LVJR - The Nine Lives of BCA

I could have timed this better, what with there being nine new purchases and this post (the tenth in a series of "Latest Vintage Jakks Receivings") missing the mark by one; it coulda been-uh contenda, I tell you!

*Sigh*

Oh well, worse things have happened, like being outbid on a S.T.O.M.P. Series 1 Undertaker when it COULD HAVE completed your Series 1 collection. But...I wouldn't know anything about that...

So, for the tenth installment of my LVJR posts, I bring to you nine 10 figures which are completely new to my rebuilt collection.


I bought these nine figures for the purpose of filling out a few series (Signature, Slammers and S.T.O.M.P.) that I haven't addressed in quite some time.

All nine were purchased from the same eBay seller for just under $25 shipped, or $2.50 each in mint condition.


For those unfamiliar with the aforementioned series, Signature figures include facsimile signatures (usually found on the thigh), Slammers figures have various action features (akin to the Hasbro WWF line from the early 90s) and S.T.O.M.P. figures are fantasy/fictionalized representations of the wrestlers with many unique accessories.


There certainly isn't a shortage of accessories in the S.T.O.M.P. series, but the decision to have them follow a particular theme which has no relation whatsoever to pro wrestling is...puzzling, to say the least.


However, each of these figures provides a suitable alternative to their regular BCA counterparts in case you, the collector, or your parents from back in the day were unable to find the preferred versions in stores.

That doesn't excuse Jakks Pacific for spending valuable time on lesser series when the Superstars figures could have been given more attention and more releases, but it's all a moot point now.

Although you can't see it with MOC images, the figures beneath the bubble are just as detailed as any regular BCA, so again give credit to Jakks for providing re-releases with the same amount of detail as the original releases.

Should we really give thanks for re-releases? I can just picture everyone violently shaking their heads to that question. Moving on...

Last time, I said that I hadn't reached my threshold yet for becoming sick and tired of Slammers figures and, to be honest with you, not much has changed.

On the contrary, I think I'm actually beginning to like them.

While the world collectively gathers brain matter splattered across its keyboard right now, I'll repeat that I'm actually beginning to like Slammers figures.

I'm not about to re-create any 60-minute mat classics with them, but the action features, specifically Goldust and Mankind's gorilla arms, wouldn't be so bad without the plastic levers protruding from their mid-to-lower backs.

Imagine if there had been added articulation for BCA figures and it wasn't obtrusive for play? I know it's a pipe dream, but the Slammers series did give us hope.

It also gave us our first 6-inch Kane figure and debuts for Dude Love, The Patriot and Taka Michinoku. So...there's that.


My take: Look, your first option should always be Superstars series figures, but there's nothing wrong with opting for the Signature or Slammers series. S.T.O.M.P., on the other hand, is...an acquired taste.

In most cases, you either like them or you don't, but I'm a perennial fence rider when it comes to S.T.O.M.P. figures. I can't choose sides, but I will recommend them to collectors of wrestling figures-from-a-different-universe.

Not quite "Masters of the Universe", more like "Servants of the Universe."

Fun fact: Forget King of the Ring 1996, "Austin 3:16" was born in Signature Series 1, which has the first Austin wrestling figure ever to wear the iconic t-shirt in plastic form.

Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice day!

- Alex