When the Masters of the Universe line was first launched back in 1982, it was a massive success, to say the least. Mattel Toys took a big chance on an original concept line, that was loosely inspired by the popular Conan the Barbarian movies of the time. The series featured strong action characters with unique looks and powers. Mattel created an entire universe for their figures, including amazing creatures, vehicles and larger than life playsets. The animated series for the Masters of the Universe was equally a huge hit, and proved very popular with kids of that era. He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, Hordak and all of their friends rode an extreme wave of popularity until the line eventually came to an end in early 1988.
The original Masters of the Universe toys had always remained popular with collectors and fans throughout the years, with consistent value, but something was about to happen that would have a direct affect on the original toys and their value………..A NEW SERIES REVIVIAL. Kevin Smith, along with Powerhouse Animation Studios, announced they were bringing the beloved Masters of the Universe franchise back in a big way by introducing the Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series. The show launched in July 2021 on Netflix with very high expectations. It did not disappoint, as it quickly became a big time hit with fans and critics alike. Toys were launched from the new series in 2021, along with a commemorative Origins line that featured molds of the original toys in their original packaging. Both lines continue to this day, but the big question for collectors was…….how does this affect the values of the original toys from the 1980’s?
One would think the answer would be obvious, but sometimes the obvious isn’t actual reality. Prices of the original toys had always been strong, seeing gradual increases over time. Most of the main characters, such as He-Man, Skeletor, Teela, Beast Man, etc. have always been in high demand, while other lesser characters can be much easier to find. Certain toys, such as the original 1982/1983 figures and accessories, have seen the biggest bump from these new re-issued toys, but as Mattel brings back additional new Origins figures based on the originals, each one seems to follow its own path. For example, a new Origins version of Panthor was released early this year with the original design and packaging for around $24 at retail. The original Panthor is valued at an average of $400, so if you don’t already have a Panthor in original box, this would be a much cheaper and easier way to add him to your collection. Therefore, the value of the original Panthor has not see much movement from the re-release.
On the other hand, Mattel released a new Castle Grayskull playset last year with the original design and packaging, that sold for around $80 at retail. The original Castle Grayskull in box is currently valued at $550 – $650. This value showed an increase of around $100 since the re-release of the new Origins Castle Grayskull, so this was an example of positive movement. The bottom line is that it’s literally a case by case comparison, depending on which figure or accessory is being talked about. On average, the new individual Masters of the Universe Origins figures sell for around $15 at retail. This is obviously a MUCH cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to have different affects on different types of buyers. 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 thousands of dollars on originals from the 1980’s, these new Origins figures offer the perfect alternative.
So whether you’re a collector or just a fan, the re-release of new Masters of the Universe toys should be considered a good thing for everyone. Not only does it allow us the opportunity to buy new Masters of the Universe toys again, but it also introduces this amazing universe to a whole new generation that never would have had the opportunity to experience it otherwise. It keeps the franchise alive with brand new stories being told about our favorite childhood characters. These new stories answer some old questions and introduce other great new characters. At the end of the day, Masters of the Universe fans just want to see their beloved series continue on, so this is an amazing gift that we get to share with others who have not been able to do so in the past. Besides, isn’t it a truly beautiful site to be able to walk down a Wal-Mart or Target toy aisle, and see new Masters of the Universe toys lining the shelves again!
This is an end of year summary of what moved the needle in the toy aisles, as well the secondary market for 2021.
If this past year had one word to describe the toy market, it would be VINTAGE, because that what ruled the toy aisles in 2021. From Ghostbusters to Masters of the Universe, and from Power Rangers to Jurassic Park, Retro was most definitely in this year. So let’s take a look back at the year to see how this new trend affected the toy market, as well as the secondary market values of the original items that inspired them.
