First mag, first video, first figure. GO!

[bono]

Those were with big fad years, when you'd have WWF figures in major retailers. From 1994 onwards until the Austin era broke out, I dont think I saw a wrestling figure or a the striker albums anywhere near any of the shops up here. The only thing you could really collect was the WWF Magazines, which one or two shops still stocked. Argos and Woolies even stopped selling WWF stuff. To be a fan of wrestling you really need it shoving in your face, like back in the early and late 90s, or now where their merch is all over the place.

 

Yeah I think your right. Around late 94ish wrestling seemed to vanish. I remember when hasbro stop making the wwf figures I can't seem to remember seeing any figures for a couple of years. Until the blue sleeved ones of hbk,bret,stone cold,taker and mankind I think it was. They came with wwf stands. Did jakks make them? Because they were really crap. No computer games,no stickers no nothing really.

 

You could still get videos in virgin. I remember the in your house videos. I remember the magazine being available aswell

 

Then was it about late 96 when things started to bubble again. I seem to remember an in your house playstation game

 

Those two years between mid- late 94 to mid 96 are wrestlings forgotten years

[bono]

My first magazine is tricky, because I seem to have bought it a few years before I really got into wrestling, probably 96/97ish. All I remember is that my dad bought me it from the Shell garage in Temple, Anniesland and it had those big 8-page PPV faatures, where one of the matches was a Flag match. Is there anyone who could pinpoint what PPV that was and end a aeon-long mystery? I do know for a fact that the first one I bought when I really got into it would've been May 1999 with the IYH: Backlash feature in it.

 

My first tape was this:

 

It's probably the only reason I enjoy it to this day. Although, the X-Pac/Shane and Triple Threat matches are fun.

 

First figure was probably one of those weird rubber Austins, although I suspect I got a load of them in a bundle with the old Wrestlemania ring.

 

Wow no mercy that event was shocking. I remember being devastated when I couldn't get tickets, they sold out in silly time. I brought it on box office, I think the event only lasted about 2 hours 20.

[air_raid]

I think the event only lasted about 2 hours 20.

 

You'd be right. It says "Approx running time 140 mins" on the box.

[FalconHoof]

First Mag

First Vid

 

First Figure

[diamond_dust]

Can't remember my first mag but it would've been a WWF one.

 

My first VHS would be KOTR 98 bought from Newton Heath market.

 

As for figures, I had the RAW Monster Ring but every toy shop in the area was constantly out of all wrestling figures for weeks so I remember I bought 7 with a few weeks of saved pocket money when Toys R Us finally got some stock. The WMXV packaged Austin, Edge, Dr Death & X-Pac, Smash & Slam DDP and Hogan and The Road Warrior Hawk figure from that set that each figure came with body armour.

[Egg Shen]

 

that was definitely my first magazine, around the time i had the black panini sticker album...i can't actually remember getting into wrestling specifically but it was somewhere between Wrestlemania 5 & 6. I rememeber my parents recording 6 and me watching it with a bunch of cocktail sausage rolls, fond memory. I must have had this magazine shortly afterwards.

 

I'd wager then that i recieved my first video for the Xmas after Wrestlemania 6, which was this...

 

 

im pretty sure i picked it, and went on the simple premise that it was on for 4 hours and i thought i'd be getting more for my (parents) buck. I loved that show, on the day i had it i watched it then wrote a report of it on my old Acorn Electron computer for myself...what the fuck!? I must have watched it 50 times or so, for years i only had 3 videos, it was Wrestlemania 4, then over time i added Summerslam 88 and Summerslam 92, and i was happy as shit with them. Goes to show how f'n spoilt we are these days with the internet, and the introduction of DVD's etc. Still, amazing memories, i wouldn't have wanted it to happen any other way.

 

As for figure, it's abit of a sore subject but it was this beaut.

 

 

it's not clear why it was Akeem, but it was probably something to do with him being the last figure in Woolworths. It mattered none, i loved it and must have played solo for a while cause he was the only one i had...anyway, it's a sore subject cause i had a birthday party at home not long after and invited all the kids from the area as you do. Party went well and everyone left, but Akeem was missing!! i searched high and low and finally found Akeem, in two!! stuffed in the goal mouth of my foosball table! i never found out how it happened, but i did find out who did it! it was a girl a couple of years younger than me that lived up the street, i would still probably hold it against her but i fingered her a few years ago so i'll leave it go. Poor Akeem, i never replaced him

 

Good times.

