We are excited to bring your our latest update for Mattel’s classic Shogun Warriors line! Since the values of certain items can fluctuate greatly over time, The Toy Collectors Guide prides itself in keeping up with the most current market trends and any shifts that may affect the various secondary market values. There are many factors that drive those trends and shifts which include, an item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Shogun Warrior collectors is there’s always a big demand for items from this line, as Mattel created some truly iconic toys.
The Shogun Warriors line has always remained very popular throughout the years, with both the kids who grew up in that era as well as more modern collectors from multiple other genre’s including Japanese, Anime, Robots, Godzilla, Transformers and just plain awesome toys. The Shogun Warriors franchise has never been revived for a number of reasons, but certainly not for a lack of popularity. The bottom line is that Mattel just doesn’t own the toy rights to most of the characters anymore, including Godzilla.
Since the original Mattel Shogun Warriors line has never been re-released (unlike many other popular toy lines) the only way to get them is buying the originals from the 1970’s. This is great news for collectors of the Shogun Warriors line, as fans and collectors are always trying to acquire the original toys of their childhood. Most of the original Shogun Warriors toys have shown steady movement, with the main focus being on the jumbo 24″ figures. Packaged items are getting harder and harder to find due to age, so values are continually creeping upwards. Loose versions of the original jumbo figures, die-cast and vehicles are also showing solid upward movement, as they just make for amazing display pieces for collections. Overall, Mattel’s Shogun Warriors line continues to see fantastic growth and will only increase with time.
We hope you enjoy checking out our updated Shogun Warriors section!
“Wings of Silver, Nerves of Steel, SilverHawks! Partly Metal, Partly Real”– Theme Song.
The Toy Collectors Guide is excited to bring you the latest addition to our site with Kenner’s SilverHawks line from 1987-1988. The SilverHawks made their debut on the small screen on September 8, 1986 with their animated series by Rankin/Bass. LJN, who had previously partnered with these producers on the Thundercats, passed on the SilverHawks toy line at the last minute. Kenner quickly stepped in and ended up making the SilverHawks toys, which launched in 1987. The line was initially successful, but once the animated series came to an end, toy sales began to rapidly slow down. With steeply declining sales and no major media outlets to promote their toys, Kenner ended the SilverHawks line in 1988.
The SilverHawks toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the period between their initial launch by Kenner in 1987 through their eventual end in 1988. Each individual page covered on our site is separated by the particular wave or series. Every page contains a full breakdown of all items released during each wave, including photos, production information, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all major secondary market sites across the internet. This data is based on actual sales of the individual items and not necessarily the listed prices.
I hope you enjoy our new SilverHawks Action Figure section, and have fun exploring the site.
Click These Links to See Individual SilverHawks Action Figure Pages
“We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster”– Oscar Goldman
We are excited to bring your our latest update for Kenner’s Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman lines! Since the values of certain items can fluctuate greatly over time, The Toy Collectors Guide prides itself in keeping up with the most current market trends and any shifts that may affect the various secondary market values. There are many factors that drive those trends and shifts which include, an item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Six Million Dollar Man collectors is there’s always a big demand for items from this line, as Kenner created some truly iconic toys.
A new live action Six Million Dollar Man movie starring Mark Wahlberg has been in the works for quite some time, but now languishes in development hell. With no new media outlets on the horizon, we’ll probably not be seeing a ton of new Six Million Dollar Man collectibles coming our way. That being said, newer figures from Zica Toys, ReAction and Bif Bang Pow! have proved the franchise still has lots of fan appeal. Since the original Kenner Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman lines has never been re-released, unlike many other popular toy lines, the only way to get those original toys of our youth is buying the originals from the 1970’s. This is good news for collectors of the original Bionic lines, as fans and collectors are always trying to acquire the original toys from their childhood.
Many of the original Six Million Dollar Man and Bionic Woman toys in package continue to show some movement. Loose versions of the original figures and accessories are also showing solid upward movement as nostalgia remains a powerful force. The hope for collectors and fans is that we may still see reissues of classic Six Million Dollar Man toys, updated with modern features that appeal to both longtime enthusiasts and new generations of fans. Until then, the original line will continue to see slow but steady growth as these items become harder and harder to locate on the secondary market.
Six Million Dollar Man / Bionic Woman over the years:
We are excited to bring your our latest update for LJN’s Thundercats line! Since the values of certain items can fluctuate greatly over time, The Toy Collectors Guide prides itself in keeping up with the most current market trends and any shifts that may affect the various secondary market values. There are many factors that drive those trends and shifts which include, an item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Thundercats’ collectors is there’s always a big demand for items from this line, as LJN created some truly iconic toys.
