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Post by 3Lephant (Naptown Icon) on May 19, 2013 19:31:31 GMT -5
An Appeal to any who can Lay Down the Law with a Jakks Pacific Gavel
by Wrestlingfigs.com collectors When the names of wrestlers in Legends of the Ring Series 1 were released it was cause for celebration. The possibilities and attire combinations were endless. We also saw news of Japan attires being a possibility. When prototype images released we saw an excellent surfer Sting, Japan Hogan, debut Angle, Jeff Jarrett, and Kevin Nash! While the attire choices were basic (see Jarrett) and the execution was lacking (see mysterious Scott Steiner prototype), there was still excitement on the board for the future of the Legends line. Shortly after series 1 hit stores we saw prototype images of series 2 that included Andre the freakin' Giant! Jakks Pacific blew the minds of board members who couldn't believe simultaneous figures could be released. Series 2 blew series 1 out of the water with all 6 figures... I mean this really would have been an AMAZING set. Legends of the Ring Series 2 images:     ![]()   The future was looking bright for wrestling collectors-- Both major companies figure lines appeared to be flourishing. We were seeing names and series being announced between Cross the Line and the Deluxe series, not to mention Ruthless Impact that was exclusive to a leading pharmacy in the US and dollar store items. Who could deny demand for TNA products? The best part was they fit right in scale with the lines everyone in the wrestling community had collected for years. Especially with huge names like Hulk Hogan, Sting, Ric Flair, Team 3D, and younger talent that had been with TNA for its duration like AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, Roode, etc. With the correct distribution in place and consumer input online through the message board we thought we were entering a new golden age of collecting. But within a few weeks of seeing Legends of the Ring series 2 images, it was canceled. Because of no presence or interaction of a Jakks staff member or someone like a Jeremy Padawer on Wrestlingfigs, along with the passing of time, members who were once excited about Jakks products and future quickly turned away and built toy empires with other companies. Board members harped that shrinking distribution and huge time spans between individual set releases had waned interest, however I believe if Jakks embraced this form of social media (WrestlingFigs Message Board) as they did with Padawer it would help consumer loyalty. All we ask is that Jakks Pacific become more assertive and open in dealing with us, their product collecting fan base. Ask us questions, post polls, talk to us about exclusives, show us that you want to see your lines succeed with the same passion the collectors do. Those who make the decisions within Jakks might find it hard to believe but there are people who thought Jakks did an amazing job with their "Ruthless Aggression" Classic Superstars line from 2004-2009. These collectors are holding on to these items in hopes that the scale and articulation of the Classic Superstars will continue in the Legends line. If the former business model didn't work, find new ways to meet our demand. I promise the demand is more than one deluxe series per quarter! --- Since I'm asking for some interaction, I'll start it off with these questions: 1. We heard after series 2 was cancelled that Legends would be one per series, starting with Raven and Terry Taylor. What happened with that? 2. Any hope to see Cornette, AJ, or Samoa Joe as an exclusive or in any future set? 3. Would you consider doing an online exclusive Legends figure every couple months the same way the other toy company did?
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Post by Flair Forever on May 19, 2013 19:52:28 GMT -5
I would be very interested in purchasing JAKKS products - I primarily buy Legends and was a huge fan of the Classic Superstars line (see my signature - it's just a small part of my collection).
I didn't want to collect Mattel because I was planning to stick with JAKKS - but feel as though JAKKS abandoned me. I've bought all the Legends figures they've produced - but I haven't bought any JAKKS products in quite while due to there being little/no distribution of any Legends.
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billthomson1984
Main Eventer
May Bill Rest in Peace, Wfigs Community
Joined on: Jun 17, 2012 8:27:35 GMT -5
Posts: 2,242
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Post by billthomson1984 on May 19, 2013 20:48:58 GMT -5
I maintain to this day I will buy ANY new superstar that is released in RA/RI format but I mostly want Jim Cornette to go along with my Midnight Express
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Post by LeighD on May 19, 2013 21:03:16 GMT -5
I saw LOTR 2 in the title so I was drawn in.
