Does the lack of new FTITL Legends/Alumni bother you?

[mcfclee]

It slows down my buying. We’re really undercooked on ecw talent and have some reasonably big gaps in wcw, golden era and attitude era I’d love to see.

[cuppacoffeeyeaaah]

I only started collecting a few years ago due to the boredom of lockdown, I mostly collect from late 80’s until 2000. It’s an expensive hobby and sometimes I ask myself when will I stop?! But I enjoy it still. This year I was hoping for some releases from 1993 (Steiners, USA Lex, Crush) I recently managed to get The Headshinkers so that was a bonus!

[Biff Slamkovich™]

Great discussion!

As previously mentioned on the first page, Mattel definitely does great work with what they have, so credit to them for the amazing stuff they've produced over the years -- no gripes there!

Certainly in the case of Sting and a handful of others, I think Mattel was criticized for not doing enough. But what they put out was awesome for the most part.

My problem is just with the lack of new legends/alumni at their disposal that yes, I understand is out of their hands. But is there any way for us as fans and collectors to maybe help change that?

Reading earlier here that in the case of Luna for example, her estate (son) was never contacted by WWE regarding a merchandise deal. To me as a fan that's shocking to hear and you'd assume that if someone as influential as Luna is not being offered a deal that other iconic men and woman aren't either.

It's depressing, but hopefully WWE will one day change their stance and allow for more talent to be signed instead of the way things are done now. Where said talent has to fit in with their current programming in some way.

[Biff Slamkovich™]

Aug 10, 2023 15:45:22 GMT -5 mrh said:

I hate to be "that guy," but this questions gets asked so often. Why do we need another thread on ti....

Because we're a community and we discuss things?

Or, we could just not do this and just argue about toys instead, making people not want to come here anymore? Would that be better?

Also feel free to start a fresh new topic of your own if you don't see any benefit or point to this one! There are still people here other than yourself that don't mind shooting the **** about things on a message board once in a while =).

[hollywood4life]

Of course it does, having 15 hogans,takers and warriors each in a year when you could sprinkle in some of the 150+ guys they haven’t made figs of that jakks did…

it’s insane the roster jakks had to Mattel today …

I know it’s not on Mattel but there has to be tons of money to be made by wwe if they signed old talent ..what’s stopping them from signed them to small deals?

I’m sure most of the smaller stars would bite ,(they all goto conventions for signings so you know they would jump on a 2 or 3k deal)


Like someone else said these smaller companies are making bank of guys like blue meanie, ahamed, Bundy etc… you can’t tell me it isn’t worth it to wwe to sculpture a deal with these guys to make money

There has to be something else that’s blocking deals besides” it not worth it” like most people say about the smaller names..

wwe most not want a huge roster to be signed at once for whatever weird unknown reason ,maybe to penny pinch BUTTT that’s goes out the window when it’s just tiny legend deal that you makes money off with toys ten fold


Kevin Nash said on his pod his legends contract isn’t what it used to be, that he used to get paid 50k-60k for wwe2k now he’s lucky if he gets 5k….. so they’re saving more money with cutting legends money….

because you know guys like spike dudley,konnan,Kidman,gangrel, Steve Blackman , al snow aren’t turning down a deal from wwe

Mattel knows the reason why wwe won’t sign more guys, wish Mattel would clue us in to what the asinine reason …

I take my legends collecting very seriously lol (I really do 😂)

[Crossfit Jesus]

Kind of. I think it would be cool to get a cruiseeigjt champ Gregory helms

[The One Who Collects]

Yes. The positive is it saves me money.

[ttmbrad]

I'm good with all the Hulksters they are pumping out.

[SteveHulk]

Personally, I don't really mind... mainly because there's very few FTITL left that are "must-haves" for me - and secondly because I'm mainly collecting Ultimates now and selling off a lot of my earlier Elites.

I would like them to re-sign guys like LOD, Demolition, Dudleys, STING(!) etc., as they'd all make great Ultimate figures.

[Glorydaysofwrestling]

Yes it bothers me, but Mattel digs deep enough and gets the most out of their talent pool. For example Brutus Beefcake and Rikishi. They got out 3 eras/different gimmicks. With Jakks classics, you usually just got the most popular version of that person.

I really hope we can keep getting more first time in the line figs.

[newgenandy]

You also have to consider things from wwe perspective

Legends don’t sell tickets to current events, get people watching current tv upping viewer numbers and rights amounts, buying merch at live shows, attending premium live events etc

There’s a reason why Cena changed his shirt every 4 months, because there’s more hats, shirts, wrist bands snd yes figures to sell.

New / current product is where the big bucks are - how many people bought a Cena shirt v say an iron sheik or even macho man shirt? How many now buy a seth or Roman v a warrior shirt?

