{"id":36970,"date":"2017-01-10T14:28:46","date_gmt":"2017-01-10T20:28:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=36970"},"modified":"2017-01-10T14:37:34","modified_gmt":"2017-01-10T20:37:34","slug":"collectibles-column-breakout-stars-2016-poised-big-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/01\/10\/collectibles-column-breakout-stars-2016-poised-big-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Breakout Stars of 2016, and Who is Poised for a Big 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-3279767324\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">There\u2019s a common question being asked among many wrestling fans, journalists, podcasters and writers: <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Who will be the A.J. Styles of 2017? <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">One year ago, Styles seemed set to continue along his path of success: star in New Japan Pro Wrestling, wrestle some big matches for Ring of Honor and take some independent dates along the way. Then came the news, just hours after Styles\u2019 loss to Shinsuke Nakamura in the semi-main event of NJPW\u2019s Wrestle Kingdom 10: Styles was gone from NJPW and headed to WWE, along with Nakamura, Karl Anderson and Doc Gallows. Styles debuted to a big push at the Royal Rumble weeks later, and after a few shaky months, became arguably the WWE\u2019s top full-time wrestler. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Styles has always had a following, but his jump to WWE exposed him to a whole new audience. Hardcore fans would now have to share their hero with WWE loyalists and more casual fans \u2013 and that meant increased competition for Styles\u2019 early action figures, trading cards and other merchandise. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">By the end of the year, few wrestlers were more popular with collectors than AJ Styles. His first WWE trading cards debuted in mid-2016, including his first WWE certified autograph in 2016 Topps WWE Undisputed. Mattel rushed to put out its first Elite action figure of Styles, but was beat to the punch by Figures Toy Company, which had announced plans for their own AJ figure back in 2015. Many fans prefer the FTC AJ to the Mattel figure, and several named it as one of the top figures of 2016 in a recent PWTorch Collectibles Column (link: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/12\/09\/collectibles-column-collectors-pick-favorite-figures-2016\/\"><span class=\"s2\">http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/12\/09\/collectibles-column-collectors-pick-favorite-figures-2016\/<\/span><\/a>). <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chris DePetrillo, chief marketing officer for Figures Toy Company, said AJ\u2019s jump to WWE brought a lot more eyes to FTC\u2019s products. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cIt also helped that ours arrived far ahead of Mattel, and the inclusion in the Wrestlecrate was huge for us too,\u201d DePetrillo said. \u201cI think all that led to some new collectors hopping on board and picking him up.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Styles wasn\u2019t the only wrestler who had a breakout year with collectors. Here\u2019s a look at a few wrestlers whose collectibles took off in 2016, and some others who could garner attention in 2017. <\/span><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3372450755\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Big in 2016<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Alexa Bliss.<\/b> The former NXT valet of Blake and Murphy very quickly established herself as one of the better talkers on Smackdown and defeated Becky Lynch for the blue brand\u2019s women\u2019s belt. Until the end of the year, her only certified autograph was found in 2015 Topps WWE Chrome, but new autographs and memorabilia cards have surfaced in 2016 Topps WWE Divas Revolution and 2016 Topps NXT. Her first basic Mattel figure hit shelves at the end of 2016, and the $9.99 figure was quickly selling on eBay for $40. A special chase version of the figure, which includes a toy Slammy Award, is much tougher to find and sells for more. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Bill Goldberg.<\/b> For years fans have been asking when Goldberg would be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. He returned in a much different capacity in 2016, cutting arguably the best wrestling promo of the year upon his return and then squashing Brock Lesnar in under two minutes. Goldberg\u2019s old WWE action figures from Jakks Pacific caught fire upon his return, with some packaged figures selling for upwards of $100. Goldberg\u2019s certified autographs from Leaf Trading Cards remain affordable, with some as low as $25. It seems like a forgone conclusion that Goldberg will be included in new products from Topps and Mattel in 2017. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Finn Balor.<\/b> Balor\u2019s debut Elite action figure, from Elite Series 41, was probably the most eagerly anticipated wrestling figure ever made. Sites like Ringside Collectibles were taking pre-orders on the \u201cDemon King\u201d figure in 2015, and then the figure was often on back order well into the second quarter of 2016. A lot of collectors never found one in their local retail stores, and had to pay higher prices online. Balor\u2019s second Elite figure, which featured a new paint job and a different take on the \u201cDemon King,\u201d was included in Elite Series 46 and was just as popular and elusive. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Matt Hardy.<\/b> The year began with the elder Hardy Boy wrestling as a very dastardly heel TNA World Champion. But before long, Matt was broken \u2013 and the wrestling world hasn\u2019t been the same since. Hardy has plenty of figures from Jakks Pacific, but his two Mattel Elite figures \u2013 from Series 2 and 5 \u2013 seem to be most popular with collectors right now, selling for around $50 loose with accessories. Matt\u2019s autographs can be found in WWE products from Topps, TNA sets from TRISTAR and even in 2016 Leaf Signature Series Wrestling. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>A Big Year Looming<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Braun Strowman<\/b>. It sure feels like Vince McMahon is prepping Strowman for a WrestleMania match with Roman Reigns. Strowman has been kept strong, and interest in his collectibles slowly crept up over the year. A big push at the Royal Rumble could do for Braun what it did for Reigns in 2014. Strowman has a few certified autographs from Topps; his 2016 Topps WWE Undisputed Autograph, which features an on-card signature, is his most popular. The basic version, serial numbered to 299, is currently selling for around $15, but was selling for less than $10 just a few months ago. His first Mattel Elite figure, from Series 4, is currently selling for around $30, and the black sheep mask is a big reason for its popularity. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Bobby Fish and Kyle O\u2019Reilly<\/b>. Both of the reDRagon guys enjoyed breakout solo years in 2016. Fish defeated NJPW star Tomohiro Ishii for the ROH Television Title in May, and O\u2019Reilly beat Adam Cole for the ROH World Title in December. Fish and O\u2019Reilly will both be featured in FTC\u2019s Rising Stars action figure line, and early pictures of the Fish figure in particular received very positive feedback from collectors. Both Fish and O\u2019Reilly have several cards in various Bushiroad King of Pro Wrestling (KinPuro) gaming sets. O\u2019Reilly\u2019s first trading card was produced as part of the Missouri Wrestling Revival (MWR) set and can still be ordered from <a href=\"http:\/\/missouriwrestlingrevival.com\"><span class=\"s3\">http:\/\/missouriwrestlingrevival.com<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Jeff Cobb<\/b>. Perhaps best known to fans as Lucha Underground\u2019s resident monster Matanza Cueto, Cobb is a world class athlete with a very unique skillset. Like many other potential stars, Cobb has a figure planned as part of FTC\u2019s Rising Stars line in 2017. His first trading card was issued as part of a special set available at Pro Wrestling Guerrilla\u2019s Battle of Los Angeles events. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Kenny Omega<\/b>. AJ Styles\u2019 defection from NJPW to WWE left a big hole in the company \u2013 one that Kenny Omega more than filled. He\u2019s become an international superstar, and may be the biggest non-WWE star in the world. His lone certified autographed trading card \u2013 from 2011 BBM Legend of the Champion \u2013 is serial numbered to 99, very scarce and extremely volatile. One copy sold on eBay earlier this year for nearly $300, and one is being offered for sale right now for $149.95. Collectors are already salivating over Omega\u2019s first action figure, due from FTC in 2017. <\/span><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-967826281\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Shinsuke Nakamura<\/b>. Nakamura\u2019s stock has been rising in North America since Jeff Jarrett brought Wrestle Kingdom 9 to U.S. pay-per-view audiences in January 2015. His shocking departure from NJPW to WWE via NXT made him an even bigger name. His popularity will explode even more once he becomes a fixture on one of WWE\u2019s main shows. Fans are clamoring for his first WWE action figure, a Defining Moments figure from Mattel that is due out in 2017. His autograph was included in 2016 Then Now Forever, and was one of the most coveted WWE trading cards of 2016. His on-card autographs from BBM are low numbered and also very popular, usually selling in the $100-$150 range. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><em><span class=\"s1\">PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at<a href=\"mailto:michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com\"><span class=\"s2\">michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com<\/span><\/a>. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>NOW READ OUR PREVIOUS COLLECTIBLES COLUMN:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2016\/12\/18\/collectibles-column-best-worst-cards-2016\/\">The Best and Worst Cards of 2016<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-1794958406\"><div id=\"pwtor-1906316148\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>There\u2019s a common question being asked among many wrestling fans, journalists, podcasters and writers: Who will be the A.J. Styles of 2017? One year ago, Styles seemed set to continue along his path of success: <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/01\/10\/collectibles-column-breakout-stars-2016-poised-big-2017\/\" title=\"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Breakout Stars of 2016, and Who is Poised for a Big 2017\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37358,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,52,27],"tags":[90,1008,728,684,76,126,4527,306,683,149,308],"class_list":["post-36970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-specialists_collectibles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists","tag-aj-styles","tag-alexa-bliss","tag-bill-goldberg","tag-bobby-fish","tag-braun-strowman","tag-finn-balor","tag-jeff-cobb","tag-kenny-omega","tag-kyle-oreilly","tag-matt-hardy","tag-shinsuke-nakamura"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/01\/OReillyKyleBeltWK_3x2_600.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36970"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37359,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36970\/revisions\/37359"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37358"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}