I will buy ANY LOTR figure made. My CS collection is nearly complete and I would have hoped the LOTR line would fill any gaps missed in the CS line. Ido understand there is no way for a LOTR line to match the supply and pace the CS line had. Just not going to happen. But if there was a set or two (depending on the number of guys) released during the year as an online exclusive I think they would sell well. Maybe limit the sets to 3,000 pieces each. Maybe has 3-4 sets per year for 3-4 figures per set sold onbnly at RSC and ShopTNA online.
But I still want to know why their one LOTR figure per DI set stopped. Hell I'd even be happy with that once their DI sets were back being released on a regular schedule.
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Post by Nivro™ on May 19, 2013 21:23:26 GMT -5
My Jakks collecting days are all but over however, I did keep my NWA related Jakks figures and I would gladly add on to anyone that's made (such as Steiner, Cornette etc) from that Era....Anything else is a pass for me though.
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Post by Joe/Smurf on May 19, 2013 22:28:10 GMT -5
I'd buy that RA Joe or AJ if they gave either of them the short knee pads.
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Post by poindizzle on May 19, 2013 22:29:29 GMT -5
I see the merits to everything that was brought up for sure. Why 5 figures in each wave? The UFC deluxe line is the same way, and we haven't had any Legends since the line rebooted as a K-mart exclusive. Why not 6 figures- 5 DI and one legend per wave? If poor sales were what pushed the LOTR figures off the grid, why not short pack them like Mattel Flashbacks? The tenacious collector's will find them, and at least that's better than zero figures at all.
I honestly would have never imagined Mattel taking over my shelf. They're nice products, but my bread and butter used to be variety. But between Mattel's infuriatingly difficult to find DC Universe Classics, Jakks infrequent UFC and TNA releases, and Hasbro's bad assortments/ never-released-but-always-teased revisions (such as Blade and Dani Moonstar) of Marvel Legends, it seems like Mattel WWE is the only constant. If Jakks had a semi regular release schedule, I would still collect Mattel, but I wouldn't have a closet with heaped on repaints that I bought out of boredom.
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STING
Main Eventer
Mattel Basic Legends/Flashback Collector
Joined on: Sept 4, 2007 19:39:59 GMT -5
Posts: 2,816
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Post by STING on May 19, 2013 22:44:45 GMT -5
Love him or hate him...Jeremy Padawer was the brain and drive behind the CS lines success. Without him there any longer, the Legends line was doomed from the start. Yes, I would love for Jakks to have jumped on the NWA license they announced. I would have loved to see all the new names and faces...however, as soon as they announced they couldn't use anybody that wasn't currently signed to TNA, I had my doubts this line would ever take off. And without Jeremy's excitement behind the line, it wasn't going to happen. I truly wish it would have gone on to be the second chapter of the CS line with new faces and especially NWA greats, but sadly myself and others got taken for a ride and got our hopes shattered. With all that the Legends delivered, I am happiest to finally get a Terry Taylor figure. It remains one of my favorites to this day. The other two I would have liked to see was the Cornette and Scotty Steiner, but sadly I don't ever suspect they will see the light of day.
The line could have been great. I myself am an NWA fan anyway and I feel the possibilities for this line could've been endless...
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Post by BoJack Hogan on May 19, 2013 23:54:27 GMT -5
First of all, your post was excellent.
I feel the need to chime in, as I collected Jakks figs from BCA all the way through the end of Classics. I was interested in the Legends line as well. Unfortunately, as stated above, they REALLY dropped the ball with the Legends. Series 1 was sub par. Granted, at the time they really wanted to launch guys who they expected to sell and opting for established Legends, but in this case this may not have been the best strategy. In my opinion the only decent figures were Hogan and Sting, both of which I thought were among Jakks best efforts. Both would have looked great in the CS line (I don't count the last few CS series where they clearly gave up). The other figures however, while good for what they were, stood no chance of selling well. The Nash was designed after a brief, forgettable stint of his career; Angle was in an accurate, yet bland attire; Jarrett was in his early Tennessee attire (and someone like Jarrett is nowhere near popular enough to warrant an obscure attire). Series 2 had the potential to kickstart things with Jim Cornette (a GLARING omission from the CS line), Jean Ferre style Andre the Giant (with an excellent young head sculpt), Jeff Hardy (always a huge seller), and AJ and Joe in indie attires (arguably more well known and popular than their TNA series 1 looks). In short, I think series 2 would have sold very well. When they cancelled the Legends line I pretty much gave up on Jakks altogether. I have always hated the DA/DI style figures, and Jakks scaled back their quality terribly from the beginning of the first series. They were all lanky, the heads were enormous, and the disproportionate sizes were even more difficult to overlook than ever. I know I am not the only one who was psyched for the RI style figs at Walgreens. They seemed to sell well and I thought they were generally better figs than the DIs. They killed that off too.
