG LOST WrestleMania program, that is.

Sold exclusively at The Pond in Anaheim on the day of WrestleMania XII, this magazine answers the question as to why there wasn't a specifically produced program for the event like most other 'Mania's had.  This is it.  The magazine's front cover is switched around a bit, most notably adding a $5.00 price, a "Tyco R/C Maximum Heat" sponsor logo, and moving the tease of Sunny's swimsuit shoot.  In place of the latter is a red corner label proclaiming that this magazine is indeed "SPECIAL" and the "EXCLUSIVE WRESTLEMANIA PROGRAM EDITION."  It doesn't get any bolder than that.

The Coliseum Video ad from the inside cover of the regular edition is replaced by one half of the two-page description of WrestleMania XII's main event, the Hart-Michaels Iron Man match.  This is followed by a two-page feature on Roddy Piper and Goldust's "Backlot Brawl" and one page dedicated to The Undertaker vs Diesel.  The photos used are nothing really unique.  They have been seen elsewhere, but that's a practice still used in programs to this day.

The paper used for these WrestleMania program pages is of a higher quality than the usual magazine stock.  They are very similar to pages used for other programs of the time such as SummerSlam 1995 and WrestleMania 13 the following year.  Following the Undertaker/Diesel page, the standard debut Raw Magazine is inside.  Nothing seems to be changed within these pages, and for the enlightenment of Sunny fans worldwide, her famous spread is completely intact.

Following the Raw Magazine we are treated to additional exclusive program
pages touting the other matches on the show.  The pay-per-view opening six-man match featuring Vader, Owen Hart, and Davey Boy Smith against Yokozuna, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Ahmed Johnson.  This match is notable for including a final "cameo" appearance by Mr. Fuji.  The legendary manager appears during the match itself and, in a moment that crushed the memories of so many fans, begins waving the American flag.  It just wasn't meant to be!

Next up we have a page featuring the infamous return match of The Ultimate Warrior.  Hunter Hearst Helmsley was the victim that the Warrior quickly disposed of, but this match also marks a huge atrocity committed to the wrestling business: the debut of Sable.   It should be noted that the text on this page claims that this will be the Warrior's first WrestleMania match "since he toppled Macho Man Randy Savage for the belt."  Mistakes happen.

Savio Vega against Stone Cold Steve Austin, fresh off of being known as "The Ringmaster," is on the final photographic program page herein.  Below this match description is a note that on the "Free For All" before WrestleMania, fans will be treated to the finals of the WWF Tag Team Championship tournament.  Several teams involved in the tournament, including The Bodydonnas and The Godwinns who ended up in the match, are listed.  The other side of this page is a final text rundown of the pay-per-view matches.

The rarest WrestleMania program?  Maybe.  I prefer "long lost" as a more fitting description.  The WWF made a similar move with the WrestleMania XIV program, however that was a standard April 1998 WWF Magazine with a loose paper lineup for the event inside.  The $5.00 printed price is the only thing to differentiate the actual magazine, and that would've been sold at live events throughout the month.  Only the lineup sheet could be connected to WrestleMania XIV itself.

Although the main event of WrestleMania XII puts me to sleep and the show itself is not among my favorites, I think any collector would be excited to own this program.  It's a unique variation on an already memorable magazine and a special addition to the very collectible WrestleMania program lineup.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Hall of Famers

In the recurring "Wrestling MarketWatch" series we try to combine the latest going rates for various collectibles with a common theme. What better, and timely, theme this week than Hall of Famers?

Just because a Hall of Fame superstar is on an item doesn't necessarily mean that it will become valuable, but it's certainly fun to see what people are willing to pay for certain collectibles. As always, I remind you that just because an item brings in a certain amount of money one time doesn't mean that it will do the same in the future. Remember, collect for you...not for your wallet.

I also ask that you keep in mind that the items shown are from my own collection and some are autographed. The prices listed were for unsigned examples unless otherwise noted.

*What better way to start than with items that could be in a Hall of Fame themselves--a toy Hall of Fame, that is. To many, the WWF LJN line is the ultimate wrestling figure series. It's certainly one of the earliest, contains many of the most beloved names ever to enter the squared circle, and the sheer size and presentation of the figures makes them stand above all others.

Values have remained somewhat steady for the line for about twenty years now. Loose common figures (Piper, Volkoff, Sheik) go for very little while any carded example rarely goes for less than $40. Some figures in the line have the potential to sell for well over $1,000.

Figures of two Hall of Famers recently caught my attention as far as auction price. Carded examples of Harley Race and Jimmy Snuka recently sold for $204.49 and $199.99 respectively. While both have always been sought after, it seems that "The King" and "Superfly" are in extra demand as of late. It should be noted that the cardback of the Snuka figure was "unpunched." The early LJN figures had a small piece of cardboard that had to be "punched" out in order for them to be displayed on peg hooks in retail stores. Later figures, like Race, had the more common "j-hook." If these early figures still have the extra piece of cardboard, as small as it is, this can be a factor in pricing.

*"Superfly" seems to have found his way onto many desirable items. The very first issue of WWF Victory Magazine (the magazine that WWE claims was their first in-house publication, although as I've informed you, it wasn't) features Snuka performing one of his magnificent leapfrogs over the equally magnificent Don Muraco. These early publications are fun and show a time when the WWF wasn't yet against acknowledging other stars and promotions even though the company was well into the infamous "expansion" era. The magazine, with its iconic cover and full color and gloss, recently sold for $43.

