hoganvspiper
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Post by hoganvspiper on Apr 11, 2016 15:34:52 GMT -5
Sorry for all the LJN questions as of late, but I'm trying to learn more. I've noticed a Wikipedia and other sites break the LJN wrestlers into specific series (apparently by year), however, having lived through and collected these figures at the time of their release, I'm not sure the origins of this series list.
This is the list I'm referring to:
Series 1 (1984)
André the Giant (long hair)
Big John Studd
Hillbilly Jim (with hat)
Hulk Hogan (with black title belt)
The Iron Sheik (orange or yellow pant decoration)
Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka
Junkyard Dog (with dog collar and black, silver or red chains)
Nikolai Volkoff (with hat)
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper (with kilt) (red or brown boots)
Series 2 (1985)
André the Giant (short hair)
Brutus Beefcake
George "The Animal" Steele
Greg "The Hammer" Valentine (light or dark blonde hair)
King Kong Bundy
"Mr. Wonderful" Paul Orndorff
Series 3 (1986)
Bobby "The Brain" Heenan (with or without scrolls on shirt)
Bruno Sammartino
Captain Lou Albano (red or white lapels)
"Classy" Freddie Blassie (with cane)
Corporal Kirchner (stubble, painted or no beard)
Davey Boy Smith
Magnificent Muraco
Dynamite Kid
Jesse "The Body" Ventura
Jimmy Hart
Mr.Fuji (with cane)
"Macho Man" Randy Savage
"Mean" Gene Okerlund
Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat
S.D Jones (red or Hawaiian shirt)
Terry Funk (with branding iron & hat)
Tito Santana (purple trunks)
Series 4 (1987)
"Adorable" Adrian Adonis
Billy Jack Haynes (with hat)
Bret "The Hitman" Hart (pink or purple tights)
B. Brian Blair (tan or non-tan skin color)
Cowboy Bob Orton (with hat)
Elizabeth (with gold or purple skirt)
King Harley Race (with crown)
Hercules Hernandez
Jake "The Snake" Roberts (with Damien)
Jumping Jim Brunzell (tan or non-tan skin color)
Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart (pink or purple tights)
Ken Patera
Kamala
Koko B. Ware (with Frankie)
Outback Jack (with hat)
Ted Arcidi
Vince McMahon
Series 5 (1988)
Ax
Bam Bam Bigelow
Hacksaw Jim Duggan (with 2x4)
Honky Tonk Man (with guitar)
Hulk Hogan (with title belt) (white or red shirt)
One Man Gang
Referee (blue or white shirt)
"Luscious" Johnny Valiant
Rick Martel
Slick (with hat)
Ted DiBiase
Tito Santana (Strike Force trunks)
Series 6 (1989)
André the Giant (black strap tights)
Big Boss Man (with nightstick)
Haku
Rick Rude
The Ultimate Warrior
Warlord
(Re-released on series 6 black cards)
Hulk Hogan (with title belt) (white or red shirt)
Big John Studd
Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake
Bam Bam Bigelow
Honky Tonk Man (with guitar)
Jake "The Snake" Roberts (with Damien)
Demolition Ax
Randy "Macho Man" Savage
Miss Elizabeth (with gold or purple skirt)
Bret "Hitman" Hart
Ted DiBiase
Hacksaw Jim Duggan
Adrian Adonis
The first five figures released to my knowledge were Hogan, Studd, Sheik, Andre and Snuka. Wouldn't that serve as series 1 specifically? Piper, JYD, Hillbilly and Volkoff were add-ons as time went by, and I'm pretty sure none of those hit shelves until 1985. JYD, Hillbilly and Volkoff weren't even wrestling in the WWF until very late 1984, so there's no way their figure could come out so fast.
Just curious if anyone has an answer... Is it based on the copyright on the figures or cards?