My point through all of this is that I think that it is clear that TNA is a red-headed step child. Jakks doesn't care. That's why there isn't a spokesperson, that's why nothing new is ever shown, and that's why the distribution and scheduling are so wonky. It's really a shame as well. Their knockouts are arguably better than Mattel's Divas and they have the potential to do some excellent things with RI style figures. Now they don't even offer Legends in the regular line anymore (no personal offense to Terry Taylor, but whoever chose to sell him over Cornette REALLY screwed up).
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Post by slappy on May 20, 2013 1:45:19 GMT -5
I bought Terry Taylor and I'd buy Jim Cornette if they released it. I still want them to release Blackjack Mulligan and Arnold Skaaland even if they were supposed to be WWE figures.
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Post by Scott! on May 20, 2013 5:47:06 GMT -5
I don't understand why, when we were told they would be 1 per series, they stopped producing LOTR figures. There was so much promise for new names but, I just don't get it.
Jakks has to see still how popular the classic line is, surely LOTR is a money maker.
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Post by LeighD on May 20, 2013 7:16:23 GMT -5
I think one of the biggest falls of the LOTR line was not so much names, but the fact it didn't get the CS treatment. For MOST CS figures, there were specific accessories, details, and attires. I think had LOTR 1 gone like this, they would have sold better: - Sting (same colors) w/ jacket - Hogan (same as released because he seemed to have sold well) - Nash (same as released maybe give him a chair or ring bell) - Angle (same colors) w/ hoodie and TNA title - Jarrett (either same as released or as his rhinstone cowboy look) I also agree that LOTR 2 would have sold better. Hardy is always a good seller. Andre was a big guy with a new attire color and scan which would have done well. Cornette& Taylor would be a huge hit for hardcore collectors so maybe make them only 1 per case. AJ & Joe would have appealed to more current TNA fans. Love him or hate him...Jeremy Padawer was the brain and drive behind the CS lines success. Without him there any longer, the Legends line was doomed from the start. Yes, I would love for Jakks to have jumped on the NWA license they announced. I would have loved to see all the new names and faces...however, as soon as they announced they couldn't use anybody that wasn't currently signed to TNA, I had my doubts this line would ever take off. And without Jeremy's excitement behind the line, it wasn't going to happen. I truly wish it would have gone on to be the second chapter of the CS line with new faces and especially NWA greats, but sadly myself and others got taken for a ride and got our hopes shattered. With all that the Legends delivered, I am happiest to finally get a Terry Taylor figure. It remains one of my favorites to this day. The other two I would have liked to see was the Cornette and Scotty Steiner, but sadly I don't ever suspect they will see the light of day. The line could have been great. I myself am an NWA fan anyway and I feel the possibilities for this line could've been endless... I whole-heartedly agree. Jeremy IMO was the drive behind the CS that made it so successful. I do wish he had more input for the LOTR line or at least found someone that had the same love and drive to fill his shoes. |
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Post by Chip on May 20, 2013 8:25:34 GMT -5
I'd buy any Legends figure released.
was really looking forward to that Andre & Cornette actually. And whatever happened to the Scott Steiner???
Sadly, Jakks has reduced TNA to basically a 2-3 set per year thing. There's most likely no room or mass market for Legends. Even though every store that I've been to that carries TNA figures sells out within a few months.
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Post by The Madness on May 20, 2013 9:07:13 GMT -5
I'll buy any RA/RI style Legends figures Jakks puts out.
