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Post by gentlemanjohnny on Feb 14, 2021 12:36:05 GMT -5
I began with Wrestlemania VII Macho Man. Still one of their best figures.
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Post by Evil Abed on Feb 14, 2021 12:40:20 GMT -5
I remember not knowing the difference between basics and elites, thought they were in scale. It was New Years Day 2010 that I found the E1 set at TRU, picked up Punk and Taker and thought they were awesome but had the soul crushing reality that my collection was going to have to start back at 0. The crazy thing was though in the span of one day I found E1, Basics 1, 2packs 1 and 2packs 2. Thought it was crazy on release day we were already on 2packs 2.
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xtremebadass
Main Eventer
Joined on: Oct 2, 2006 19:27:32 GMT -5
Posts: 3,073
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Post by xtremebadass on Feb 14, 2021 12:48:23 GMT -5
January 1st, 2010 I was all in. The prototype images were released prior to that and I knew I was going to tag along with Mattel following the end of my huge collection with Jakks.
I walked into TRU on 1/1/10 and there they were. All elites and basics. I must have bought the entire set of basics, elites and two packs since I still have them all. Must have dropped quite the amount of money in one day looking back.
My Mattel collection has far surpassed what I had from Jakks.
It kind of petered out due to WWE's quality of programming nosediving these last few years.
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Post by BadGirlRyleigh on Feb 14, 2021 12:50:06 GMT -5
But honestly Mattel has sat on this formula for too long, butterfly shoulders, double jointed elbows and knees, interchangeable parts, dumb-bell necks and torsos - all those things shouldn't have taken 10+ years to be introduced to this line. Hasbro is killing it with all their popular lines and it feels like WWE Elites are playing catch-up when they were industry leaders at one point. Agreed with all of this. I know people have a religion to defend when it comes to Mattel WWE but Mattel should have gone further than just basically adopting the RA/DA articulation from the start. I remember being disappointed that the Elites didn't have the butterfly shoulders, double jointed elbows or the articulated fingers that a lot of the Toybiz TNA figures had. I don’t need fingers, but double jointed arms are a must at this point and I’m starting to feel that way about butterfly joints. |
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Biff Slamkovich™
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Nov 21, 2009 22:53:58 GMT -5
Posts: 3,594
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Post by Biff Slamkovich™ on Feb 14, 2021 13:12:21 GMT -5
At the time, I actually was working for TRU here in Canada. I was the one who got to merch the entire section out after we closed the day before launch to make sure everything was ready for the next day.
I was deep into collecting Jakks Classic Superstars and remember being so excited to see what Mattel was offering. After I opened one of the elite cases, I was shocked to find that only two people were included for series 1 -- Undertaker and Rey Mysterio.
After doing a bit of digging, I eventually found out that Canada was only going to get two figures out of each elite series and I was crushed. I was going to miss out on CM Punk and the rest of the wave. Years later I eventually got Punk in my collection, but Canada didn't start getting full elite cases until about series 6 or 7.
It's been a long journey with many ups and downs (from a collectors perspective), but I've been here since the beginning.
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Post by Bandalero on Feb 14, 2021 14:14:27 GMT -5
I think there's a fear on the corporate side to change uniformity. Honestly it happened with JAKKS, the move to DAs late in their run as well into the TNA run turned off a lot of the RA collectors and they stopped buying. I think Elites need to stay like they are for uniformity but Im ok with the introduction of things like Ultimates where you get more articulation. I can see that, we heard forever how expensive it is to make new molds etc. however I do question the design team - they built an extensive library of parts and continue to make some bone-headed choices when designing these toys, it took 10+ years to finally get a yellow strap I-C belt, and it also took years to get a fist for Big Show - some easy-peasy decisions just took too long. Double jointed elbows now are welcomed, but really - it feels like it took AEW Jazwares for them to start considering this upgrade because Mattel Elites is at the same price point with inferior articulation. If they're not careful they are at risk of cannibalizing their lines, if Elites at $20 get double jointed elbows, what more can they give Ultimates at $30 beyond a few extra heads (that some elites already come with too) |
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Rattlehead
Main Eventer
WF 10 Year Member
Destruction can be beautiful!
Joined on: Apr 30, 2013 21:30:51 GMT -5
Posts: 3,332
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Post by Rattlehead on Feb 14, 2021 17:13:52 GMT -5
After years of collecting jakks I thought I "grew out of it". When I was at walmart a few years later I decided to check out the toy section and seen the WM 16 Heritage Kane. I thought it looked cool so I bought it. I still thought it was jakks, wasn't aware mattel took over. That was just a one time thing before seriously collecting.
I didn't know about elites until I randomly searched up WWE figures. E18 was in retail and the 1st DM Undertaker too. When I scanned for the price, boy was I shocked to see that Taker at $31.99, put that sucker right back. My first elite was E19 HBK and I was amazed you can do a legit sweet chin music and elbow drop. Was hooked then and hunted for previous legends I missed out on.
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Post by drifter on Feb 14, 2021 17:18:19 GMT -5
I've been with the Mattel line since the beginning. I had actually started collecting figures at the tail end of the Jakks line, and remember first hear Mattel was getting the license, I thought they were going to be awful and I wouldn't be collecting much once they switched. Man how wrong I was. From the first time I saw a Mattel figure in person, my doubts were gone, and for me they just blew Jakks out of the water.
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Post by Professor Sparlin on Feb 14, 2021 17:35:14 GMT -5
I stopped toy collecting for several years... 2004ish to the early 2010's. I stopped mostly because I was in my 20's and was interested in going out and chasing girls.
