By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Action figures of Steve Keirn as one of the Fabulous Ones and Skinner are popular collectibles.




- Action Figure Spotlight #28: Steve Keirn Remco AWA Series 1 & Skinner Hasbro WWF Series 5
- Originally released: 1985 and 1993, respectively
- What you can expect to pay: $5-15 loose, depending on condition, or $150-250 packaged (Keirn); $5-15 loose, $25-50 packaged (Skinner)

To kids walking through the toy aisle at their local store in the mid-1980s, the Fabulous Ones must have looked ridiculous.

Mixed in with the Transformers, G.I. Joes, and Masters of the Universe toys were two guys with blond hair and dark beards wearing black tights with lightning bolts, suspenders, and bowties.

Many kids whose only exposure to pro wrestling was the infamous “Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” cartoon show thought the toys of Stan Lane and Steve Keirn looked like little versions of John Studd; parents must have thought they looked like toys of He-Man moonlighting as a Chippendale.

Toys of the Fabulous Ones were everywhere in the mid-1980s. They were included in the first series of AWA figures from Remco, and also came packaged with the battle royal playset.

Lane and Keirn were long gone from the AWA by the time their figures surfaced, and it wasn’t long before Lane showed up as Bobby Eaton’s new partner in the Midnight Express in the AWA.

Keirn spent the next several years wrestling in Florida, Memphis, and other territories before surfacing in the WWF in 1991. As the alligator hunter Skinner, Keirn was barely recognizable; he shed the suspenders and bowtie for a dirty flannel shirt and a mouthful of tobacco.

Hasbro included a toy of Skinner in its fifth series of WWF action figures in 1993. This figure was smaller and much more cartoonish than Keirn’s AWA toy from Remco, and also featured a “Gator Breaker” action feature. But once again, Keirn was gone from the promotion by the time hit retail store shelves.

Keirn might not have made a big splash with kids in the mid-‘80s or early-‘90s, but both figures are popular with collectors today. Keirn’s AWA figure is one of the most common toys from that line, but finding one complete with all of its accessories can be tough. The bowties were small and easily lost; the suspenders snapped in the back and broke very easily.

Loose figures consistently sell in the $5 to $15 range, but packaged figures are much scarcer. Sellers often ask $175-250 for a set of packaged figures and aren’t in a hurry to discount them. If you’re fortunate enough to find one on auction, you might be able to get it for closer to $100.

Because the Skinner figure was released during a time when the WWF’s popularity was waning, there weren’t a lot of these toys sold. There are plenty out there today, and the prices are incredibly volatile. Loose figures sometimes sell as low as $1 and sometimes as high as $15. Packaged figures can sell anywhere from $10 to $50.

Collectibles News

- Ringside Collectibles has unveiled photos of the new TNA figures from Jakks-Pacific to be released later this summer. The set includes a very cool Jeff Hardy figure and new toys of Robert Roode, James Storm, Velvet Sky, and Mr. Anderson; pictures can be seen here at RingsideCollectibles.com .

- The latest WWE Legends Internet exclusive figure from Mattel will go on sale May 21 at 12:00 p.m. EST. The latest figure is (King Kong) Bundy, who comes wearing a cloth singlet and a removable t-shirt similar to those the WWF was selling in the mid-1980s. Interestingly, the figure is being sold as just “Bundy,” presumably due to copyright issues with the “King Kong” name. Figures are $20 each and are available at mattycollector.com. Mattel is still offering past Internet exclusives of the Rockers, Andre the Giant, and Diamond Dallas Page as well.

Sloppy Signature Trivia Answer

The sloppy signature provided by Jake Aurelian in last week’s column belonged to Japanese legend The Great Muta. Congratulations to Michael Hoy, Craig LeVan, and James Taylor, who correctly identified the autograph.

Do you have a contact about wrestling collectibles, a story idea or a collection you’d like to show off? Contact Michael Moore at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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