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Post by blu3blazer on May 20, 2013 9:21:21 GMT -5
I love the Classic/Legends figures, but some of them just don't have mass appeal. Raven sold well, but there's a Kmart near me that still has 5 Terry Taylors hanging on the pegs. I'm sure my Kmart isn't the only one. So I'm going to blame Terry Taylor for killing the LOTR line!
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Post by LeighD on May 20, 2013 10:32:30 GMT -5
I love the Classic/Legends figures, but some of them just don't have mass appeal. Raven sold well, but there's a Kmart near me that still has 5 Terry Taylors hanging on the pegs. I'm sure my Kmart isn't the only one. So I'm going to blame Terry Taylor for killing the LOTR line! LOL, well I wouldn't put the whole death of the LOTR line on Taylor as the line was mor eor less dead by the time Raven hit shelves. Actually if you want to put the blame on any one particular party I would say either TRU or Kmart. I remember the JAKKS rep on here said the retailers didn't like the limited articulation and felt it wouldn't even compete with their DI-style as well as Mattel's elites. This may be complete BS, but then why didn't JAKKS release a set or two exclusive to online retailers to test out those waters. |
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y2josh
Main Eventer
WF 10 Year Member
Gold Ranger Power.
Joined on: Dec 18, 2001 15:13:21 GMT -5
Posts: 3,237
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Post by y2josh on May 20, 2013 10:44:44 GMT -5
As someone who has been a wrestling fan his whole life, yet really only buys current roster guys from Mattel....I buy ANYTHING Jakks puts out. My TNA collection is all but complete, and I am constantly ready for the next set. The Legends figures released thusfar are really ace, except for Nash, which I thought was awful. I am 100% on board with them resurrecting the Legends figures in any manner they can. Earl Hebner aside, all of the Jakks online exclusives have been amazing. Keep them coming!
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Post by Scott! on May 20, 2013 10:48:56 GMT -5
I love the Classic/Legends figures, but some of them just don't have mass appeal. Raven sold well, but there's a Kmart near me that still has 5 Terry Taylors hanging on the pegs. I'm sure my Kmart isn't the only one. So I'm going to blame Terry Taylor for killing the LOTR line! my local collectible shop had so many of him left that they reduced him to £1.99. He just wasn't selling. I would have left him till later series after they'd enjoyed some success after releasing Andre, styles and joe. He just came at a bad time. Jakks may have thought with him that the whole idea wasn't working, so I see your point. |
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Post by LeighD on May 20, 2013 14:12:03 GMT -5
As much as Taylor isn't a hot seller, had he not been released then he would never had been. He left shortly before his figure came out and a JAKKS rep had responded to the fears of Taylor not being released by saying had it been any eariler in production he would have been cut.
I still hold out hope for Andre, Cornette, AJ, Joe, and others but if I only could have one other LOTR figure from JAKKS, I'd pick Scott Steiner in a heartbeat!
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Post by 3Lephant (Naptown Icon) on May 20, 2013 14:59:13 GMT -5
They could even do a series exclusive for road events. Think of these!
Possible names associated with TNA presently that could fit in with the Legends series:
Abyss (Old school)
Al Snow
AJ Styles (Old School)
D'lo Brown
Hulk Hogan
Jeff Hardy
Jeff Jarrett ('94-96 attire!)
Kurt Angle
Samoa Joe (Old School)
Sting
Eric Young (Old School)
Dudleys
Eric Bischoff
RVD (on the fence)
Christopher Daniels
Mike Tenay
Don West (take this figure on the road I bet it sells better than Dixie)
Wrestlers that have appeared in TNA since 2002:
Ken Shamrock
Curt Hennig
Perry Saturn
Syxx Pac
New Jack
Justin Credible
Terry Funk
Sandman
Randy Savage
Johnny B Badd
Scott Hall
DDP
Sabu
Scott Steiner
Rick Steiner
Vampiro
Lex Luger
Glen Gilbertti
Monty Brown
Konnan
Shane Douglas
Nasty Boys
Jerry Lynn
Curry Man
Sharkboy
LA Park
Roddy Piper
Jimmy Hart
Dory Funk Jr
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