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figurehumble
Mid-Carder
Joined on: Dec 9, 2011 4:25:29 GMT -5
Posts: 125
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Post by figurehumble on Apr 11, 2016 16:38:15 GMT -5
The series lists are produced by the the companies responsible for releasing the figures. Your first five are relative only to the store(s) in your area and what you have by chance seen. If I based my figure list on what I saw in my local stores I would have a very different picture of what was out there at the time. Not all stores received the same number of cases either. In your area those first five may have typically been packed and shipped together and therefore are what have appeared on the shelves together. Some of the local Kmarts in my area only had limited numbers of figures whereas going to larger Toys R Us chains you would more often see nearly the full series.  |
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hoganvspiper
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Joined on: Jun 9, 2013 21:10:25 GMT -5
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Post by hoganvspiper on Apr 11, 2016 16:46:56 GMT -5
The series lists are produced by the the companies responsible for releasing the figures. Your first five are relative only to the store(s) in your area and what you have by chance seen. If I based my figure list on what I saw in my local stores I would have a very different picture of what was out there at the time. Not all stores received the same number of cases either. In your area those first five may have typically been packed and shipped together and therefore are what have appeared on the shelves together. Some of the local Kmarts in my area only had limited numbers of figures whereas going to larger Toys R Us chains you would more often see nearly the full series.
I hear what you're saying. The cardbacks also show figures available. 5-backs are very common and show the first five figures available. Pictures and coverage show the timeline as well, such as WWF Magazine. There have also been documented letters from LJN that provide specific dates that figures would be available and it's a gradual process over time. If each series was defined by the toy company, then where is the documented evidence? I've never seen it broken down like posted above on a cardback or toy catalog. It must have come from somewhere?
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jason1980s
Main Eventer
Joined on: Sept 30, 2009 14:58:56 GMT -5
Posts: 2,311
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Post by jason1980s on Apr 11, 2016 18:50:58 GMT -5
The list looks relatively accurate to the years but I would put Andre and Steele in the 1986 series and Johnny V. in the 1987 years. Other lists sometimes switch ones like managers (Vince in 1988, Fuji and Gene in 1987) due to them coming out later in the year than their other managers. Elizabeth seems to get put in the 1986 category.
As a kid I always figured Harley, Outback, Billy Jack and Koko were 1988 due to only ever seeing them with most of the 1988 toys in the Wrestling Ring catalog.
I personally think one of the reason we often believe the hairy George Steele was ever produced for stores is because of the prototype with hair on one card back and the non-hairy version on the next years card back. I think it was just a matter of prototype for one card back and by time the next years backing was produced the picture reflected the only released version.
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Post by Ruby Fusion on Apr 12, 2016 2:43:00 GMT -5
Those first five were a short run, packed with figure stands.
Hillbilly, JYD and Volkoff probably can be put in series 2. Unless someone can show a Hillbilly card back that reads (c)1984.
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GoldenHulk
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Post by GoldenHulk on Apr 12, 2016 2:58:14 GMT -5
Those first five were a short run, packed with figure stands. This is true, but the original five (Hogan, Sheik, Andre, Snuka, Studd) were also released without the stands with packaging showing only those five on the back. These are the first five I found as a young child, and that is the packaging they came in. Therefore, most of us who were kids buying figures at that time will naturally remember those as series 1, regardless of what after the fact lineups indicate. The others in "series 1" came several months later. |
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Post by Ruby Fusion on Apr 12, 2016 3:21:46 GMT -5
Those first five were a short run, packed with figure stands. This is true, but the original five (Hogan, Sheik, Andre, Snuka, Studd) were also released without the stands with packaging showing only those five on the back. These are the first five I found as a young child, and that is the packaging they came in. Therefore, most of us who were kids buying figures at that time will naturally remember those as series 1, regardless of what after the fact lineups indicate. The others in "series 1" came several months later. You're right, also as you can see, each series is a year. A more correct series would be: 1984: Series 1: Andre (long hair), Hogan, Sheik, Snuka, Studd 1985 Series 2: Hillbilly, JYD, Piper, Volkoff Series 3: Andre (short hair), Beefcake, Bundy, Orndorff, Steele, Valentine So basically, series 2 becomes 3, 3 becomes 4, ... |
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Slickster
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Joined on: Apr 25, 2014 19:05:01 GMT -5
Posts: 93
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Post by Slickster on Apr 13, 2016 18:48:59 GMT -5
I find it to be a bit confusing too with all the re-releases. Then they released earlier figs on the Black cards.
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