They’re not going to put too much time and effort into getting s little back when they could put less time and get more out from their current stars. We get a sprinkling every now and then of ftil but the focus will always be on the current product

[secondwhiteline]

Aug 11, 2023 6:23:10 GMT -5 newgenandy said:

You also have to consider things from wwe perspective

Legends don’t sell tickets to current events, get people watching current tv upping viewer numbers and rights amounts, buying merch at live shows, attending premium live events etc

There’s a reason why Cena changed his shirt every 4 months, because there’s more hats, shirts, wrist bands snd yes figures to sell.

New / current product is where the big bucks are - how many people bought a Cena shirt v say an iron sheik or even macho man shirt? How many now buy a seth or Roman v a warrior shirt?

They’re not going to put too much time and effort into getting s little back when they could put less time and get more out from their current stars. We get a sprinkling every now and then of ftil but the focus will always be on the current product

Yeah, I think people underestimate the merch sales on the current product, which by all reports are consistently and kinda shockingly high. I'm always a little confused by which guys below the Hogan/Warrior/Macho/nWo tier they lock into Legends deals, but I assume there's sometimes ancillary concerns with smaller names, like they want talking heads for documentaries, or HoF inductions, or it's talent with relatives on the roster now who they want to do a solid, that kind of thing.

They obviously love servicing the segment of fans who want retro stuff, but even within that space there are names that just matter more and make more sense to pursue. As much as people complain about so many Warrior and Hogan figures, would you want to sell retro WWF/E merch without them involved? I think one of the things we sort of avoid connecting here is that they like doing prestige product with their retro offerings -- specialty packaging, higher-ticket items, branding that appeals to legacy and history. Their strategy isn't broad world-building for the most part. They like repackaging the same stuff in the biggest and most appealing ways.

[Flair Forever]

I think issue #1 is that WWE has failed to produce very many significant NEW Legends over the last 15-20 years....

When we think about the "Golden Era" we have a fondness for most of the roster! We even remember guys like Hillbilly Jim and the Bushwackers! But will people still be clamoring for figures of today's WWE upper/midcard in 20 years? What WWE Superstars of the last 10 years will be considered "Legends"? Will guys like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn be remembered as fondly as guys like Jake "the Snake" and The Honky Tonk Man? Will Otis, Rick Boogs, and Baron Corbin be remembered in 20 years, the way we remember Big Bossman, Akeem, and Haku?

Maybe.... hard to say. Probably Not?

That being the case, I think Mattel is doing a good job with what WWE gives them.... we are getting The Steiner Brothers, Captain Lou Albano, Eric Bischoff, Terry Gordy, and Torrie Wilson, all FTITL figures. Just got the Headshrinkers and Brother Love.

I even think they have done a pretty good job with WCW guys..... heck, they tried bringing us a WCW-themed Crowd-fund. People weren't interested. So we can't sit here and say that they didn't try to offer enough WCW...... Monday Night Wars are "on the way" - sort of, if you can find them. LOVE the recent WCW Legends Hogan and I'm really excited for the upcoming "Hulkamania" version of Jimmy Hart!

As others have stated, yeah I agree they've largely overlooked ECW. I'm hoping maybe with Wrestlemania being in Philly next year there will be a little emphasis on Philly's rich wrestling history, including ECW.....

Personally, I'd be wayyy more interested in some new Ric Flair, Sting, & Macho Man figures than some "FTITL" stuff that's been long forgotten.... but that's just me. And I've been loving ALL the Hulk Hogan stuff. Hogan is still moving merch in 2023.

I also wish WWE would create some NEW LEGENDS that we will be chasing after in 20 years!

[BoneCrunchingCustoms]

Gimme my A-Train and Waylon Mercy

[secondwhiteline]

Aug 11, 2023 8:39:30 GMT -5 Flair Forever said:

I think issue #1 is that WWE has failed to produce very many significant NEW Legends over the last 15-20 years....

When we think about the "Golden Era" we have a fondness for most of the roster! We even remember guys like Hillbilly Jim and the Bushwackers! But will people still be clamoring for figures of today's WWE upper/midcard in 20 years? What WWE Superstars of the last 10 years will be considered "Legends"? Will guys like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn be remembered as fondly as guys like Jake "the Snake" and The Honky Tonk Man? Will Otis, Rick Boogs, and Baron Corbin be remembered in 20 years, the way we remember Big Bossman, Akeem, and Haku?

Maybe.... hard to say. Probably Not?

That being the case, I think Mattel is doing a good job with what WWE gives them.... we are getting The Steiner Brothers, Captain Lou Albano, Eric Bischoff, Terry Gordy, and Torrie Wilson, all FTITL figures. Just got the Headshrinkers and Brother Love.

I even think they have done a pretty good job with WCW guys..... heck, they tried bringing us a WCW-themed Crowd-fund. People weren't interested. So we can't sit here and say that they didn't try to offer enough WCW...... Monday Night Wars are "on the way" - sort of, if you can find them.

