Hasbro to bring back Kenner's Starting lineup figures.

[TrekStar]

What was the company that made Hall of Fame Baseball players? they came in window boxes that you could open the front like the 12” sideshow figures. They made 12” Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Ted Williams, Honus Wagner-Cy Young, Grover Alexander and a few more, I’m thinking late 80’s?? maybe they were called Hall of Fame Heroes Collection? I know they were definitely 12” size.

[TrekStar]

Okay I just remembered and they were 12” Kenner Starting Line Up Cooperstown Collection series, not sure if their worth much but I thought they were pretty cool.

[mego maniac mark]

I was well past toys in 1988, but I do remember these. Especially the football ones as they immediately brought to mind the NFL Action Team Mates. Big difference in the two lines of figures, I know, but SLU reminded me that NFL toys had previously gotten the attention of kids and the period between those two lines had been ruled by Star Wars.

The SLU line is very interesting in that it was pitched to Kenner by Cincinnati Bengal Pat McInally while he was in the final year of his NFL career (1986). McInally has the distinction of achieving the only verified perfect score on the Wonderlic Test that the NFL uses to gauge player intelligence. Story is, he took it again in 2007 and only missed one, to which he replied, "Not bad after six concussions." McInally got his own figure in the 10th Anniversary line and was paid royalties on the $700 million the SLU line made in sales over its lifetime.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...22/7404603001/

Here's a scan of the story behind SLU and McInally's involvement.
https://kennerstartinglineup.blogspo...ng-lineup.html

Thanks for that story, very interesting. I do not recall the player. That Bengal team was good. Munoz , Icky, and Boomer I remember. Kenner being there in Cincy, they must have been big Bengal fans.

[TRDouble]

Okay I just remembered and they were 12” Kenner Starting Line Up Cooperstown Collection series, not sure if their worth much but I thought they were pretty cool.

I have some of the Hockey and Football 12" Starting lineup dolls. I loved how they gave the Buffalo Sabres Hasek his cage instead of the goalie mask. Another company made 12" Hockey Dolls too; I forget the company, but I have the St Louis Blues Grant Fuhr and Avalanche Patrick Roy.

That makes me wonder what depth Hasbro will go, especially since no one has done articulated Sports ACTION Figures since those little 5" NFL figures (I had a Reggie Bush and a few others) and Hasbro is known most recently for their Marvel Legends style of articulated figures.

It should be interesting, but I have boxes and boxes of McFarlane Sports Picks still taking up way too much space, so unless it's a Bills or Sabres player I feel will be around for a while (although that didn't work out with Jack Eichel), I will be watching from the sidelines.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Anyone else think their new logo looks A LOT like the Justice League movie logo?

[ToyTalk]

Lol! As a jets fan I have him but don’t want him. I still have about 30 figures ranging from 88 Jordan to a 94 Messier

Also a Jets fan and as much as I enjoyed watching Ken O'Brien get sacked, something he did often, I do not want his SLU figure either.

[TRDouble]

These look like sports figures with Marvel Legends articulation. I guess they will be 6 inches? I don't recall seeing the scale anywhere.

Fully articulated sports figures could do well on the market, especially if priced at the same price as Marvel Legends, Star Wars Black, Power Rangers, etc. at this scale. I paid $30 for a non-articulated Dragon Import Josh Allen (now $40), so $25-$30 for an articulated version of my favorites teams' players is something something I would probably buy.

[Brown Bear]

I'd be interested in any Boxers they make. I have their 12" Ali vs Frazier two pack.

[rykerw1701]

Also a Jets fan and as much as I enjoyed watching Ken O'Brien get sacked, something he did often, I do not want his SLU figure either.

O'Brien had a great arm, but he held on to the ball way too long. Having said that, his Starting Line Up probably should have had him on the ground with a Bruce Smith footprint next to his head.

[powersthatbe]

they are up for pre order at hasbro pulse but at the sticker shock price of $49.99

[TRDouble]

Yeah, definitely not priced as a casual buy. I may still get one if they release a Buffalo Bill or Sabre (yeah, RIGHT!), but otherwise, too rich for my budget.

[rykerw1701]

Yeah, definitely not priced as a casual buy. I may still get one if they release a Buffalo Bill or Sabre (yeah, RIGHT!), but otherwise, too rich for my budget.

The obvious Bill would be Josh Allen. But I can't imagine a Sabre from the last 15 years worth releasing. And it hurts to say that.