Marvel As has now become the custom each year, Marvel rules the box office AND the toy aisles, as Hasbro continues to crank out some seriously fun action figures based on our favorite cinematic universe. Hasbro’s Marvel Legends line has become huge and continually adds new product with each new release on the big screen, as well as the small screen at home. This year marked four new releases on the big screen, Black Widow, Shang Chi, Eternals, and Spider Man: No Way Home. In addition, we saw Wandavision, Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, What If..?, and Hawkeye on the small screen through Disney Plus. Personally, I would say that makes for a spectacular year, but what do I know? This high visibility of the Marvel Universe keeps the toys in high demand, and a desire for kids and collectors to search for older figures they may have missed. We also saw the Secret Wars action figure line from 1984 trending upwards this year.
Star Wars 2021 was not a banner year for our favorite galaxy from far, far away. Not only were there no movies released this year, but no live action television series either (Unless you count Book of Boba Fett which was released on 12/30). In fact, the only new media that Star Wars had in 2021 was the Bad Batch animated series (which was amazing). On the toy aisles, Hasbro still cranked out their Vintage Collection and Black Series lines, which both continue to sell extremely well, but Star Wars vintage items did not see a ton of movement this year, mostly due to a lack of visibility. Don’t get me wrong, these items are probably never going down in value, but they really didn’t move upwards very much either. What did show some positive movement was Hasbro’s Power of the Force line from the mid to late 90’s. Kids from that generation are growing up and are beginning to treat the line with a form of nostalgia. Collectors are also beginning to see the value in this massive and very underrated toy line.
GI Joe The GI Joe toy line was back in 2021, with their new Classified series, as well as the Retro Figure line. The Classified series has become a fan favorite as they offer a new highly detailed 6 inch sculpt of our favorite Joe characters. The Retro line also saw some success this year with seven new figures (Destro, Roadblock, Scarlett, Cobra Officer, Cobra Trooper, Grunt and Stalker), as well as a new Cobra HISS Tank and Cobra FANG Helicopter. There had always been a strong market for vintage Joe figures from the 1980’s, so the release of the retro figure line didn’t really cause a lot of movement for the secondary market items.
Transformers What would a toy aisle be without some great looking new Transformers figures, and there were a LOT to chose from in 2021! First off, Hasbro brought back their popular Generations line with nearly a hundred new figures. Some were retail exclusives but most were widely available across the market. The Cyberverse series also continued in 2021 with several new figures. This series began in 2018, and is still going strong today. The Studio Series was back with 21 new figures. The Studio Series is a high end and highly detailed line of our favorite transforming robots. Due to the ever present new Transformers figures being released and highly popular animated series on Netflix, visibility for the Transformers remains as strong as ever. This high visibility keeps demand for the vintage items strong as well, making the G1 Transformers an excellent investment, if you can find them at reasonable prices.
Ghostbusters 2021 was definitely a fantastic year for the Ghostbusters franchise as our favorite spook catchers came back in a big way. Hasbro brought back the original figures from the vintage Ghostbusters line in retro form, featuring the classic versions of Peter, Ray, Winston and Egon. There was also Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, Green Ghost (Slimer) and Ecto-1. A new line called the Plasma Series was released, which featured characters from all Ghostbusters mediums in 6 inch form. These new figures were highly detailed and sold extremely well. Several roleplay accessories saw releases in 2021, including Proton Blaster, PKE Meter, Proton Pack and Ghost Trap. Hasbro also introduced a couple of super cool Ghostbusters/Transformers crossover figures in new and vintage packaging. Finally, Hasbro launched a highly detailed Proton Pack through their HasLab campaign that will ship in 2023. And if that wasn’t enough, there was the new Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie released this year, which was a big hit at the box office. All of this translates into some serious upward movement for all Ghostbusters products, but especially the classic toy line from the late 80’s and early 90’s.
