Category: Market Trends & Price Updates

GI Joe Price Update

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 prices. 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 GI Joe collectors is there is always a demand for these items, as Hasbro created some truly memorable and iconic items through the years with multiple generations of collectors. GI Joe toys have always remained popular with collectors and fans, while maintaining consistent and steady growth. The line has seen yet another revival of late with multiple GI Joe lines being sold on the market today, that include the Super 7 Re-Action Line, Retro Collection and the incredibly popular Classified Series.

Unlike other vintage toy lines, such as Masters of the Universe and Transformers, the new Joe action figure lines are not affecting the original released toys in a negative way, in fact, it’s the complete opposite. This is mostly due to GI Joe being around for such a long time and collectors having already been through several different iterations of their favorite characters. For some toy lines, buying the newer “Retro” toys are obviously a much cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to have an affect on the values of the original toys, but the Joe toys from past generations are still consistently trending in the right direction. The 1982-1994 Joe line looks as healthy as ever, while the 1970’s Adventure Team line remains incredibly popular and in demand. The original 1960’s Joe line did not see a lot of movement, but will always considered a “blue chip stock”, as values rarely dip. Overall, the various GI Joe lines remain extremely healthy and very much in demand, with many items remaining very affordable. This bodes well for the future of GI Joe items and collectibles with an absolute rabid fanbase of collectors, who continually seek out items from their favorite American Heroes.

In addition to the value updates, there has also been some additions and enhancements to certain Joe pages to enhance the experience. We hope you enjoy the newest GI Joe update and as always, keep the feedback coming.

GI Joe through the years:

1964 – 1969

Action Soldier

Action Sailor

Action Marine

Action Pilot

Action Soldier West Point

The Shark’s Surprise

Action Marine Demolition

1970 – 1978

Land Adventurer

Sea Adventurer

Man of Action

Air Adventurer

Official Team Vehicle

White Tiger Hunt

Team Helicopter

1982 – 1994

Snake Eyes

Stalker

Scarlett

Storm Shadow

Cobra Comm

Destro

Mobat

U.S.S Flagg

Sky Striker

Indiana Jones Price Update

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 prices. 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 Indiana Jones collectors is there is always a demand for these items, as Kenner, Hasbro, Disney and LJN created some truly memorable pieces. Indiana Jones toys have always remained popular with collectors and fans throughout the years, with consistent and steady growth. The line has seen a revival of late with the massive hype of the new upcoming Indiana Jones movie, Dial of Destiny, this June. As a result of the revived interest in Indiana Jones collectibles, Hasbro has re-released many of the original Kenner figures, Retro Style, which feature molds of the original toys in their original packaging. Hasbro is also releasing a brand new 6 inch “Adventure Series” line of figures, which we will be adding soon.

The new Retro line is obviously a much cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to have an affect on the values of the original toys from the 1980’s. That being said, it remains to be seen how much of an impact the new Retro line will have on the original Kenner figures from 1982. One thing we can say for sure is the Kenner, LJN and even the newer Hasbro line from 2008 all saw increases due to the revamped interest in the Indiana Jones franchise. Even certain items from the Star Toys and Disney park exclusive lines saw increases. Overall, the various Indiana Jones lines remain extremely healthy and very much in demand, with many items remaining very affordable. This bodes well for the future of Indiana Jones items and collectibles with a rabid fanbase of collectors continually seeking out items from their favorite “finder of rare antiquities”.

Indiana Jones items that saw increase on this update include:

Indiana Jones

Marion

Belloq

German Mechanic

German Uniform

Sallah

Arabian Horse

Indy 12″

Map Room

Streets Cairo

Well of Souls

Convoy Truck

Indy – LJN

Indy GI Joe

Mickey/Goofy Two Pack

German Soldier

Indy Disney 2020

Sallah

Chief Guard

Indy Sword

Willie Scott

Henry Jones

Grail Knight

Indy SDCC

Indy SDCC

German Moto

Indy w/ Horse

Marion/Hench

Mutt Moto

Cairo Ambush Set

Jungle Chase Set

Jungle Cutter

Jungle Cutter TRU

Many other Indiana Jones from various lines also saw increases for loose figures and accessories.

