By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Jakks-Pacific released a Blue Blazer figure just weeks before Owen Hart's death. Some collectors love the figure, while others want nothing to do with it.




Action Figure Spotlight #13: Jakks-Pacific Blue Blazer
Originally Released: 1999
What you can expect to pay: $10-20 (loose): $25-40 (packaged)
Recent sales: $5.99, $19.99 (both packaged); no loose sales in the last 30 days

Collectors of wrestling action figures have been begging for years for a company like Mattel or Jakks-Pacific to produce a detailed, quality action figure of Owen Hart. Given the relationship between the wrestling industry and Owen’s widow, Martha, it’s unlikely that will ever happen.

So, if you’re looking for a figure of Owen, your choices are pretty limited. He first appeared in the seventh series of WWF action figures from Hasbro in 1993, complete with baggy New Foundation pants. Jakks-Pacific then produced a variety of Owen figures in the mid- to late-1990s. Unfortunately, these are all bone-crunching action (BCA) figures, many of which were poorly made and often fell apart.

One of the more popular of these BCA figures from Jakks-Pacific is that of Hart’s alter ego, the Blue Blazer. The figure wore a blue singlet and tights, and came complete with a slick blue cape with white fluffy edges. The head was actually a repaint from a figure of The Patriot that had been released in 1998; if you look closely, you can see the design of an eagle on the front of the mask.
The figure was released in the spring of 1999 and was an instant hit. Jakks had not provided any advanced advertising of this figure, so children and collectors alike were pleasantly surprised when these first popped up.

Unfortunately, Owen Hart’s tragic death occurred just weeks after this figure was released. When that happened, prices went through the roof; it was pretty common to see packaged Blue Blazer figures sell over $100.

The value came back down to earth relatively quickly. Today, the figure still sells relatively well, but collectors are split on owning one. Owen Hart remains very popular among wrestling collectors, and there are many fans who would love to have one. However, there are plenty of others who associate the Blue Blazer with Owen’s death and want no part of it.

If you’re looking to pick one of these up, they aren’t tough to find. A loose figure in good condition usually sells for around $10-15, sometimes as high as $20. As with all BCA figures from Jakks-Pacific, however, make sure to enquire about the condition before buying. It is very common for the legs to become loose and wobbly, and even fall off. Make sure also that the seller is including the cape with the figure.

Collectibles News

-- Ringsidecollectibles.com unveiled last week a new exclusive Bret Hart figure from Mattel. The Elite-style figure features Bret in pink tights with a removable pink and black jacket, just as he appeared at the 1993 Royal Rumble when he successfully defended the WWF Title against Razor Ramon. The figure is $27.95. More information can be found at RingsideCollectibles.com .

-- If you’re a collector of wrestling figures, check your local retail stores for the new Royal Rumble Heritage series from Mattel. This particular series is sold in Mattel’s new white packaging, and includes two very rare figures of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, from the 1988 and 1995 Royal Rumbles, respectively. These figures are very scarce and do not appear in every case; even sites like ringsidecollectibles.com are not offering them for sale. The Bret figures have been selling in the $30-50 range, while the Shawn figure has been consistently selling for $20-25.

-- The newest TNA cards from TRISTAR, TNA Reflexxions, are scheduled for release later this week. These new cards will be featured in a more in-depth Collectibles Column once they are released and sufficient secondary market activity is available.

Trivia Question of the Week

The sloppy signature in last Thursday’s Collectibles Column belongs to none other than John Cena. Several readers wrote in with that correct answer; congratulations to Tyler Bissett, James Bouhuys, Dave Nyikos, Michael Tisdale, Pete Griffin, and Joseph DiGennaro, who all knew the correct answer.
Thursday’s collectibles column will include another wrestling autograph that is difficult to decipher.

Thursday Column Alert: Thursday's Collectibles Column will feature a PWTorch exclusive interview with Colt Cabana.

Michael Moore has been a collector of sports cards and memorabilia for 25 years. He spent 10 years as a newspaper editor and reporter, and has also written for publications such as Pro Wrestling Illustrated, Tuff Stuff, and various Beckett sports collectibles magazines. He can be contacted at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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