I’m a self-confessed vintage toy nerd. I collect vintage wrestling action figures from the 80’s & 90’s. I started purchasing some vintage toys out of nostalgia. Well, WWE and Mattel sucked me into their new stuff. I now buy a few figures a month. You can view photos of my collection on my Instagram account.
The lineup for WWE Elite series 57 has been announced for awhile and early shipments have already been received (I already own this entire set). This set isn’t expected to hit retail until March.
The WWE Superstars included in Elite 57 are Jeff Hardy, Seth Rollins, Tye Dillenger, Scotty 2 Hotty, Shinsuke Nakamura & Baron Corbin.
Jeff Hardy – This is Hardy’s first official regular series Elite since they cancelled his addition to Elite series 1. They just released an Entrance Greats Jeff Hardy that looks eerily similar to his cancelled Elite 1 elite. This Hardy figure is of a current attire and headscan. It matches a Matt Hardy which will be in Elite 58. This will be a hot seller since Mattel knows there’s a huge demand for Hardy figures.
Seth Rollins – This attire is from Wrestlemania 33 when Rollins had a torch and ‘lit’ the stage ablaze. Rollins figures are always hot sellers and this one, even though it was mostly a one-off, will be a must-own for figure collectors.
Tye Dillenger – This is the first elite for the ‘Perfect 10’. He isn’t on Smackdown Live! much, but he’s still a fan favorite . I ‘believe’ this attire is from his Royal Rumble entrance at #10 (but I could be wrong). This one should also be a quick sell at retail.
Scotty 2 Hotty – This is the first Flashback in the regular series in awhile. There used to be multiple flashbacks per series, but now with all the retail-exclusive elite lines, Mattel has backed off. Scotty 2 Hotty was one of my favorites as a teenager. I used to mark out when Scotty 2 Hotty did the Worm. We now only need Brian Christopher and we will have ‘Too Cool’ since there is already an existing elite of Rikishi.
Shinsuke Nakamura – This is Nakamura’s first regular series elite, but he already had a Defining Moments and an elite in the Target-exclusive NXT line of elites. I dig that this Nakamura comes with a cloth shirt. Hopefully we will also get a Nakamura with his Michael Jackson-inspired jacket in the future.
Baron Corbin – I believe this is Corbin’s third elite. I’m glad one finally comes with a cloth shirt. I’ve been buying custom figure clothing off a buddy of mine. He’s retiring for bit or I would plug the hell out of him, he’ the best. This figure should be a hot seller since it has a blue briefcase and a cloth shirt. If it didn’t have those, this one would have died a death at retail.
Elite 57 should be found at retail in mid-March.
Elite 58’s lineup is already up for pre-order on some online retailers that get figures early. I will have a post about them in the coming weeks. There are a couple must-own figures in the set (hint: Mickie James is getting her first elite).
You can pre-order everything at RingsideCollectibles.com. I’m not getting paid to plug them (although it would be nice to get a nice discount – wink wink). I just recommend them. I’ve been pleased with every purchase. You can also check out WalkOutWear.com for pre-orders with free shipping.
I should also add TheyreActionFigures.com to my recommendation list. Awesome prices for WWE, Marvel and other toy lines. I’ve bought from them numerous times. A trusted seller and treats buyers well with great prices and fast shipping.
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.