I want to say it was around miss 2011 and I was listening to CM Punk's pipe bomb, but I had the urge to collect wrestling toys again. My first figure was a Legends 4 Ultimate Warrior... $9 at Big Lots!
From there, I bought anything I could in local lots, flipped what I could and bought older elites (anything I missed at the time). I remember people asking $60 for a loose E6 Batista and finding a mail away Vince for $15. Finding DM Bret for $5 at Ross or "rare" MOC RSC Bret (pink and black) for $25 on an auction because of listing typos.
It felt a lot more likely the wild wild west and less like a scalpy state of collecting that it feels like now.
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Post by JC Motors on Feb 14, 2021 17:51:08 GMT -5
I bought my first Mattel figure at Kmart which was a B8 Maryse back in 2011. After that I was hooked
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Post by JokerFC on Feb 14, 2021 18:06:15 GMT -5
My first were the 1st basic Hart Dynasty BP. After I got them...I was interested...then I got the first basic Sheamus & I was off to the races.
I'm so glad I was in from the beginning of legend's...so much greatness there that's going for crazy cash now.
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Post by J'Dinkalage Morgoone on Feb 14, 2021 18:18:37 GMT -5
i was excited at first, but then didn't really care for them as I feel jakks was better at paint apps. Mattel before the fx spray paint looked very cartoony with very minimal paint applications.
i only have a couple of mattel figures and they were all either second hand or bought while discounted, and i think the only one i bought at full price was the Earthquake from the walmart TNF series
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Post by HandsomeHollywood on Feb 14, 2021 18:26:46 GMT -5
First seen for me were the "sneak preview" figures of Undertaker and Mysterio from Elite series 1. They were at TRU here in Canada.
First stuff I bought was Battle Packs 1 HBK/Jericho and E6 Punk.
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y13
Superstar
Joined on: Oct 17, 2014 22:06:35 GMT -5
Posts: 821 
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Post by y13 on Feb 14, 2021 22:15:15 GMT -5
What I remember about the beginning was being able to walk into a store and find figures on the shelf
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Post by cordless2016 on Feb 15, 2021 11:26:01 GMT -5
I had dropped out of collecting for a few years at the end of the Jakks era, but once I saw elite 1 CM Punk on shelves I had to get him (I got series 2 Orton and Hardy the same day). I was hooked from that point on.
The elite 6 Batista is still my favorite elite ever produced. Considering this was years before the face-printing tech, I think the sculpt still holds up today and the tattoos looks great. The only customizing I did was add silver to the boots.
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Post by LA Times on Feb 15, 2021 11:57:21 GMT -5
January 1st, 2010 I was all in. The prototype images were released prior to that and I knew I was going to tag along with Mattel following the end of my huge collection with Jakks. I walked into TRU on 1/1/10 and there they were. All elites and basics. I must have bought the entire set of basics, elites and two packs since I still have them all. Must have dropped quite the amount of money in one day looking back. My Mattel collection has far surpassed what I had from Jakks. It kind of petered out due to WWE's quality of programming nosediving these last few years. The WWE product was feces back in 2010-2011, which was also why I didn't really get into the line at first |
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Post by The Madness on Feb 15, 2021 12:14:41 GMT -5
I have been collecting wrestling figures since Hasbro series 1, so I had no sentimental connection to Jakks.
I couldn't wait to ditch Jakks and the bobble-headed, half-painted, bloated-looking figures they were putting out at the time. I grabbed the series 1 Elites on release day, and I was blown away by having Marvel Legends style articulation and actual scale - two things that had been keeping wrestling figures behind every other line on the market for a decade.
I wasn't into WWE's current product at the time (and still am not), so my pickups were sparse until they introduced the Legends line.
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dizcoduck
Main Eventer
WF 10 Year Member
Joined on: Jan 3, 2010 23:42:47 GMT -5
Posts: 1,866
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Post by dizcoduck on Feb 15, 2021 14:41:44 GMT -5
I didn't buy too much towards the end of Jakks because they started to look terrible. I would only get a figure if it was a brand new character to the line. I hated the thought of having to start all over again with Mattel so I only bought a couple basics to start with. I first saw them at a Kmart and got Jericho 2-pack along with WrestleMania Basics of Orton, Austin, & Taker.
Mattel looked so much better & Rey wasn't the same size as Big Show anymore! I loved it. It took me awhile to get into Elites though. At first all I wanted were some of the accessories. I didn't care for the higher price point & absolutely hated the way the ab crunch looked. I got over it the first year & started to focus on the Elites & love them now.
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JL24FPS
Main Eventer
Director, Animator, Editor, Podcaster, Diabetic.
Joined on: Oct 25, 2006 14:05:42 GMT -5
Posts: 1,831
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Post by JL24FPS on Feb 15, 2021 15:23:28 GMT -5
I remember when they first released, I was very excited that they seemed to be closer in scale to the TNA Toybiz figures rather than the JAKKS figures. JAKKS scale always was a minor issue for me. Picked up a basic series 2 CM Punk and loving the way it felt compared to the older figures. I would eventually get my first elite, Series 2 Randy Orton. And ever since then, I fell in love with the elite collection and significantly increased my collection over the years. Still miss going to stores like K-Mart and Toys R Us to see a freshly stocked shelf.  |
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warriorheart
Superstar
Joined on: Apr 7, 2015 22:51:53 GMT -5
Posts: 615
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Post by warriorheart on Feb 15, 2021 15:39:40 GMT -5
I remember seeing on a wrestling forum that Mattel was going to be making the Road Warriors. Found them at TRU on a whim in 2010. That was going to be the end of my collecting. Then I saw a Savage and a Warrior online at Ringside. Bought those. Then I came across the Von Erichs at a Kmart. Had to buy those. Just kind of snowballed from there.
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