Original Mattel WWE collectors - since 2009

1 - Do you see yourself collecting this line till the end?

I collect the figures as I want and need. As a BIG collector of the CS line, the initial draw to me early on was the Ricky Steamboat and Macho Man figures, neither were ever produced under Jakks. And of course as we moved further away from Jakks and new wrestlers were out for the first time in the Mattel collection (Remember the furor over the first Sheamus figure?) that helped. I don't collect every figure, just the ones that are FTITL and significant look changes. So as long as figures that interest me are coming out, I will get them.

2 - What have been your hardest moments during this time that have made you come close to quitting?

I have never come close to quitting, but I think the worst time for me was when Walmart cancelled their mini lines for the Legends they were doing - the Elite and the Basics. The notorious wave with King Harley never hit anywhere near me that I could find, but I was very lucky to get the basic WCW wave with Suited Ric Flair about an hour and a half away from me. My mindset is that that these should not be so damn hard to get, and it was certainly frustrating.

I think the other harder part, and this seems to be before Steve came in, is the poor decision making when it comes to wrestlers contracts. Not being 'on the ball' enough to get wrestlers in X, Y, and Z gear during the 2 years they are under contract seems like bad management to me. We all have seen these - Defining Moments Hollywood Hogan. Legends Sting. Even the recent Jeff Jarrett, but that situation seems like Jeff was only back with WWE for a short time, so that most likely does not fall on Mattel.

3 - What are some great things that Mattel did at the beginning which hooked you in?

At the beginning, nothing special. I was never a chase guy so when they had things like the chairs and such that were 'chase' figures because of that, I didn't care. Early on I think it was the newer (at the time) legends like the above mentioned Steamboat & Savage.

4 - What are some long awaited wrestlers you are still waiting for? (that they can "legally/possibly" produce of course)

Not sure of the legally/possibly aspect, but I wish they would do some more deeper dives of the Legends. As a huge Ric Flair and 4 Horseman fan, not having Ole Anderson in the line anywhere feels like a gaping hole - we did get JJ Dillon, which was one of the best surprises to me - but not Ole. I am hopeful that PowerTown is successful in that regards to fill those holes for the niche collectors.

5 - Anything else that you have experienced in over 10 years of collecting this line?

I have been fortunate that I live in an area big enough for a Target and 2 Walmarts within 20 minutes of me. So the ability to get figures has been fairly easy for me, except for a few named above

I’ve cut back on what I collect but don’t plan on stopping. I’ll likely stick to legends for the most part but my enjoyment of the line hasn’t diminished despite some of Mattel’s “shortcuts.”

Hardest moment is deciding whether I need another version of a particular performer or not. There’s been figures I regret buying, and there’s been figures I’ve sold that I miss.

I was ready to stop collecting when Mattel took over. Seeing how they took scale seriously is what pulled me back in.

Big WCW fan, so glad to hear the Steiners are finally signed. Big Pappa Pump in his purple gear is a big want from me. More obscure characters like Scott Norton and random CWs would be cool too.

Tip is don’t impulse-buy. Unless your gut is 100% in on a figure, you’ll likely survive passing on someone or else it’ll just be another figure sitting in a bucket somewhere.