Of my many hobbies/interests one of the top ones is collecting toys of all kinds, from Star Wars to G.I. Joe to kid’s meal toys I collect just about everything. Being a big wrestling fan means a large part of my toy collection is toys from the world of sports entertainment. The first really big wrestling toy release came in 1984 with the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line. Huge, rubbery versions of all the WWF’s superstars were very popular and still are. I did not collect these figures when they came out, but bought a couple of loose (out of the package) figures later in the life. As of today I only own Hillbilly Jim and George the Animal Steele but hope to add to the collection in the near future.

Compared to today’s toys these do not seem very exciting at first since they have no articulation and are made of rubber, but there was something about them that made them popular with kid’s at the time and collector’s now. The simplicity added to their charm. There have been much better looking and more playable wrestling figures since then, but they just don’t hold a candle to these big pieces of rubber that take a lot of damage and may have some paint worn off over time, but still retain their charm.

I have included this link, http://www.cardboardconnection.com/ljn-wwf-wrestling-superstars-figures-checklist-guide, to a great website that lists the various figures that came out so you can have a look.

Next week I am going to discuss the 1990’s Hasbro action figures which also hold a special place in most wrestling fan’s collections as well as my own.