Power Rangers The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers were back in 2021, and showed the line is still going strong since fist being released in 1993. Hasbro continued their popular “Hasbro’s Power Rangers” line in 2021 with their Retro-Morphin series as Wal-Mart exclusives. These new figures featured all the original rangers as they initially appeared in their vintage toy packaging. Also continued for this year was the Rangers Lightning Collection, which features a wide variety of highly detailed characters from several different shows. The Dino Fury line was introduced in 2021 with a brand new Power Rangers team fueled by dinosaur power. Finally there was the Super 7 series of Power Ranger figures in 3.75 inch form. There were several figures released and will continue into 2022 as well with an “Ultimates” line. We saw a lot of new Power Ranger products in 2021 with a lot more to come in 2022, which bodes extremely well for the franchise and their loyal collectors and fans.
Jurassic Park Even though there was no new movie released in 2021, that doesn’t mean interest in the hugely popular franchise waned at all this year. There were still a lot of new very popular products released. Jurassic Park has the distinct advantage of having several different audiences, as they not only have their fans and collectors, but also just about every kid on the planet loves dinosaurs, whether they recognize the characters or not. All of this is good, because we saw a TON of new Jurassic Park items released in 2021. There was the Dino Escape series, which featured several different dino’s in a smaller size packs, as well as large scale. This Dino Escape series featured different sub-sets as well, including Wild Pack, Fierce Force, Roar Attack, Mega Destroyer, Jurassic Campers and several different attack combo packs. Mattel also continued their Legacy Collection, which featured figures and dino’s from the original JP films. Last but not least, there was the Amber Collection, which were highly detailed 6 inch versions of our favorite Jurassic Park characters. All of this BEFORE the new movie is released in the summer of 2022, so I can’t wait to see what Mattel has in store for us next year!
Masters of the Universe When Netflix announced they would be releasing a brand new Masters of the Universe animated series this year, being overseen by Kevin Smith, we all figured it would be good, but WOW! Masters of the Universe Revelation spurred new interest in the franchise and brought it back to the forefront once again. Mattel capitalized on this success by releasing a new action figure series based on the animated show. These figures were highly detailed versions of the newer and more physically accurate iterations of their characters from the new show. Mattel also released a new “Retro Play” series, featuring the vintage Masters of the Universe characters on their classic packaging. This new Retro line included most of the major characters, as well as new Battlecat and Panthor sets, but the highlight of this line was most certainly the Castle Grayskull playset. The playset came with a newly sculpted Sorceress figure as well. These new toys and animated series definitely renewed interest in the vintage line from the 80’s, which saw a trend upwards in 2021.
DC Comics Not to be outdone by Marvel, The DC Universe released a ton of new product in 2021, along with several new media projects. Marvel may have gotten most of the super hero buzz this year, but DC still cranked out a new “Zack Snyder” version of Justice League and a new Suicide Squad movie. on the small screen, we got Star Girl, Superman and Lois, Doom Patrol, Titans, Legends of Tomorrow, Bat Woman, and Flash, not to mention all of the animated projects released throughout the year. That’s a ton of new material, and Mattel didn’t let us down by releasing a ton of new action figures to go with it. Their popular Multiverse line was continued in 2021, which features popular DC characters across just about every medium including movies, shows and comics. A new Spin Master series was released with characters having a special action feature. McFarlane Toys also released their own Multiverse line, featuring characters across several different mediums as well. These figures were highly detailed sculpts of our favorite DC characters. All of this translated into some serious high quality action figures for collectors and fans.
Mego The Mego Corporation re-launched in 2018, and have released some seriously cool figures since then, and 2021 kept that streak alive by showing us some completely awesome new figures. For this year, Mego continued their hugely popular Star Trek line with new releases, as well as several new additions to their Horror Icons line. Mego brought us Planet of the Apes figures with a brand new series this year, with many fan favorites. Their DC Comics partnership continued in 2021, with new releases of our favorite DC characters in both 8 inch and 12 inch formats. A new 14 inch line was launched this year, which included popular characters from their Star Trek and Horror lines. These new figures are much more detailed than their smaller counterparts, with realistic costumes and accessories. Finally, there were several figures based on popular movies and shows as well, such as Young Frankenstein, Willy Wonka and Lord of the Rings. Mego continued to impress this year, and has consistently shown they are definitely back and here to stay. The impact these new figures have had on the vintage toy line prices has been minimal, but the demand and popularity for the classic Mego figures has always been incredibly high.
