"I HAVE SOME HASBROS! LET'S TALK ABOUT HASBROS!"

[Warrior]

I think the new Retros are great. Biggest issue I've got is - as I've got a room full of memorabilia (and yet remain unmarried?!) - do I keep them boxed, or open them to go with the other Hasbros? Or just buy two of each.

 

For Mattel to essentially be ripping off an old Hasbro product must be unprecedented. You wouldn't get a Nintendo console based on the Megadrive today, would you? Maybe that's why the packaging is close, but not too close, to the original look.

[Warrior]

Couple of years ago, I dug out the bag of figures that I had collected as a kid with the intention of putting them on eBay, maybe keeping one or two faves (Taker, Perfect, Bret). I was still a bit gutted that I didn't have Warrior, DiBiase, Andre. Instead, much to my Girlfriend's bemusement and growing horror, I've now buying up all the ones I wanted as a kid. The ring attire on the figures that annoyed me as a kid, now make them look great for display. Thinking of starting to get the Galoob's as well, though loads of Hasbro's to still pick up yet too.

 

I'm in the same boat. I've got the lot, apart from the expensive ones basically. So I don't have the green card series, Razor #2, Shawn Michaels #2 or the mailaways (that red Hogan is beautiful...) There's a bloke on Stockport market who has a wrestling figure stall, and he's a good eBay alternative. Picked up El Gigante Galoob off him, and also some of the 1996-97 era Jakks WWF figures, which I absolutely love (there's a Clarence Mason figure!!!)

 

As for my own Hasbro memories, I remember being a bit of a nerd with all this. Warrior was my favourite so I never played with him as I could never book him to lose and  that was poor booking ethics. Even Hogan didn't get much of a look-in as it was unrealistic for anyone to beat him.

 

I remember thinking it seemed weird having, say, Jake The Snake, win the WWF World Title, so I devised my own brand extension. I called it Smoky Mountain Wrestling (this was 1996ish, so God knows how I knew that existed. Maybe from the old Apter mags or Power Slam?) and even used a different ring - the classic Christmas staple of the Family Circle biscuit tin. I wanted the new brand to have a different feel from the big-time blue plastic ring on the other side of my bedroom! Jake was champ there, and I'm pretty sure Ray Stanz was his manager...

 

Actually, this year marks the 20th anniversary of my 'WWF Uncensored 96' event. I held it at midnight one New Year's Eve (because 12 'o' clock is clearly the edgiest time when you're a kid) one match I can remember is Nailz VS Million Dollar Man in a STRAP MATCH. Literally tied the two together at the wrist, and concocted some sort of match. I believe DiBiase won, so he was probably the face, somehow.

 

The main event was a steel cage match - done by taking the electrified fences from the Jurassic Park compound playset and fitting them around the ring. They fit perfectly! Macho Man was my champ - had the full-costume MM figure walk down the aisle, then swapped him for the original one - and for the finish he scaled the cage to drop the big elbow - only for his bloody arm to snap off when I dropped him!

 

As we all know, in the cut and thrust of booking a pro wrestling promotion, you have to make decisions on the fly, so I called an audible and had Savage lose that match and the title... probably the most controversial moment in my 5+ booking career.

[King Pitcos]

I think the new Retros are great. Biggest issue I've got is - as I've got a room full of memorabilia (and yet remain unmarried?!) - do I keep them boxed, or open them to go with the other Hasbros? Or just buy two of each.

 

For Mattel to essentially be ripping off an old Hasbro product must be unprecedented. You wouldn't get a Nintendo console based on the Megadrive today, would you? Maybe that's why the packaging is close, but not too close, to the original look.

 

I don't think it's unprecedented, Jakks did the LJN rip-offs in the previous decade. Although they're not unrelated companies, so it's not the same as this. It probably is more common than we'd expect, as different toymakers have the licenses and there's still a huge nostalgia market to recreate the ones we grew up with. Are these definitely the same size as WWF Hasbros? It'd be great to just be able to add them to a Hasbro collection but I've got a fear that they're gonna be too big.

[WyattSheepMask]

All Mattell would have to do is reach an agreement with Hasbro for using the character models/moulds and pay a fee

[Warrior]

 

I think the new Retros are great. Biggest issue I've got is - as I've got a room full of memorabilia (and yet remain unmarried?!) - do I keep them boxed, or open them to go with the other Hasbros? Or just buy two of each.

