By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Several toys have been made of Faarooq over the years, but his coolest figure depicts Ron Simmons as he looked while he reigned as WCW World champion.




Action Figure Spotlight #17: Jakks-Pacific WWE Classic Superstars Series 20 Ron Simmons
Originally released: 2008
What you can expect to pay: $10-20 (loose or packaged)
Recent sales: $10.50, $12.99, $14.99, $19.99

Ron Simmons became the first African-American wrestler to hold a major World Title when he defeated Big Van Vader for the WCW belt in 1992. Although he never won another World Title, Simmons became a key role player during the WWF’s Attitude Era as a part of the popular APA, with Bradshaw.

Simmons’s first figure was released in 1990 by Galoob, when he and Butch Reed were WCW’s top tag team as Doom. Jakks-Pacific made several figures over the years, starting with a Nation of Domination-era Faarooq in 1997. Since then, there were several figures made of Faarooq and Bradshaw as the APA.

But, the coolest figure of the former WCW World champ was released in 2008 in the 20th series of Jakks-Pacific’s WWE Classic Superstars line. It features Simmons as he appeared in the early 1990s, with blue tights and white boots, along with a WCW World Title belt.

The figure is somewhat tough to find, so you may have to be patient if you’re looking to add one to your collection. Many times sellers ask $25-40 for this figure, but that’s too much; it usually sells for around $10-15 loose, or $15-20 packaged.

Simmons has been out of the spotlight for several years. But, his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame may bring some nostalgic feelings back to longtime wrestling fans, so it is possible that all of his figures could see a slight bump in value.

Collectibles News

-- The Undertaker’s autograph from 1994 Action Packed has always been one of the most sought-after cards on the secondary market, but over the last couple years it has also become the most expensive. Taker has signed only two different cards during his career, so his autograph is very scarce. Just five years ago, you could pick one of these cards up for as low as $40. The last few to have sold on eBay went for $218 and $249.

-- If you’ve been looking for the first few series of TNA Deluxe Impact figures from Jakks, head over to ShopTNA.com. Last week, the site began offering figures that had been next to impossible to find over the last year. Several rare figures are being sold at or below original retail price, such as Beer Money ($14.99) and Shark Boy ($8.99). The site was offering the popular Velvet Sky figure for $13.99 last week, but those are already gone.

-- Every now and then, a signature from a star from wrestling’s past is included in a multi-sport or non-sport series of trading cards. A few readers recently pointed out that Missy Hyatt’s signature was included in Upper Deck’s World of Sports series from 2010. The card itself is pretty boring; there is no picture of Missy on the card, just her signature. You can usually find one for $12 or less.

-- WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson has been included in the new series of Leaf Legends of Sport. His autographs have been selling for $125 and up.

Sloppy Signature Answer

The autograph pictured in last week’s Sloppy Signature Trivia Contest belonged to none other than the “American Dream” Dusty Rhodes. Congratulations to F. Richard Williamson, Alistair McAlley, Dylan Saltz, Leo Witherow, and Michael Tisdale, who all correctly identified Dusty’s autograph.

Do you have a question or a comment about wrestling collectibles? Contact Michael Moore at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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