Battlestar Galactica has arrived at the Toy Collectors Guide!

SO SAY WE ALL!!!

The Story of Battlestar Galactica toys is certainly a long one that has traveled through more than five decades. Unlike other mainstream franchises, Battlestar Galactica action figures and toys were cranked out by a few different toy companies (Mattel, Trendmasters, Joyride Studios, Majestic Studios and Diamond Select) along the way, but they’ve all had their positives and negatives.

Battlestar Galactica first aired it original two hour pilot on September 17, 1978, then later as a theatrical release in the U.S and Canada. The ensuing television series would run 24 episodes from 1978 to 1979, with a brief spin-off series called Galactica 1980. Battlestar Galactica came storming back when a new re-imagined series was released by the Sci-Fi Channel in December 2003 with a mini-series, which was followed by four regular seasons. A prequel series, Caprica, was released in 2010 and lasted one season, as well as a web series called Blood and Chrome.

The Battlestar Galactica toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the period between their initial launch by Mattel in 1978 until their later Diamond Select line from 2007-2010. Each individual page covered on our site is separated by the toy brand and year of each. Every page contains a full breakdown of all items released during that particular line, including photos, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all the 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 Battlestar Galactica section and have fun exploring the site.

Click These Links to See The Individual Battlestar Galactica Pages

Mattel – 1978-1979

Trendmasters – 1996

Joyride Studios – 2005

Majestic Studios – 2005

Diamond Select 2007-2010

Ghostbusters Price Update

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 prices. 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 Ghostbusters collectors is there is always a demand for these items, as Kenner created some truly memorable pieces. The original Real Ghostbusters toys have always remained popular with collectors and fans throughout the years, with consistent and steady growth. The line has seen a revival of late with the very well-received Ghostbusters Afterlife movie and the not so well-received movie of 2016. These movies spawned their own toy lines, as well as a new commemorative Classics line, which feature molds of many of the original toys in their original packaging.

The new Classics line is obviously a MUCH cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to have an affect on the values of the original toys from the 1980’s. Dedicated collectors may be inspired to acquire the original toys of their childhood, but for more casual fans who don’t have the desire to drop hundreds of dollars on originals, these new Classics figures offer the perfect alternative. The Classics line has most definitely had an impact on the values of the original toys, but the line was limited and seems to be coming to an end now. All original items that were “re-issued” under the classics banner saw a downward trend of recent. This is obviously due to collectors now being able to obtain the items they’ve always wanted at more affordable prices. That being said, many other items from the original line that were not re-issued or part of the Classics line saw an increase in values. Some of these items saw a slight bump while others like the Fire House Headquarters and Proton Pack Green Ghost saw big increases. Overall, the Real Ghostbusters line remains extremely healthy with many items remaining very affordable. This means there is only one way to go, and that’s UP!

Real Ghostbusters items that saw an increase on this update include:

Green Ghost
Puppet 1986

Stay Puft
Plush 1986

Mini Goopers
1987

Fire House
Headquarters

Brain Blaster
1988

Proton Pack
Green Ghost

Monsters
Dracula

Monsters
Frankenstein

Monsters
Mummy

Monsters
Quasimodo

Monsters
Wolf Man

Monsters
Zombie

Finger Pop Friends

Slimed Heroes
Egon

Slimed Heroes
Louis

Slimed Heroes
Peter

Slimed Heroes
Ray

Slimed Heroes
Winston

Gooper Ghost
Green Ghost

Gobblin’ Goblins
Nasty Neck

Gobblin’ Goblins
Terrible Teeth

Gobblin’ Goblins
Terror Tongue

Also, ALL items from the final wave of Ghostbusters items from 1991 saw an increase, including the elusive Ecto-Glow Heroes and Ecto Headphones

Items trending downward on this update included:

Egon
1986

Peter
1986

Ray
1986

Winston
1986

Green Ghost
1986

Stay Puft
1986

Bad To The Bone Ghost

Fright Features
Egon

Fright Features
Janine

Fright Features
Peter

Fright Features
Ray

Fright Features
Winston

Ghost Popper
1987

Ecto-1
1987

Highway Haunter
1989

Proton Pack
1988

Once again, most of the downward moving items on this update are due to their re-release through the Kenner Classics line, but I have no doubt these items will begin to gradually rise with time.

