Ghostbusters – 1986

The Real Ghostbusters – 1986

When Ghostbusters was released in 1984, it became a massive success. However, the toy line wouldn’t be released until 1986, when the Real Ghostbusters animated series began airing. The animated series gave Kenner Toys a way to market the Ghostbusters franchise again, and make it more kid friendly. Kenner released six figures in 1986, with the four main characters and a couple of ghosts, but no vehicles or playsets. We did get a Ghost Zapper, a plush Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, and Slimer puppet.

For more information about Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters line from 1986, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

WAVE 1

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – Wave 1): Figures

The first wave of figures for the Real Ghostbusters line contained 6 total figures with two of them being ghosts and of course, the other four were our favorite ghost busting heroes.

Egon Spengler

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $75

Egon Spengler
Accessories: Proton Pack, Ghost Zapper, Proton Stream, Ghost
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: These can be tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Egon Spengler was the true brains of the Ghostbusters quartet, although a bit on the strange side. Harold Ramis’ portrayal of Egon remains among the many highlights of the original Ghostbusters movie and his animated version continued that tradition. Egon comes with his proton pack, orange laser stream, ghost zapper and a yellow ghost for him to catch.

Peter Venkman

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $75

Peter Venkman
Accessories: Proton Pack, Ghost Zapper, Proton Stream, Ghost
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: These can be tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Dr. Peter Venkman was the biggest personality and face of the Ghostbusters quartet, but really did seem more like a gameshow host. Bill Murray’s portrayal of Dr. Venkman remains among the many highlights of the original movie and his animated version continued that tradition. Peter comes with his proton pack, green laser stream, ghost zapper and a blue ghost for him to catch.

Ray Stantz

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $75

Ray Stantz
Accessories: Proton Pack, Ghost Zapper, Proton Stream, Ghost
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: These can be tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Ray Stantz was the heart and co-founder of the Ghostbusters quartet, despite his occasional poor decision making at times. Dan Ackroyd’s portrayal of Ray remains among the many highlights of the original Ghostbusters movie and his animated version continued that tradition. Ray comes with his proton pack, red laser stream, ghost zapper and a red ghost for him to catch.

Winston Zeddmore

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $50 – $75

Winston Zeddmore
Accessories: Proton Pack, Ghost Zapper, Proton Stream, Ghost
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: These can be tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Winston Zeddmore was the level headed member of the Ghostbusters quartet, and his cautious approach to situations usually proved correct. Ernie Hudson’s portrayal of Winston remains a pivotal part of the original Ghostbusters movie and his animated version continued that tradition. Winston comes with his proton pack, yellow laser stream, ghost zapper and a red ghost for him to catch.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – Wave 1): Ghost Figures

Green Ghost (Slimer)

Market Value:
Carded $225 – $325
Loose $40 – $65

Green Ghost (Slimer)
Accessories: Pizza, Steak, Watermelon
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: Arguably, the most famous ghost in the entire Ghostbusters franchise, Slimer was actually called by his proper name, Green Ghost. Of course, once the animated series popularized the Slimer name, it just stuck. Slimer comes with all kinds of food props to re-create his famous scenes.

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Market Value:
Carded $250 – $350
Loose $40 – $65

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: What would a Ghostbusters action figure line be without the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man! The only difference between the movie version and toy version is about 100 feet, since the figure was only 7″ tall. A slightly taller Marshmallow Man would’ve been cooler but this was a great figure for the line.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – Wave 1): Accessories

Kenner did not release any true accessories to be used with the action figures in their first wave, but they did release a few role play items such as the ones listed below. The Ghost Zapper remains a coveted item for collectors of the Real Ghostbusters line.

Ghost Zapper

Market Value:
Boxed $125 – $200
Loose $30 – $50

Ghost Zapper
Accessories: Zapper Gun, Ghost Slides
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The Ghost Zapper was the closest we would get to a Proton pack in 1986, but it was good enough then. It used slides that were inserted into it, then the picture would change to various ghosts when activated. The zapper featured lights and sounds to give it a realistic feel for kids.

Plush: Green Ghost (Slimer)

Market Value:
Boxed $150 – $225
Loose $55 – $80

Plush: Green Ghost (Slimer)
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on secondary market
Notes: This version of the Green Ghost (AKA, Slimer) was actually a puppet more than a plush figure. It worked like any other puppet with the child placing their hand inside and working the moth. It was a bit disappointing to not get an actual plush Slimer, but Kenner made it right later on.

Plush: Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Market Value:
Boxed $200 – $300
Loose $50 – $75

Plush: Stay Puft Marshmallow Man
Accessories: None
Years Released: 1986, 1987
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: This version of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man stood at a hefty 15″ tall, which was much more proportionate to battle the Ghostbusters figures. It was made of a plush material and his eyes and mouth glowed in the dark after being exposed to light.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – Wave 1): Playsets

Kenner did not release any playsets as part of their first wave in 1986.

The Real Ghostbusters (1986 – Wave 1): Vehicles

Kenner did not release any vehicles as part of their first wave in 1986.

When the Ghostbusters movie was first released in 1984, Columbia knew it would be successful, but nobody knew it would be the massive hit that it would become by grossing nearly $300 million worldwide and becoming the 2nd biggest film of the year, behind Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. Columbia was caught off guard so they immediately went into merchandising mode to get as many products out as they could, but a toy line wouldn’t see the light of day until the Real Ghostbusters animated series began airing on September 13, 1986. The animated series gave Columbia the avenue they needed to mass market the Ghostbusters franchise once again, and by attaching it to an animated show (see Masters of the Universe, GI Joe, Transformers, Etc.), it could be much more kid friendly than the adult themed comedy of 1984. The Real Ghostbuster toy line followed the animated show, being released in time for the Christmas season of 1986 by Kenner Toys. Kenner was looking another big franchise to hitch up to since their Star Wars money train came to an end in 1985. Fun Fact: The reason the show is called the “Real” Ghostbusters is due to a licensing issue with animation studio, Filmation. They had the initial rights to the Ghostbuster name and created an animated Ghostbusters show of their own that began airing in 1986, the same year as the Real Ghostbusters show. Filmation’s Ghostbusters series only ran for a few months before departing this world. The Real Ghostbusters animated series and toy line went on to become massive hits and even proved successful enough to hurry along a live action sequel to the Ghostbusters movie in 1989.

Kenner gave us six initial characters in 1986, which would come to shape the Ghostbusters Universe for years to come. For the good guys, we of course had to have the stars of the show, the Ghostbusting team themselves. We got our first look at the iconic basic figures of Peter Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddmore and Ego Spengler. We also got a couple of the main ghosts with the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man and of course, Slimer. Since Kenner was just testing the waters for this line, and were trying their best to get the toys out in time for the Christmas season in 1986, we did not get any vehicles or playsets for the figures. We did get a crazy cool Ghost Zapper and a plush version of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Kenner also released a puppet version of Slimer, which always seemed kind of odd as to why they didn’t just make him a regular plush, but that would come later. The first wave didn’t see a ton of new products, but a kid could most definitely not have a proper Ghostbusters adventure without these initial figures.

The packaging for the Real Ghostbusters line was basic but still eye catching and attractive. The iconic Ghostbusters logo sat prominently at the top left of the card, just above the figure bubble. There was a wonderful illustration of each character in action on the top right of each card. The figure bubble itself stretched out across the entire card, with the actual figure on the left side and all the other accessories, including the ghost, on the right side. Overall, the packaging for the Real Ghostbusters line was bright and easy to see, with a large bubble showcasing the figure and all accessories. It was definitely a user-friendly card and worked very well for the line.