That’s certainly a lot of new action figures and toys released in 2021, but there were so many more from various franchises that I just didn’t have room to list here. There was a boatload of new figures released from Super 7, including Thundercats, Aliens, Disney, Star Trek, Universal Monsters, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a host of other shows and movies. Funko also released a broad range of figures from many different franchises and mediums. There were several new figures from the Wrestling world, with their WrestleMania and Elite lines. McFarlane Toys continued to crank out bunches of new products and figures, featuring characters from several new movies, shows, and original concepts. All of this, and so much more.
Well, that about does it for the year of 2021. It was most definitely an odd year when it came to politics and social issues, but in the world of toys and action figures, the sun was always shining bright. It seemed like every major franchise released a ton of new and high quality products this year. With all the new movies, shows, books and comics scheduled to be released next year, there is certainly no shortage of material for new toys. As great as 2021 was for new toy releases, I have a feeling that 2022 will be even bigger and better!
Hasbro held their now annual Pulse-Con from October 22-23 of this year, and it was packed full of new product announcements. For those not familiar with Pulse-Con, it is a two day virtual event that was started by Hasbro to build excitement for all of their upcoming releases. The event covers all Hasbro brands, but we will cover Hasbro’s Transformers announcements for now. Check my other posts to see what is happening with other Hasbro brands.
Hasbro revealed their upcoming Transformers releases on the first day of the event, October 22nd. The reveals featured characters from both G1 and G2, as well as a brand new Deluxe Legacy series.
First up are the beautiful figures from the brand new series called Transformers: Generations Legacy. This new line will feature characters from multi generations, with the first wave featuring Skids, Dragstrip (Stunticons), Prime Arcee, Kickback (Insecticons), Voyager Prime Bulkhead and G2 Leader Optimus Prime
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
These new figures will be given a brand new packaging to match the beautiful sculpting for each character. The new packaging will be more cardboard heavy, as Hasbro is scaling back the use of plastics with their green initiative.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Last but not least, we will see a new Galvatron & Unicron Companion Pack. This new set will feature a re-sculpted Leader Class Galvatron figure from Transformers: The Movie and Unicron, along with mini-figures and warships. This is going to be an epic set that every Transformers fan will want, but it will be a Hasbro Pulse Exclusive.
All announced items should be available at various times before the end of the year and next, so keep checking the Hasbro Pulse page for further updates.
Hasbro held their now annual Pulse-Con from October 22-23 of this year, and it was packed full of new product announcements. For those not familiar with Pulse-Con, it is a two day virtual event that was started by Hasbro to build excitement for all of their upcoming releases. The event covers all Hasbro brands, but we will cover Hasbro’s GI Joe announcements for now. Check my other posts to see what is happening with other Hasbro brands.
Hasbro revealed their upcoming GI Joe releases on the second day of the event, October 23rd. The reveals were from the absolutely stunning GI Joe: Classified series, as well as a new Retro Set, but the first big announcement came from HasLab, as the new Skystriker Jet was made official! The HasLab Skystriker campaign will run from October 23 through December 7.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
First up is the newest 6 Inch Classified wave that included brand new sculpts of Spirit, Croc Master, Tiger Force Outback, Python Patrol Viper, Python Patrol B.A.T and our favorite ninja, Storm Shadow.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Each figure will come in the newly designed GI Joe: Classified packaging with all new accessories.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Finally, Hasbro also announced a wonderfully done retro two-pack featuring Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, with the vintage 1980’s packaging.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
All announced items should be available at various times before the end of the year and next, so keep checking back with the Hasbro Pulse site to get your specific dates.
Hasbro held their now annual Pulse-Con from October 22-23 of this year, and it was packed full of new product announcements. For those not familiar with Pulse-Con, it is a two day virtual event that was started by Hasbro to build excitement for all of their upcoming releases. The event covers all Hasbro brands, but we will cover Hasbro’s Marvel announcements for now. Check my other posts to see what is happening with other Hasbro brands.