Masters of the Universe Price Update

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 prices. 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 Masters of the Universe collectors is there is always a demand for items from this era, as Mattel created some truly iconic pieces. The original Masters of the Universe toys had always remained popular with collectors and fans throughout the years, with consistent value, but the line has seen a revival over the last couple of years. This was mostly due to the new animated series, Masters of the Universe: Revelation on Netflix. The show was a big hit with fans and critics alike, and toys were launched from the new series in 2021 with new versions of fan favorite characters. In addition to Revelations, Mattel also had their Masters of the Universe Classics line, and Super 7 continued with their Re-Action line of figures. That being said, the biggest new series of figures came from the commemorative Origins line, which featured molds of the original toys in their original packaging. The big question for collectors was…….how would these Origins “re-issues” affect the values of the original toys from the 1980’s? That question has now been answered.

The Origins line 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 even thousands of dollars on originals from the 1980’s, these new Origins figures offer the perfect alternative. The Origins line has most definitely had an impact on the values of the original toys, that’s for sure. While playsets, accessories and vehicles look to be holding their value fairly well, the original carded figures are mostly showing a downward trend. This is obviously due to causal collectors now being able to obtain the figures they’ve always wanted at more affordable prices. That being said, the loose versions of the original figures are still holding steady with only minimal movement. Some had ticked slightly up and some have ticked slightly down, but they’ve generally been pretty even. This supports my theory that many collectors and fans from that era still have their loose Masters of the Universe figures, but can now finally get carded versions of them without breaking the bank.

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. 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!

Among the downward movers on this update, were:

Beast Man
1982

Man-At-Arms
1982

Mer-Man
1982

Skeletor
1982/1984

Stratos
1982

Teela
1982

Evil Lyn
1983

Man-E-Faces
1983

Ram Man
1983

Battle Armor
He-Man

Battle Armor
Skeletor

Buzz-Off
1984

Jitsu
1984

Prince Adam
1984

Webstor
1984

Dragon Blaster
Skeletor

Thunder Punch
He-Man

Flying Fists
He-Man

Battle Cat
1982

Roton
1984

Land Shark
1985

Slime Pit
1986

Not all news was bad when it comes to Masters of the Universe toy values though, as many items saw an increase in value as well. Most items from the 1987 waves saw an nice increase in searches and prices, as well as many of the creatures from various waves. Included were:

Blade
1987

Scare Glow
1987

Sssqueeze
1987

Comet cat
1987

Rotar
1987

Twistoid
1987

Despite the downward trend with some Masters of the Universe items, the Princess of Power line saw the opposite effect. Collectors of this line didn’t have the option of purchasing a similarly vintage packaged figure like the Masters of the Universe Origins series. Only one Princess of Power figure was released under the Origins line and that was She-Ra, but she was on the traditional MOTU card back, not the regular Princess of Power pink/purple card. As a result, many figures from the Princess of Power line saw an increase in value since the Masters of the Universe revival began.
It should also be noted that all eight of the 1986 Fantastic Fashions sets saw a hefty increase from previously listed. This is mostly due to their scarcity on the secondary market and low production numbers.

