By Michael Moore, PWTorch collectibles specialist

In a sentence: Wrestling collectors are split when it comes to the different lines of WWE toys.

It has been a year-and-a-half since Mattel released its first line of WWE action figures and the old Jakks-Pacific line began fading from retail store shelves. Some longtime collectors of wrestling figures are snatching up every Mattel figure they can find, while others instead search online for the older Jakks figures.

To collectors, the two lines of figures are very different from one another. The same details that attract one collector to Mattel figures may drive another away.

“I have never bought one Mattel figure,” said Pedro Marreiros, a collector from Portugal. “For me the number one thing about a figure is the head scan, and I have yet to find a Mattel good one. Also, the Mattel figures just feel too light.”

Fans of the new Mattel figures have their complaints about the Jakks line as well.

“Jakks used the same boring molds, whether they looked right or not, while Mattel isn’t afraid to make new molds when it is needed,” said one collector. “Jakks left out countless amount of detail, making each figure feel incomplete.”

The evolution of Jakks figures

Jakks-Pacific produced its first line of WWF toys in 1996. The first series included Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker, Goldust, and Razor Ramon and Diesel – who, at the time of their releases, had just begun appearing on WCW Nitro under their real names. The first line of figures featured “bone-crunching action” – when a leg or an arm was twisted, it made a cracking sound. This style of figure is commonly referred to as “BCA” by collectors, and was used until the late 1990s.

“(The bone-crunching action line) was a fantastic line in its day, and I believe it’s still one of the more complete figure lines for its era,” said Jonathan Byrd, who began collecting those figures as a child.

The Jakks WWF line underwent several changes over the next few years. The next figures were called “Titan Tron Live,” and each had a chip in its foot that interacted with the Titan Tron playset. Soon after, Jakks unveiled its real scan technology, a process that used captures of wrestlers’ faces to create realistic-looking heads for the action figures.

In the early part of the 2000s, Jakks released its first line of Ruthless Aggression figures. This would become the most popular style among collectors; the WWE Classics and Deluxe lines soon followed, expanding on the same basic Ruthless Aggression style. The deluxe figures featured more articulation, including a bendable midsection and ball-jointed legs.

Jakks released its last line of WWE figures in late 2009, the same year it began producing UFC figures. In 2010, the first Mattel WWE figures arrived in stores, and by the summer of 2010, Jakks began offering TNA figures to collectors. Jakks has also continued to release legends figures of wrestlers who don’t have current WWE ties, such as Jeff Jarrett, Sting, Hulk Hogan, and Raven.

Mattel debuts

Collectors eagerly awaited the first WWE figures from Mattel; in fact, many online retailers began offering them for sale at 12:01 a.m. on January 1, 2010. It wasn’t long after that the figures began appearing on retail store shelves.

“Mattel figures are years ahead of anything ever done,” said Canadian collector Rob James. “Now that I own some Mattel legends figures, I can’t believe how many Jakks I had.”

Like Jakks, Mattel has released different styles of figures. The basic line of figures is somewhat smaller than the old Jakks figures, but not much different. Elite figures, like Jakks’s deluxe style, feature more points of articulation and accessories.

Mattel has also released a few legends series so far of superstars like Steve Austin, Ricky Steamboat, Rick Rude, and Terry Funk. Mattel also has produced very detailed figures called “Defining Moments” and “Entrance Greats.”

Both capture wrestlers from a specific moment in time; a Chris Jericho figure from the Defining Moments series presents him exactly as he appeared in his 1999 debut on Raw, while an Undertaker Entrance Greats figure features the Phenom looking just like the wrestler who debuted at the 1990 Survivor Series. The Entrance Greats figures also come with a stand that plays a clip of their entrance music.

What’s the difference?

There are common complaints about both the Jakks and Mattel products, even among staunch supporters. Jakks, especially at the end of its run, was criticized for using the same body molds over and over, even when that mold didn’t necessarily fit a wrestler. And aside from a few giants like the Big Show, Andre the Giant, Great Khali, and Giant Gonzales, most figures weren’t properly sized. There was little to no size difference between the Undertaker and Rey Mysterio.

“The attention to detail – scale, height – that Mattel puts into their figures is simply awesome and fits a wrestling figure line,” James said. “There are many wrestlers of different shapes and height, not just two or three different shapes and all at the same height, as Jakks figures could have you believe.”

The Mattel line has been criticized for its size and cartoonish appearance. While there isn’t much height difference between the Jakks and Mattel figures, the Mattel figures are considerably thinner and lighter.

“I just don’t like the look of the Mattel figures themselves,” said Josh Gagnon, a collector from New York who runs The Top Turnbuckle, an online wrestling collectibles store. “The faces are too cartoon-like for my taste, and are too small in general. I like the bigger figures for display; I’m a huge fan of the (1980s) LJN line, as their size makes for an impressive lineup on someone’s display shelf.”

Fans of the Mattel figures anticipate each new release, whether it means a trip to their local retail store or buying online exclusives from sites like ringsidecollectibles.com. In 2011, Mattel will release the first action figures of Daniel Bryan and Wade Barrett, along with rare legends like Kerry and Kevin Von Erich.

Collectors who prefer Jakks figures can either track down the latest TNA figures – which aren’t nearly as widely distributed as Mattel’s WWE figures – or scour the Internet for older Jakks WWE figures to complete their collections. Some collectors have also turned to buying custom-made Jakks figures of newer WWE wrestlers instead of buying the official Mattel figures.

“I usually spend 100 bucks per month on figures, and since I can’t use it on new Jakks figures, I just pay my favorite customizer to do some legends that have not be done in (Jakks Deluxe Aggression) style,” Marreiros said.

The Mattel figures appear to be very popular; most retail stores have dedicated substantial shelf space to these figures. As long as they continue to sell, fans of this line should have plenty to collect.

Fans of Jakks figures will have a more difficult time adding to their collections. Although there is no shortage of Jakks figures online now, they’re bound to dry up, which could mean higher prices on the secondary market in the next few years.

Do you have a question about a wrestling collectible? Is there an item in your collection that you’d like to share with other wrestling fans? E-mail Michael Moore at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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