Hasbro revealed their upcoming Marvel Legends releases on the second day of the event, October 23rd. The reveals were from the Marvel Legends series of both the 6 Inch and 3.75 Inch series. The first big announcement was concerning the upcoming 6 Inch figures. We will be seeing a new Winter Soldier figure, as well as a Steve Rogers/Sam Wilson two-pack.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Two more 6 Inch “Retro” figures will be released in the form of Scarlet Witch and Vision from their West Coast Avengers appearances. Shopdisney will host two exclusive figures based on the classic X-Men Animated Series of the 90’s, with Jubilee and Wolverine.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
A new wave of 3.75 Inch Retro Legends figures will hit the market next year, that will include Dark Phoenix, Falcon, Venom, Mr. Fantastic, and Wolverine.
Photo Courtesy of HasbroPhoto Courtesy of HasbroPhoto Courtesy of HasbroPhoto Courtesy of HasbroPhoto Courtesy of Hasbro
Finally, Hasbro will be releasing two new 16 Inch figures and what better characters to start off with, than Captain America and Iron Man.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
All announced items should be available at various times before the end of the year, with the 3.75 Inch figures made available in 2022.
Hasbro held their now annual Pulse-Con from October 22-23 of this year, and it was packed full of new product announcements. For those not familiar with Pulse-Con, it is a two day virtual event that was started by Hasbro to build excitement for all of their upcoming releases. The event covers all Hasbro brands, but we will cover Hasbro’s Star Wars announcements for now. Check my other posts to see what is happening with other Hasbro brands.
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Hasbro revealed their upcoming Star Wars releases on the first day of the event, October 22nd. The reveals were from the Vintage Collection series, as well as the 6 Inch Black Series line, but the first big announcement came from HasLab, as the new 6 Inch scale Black Series Rancor Monster was made official! The HasLab Rancor campaign will run from October 22 through December 6, with a target shipping date of Spring of 2023.
Next up was the newest 6 Inch Black Series wave that included a brand new Mandalorian/Grogu Deluxe set featuring the pair from Maldo Kreis. Also included was a deluxe Cobb Vanth, Boba Fett (Tython), and Migs Mayfeld.
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Three new multipacks (Droid Depot, Galactic Creatures and First Order) were also announced, and will be Disney park exclusives.
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Finally, Hasbro made several announcements concerning their Vintage Collection line concerning The Mandalorian and Prequel Trilogy movies. From the Mandalorian, we will be seeing a new Ahsoka figure, as well as a Deluxe figure set with Mano and Grogu from Maldo Kreis. The most exciting announcement was about a new playset featuring the Nevarro Cantina from Mandalorian Season 2.
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
On the Prequel Side, we get brand new sculpts of young Anakin Skywalker, a bearded Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Mace Windu. A new boxed set containing four different Rebel Trooper figures will be a Hasbro Pulse exclusive item online.
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
Photo courtesy of Hasbro
All announced items should be available at various times before the end of the year
Now that the new Spider Man: No Way Home movie has already hit the theaters, everyone now knows about the Multiverse, and how darn fun it could be to start mixing all these different Marvel worlds together. The next slated Marvel movie just happens to be Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, being released on May 6, 2022, and that means new Marvel Toys!!
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Hasbro will be releasing a brand new Marvel Legends wave of action figures sometime in late March or early April of 2022. The wave will consist of seven different figures, with five of them being from the actual new Doctor Strange movie and the other two being related to Doctor Strange from Marvel’s comic book world. Each figure comes with a body part, which all come together to form a large sized Rintrah (a magical minotaur creature).
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
The basic wave of figures from the movie will consist of Doctor Strange, Wong, America Chavez, Master Mordo and Doctor Strange in his Astral form. The two non-movie figures will be Sleepwalker and D’Spayre.