As others have stated, yeah I agree they've largely overlooked ECW. I'm hoping maybe with Wrestlemania being in Philly next year there will be a little emphasis on Philly's rich wrestling history, including ECW.....

Personally, I'd be wayyy more interested in some new Ric Flair, Sting, & Macho Man figures than some "FTITL" stuff that's been long forgotten.... but that's just me.

I also wish WWE would create some NEW LEGENDS that we will be chasing after in 20 years!

This feels like a post from like 10 years ago. By any reasonable metric, WWE is the most successful it's been in years. They're pulling in merch numbers that are reportedly Attitude Era-level. Sami in particular has been a driver of that, and it's insane to question whether or not he and Owens are going to be remembered after everything they've done in the past year alone.

[breal59]

Im sure the Mattel team would love new superstars/first time in the line alumni to sink their teeth into.

Personally im grateful that we got Mr T and Zeus in the line and Captain Lou Albano in the line this year.

It's not having certain superstars in the line that bothers me, it's certain legends like Macho Man Randy Savage, getting taken out. There was still so much left on the table to do with him.

Also what bothers me, yes Jimmy Snuka won't ever be back in the line I don't think. But from my knowledge, Snukas accusations didn't resurface until about 2014 after his autobiography. And so I think they had him under contract from 2010-2014.

They released one figure of him. From his look from after his Wrestlemania VII match with The Undertaker, a few sporadic marches from the Superstars and Wrestling Challenge TV tapings from 1991. It's baffling to think of all Snukas looks, why they went with such a deep cut look and that was his only figure.

[Top 1% Aaron]

Funaki still works for WWE - where's my Funaki Elite?!

[Flair Forever]

Aug 11, 2023 9:12:16 GMT -5 secondwhiteline said:

Aug 11, 2023 8:39:30 GMT -5 Flair Forever said:

I think issue #1 is that WWE has failed to produce very many significant NEW Legends over the last 15-20 years....

When we think about the "Golden Era" we have a fondness for most of the roster! We even remember guys like Hillbilly Jim and the Bushwackers! But will people still be clamoring for figures of today's WWE upper/midcard in 20 years? What WWE Superstars of the last 10 years will be considered "Legends"? Will guys like Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn be remembered as fondly as guys like Jake "the Snake" and The Honky Tonk Man? Will Otis, Rick Boogs, and Baron Corbin be remembered in 20 years, the way we remember Big Bossman, Akeem, and Haku?

Maybe.... hard to say. Probably Not?

That being the case, I think Mattel is doing a good job with what WWE gives them.... we are getting The Steiner Brothers, Captain Lou Albano, Eric Bischoff, Terry Gordy, and Torrie Wilson, all FTITL figures. Just got the Headshrinkers and Brother Love.

I even think they have done a pretty good job with WCW guys..... heck, they tried bringing us a WCW-themed Crowd-fund. People weren't interested. So we can't sit here and say that they didn't try to offer enough WCW...... Monday Night Wars are "on the way" - sort of, if you can find them.

As others have stated, yeah I agree they've largely overlooked ECW. I'm hoping maybe with Wrestlemania being in Philly next year there will be a little emphasis on Philly's rich wrestling history, including ECW.....

Personally, I'd be wayyy more interested in some new Ric Flair, Sting, & Macho Man figures than some "FTITL" stuff that's been long forgotten.... but that's just me.

I also wish WWE would create some NEW LEGENDS that we will be chasing after in 20 years!

This feels like a post from like 10 years ago. By any reasonable metric, WWE is the most successful it's been in years. They're pulling in merch numbers that are reportedly Attitude Era-level. Sami in particular has been a driver of that, and it's insane to question whether or not he and Owens are going to be remembered after everything they've done in the past year alone.

I don't disagree..... but as you said, it's only been in the last year or two that WWE's really been bringing back the "memorable" and "legendary" type personalities and stories.... I also think they're heading there with Roman Reigns, Rhea Ripley, Damien Priest, Dominick, Charlotte, LA Knight, Usos, and a few others....

But there is a long gap of time where WWE didn't really produce the "Legends" and "Memories" that we all love.... thus creating a "Legends Gap". Most of the current "Legends" are from the Golden Era & Attitude Era & WCW.

[newgenandy]

I think perspective also plays a part

Jakks started classic superstars in 2004. The golden era of the 80s was therefore around 20-25 years ago

Today if mattel put out a figure from say 2000 (so similar to the timescale for jakks) people wouldn’t class or as a legend

I think the legend timescale is also skewed on here.

We need to remember we are not 20-25 years out of the 80s like jakks were, 1985 was 38 years ago. Someone say 10 in 1985 wouldve been 29 in 2004. A great age for collecting some heroes from his childhood. That same person would be 48 now. Now I’m not saying people that age don’t collect but I’d say their priorities have possibly changed to thinking towards retirement, saving to help their kids with a house or college etc.

The golden era was a long time ago

[WrestlingFigWig]

Yes