THE SPECIALISTS COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: In-depth Review of WWE Hall of Famer Lita's Action Figures & Trading Cards
Mar 30, 2014 - 1:18:23 PM
PLEASE TAKE A MOMENT TO BOOKMARK US & VISIT US DAILY
By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist
In Brief: WWE Hall of Famer Lita has several affordable trading cards and action figures available for collectors.
Several PWTorch Collectibles Columns have offered in-depth looks at the merchandise of Scott Hall, Jake Roberts, and the Ultimate Warrior. All three members of the WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2014 are among the most popular wrestling personalities with collectors, each with action figures dating back to the 1980s and plenty of cards to choose from.
But perhaps just as popular is the only female member of the 2014 class – Amy Dumas, better known to wrestling fans as Lita. Those fans who didn’t live through the Attitude Era might not understand just how big Lita was, especially in 2000. With Steve Austin sidelined with an injury, The Rock and Triple H were the company’s top two stars. But Lita and the Hardy Boyz were immensely popular, especially with younger fans.
Action Figures
Lita made her action figure debut in 2001 in a somewhat unconventional way. In order to get Lita’s first figure, collectors had to purchase other figures and collect “attitude points” and mail away for the figure. Lita was decked out in a red top and pants, with zebra striped platform shoes. The figure was initially very hot but is easy to find today for under $10.
Jakks made several more Lita figures in the early 2000s, all of which were essentially repaints of this first figure. They all had the same type of top and pants, just with different color schemes. One of the more popular figures at the time was included in a “Team Xtreme” Kmart exclusive box set with Matt and Jeff Hardy. The Lita figure in that set is wearing a white top with a black skull, black pants, and silver and black platform shoes. Today the loose figure sells in the $10-15 range, and a boxed three-pack sells for $35-50.
Jakks revamped its Lita figures when it switched over to its popular Ruthless Aggression line starting in 2003. These figures featured new head and body sculpts and captured Lita as the heel character who was crucial to Edge’s main event heel character. Figures using this design were included in Ruthless Aggression Series 22.5, Treacherous Trios (with Edge and Matt Hardy) and Adrenaline Series 9.
One of the most detailed Lita toys was included in the 2002 Fatal 4-Way line, which consisted of immobile statuette type figures. Each figure in the set came with a piece of a ring, and the four figures connected to complete the ring. Lita is shown in a “girls rule” middrift, baggy black low-rise pants, and a pink thong sticking out above her waistline. Packaged figures can usually be found for $10-12.
Mattel has not yet produced a Lita figure, but collectors are clamoring for a new toy. With the recent release of Attitude Era figures like Road Dogg, Trish Stratus, Billy Gunn, and Rikishi, there’s a good chance Mattel will offer fans an Elite Flashback figure of Lita.
Trading Cards
Lita has been appearing on trading cards since 2001. Her first cards were produced by Fleer, and she appeared in sets such as 2001 WWF Ultimate Divas and 2003 Divine Divas. Her first certified autograph was included in the 2001 Ultimate Diva Championship Clash set, but there are questions about the authenticity of autographs that show up on the secondary market.
After Fleer went out of business in 2005, thousands of questionable cards from all of the major sports began popping up on eBay. Many unsigned cards that contained a certificate of authenticity on the back found their way onto the secondary market, meaning unscrupulous types could forge a signature on an unsigned card that had Fleer’s COA.
If you’re looking for a certified Lita autograph, your best bet is her 2006 Topps WWE Heritage Chrome Autograph. The card features Lita’s signature on a Topps sticker affixed to a Chrome card. These cards can usually be found for $30 or less.
If you want a cheaper and more visually appealing card of Lita, fewer cards are better looking than her 2006 Topps WWE Heritage Divas insert. The card was made when Lita was the sexually charged girlfriend of Edge, and may hold the record for the most cleavage ever shown on a wrestling trading card. You can find one of these cards for $1-2.
Trish Stratus and Bruno Sammartino, among others, had new figures and cards made after their induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. If recent history is any indication, more trading cards and action figures of Lita are probably on the way.
PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at MichaelMooreWriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MmooreWriter .
THE TORCH REACHES MORE COMBAT ENTERTAINMENT FANS THAN ANY OTHER SOURCE
PWTorch editor Wade Keller has covered pro wrestling full time since 1987 starting with the Pro Wrestling Torch print newsletter. PWTorch.com launched in 1999 and the PWTorch Apps launched in 2008.
He has conducted "Torch Talk" insider interviews with Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Steve Austin, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Eric Bischoff, Jesse Ventura, Lou Thesz, Jerry Lawler, Mick Foley, Jim Ross, Paul Heyman, Bruno Sammartino, Goldberg, more.
He has interviewed big-name players in person incluiding Vince McMahon (at WWE Headquarters), Dana White (in Las Vegas), Eric Bischoff (at the first Nitro at Mall of America), Brock Lesnar (after his first UFC win).
He hosted the weekly Pro Wrestling Focus radio show on KFAN in the early 1990s and hosted the Ultimate Insiders DVD series distributed in retail stories internationally in the mid-2000s including interviews filmed in Los Angeles with Vince Russo & Ed Ferrara and Matt & Jeff Hardy. He currently hosts the most listened to pro wrestling audio show in the world, (the PWTorch Livecast, top ranked in iTunes)
REACHING 1 MILLION+ UNIQUE USERS PER MONTH
500 MILLION CLICKS & LISTENS PER YEAR
MILLIONS OF PWTORCH NEWSLETTERS SOLD
PWTorch offers a VIP membership for $10 a month (or less with an annual sub). It includes nearly 25 years worth of archives from our coverage of pro wrestling dating back to PWTorch Newsletters from the late-'80s filled with insider secrets from every era that are available to VIPers in digital PDF format and Keller's radio show from the early 1990s.
Also, new exclusive top-shelf content every day including a new VIP-exclusive weekly 16 page digital magazine-style (PC and iPad compatible) PDF newsletter packed with exclusive articles and news.
The following features come with a VIP membership which tens of thousands of fans worldwide have enjoyed for many years...
-New Digital PWTorch Newsletter every week
-3 New Digital PDF Back Issues from 5, 10, 20 years ago
-Over 60 new VIP Audio Shows each week
-Ad-free access to all PWTorch.com free articles
-VIP Forum access with daily interaction with PWTorch staff and well-informed fellow wrestling fans
-Tons of archived audio and text articles
-Decades of Torch Talk insider interviews in transcript and audio formats with big name stars. **SIGN UP FOR VIP ACCESS HERE**