[IANdrewDiceClay]

My Akeem fell to bits as well. Those Hasbro models were super shit. Both of Andre's arms fell out and Akeem's arms and legs came off as well. They were about as well put together as something you'd get in a Kinda Egg. Anyone else have that experience with the "Belly Bounce Action" models?

[Egg Shen]

yeh, i remember having matches with a headless Brutus Beefcake at one point

[JNLister]

First magazine was:

 

 

First non-WWF magazine was:

 

 

And first "hey, I should see if they are taking on writers magazine" was:

 

 

Not 100% sure on first video. I had all the early Silvervision tapes virtually the moment they were released, so it'll be High Flyers, Hulk Hogan: Real American or Best of SNME. Can't have been long after that I got this tape, which is numbered 1 in my collection:

 

 

I had the Hogan figure, but I think it came free with an early Silvervision release. In that case, the first I bought was almost certainly a WCW Galoob one, most likely Sting. I also got these early on:

 

[Sexy Dad]

 

My aunty bought me this from WH Smith when I was bored at my uncle's 40th after a walk into town, I couldn't believe that there were magazines like this...I was used to making do with just annuals!

 

 

I got this from a trip to woolies, bloody loved this show. So much that when I saw Spring Stampede in my Mum's video club leaflet that I had to let her know it was a must see. I loved the DDP, Bigalow and Kanyon vs Malenko and Benoit match from this.

 

 

I got this Undertaker and a Dr Death figure from Hamleys during a trip to London with my Grandparents. Fond memories after a trip to Madame Tussauds. Playing with them later on was even better than getting a picture with Princess Diana's waxwork.

[Egg Shen]

Not 100% sure on first video. I had all the early Silvervision tapes virtually the moment they were released, so it'll be High Flyers, Hulk Hogan: Real American or Best of SNME. Can't have been long after that I got this tape, which is numbered 1 in my collection:

 

oh fuck, i had that!! i bought it it from Bewise, i remember my mam trying to convince me it wasn't good wrestling but i had it anyways. I fucking hated it its weird looking back how many of the guys on there i actually know, at the time all i was interested in was the WWF. I actually thought the Bret Hart on that tape was an imposter at the time fucking hell, that's brought back some memories.

 

Anyone here used to be WOW Magazine? that was a regular buy for me, it was the only mag which broke kayfabe and gave away real names and stuff, i was f'n fascinated by it.

 

I picked up WCW Magazine regular too but had no access to WCW footage so i'd just stare at pictures for hours and not know what any of the guys actually wrestled like, i remember seeing the War Games pictures and thinking it looked like the greatest thing ever...ive still never seen a War Games match.

[JNLister]

I'll have to check, but this might be Barry Horowitz using the "Brett Hart" name.

 

This one is unusual among the series as it doesn't have any commentary.

[WeeAl]

I don't remember exactly my firsts, but we got Sky around September/October 1996, and my cousin who used to be our babysitter brought her boyfriend over on Friday nights to look after us (he only would accompany here on Friday nights when he learned we got Sky, I would soon find out why). It was Christina's boyfriend Ray who started my brother and myself watching. We'd usually flick between both Raw and Nitro, in between trying everything at home that we were being told not to obviously. So my first magazine would have to be after this point, and I would guess it was from early 1997. I know for sure it was a PowerSlam mag as we went up to the shop with Ray one day and he bought it so I had to get one for myself. I don't still have the first one as I cut it to bits and then stuck it all over the wall until I got the WWF and Raw mags and got some posters.

 

My first tapes were borrowed at the start aswell, but pretty soon I was in cash converters and car bootsales and managed to get my hands on SummerSlam 88, Royal Rumble 1990 and 1989's Survivor Series

 

After this I kept borrowing old videos, or went to the library and took what they had. Managed to get WrestleMania in the library. Happened to be glad at the time I didn't save up

[JNLister]

I think the event only lasted about 2 hours 20.

 

You'd be right. It says "Approx running time 140 mins" on the box.

 

I was at the show live and when there were only two matches left and we assumed the show was running to a normal length, we did some maths and were terrified Mankind and Billy Gunn were going to go 40 minutes.

[HarmonicGenerator]

A few people have mentioned sticker albums. I had at least one WWF sticker album, and while I can remember what a lot of the stickers looked like - I'd date them as late 1999, so it was right in the middle of Attitude; SmackDown had started and Bulldog was back - I can't remember what the album cover looked like. Each major wrestler had a double page spread to himself, with their own fancy logo, catchphrase, loads of photos, etc. I can remember looking at X-Pac's pages and being unable to figure out what "your ass is grass and I'm gonna smoke it" actually meant. Why would you smoke grass?