*Back in the world of action figures, we stay classic yet get a little more recent in terms of production. Last year the Hall of Fame welcomed the one and only Sunny. While I did not get to attend the induction in Atlanta, I did get to share in the glory of the one who gets what she wants. Sunny days aside, one of the last "1 of 100" limited figures in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line was of the original Diva herself. Equipped with the tag team titles, Sunny is decked out in her cowgirl outfit worn while she managed The Smoking Gunns to the belts. Out of all of the figures limited to 100 in the line, this one is still probably the most undervalued. The figure recently sold for $173.99 and I have a feeling that it will only go up in value. After all, she knows you want her.

On the other end of the spectrum of blondes, we bring you another Hall of Famer with golden hair and packaged with a tag team championship. This would happen to be one of my favorite competitors who is well into his fourth decade in the ring, none other than Greg "The Hammer" Valentine. I've always felt that this figure was one of the most underrated in the line. Not only is it the best likeness we've ever seen of Valentine in figure form, but it also includes his most recognizable robe. An autographed version recently sold for just $17. A steal of a deal considering that it would cost more to obtain the figure at this point and then have the figure autographed.

*There's nothing I'd rather end this installment with than by giving you the bird. Yes, Koko is in the Hall of Fame, but that's not the bird that I had in mind. Albeit a bit early in my eyes, Stone Cold Steve Austin is indeed in the Hall of Fame. He certainly belongs in any wrestling Hall of Fame due to his impact on the business for a few short years. Heck, if I were ever to begin a wrestling memorabilia Hall of Fame he'd deserve his own wing. Who wasn't wearing an "Austin 3:16" shirt in 1998? If you gave someone "the bird" back in the same time period, chances are it was much better received if you were wearing Stone Cold's foam bird on your hand. Hogan had "yellow fingah." Austin had "black bird." Cena has "purple okay sign." What comes next? Regardless, Austin's finger recently sold for $20 and I can only see this price going up as the years go by. Hold onto those "3:16" shirts, too.

There you have it. A variety of items for a variety of budgets featuring a variety of Hall of Fame superstars. Variety is the spice of life. Remember to check out our Facebook Fanpage for galleries of hundreds of wrestling collectibles and our Twitter feed for the latest blog updates!

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.

Celebrating The All-Time Greats...

When I started this blog, I realized that I would never get to highlight and/or show every great item ever produced. I try to limit the number of photos in each entry so that the images that are chosen highlight the actual story--not overrun it. After all, you guys are way too smart to just be looking at a glorified picture book.

That's where our Facebook page comes into play. In addition to keeping you up-to-date on updates to this blog and other items of interest, the page has become an outstanding supplement to the blog itself. All those great collectibles that may never make it to a blog entry of their own? New photos are posted weekly on the Facebook page and you are welcome to add any of your own to the mix!

A few weeks ago I began highlighting individual stars and collections of memorabilia celebrating their careers. Already on the Facebook page are groupings dedicated to "The Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino, "The Original Diva" Sunny, and wrestling's original supergroup "The Four Horsemen."

If you're on Facebook, please take the time to join our page, enjoy the updates and photos, leave comments, join discussions, and share your own collections. You may even stumble upon some insight from the stars themselves. If you haven't already joined Facebook, what are you waiting for?

Thank you, as always, for reading the blog. And of course...stay tuned!

Live! Update From NWA Fanfest 2010

It's late here in Charlotte, but Fanfest just gets better and better as the hours and days go by. Fans have been reliving great times and creating new ones since Thursday afternoon when Fanfest officially opened.

Thursday evening was highlighted by a quick meet and greet with Jim Ross, a chance to try out his sauce on various food items, as well as question and answer sessions with the legendary Mr. Wrestling II and the always bombastic Jim Cornette.

Friday's activities included the first autograph and photo op sessions as well as the opening of the vendor floor. Keeping in the spirit of this blog, many of the items purchased will be included in entries following Fanfest. One item can already be seen in the accompanying photos. The tie worn by yours truly is from the wrestling wardrobe of Mr. Cornette himself.

Friday night was the annual Hall of Heroes banquet and induction ceremony which is always a highlight of the weekend. Seeing Greg and Johnny Valentine, Billy Robinson, Danny Hodge, Mr. Wrestling I & II, Reggie Parks, and Joe Blanchard inducted into the NWA Hall of Heroes was a real treat. Being joined at the banquet by my friend Tammy "Sunny" Sytch made that treat all the sweeter.

Tomorrow and Sunday hold many more great times to be had and more memories to be made. Keep it locked here on the blog for further photos and updates!

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!

Legends of the Ring VIII Prep

This weekend, for my crew, the Spring wrestling convention season ends with Legends of the Ring VIII on Saturday. Legends of the Ring is in Monroe, New Jersey and will feature a plethora of stars including (but not limited to) Pat Patterson, Eric Bischoff, Lex Luger, Taz, Hillbilly Jim, Zeus, Kurt Angle, and many, many, many more.

Tonight is loading up the gimmicks for the big trip tomorrow, and below is a picture of some of the items I will be bringing. Some items you may have seen before, some you may not have known even existed, but once they are autographed, many will find themselves part of entires on this very blog.

If you're going, see you at LOTR!