 

For Mattel to essentially be ripping off an old Hasbro product must be unprecedented. You wouldn't get a Nintendo console based on the Megadrive today, would you? Maybe that's why the packaging is close, but not too close, to the original look.

 

I don't think it's unprecedented, Jakks did the LJN rip-offs in the previous decade. Although they're not unrelated companies, so it's not the same as this. It probably is more common than we'd expect, as different toymakers have the licenses and there's still a huge nostalgia market to recreate the ones we grew up with. Are these definitely the same size as WWF Hasbros? It'd be great to just be able to add them to a Hasbro collection but I've got a fear that they're gonna be too big.

 

 

Ah yeah you're right! How big were those then? Did they fit in with the LJN ones, size-wise? I'm trying to find pictures online but the best I can get is this Wrestlingfigs thread.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Warrior

[King Pitcos]

They definitely weren't LJN sized, they were the same size as the normal Jakks figures of the time I think.

[Guest]

Surely being different sizes renders the whole concept pointless?

[Kaz Hayashi]

Indeed they were, they were smaller than LJN but obviously bigger than galoob, I seem to mainly remember them being the chaser figure in the classics series, some with baby blue packaging.

.

 

Regarding the hasbros, They will be in scale. I'm going to pick these up if possible, again though, wallmart exclusives, so chances are we'll get raped on the cost of any limited shipments brought over by traders.

Edited December 24, 2016 by Kaz Hayashi

[Nick Soapdish]

A fair few Walmart Exclusive WWE series figures show up in my local Asda in Essex

[Kaz Hayashi]

That automatically means you are the UK distributor now Nick.

[King Pitcos]

A fair few Walmart Exclusive WWE series figures show up in my local Asda in Essex

 

Yeah, it's very inconsistent though, they'll get one Walmart exclusive then not get the next three. I don't want to buy these for silly import prices then find them for a tenner in Asda two months later, but I also don't want to wait until they're gone from US shops and become rare and have to pay £40 each.

[Kaz Hayashi]

 

 

A fair few Walmart Exclusive WWE series figures show up in my local Asda in Essex

Yeah, it's very inconsistent though, they'll get one Walmart exclusive then not get the next three. I don't want to buy these for silly import prices then find them for a tenner in Asda two months later, but I also don't want to wait until they're gone from US shops and become rare and have to pay £40 each.

That's the mare.

 

I'm going to go on yahoo chat rooms and see if I can make some American friends.

[royaltenenbaum]

 

Couple of years ago, I dug out the bag of figures that I had collected as a kid with the intention of putting them on eBay, maybe keeping one or two faves (Taker, Perfect, Bret). I was still a bit gutted that I didn't have Warrior, DiBiase, Andre. Instead, much to my Girlfriend's bemusement and growing horror, I've now buying up all the ones I wanted as a kid. The ring attire on the figures that annoyed me as a kid, now make them look great for display. Thinking of starting to get the Galoob's as well, though loads of Hasbro's to still pick up yet too.

 

I remember thinking it seemed weird having, say, Jake The Snake, win the WWF World Title, so I devised my own brand extension. I called it Smoky Mountain Wrestling (this was 1996ish, so God knows how I knew that existed. Maybe from the old Apter mags or Power Slam?) 

 

 

Could the Smoky Mountain Wrestling knowledge come from Summerslam '93? Heavenly Bodies and Cornette are on the card and Vince and Heenan mention Smoky Mountain on the commentary a fair few times. Cornette has talked about it being part of the deal of him cutting promos for Yoko that he wanted namedrops for Smoky Mountain on WWE.

[The Reverend]

Packaging of Mattel's new Hasbro-inspired figures:

That picture really sums up the blandness of the current WWE product. I still have all my hasbros / galoobs stored away (every one except the green card series) and if I open the box up tonight I'll see a mad mix of colours - Hogans red and yellow, the green Rockers, The Ultimate Warriors array of colours, the red, white and blue of the Bulldog. That's what made so appealing, and wrestling, back in the day. Just a day-glo, hyperactivity of colour. Now look at that lot in the photo. Every single one in plain black!!

[Tommy!]

Now look at that lot in the photo. Every single one in plain black!!

To be fair one is Cena who was mocked for having an array of brightly colored t-shirts over the years, to the joy of the crowd.