The original Thundercats line has always remained popular, but the newer animated series that ran from 2011 to 2012 and another in 2020 on the Cartoon Network, certainly revived the franchise and introduced the team to a entirely new generation. Whether you like these new series or not, they certainly reached plenty of new fans, and brought lots of new toys to stores again, with the most popular being the Thundercats Ultimates and ReAction lines by Super 7. In addition, a new live action Thundercats movie has been in the works for quite some time, so fingers crossed.
Since the original LJN Thundercats line has never been re-released, unlike many other popular toy lines, so the only way to get those original toys of our favorite “Third Earth” residents is buying the originals from the 1980’s. This is great news for collectors of the original Thundercats line, as fans and collectors are always trying to acquire the original toys of their childhood. Many of the original Thundercats toys have shown steady movement (especially Series 3 items from 1987) as carded and boxed items are getting harder and harder to find. Loose versions of the original figures and accessories are also showing solid upward movement. Overall, the LJN Thundercats line continues to see very nice growth and will only increase with time.
The Toy Collectors Guide is excited to bring you our latest addition to the site with the original Ghost with the Most, Beetlejuice. The original Beetlejuice movie launched on the big screen in 1988 and became an instant cult classic. With a bit of an adult theme, there was limited merchandising at first, but that changed the following year when Kenner launched their Beetlejuice toy line. After a short two year run, NECA acquired the Beetlejuice toy rights and began releasing their own figure in the 2000’s.
The Beetlejuice toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the Kenner line from 1989 to 1990, and the releases by NECA from 2001 to 2020. Every page contains a full breakdown of all items released by Kenner and NECA, including photos, production information, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all major secondary market sites across the internet. This data is based on actual sales of the individual items and not necessarily the listed prices.
I hope you enjoy our new Beetlejuice Action Figure section, and have fun exploring the site.
Click These Links to See Individual M.A.S.K. Action Figure Pages
Our Transformers Update has now been completed. Since the values of certain items can fluctuate greatly over time, The Toy Collectors Guide prides itself in keeping up with the most current market trends and any shifts that may affect the various secondary market values. There are many factors that drive those trends and shifts which include, an item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Transformers collectors is there’s always a big demand for items from this G1 era, as Hasbro created some truly iconic toys. The original Transformers line had always remained incredibly popular, but the new movies that began in 2007 and continue to this day, revived the franchise in a HUGE way. Whether you like them or not, these movies have been big hits with many fans, and brought tons of new toys to stores again. In addition, Hasbro also brought back their Classic G1 line with a commemorative vintage line, which featured molds of the original toys in their original packaging.
The commemorative vintage line is obviously a MUCH cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to affect buyers in different types of ways. For dedicated collectors, this may inspire them to go back and acquire the original toys of their childhood, but for more casual fans who don’t have the desire to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on originals from their youth, these “new” vintage re-released figures offer the perfect alternative. The re-issued line has had a slight impact on the values of the original toys, but nothing to be overly concerned over. Many of the original Transformers that have been re-released ticked ever slightly downward, while most others continue to steadily increase in value. Loose versions of the original figures are also showing solid upward movement. Overall, the original G1 Transformers line continues to see nice growth with a very high ceiling. This bodes well for collectors and fans of the original toys for years to come.
The Toy Collectors Guide is excited to bring you our latest addition to the site with M.A.S.K (Mobile Armored Strike Kommand). M.A.S.K. was a 1980’s original concept line by Kenner, trying to get their share of the “Transforming Toy Market” made popular by Hasbro’s Transformers line. Kenner put a ton of development into M.A.S.K and launched the line in 1985. The M.A.S.K. team were led by wealthy philanthropist Matt Trakker, while V.E.N.O.M. (Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem), was led by Miles Mayhem. The basic concept was ordinary vehicles (scaled for two-inch action figures) that could change to reveal hidden weapons, armor or even transform to a entirely different vehicle type. Each vehicle included a pilot figure with a removable mask, which gave the characters unique powers.
The M.A.S.K. toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the period between their initial launch by Kenner in 1985 through their eventual end in 1987. Each individual page covered on our site is separated by the particular wave or series. Every page contains a full breakdown of all items released during each wave, including photos, production information, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all major secondary market sites across the internet. This data is based on actual sales of the individual items and not necessarily the listed prices.
I hope you enjoy our new M.A.S.K. Action Figure section, and have fun exploring the site.
Click These Links to See Individual M.A.S.K. Action Figure Pages
This Toy Spotlight focuses on a true legend from Mattel, and an item that would become a symbol for an entire decade of toys in the 1980’s. The Masters of the Universe brand was a huge hit at the time, to say the very least. It was enjoying worldwide success with their popular animated series and top selling toy line. Mattel certainly gave us plenty of figures and accessories for the line, but their playsets were simply incredible! By the time Masters of the Universe toys hit the stores in 1982, kids were snatching them off the shelves as fast as they landed. Yes, everyone wanted the figures, with He-Man and Skeletor being front and center. Battle Cat was certainly super cool and the vehicles were fun, but the item that EVERY kid in the world wanted at that time was the lone playset released that year. So without further ado, I humbly present Mattel’s Castle Grayskull Playset from 1982.
