The Real Ghostbusters – 1991

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The Real Ghostbusters toy line came to an end in 1991. With declining sales numbers, increased competition, and no movies on the horizon to help promote their toy line, interest in the Ghostbusters franchise simply faded. The animated series also finished its run on October 5, 1991. Kenner released one wave of new products in 1991. Included was a new series of the Ghostbusters characters called “ECTO-Glow Heroes”, which were basically glow in the dark figures. Also released in the wave were two new roleplay accessories, and one final vehicle, the ECTO-Bomber.

For more information about Kenner’s final wave of Real Ghostbusters from 1991, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

WAVE 10

The Real Ghostbusters (1991 – Wave 10): Accessories

Kenner released two new roleplay accessories for their final wave in 1991, with the ECTO Headgear and Ghost Nabber sets. Both of these items are tough to find on the secondary market.

The Real Ghostbusters (1991 – Wave 10): Playsets

Kenner did not release any playsets as part of their final wave in 1991.

The Real Ghostbusters (1991 – Wave 10): Vehicles

Kenner released only one new vehicles for their final wave in 1991 with the ECTO-Bomber. This vehicle is one of the tougher to find on the secondary market.

ECTO-Bomber

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

ECTO-Bomber
Accessories: Flyer Ghost, Grabber Claw, Zapper Gun, Stun Bombs, Propeller, Landing Gear
Years Released: 1991
Scarcity Factor: Tough to find on the secondary market
Notes: The ECTO-Bomber is the final vehicle to be released for the Real Ghostbusters line. It’s basically an old timey open cockpit plane with a Ghost Grabber Claw and Zapper Gun. It also comes with stun bombs and a Flyer Ghost to capture.

The Real Ghostbusters (1991): Unproduced Items

Kenner had several Ghostbuster items ready to go as part an additional wave in 1991, but sadly never made it to mass production due to waning sales and increased competition for space on the toy aisles. The most noteworthy of these unproduced items are the Glow Copter, Fire Frighter and the Backpack Heroes.

All photos are from the wonderful magazine Tomart’s Action Figure Monthly (Issue # 92)

All good things must come to an end, and in 1991, it did exactly that for the Real Ghostbusters action figure and toy line. After releasing countless creative and fun new figures since 1986, Kenner finally called it quits after only releasing one new wave in 1991. Toy sale numbers had been gradually declining, but with no live action movies on the horizon to help promote their toy line, interest in the Ghostbusters franchise was simply fading. Increased competition from other popular franchises, such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Nintendo signaled the end of the line for our favorite ghost busing heroes. The animated series finished its run on October 5, 1991 after a very successful 65 episode run. Kenner Toys really did give us some amazing figures during the Ghostbuster’s six year run and came up with new and exciting ways to showcase their main characters. Their commitment and dedication to the Ghostbusters franchise shined bright during this stretch, and definitely showed with each wave. The Real Ghostbusters may not be considered one of the most iconic toy lines of the 1980’s or 1990’s, but they will always hold a special place in the hearts of every child growing up during that time period.

After getting multiple waves over the last three years, Kenner gave us only one wave of new products for the final wave in 1991 with wave 10. This wave saw the release of a new figure sub-set called the ECTO-Glow Heroes. The ECTO-Glow Heroes were new versions of the Ghostbusters human characters (minus Janine) that came with a fun new feature that allowed the figure to glow in the dark when the lights are off. The highlight of this series was the beautiful and eye-catching new packaging. Also released in the wave were two new roleplay accessories, the ECTO Headgear and Radar, and the Ghost Nabber and Traps sets. One final vehicle was also released, called the ECTO-Bomber. The items from this final wave were difficult to find on the store shelves back in 1991, and are even harder to find nowadays. These final wave items fetch big prices on the secondary market.

The packaging for the tenth and final wave of the Real Ghostbusters line was different and the same as the previous waves. The basic assortment of figures, which were called the ECTO-Glow Heroes, saw a drastic change in packaging with the entire color scheme changing. Kenner now used a white/black color scheme instead of the usual dark blue. To be honest, this new style really worked and it was a shame that Kenner didn’t get to issue further waves with this look. The accessories and vehicle for Wave 10 was basically the same as the previous waves. The iconic Ghostbusters logo sat prominently at the top left of the box, with a wonderful illustration of each accessory in action to the right. Overall, the packaging for the Real Ghostbusters line stayed fairly consistent throughout its run. It 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.