Photo Courtesy of Hasbro
In addition to the standard wave of figures, another version of Doctor Strange called “Defender Strange” will be a Target Exclusive
Target is beginning to roll out their newest Star Wars exclusive figures, which are based on the classic Star Wars Droids animated series.
The original line was released in 1985 by Kenner, in conjunction with the popular animated series. Sadly, the series lasted only one year before coming to an end. Now, thanks to Hasbro and Target, the Droids action figure line is back!
New 3.75 Inch Vintage Collection figures based on the animated versions of C-3PO, R2-D2 and Boba Fett are being released in Target retail stores across the nation, and these figures are going fast. For good measure, a new animated version of Boba Fett is also being released in 6 Inch form for the Black Series. As with all Vintage Collection figures, the packaging beautifully mirrors the classic vintage look made famous by Kenner Toys back in 1985. The 50th Anniversary logo for Lucasfilm is also stamped on each figure card.
For my very first Toy Spotlight article, I wanted to focus on something that changed the way modern toy lines are created and sold. An item that was not only a pioneer in the action figure industry, but a true game changer in retail. There are certainly many to chose from, but in the end, I went with the one that changed my life personally. So without further ado, I humbly present Kenner’s Star Wars Early Bird Certificate from the Holiday season of 1977.
When George Lucas began shopping around for a company to distribute products and toys from his new Science Fiction movie called Star Wars in 1977, nobody seemed too interested. Mego Toys had famously passed on the opportunity, but a small company named Kenner Toys decided to take a chance on it. At that point, Kenner was most known for Easy Bake Oven, Lite Brite and the Six Million Dollar Man line. Once the movie actually hit theaters, Star Wars took everyone by surprise with its immense success, which put Kenner in immediate scramble mode for new products. Due to their late start, Kenner had only produced a handful of items for 1977, such as puzzles, bop bags and a board game. They still wanted to get something out to the public to showcase their upcoming action figure line for the holiday season, thus, the Early Bird Certificate was born.
The Early Bird Certificate Package began with a “promise” of new Star Wars action figures. The certificate was basically the toy world’s first “pre-order”. It essentially said the consumer who purchased the Early Bird package would receive the first four Star Wars action figures ever, delivered right at their doorstep before ever being released to the general public. This was a brilliant promotional idea by Kenner, but one that was made out of necessity. Consumers gobbled them up quickly and it became a smash hit for Kenner. Along with the mail-order form that was needed to send in for the new figures, there were some other nice goodies inside the cardboard envelope as well. Included was a foldable cardboard stand, featuring portraits of each of the original 12 Star Wars figures, and small white pegs that would allow the figures to stand up on the display when inserted into the small holes on their feet. Also included were a cardboard photo of Han and Chewie, another cardboard photo of a Stormtrooper, a Space Club Card that could be filled out with your name on it, and a nifty Star Wars mini catalog featuring all of the upcoming Star Wars toys inside of it, including photos of all 12 of the upcoming action figures.
Then in early 1978, a plain white package arrived in your mailbox, containing the first four figures, Chewbacca, Princess Leia, R2-D2, and Luke Skywalker. The Luke figure is the most noteworthy of the four due to his lightsaber. It had the same arm-fed saber that other Luke figures had, but with an additional telescoping tip that could slide out to make the lightsaber even longer. Kenner quickly realized that additional piece was easily broken and unnecessary, so it was eliminated on future releases, making this Early Bird Luke figure very rare. The Leia, R2 and Chewbacca figures were essentially the same as the ones released at retail. Each figure came inside of a sealed plastic baggie, which were then all placed in a plastic tray that was grooved out to fit each figure.
The rest of the regular figures were released later in 1978, and the world was never the same. With all of their action figure and accessory innovations, Kenner began a new era in the toy industry and completely revolutionized how toy lines are marketed and sold to this date. Early Bird Certificates can still be found in their original envelopes on various secondary markets, but they tend to be on the expensive side, depending on condition. The Early Bird boxed figure sets can be VERY expensive to find, so make sure you have your bank loan paperwork pre-approved before you go on the hunt for a complete and sealed set.
