COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: New Figures and Big Markdowns

New Walmart Exclusives

Walmart is the exclusive distributor for several WWE toy lines from Mattel, and many of those were already on local shelves before the Christmas clutter could even be cleared away. Many collectors have already found Mattel’s retro Hasbro line and quite a few new Elite Then Now Forever figures. 

The new retro line is designed to look like the Hasbro WWF action figures from 1990-94. The first wave is made up of six figures: John Cena, Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, Brock Lesnar, Undertaker and Ultimate Warrior; however, Undertaker and Warrior have not yet been released, so don’t fret if you can’t find them just yet. They will be released in later case packs.

The Walmart-exclusive Then Now Forever Elite line debuted in 2016, with figures of Bam Bam Bigelow, Rusev, The Rock and Tyler Breeze. Many collectors were caught off guard when four more figures started showing up after the first of the year: Earthquake, Typhoon, Randy Savage and Sami Zayn. The Savage figure is very unique in that it captures his late WCW run from 1999, dressed in all black attire.

The Then Now Forever line also includes two new three-packs. Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns are reunited as the Shield, and the figures look similar to earlier Shield toys. The figures also come with removable facemasks that the Shield briefly wore in 2014. The other three-pack commemorates the historic 1996 Bash at the Beach pay-per-view, with all new figures of Sting, Lex Luger and Savage. All three men have their face painted, just like they did in that match. The Sting figure is also the first that captures him with medium length brown hair, as he was transitioning out of the surfer gimmick but not quite ready to go full-on Eric Draven from “The Crow.”

Legends Get New Figures

The first line of Legends of Professional Wrestling figures from Figures Toy Company is in stock and ready for purchase. Series 1 includes the first ever action figure of the Blue Meanie, and the first modern era figures of Jim Cornette, New Jack and PJ Polaco (aka Justin Credible). The Meanie figure in particular has been receiving plenty of complements from fans and collectors. 

Each figure is $29.99 and comes with accessories and a re-sealable case. For more information, go to figurestoycompany.com.

Cornette is selling 500 signed copies of his figure at jimcornette.com for $30.

Clearance Deals

Retail giants like Walmart and Target often reset after the first of the year. They’re trying to clear out all of the old stuff in order to make room for the new. If you keep a close eye on the clearance section of your local stores, you might be able to find a steal or two.

Walmart has been marking down several of its six-figure gift boxes, one of which includes Andre the Giant, Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Daniel Bryan, Brock Lesnar and John Cena. This package regularly retailed for around $65, and many Walmart stores seem to have it discounted to $45. Some collectors have reported finding it as low as $20.

Target is also trying to clear space on its shelves, and has a variety of WWE toys on clearance. The Four Horsemen Hall of Fame Elite four-pack has been sitting on shelves for a couple years now, and it looks like Target is finally getting ready to do away with it. It was originally sold for $49.99 and many stores now have it on last markdown for around $15. Parents, kids and collectors haven’t been too keen on the $50 price tag, but the set is notable for including Barry Windham’s only Mattel figure to date. 

The Target-exclusive WCW ring only hit stores last fall, but Target is already discounting and getting rid of the ring. It comes with an exclusive Dusty Rhodes figure and WCW World Championship belt, which is a much better figure than Mattel’s 2010 Dusty from the Legends line. The WCW ring isn’t nearly as plentiful as the Horsemen pack, but if you can find one, it shouldn’t cost you more than $20. 

How Much for a Trip to Larry Land?

Target’s holiday catalogue, released last November, showed images of a new Mattel WWE Hall of Fame four-pack that would have included the first figure of Larry Zbyszko in more than 30 years, along with new figures of Scott Hall, Kevin Nash and Eddie Guerrero. However, Mattel scrapped those plans, probably due to poor sales of the previous Hall of Fame four-packs.

The Zbyszko figure has since surfaced on eBay, with most sellers asking between $40 and $50. Much like the Elite Jeff Hardy figure from 2010, the figures probably ended up in a warehouse overseas, and somehow found their way online.

PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached atmichaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter.

NOW READ OUR PREVIOUS COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Breakout Stars of 2016, and Who is Poised for a Big 2017