July 26, 2020 was a date burned into Mattel collectors’ brains. That was the release date for the Mattel Legends series revival at Target. I’m calling it the Mattel legends 7 fiasco.
Background:
As time passed, demand for Legends grew.
The Legends series was almost from the beginning of the Mattel era, but died off after 6 series due to poor sales in stores’ eyes and some less than stellar character choices and attires chosen. Legends became known as “Flashbacks” and inserted in the main line. Walmart also offered a “throwback” line that lasted for three series. Target had a Hall of Fame series as well as a Hall of Champions that featured many legends. A stand-alone Legends series seemed like it wasn’t coming back.
As time passed, demand for Legends grew. The first six sets went higher and higher in value on the secondary market, as newer collectors looked to add to their collections.
The weekend of Wrestlemania, Mattel announced the return of the Legends series, this time exclusive to Target stores. The first wave was to include Sting, Bobby Heenan, Greg Valentine, and Razor Ramon. Target offered pre- orders on these, which was not common for wrestling figures in regular retail. The pre-orders quickly sold out, after a hiccup of when the links went live.
The fiasco begins
The week before July 26, some Targets began showing inventory, with some beginning to sell their Legends as they arrived. The figures were street dated for 7/26. They weren’t supposed to be sold. The catch: the stores only received five pieces. July 25th, I was able to find Elite Series 77 at Target while looking for the Legends 7.
The morning of the 26th, the search was on. Mrs. Keck went out and checked two stores for me, and came up with nothing. I hastily jumped in the car and checked more stores, with a dismal conclusion: WWE was the new Funko, or NECA. The figures were at the Electronics desk with other collectible items. Wife and I didn’t know this, and didn’t see if they were there. by this time, stores are selling out. Most stores placed a one per customer limit, but they were still flying. One store had stock as I called and they sold out as I was driving there. In 28 years, I’ve never seen it like this for wrestling figures.
I was able to secure a Razor Ramon at the third store I tried, but no other luck. Then disaster struck. The Legends 7 case was mixed in with product set aside for “transitioning”, a store reset. This is when product is rearranged, adding new product. This became the scripted line for Target workers all over: “We have 20 pallets of toys and there is no way to find the box.” Or “check back in a couple of days.” I heard this response at every store in the area that hadn’t sold their first batch yet.
The battle for Mattel Legends 7 is on now.
A timeline:
- Sunday Morning: Olentangy store says “they won’t be out until the end of the week”, despite the street date.
- Sunday afternoon: East Broad Street has a couple left, and sells them before I can get there.
- Grove City yields a Razor Ramon, no Valentine in sight. Most stores sold out.
- Lancaster has two left.
- Monday: Waiting to see if there is any movement.
- Tuesday: Whitehall has a new case. I arrive at 8am, and hear they’re “lost.”
- Sawmill road “can’t find them”, and the other stores are still talking about “transitioning” or sold out.
At this point, I’m pretty discouraged. Mattel Legends 7 was proving to be very difficult.
- Wednesday: I Visited Whitehall in the morning and mid afternoon, finding they were still lost.
- Still nothing found at Sawmill.
- Olentangy still hasn’t seen them, as they’re “buried on the pallets.” They sell out a couple of hours later.
- Graceland “can’t find them,” sells out within four hours of my visit.
- Thursday: A few stores got cases and all dropped by 1* pretty quickly.
- Sawmill sells one*.
- Whitehall received another case, which they “can’t find.” I tried to wait them out, but after 90 minutes, I decided to move on.
- The 256 store sold one while I was waiting on Whitehall.
- *the first one sold has almost always been Greg Valentine, as he is one per case.
- The next two points deserve their own stories:
In 28 years, I’ve never seen it like this for wrestling figures.
I’m in shock.
I arrived at the Grove City store with the count showing 5 on hand. The sales associate is looking in the back room, when I spotted a Bobby Heenan on the toys cart. I check the number, it’s down to 1. They sold the other four while I was in the store waiting on the case to be located. I was speechless.
Out of Options:
I took a chance and called Sawmill Parkway, a newer Target, but also the farthest away. They had received a case today, and the associate was able to locate it. Even better, he was willing to hold a Greg Valentine for me! I hustled all the way out there (approx. 30 min. drive), almost ran out of gas, and made it. The associate had followed through, and Greg was mine.
The Battle for Mattel Legends 7 is Over.
Unless I come across a chase Valentine, the battle is over. I was able to secure both Legends that I wanted, and now the wait is on for November 1, when we do this all over again…