We all remember what it was like when we got a new toy as a kid. We would rip open the box and immediately begin playing with it. If it was a vehicle or playset, we’d throw it together as fast we could, slap the stickers on (no instructions needed) and toss the packaging aside. When we got tired of the toy, it ended up in the closet, under the bed or the dreaded toy box. When I was a kid, I honestly didn’t know anyone who “collected” toys as a hobby. It was all about Sports Cards, Stamps, Coins and to a smaller extent, Comic Books. Those days are in the past now and things have definitely changed.
Nowadays, the “Adult Collectors” rule the toy aisles and I assure you, that not many boxes are being torn open or thrown away anymore. Even the kids who purchase these modern toys are well aware of the potential value that a certain toy may have. Take the modern day Star Wars action figure lines as an example. The most popular lines now are the 6 inch Black Series figures that retail for $19.99 each, and the Vintage Collection line, which is all about the beautiful packaging and retail for $12.99 each. Both of those lines are most certainly catered to adult collectors and Hasbro is banking on it. There are certainly still kid friendly toy lines available for the very young Star Wars fans, with more cartoony versions of our favorite characters from far, far away. These lines have a very limited character selection, and to be totally honest, kind of boring. The fabulous playsets and vehicles that we all played with as kids are not entirely gone now, but have been replaced by high priced exclusives and collector’s editions that typically run between $60 – $150. No child is going to convince their parents to drop that much money on a single toy that is meant for “collecting” and not actual playing with.
The modern day toy market is definitely a different place than it used to be, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Take a look at the incredible quality of these new action figures and accessories that are coming out. The attention to detail and features are through the roof! The figures look eerily like the actual characters or actors, and their accessories are crazy fun. Another great trend that has been popular of late, are that many original toys from the 1970’s and 1980’s are coming back as re-releases for a whole new generation of collectors. Walking down the local Walmart toy aisle now can bring you back to your childhood with the all the old brands once again lining the shelves. There are Transformers, Ghostbusters, Masters of the Universe, and Star Wars toys all made to look like the real deal that came out many years ago. Some people will argue this is a lack of creativity on the toy companies part or the re-releases of these classic toys are bringing down the market for the originals. I like to think this is just validation of how amazing and fun the toys were when I was a kid, and that other kids nowadays still want to play with them or other collectors still want to buy them.
At the end of the day, whether you feel the toy market is better or worse than it was when you were a kid is left to personal opinion, but one thing is for sure….collectors, hobbyists and big kids like us have definitely changed it forever. As an adult collector now, I love the accessibility of the internet to find and purchase new and vintage toys. If I want to find a particular new action figure, I simply go to one of a hundred different sites to buy one. If I am missing a specific vintage item for my collection, I go to eBay or Mercari or one of the many amazing toy collector sites to search for it. yeah, sure, going to the toy section of a store may not be as fun as it used to be, and “toy runs” don’t usually work out with successful finds anymore, but the online accessibility is through the roof. How amazing is it that if you are looking for a mint in box Wampa from 1980, you can find several different options. How about a Cobra H.I.S.S Tank from 1982? No problem, they got that too. All you need, is an internet connection……..and of course, the money to go shopping with.
Yes my friends, this is a new era for collectors like us. It may not be the same experience as it used to be, but that doesn’t mean it’s still not good. Toy’s R Us, Kay-Bee Toys, Lionel Play World and FAO Schwartz may be gone now, but the toys they sold are still here. The kids that bought those toys are still here (just a bit older now). As long as we allow ourselves to still be kids every now and then, collecting toys and action figures can still be an amazing and fun experience. How we get the toys may have changed, but the excitement and feeling of finding that elusive piece of your collection you’ve been searching for is pure bliss. All the great memories and stories a toy brings back to us is priceless, and THAT is why we fill up our homes with these amazing finds, and THAT is why we are truly in a new golden age of toy collecting.
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