Aside from He-Man and Skeletor themselves, Castle Grayskull is the most iconic item to come from of the Masters of the Universe line. The image of the legendary castle can be instantly recognized by anyone who grew up in that era. With its trap door, opening and closing drawbridge, throne, laser cannon and weapons armory, there was a lot to do in this playset, not to mention a most impressive front exterior shot of the skull with fangs. In short, this set was just plain cool looking! With a price tag of $24.99 at the time, it was a reasonably priced addition for any child’s toy stash. It was kind of like the Barbie Town House for boys! This thing proved so popular with fans and collectors that it has been re-released twice since then, with the Masters of the Universe Classics version in 2013 (which is crazy expensive nowadays) and the Masters of the Universe Origins version from 2021.
The original playset itself consists of two parts held together by hinges. This allows the castle to be closed for storage and to save space. It opens to reveal the inside and the outside of the castle. The exterior features a TON of amazing detail including stones, slates, windows, balcony, and of course the skull façade. Also on the front exterior are two towers. The taller is the watch tower where the flag is attached, while the smaller is the defense tower with a laser cannon that takes up most of the platform. The interior of the castle is pretty much divided into four sections. The first is the entrance hall and dungeon. This dungeon is represented by a simple sticker on the floor. There is also a combat trainer. Above the entrance hall is the throne room, which in my opinion, is the coolest room in the castle. There’s a trapdoor in the floor, decorated with a carpet sticker, which can be activated by shifting the throne. There is also a space suit looking carboard insert that could be a suit of armor. Behind the throne hangs a cool looking banner.
On the other half of the castle, the bottom floor is the armory where you can find the elevator. There are two weapons racks that can be placed in the armory. the first is a yellow plastic rack with pegs that can hold nine light gray weapons — a mace, a laser rifle, an axe, a sword, a halberd, a spear, a pole axe, a pistol, and a shield. The other rack is just a cardboard standee. The elevator runs on a rail that is fixed to the case and operated by pulling a string which is attached a small gargoyle. This leaves very little free space on either of the two floors. The fourth and final section is sort of a control room area that is accessed from the elevator. This room has a cardboard insert of a computer and monitor screen. There was little to actually put together on this playset, so it’s really just a matter of where you want to place the interior accessories.
In total, the Castle Grayskull Playset included a Weapons Rack, Mace, Battle Ax, Sword, Halberd, Scythe, Spear, Shield, Ladder, Space Suit Cardboard Insert, Computer Cardboard Insert, Weapons Rack Cardboard Insert, Flag, Combat Trainer, Pistol, Laser Rifle and the Laser Cannon. The artwork on the box was absolutely stunning, and done by Rudy Obrero, who did most of the artwork from the early releases of Masters of the Universe line.
If action figure playsets had a Mount Rushmore, then the Castle Grayskull playset would certainly be on it. I know the word “Iconic” is used far too much in this world, but how can you honestly argue this playset isn’t exactly that! Castle Grayskull sold at a reasonable price point for the time and there were a LOT of these sold back in the day. Despite that, it remains incredibly popular with fans and collectors nowadays. Boxed Versions of the Castle Grayskull Playset can still be found on the secondary market but they won’t likely come cheap. Loose sets are much easier to find, but will probably be missing some of the individual pieces and accessories. Some of these loose individual playset pieces can sell for big bucks and it gets costly to put together a complete loose set. Obviously, graded or sealed versions will sell for higher prices when available. This really is a centerpiece item for just about any toy collection. It’s not overly big, but still big enough to catch someone’s eye. The playset worked really well, and provided hours of entertainment for children of that era. The Castle Grayskull Playset was fun, colorful, detailed and just plain impressive looking. Mattel created some amazing pieces for their Masters of the Universe line, but Castle Grayskull sits atop my list and remains one of the most truly ICONIC playsets created from the decade of the 1980’s.
We hope you enjoyed this TOY SPOTLIGHT! Be sure to check out our other Toy Spotlight articles from past months, Thanks.
The Toy Spotlight section focuses on iconic vintage toys, which truly moved the needle in the toy industry, and are recognized as true classics by collectors.
Since our Toy Spotlight section has grown, we have gathered older Spotlight Posts on this ARCHIVE PAGE for quick and easy viewing.
Since our Top Ten section has grown, we have gathered older Top Ten Posts on this ARCHIVE PAGE for quick and easy viewing.
The Toy Collectors Guide continues our new monthly feature that highlight various toy lines with a emphasis on a top ten, because honestly, who doesn’t love a good top ten list!
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