Among the upward movers on this update, were:

Castaspella
1985

Catra
1985

Double Trouble
1985

Kowl
1985

She-Ra
1985

Entrapta
1986

Mermista
1986

Sweet Bee
1986

Starburst She-Ra
1986

Shower Power
Catra 1987

Arrow
1985

Storm
1985

Only a handful of items saw a value decrease from the Princess of Power line. Among them were:

Bubble Power She-Ra
1987

Crystal Castle
1985

Big Jim Price Update

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 prices. 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 Big Jim collectors is there is always a demand for items from this era, as Mattel created some truly iconic pieces. That being said, values on many Big Jim items have seen an uptick over the last year, since Mattel released a trio of old school re-boot figures that included Big Jim as the Wolf PACK commander. These figures were made available at SDCC in 2022, and sparked some serious interest in the old lines. The Big Jim toy market had already been very steady due to that ever present 70’s and 80’s nostalgic desire for the kids who grew up during those years (myself included), to re-acquire the toys they loved from their youth. This, coupled with the new SDCC figures, caused enough of a ripple to shift the market upwards.

Among the upward movers on this update, were:

Big Jim
Wide Box

Big Jim
Gold Medal

Dr. Steel
Wide Box

Big Jack
Narrow Box

Big Jack
1973 Box

Big Jack
Wide Box

On The Tiger’s Trail

Big Jim Action Sets

Catamaran/Sunrunner

Carry-All Case

Jungle Adventure

Safari Hut

Terror Off Tahiti

Baja Beast

Devil’s River Trip

Rugged Rider

Sports Camper

Big Jim: Commander

Big Jim Double Trouble

The Whip

Torpedo Fist

Swamp Patrol

New items added to the Big Jim All-Star Series line included:

Gold Medal Big Jack
Olympic Champ Figure

Gold Medal
Big Jim / Big Jeff Set

Winter Sports gear
Carded Wide Box Outfit

The Eagle of Danger Peak
Accessory Set

Power Rangers have arrived at the Toy Collectors Guide!

IT’S MORPHIN TIME!!!

How many of us instantly think of that colorful team of heroes doing battle against giant evil space aliens whenever we hear those words! I would venture that almost every one of us do, since we all collect toys as a hobby. Whether you collect them or not, whether you watched them or not, whether you enjoy them or not, the Power Rangers have certainly etched out a permanent spot in fandom lore as one of the biggest toy franchises of the last thirty years. There is absolutely no doubt of the huge impact this team of heroes has had on pop culture.

The very first episode of the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers aired on August 28, 1993, while the toys were actually released about a month prior. Since then, this franchise has just grown and grown over time, and continues to this day.

The Power Ranger toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the period between their initial launch in 1993 until Disney sold them back to Saban Entertainment in 2010. These are generally considered the golden years of the franchise and canvases the largest portion of the series.

The pages for all the Power Ranger releases covered on the site are separated by the year and theme of each particular season. Each page contains a full breakdown of all items released during that season, including photos, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all the 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 Power Rangers section and have fun exploring the site.

Now……………………Let’s Power Up and GO GO POWER RANGERS!!

Click These Links to See The Individual Power Ranger Pages

GI JOE Has A New Menu Format

The Toy Collectors Guide has now consolidated all three era’s of GI Joe figures under one banner on the menu.

Each era from the GI Joe line deserves its own section and needed to be separate from the others to give it the proper respect and attention it deserves.

What is different?
Previously, I had separate tabs for the 1970’s Adventure Team and 1980’s/1990’s modern era figures. Both tabs are now under one “GI Joe 1964-1994” tab on the menu. In addition, I have now added the 1960’s Joe era as well.

What will I see when I click on the “GI Joe 1964-1994” tab?
If you are searching for GI Joe items, you will begin by clicking on the master “GI Joe 1964-1994” tab from the menu. That will bring you to a Joe home page with each separate GI Joe era. This makes it much easier to find the Joe information you are looking for, and is perfect for browsing.

Are the individual pages the same?
Yes, each individual page remained the same, I just consolidated them under one GI Joe banner to make it easier to search.

Why separate GI Joe into three different sections?
GI Joe is naturally divided into those three sections because of the very unique era of each. The 1964-1969 waves focused on the military, while the 1970-1978 waves shifted from military to adventure themes. The 1982-1994 series shrunk the figures down to a 3.75″ size and went back to the military focus.

I hope you enjoy the new GI Joe format, along with all the new information I’ve added.

Masters of the Universe Returns With A Vengeance

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!

2021 Toy Releases in Review

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!