'I meant to buy one, then the collecting bug bit'

A recent sale of 1990s wrestling figures saw many selling for hundreds of pounds. Why do these toys still grip collectors?

Bret Hitman Hart has not wrestled for years, but the Canadian superstar's popularity among fans remains undimmed.

So much so a 34-year-old figure of him fetched more than £1,000 when it went under the hammer at Vectis Auctions in Thornaby, Stockton, on Wednesday.

The toy, still in its original packaging, was originally released in 1992 in the fourth series of WWF (later rebranded WWE) toys made by Hasbro, who released about 100 figures between 1990 and 1994.

It was one of a trove to be sold by a private seller at Vectis, where a series eight Undertaker fetched almost £600 and series one Hulk Hogan some £300.

The fact they were in their packaging, known in the trade as "carded", only added to the value, a Vectis spokeswoman said.

"The prices achieved are significantly higher than other similar carded figures sold recently," she said.

The Bret Hart sale was an "exceptional result for vintage wrestling collectibles" and proved the demand for classic Hasbro WWF figures "remains incredibly strong", she added.

Among those eagerly watching the auction in the hope of bagging a bargain or plugging a hole in his collection was Paul Baird, who grew up watching wrestling on TV with his granddad and friends in the 1990s.

"I just loved all the larger-than-life cartoon-like wrestlers," Paul says.

Paul from Yarm had many of the toys back then but, like many children, saw his figures given away to relatives when he outgrew them.

Then during the coronavirus pandemic, after seeing a friend's collection of football figures, he decided to return to his first true love - "little plastic men".

"Like most people there was little to do and I just had a lot of time to reflect and reminisce," Paul says.

"I thought 'I'll just get one for old times' sake, an Undertaker or Hulk Hogan, but then the collecting bug kicks in.

"Before you know it you are buying one more, then another, and that's it, you are hooked."

He found groups of like-minded fans online and started striking deals, re-amassing his collection, including the original blue plastic wrestling ring his figures could do battle in.

Paul also discovered a number of shops specialising in retro playthings, visiting sellers from Bishop Auckland to Sunderland, and attended toy and train fairs, including a regular one held at Gateshead International Stadium.

He now has an almost complete collection of loose figures and is turning his sights on the carded ones.

"The collecting never ends once you get that bug," Paul says.

"You want a better condition figure, then one in the original packing, then one in better condition packaging.

"You can always find a way to keep going.

"A lot of the fun is in the chase."

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