Monday, September 7, 2015

My First Starting Lineup addition in a decade

Yesterday, took a trip to the local antique mall. This is my favorite place to go- there is always something good to buy there. (At least a dozen dealers have cards, for example) While there I came across a dealer with Starting Lineups. I've seen the table before but I didn't really know what I had. I've since made a listing of which ones I had, and this dealer had a figure I didn't have. For a scant $5 I brought it home. It is the first Starting Lineup I've added to my collection since 2005, and the first NBA SLU I've added since roughly 2002. It's a good thing I made the list because I already had the other figure he had.
This is the 1988 issue Akeem Olajuwon. The first year of SLU, it even predates him adding the H at the beginning of his name, which he did so it would be pronounced correctly.
Here's the card...

This was when Kenner actually produced their own cards. In time they would use specially produced cards made by Topps, Stadium Club, Hoops, Skybox and Upper Deck. Never Fleer though.









This is the 4th figure I have from the inaugural 1988 release, which was actually the largest in SLU history, at least for NBA. I don't have any from 1989, which is the smallest and rarest release, but every other season is represented in my collection to some degree.

I was a big time action figure collector for many years, only really stopping in 2007. I've often thought about going back and trying to fill in some of the lines I collected, but there's always been something that I chose to spend the money on instead. Usually cards. For $5 I couldn't resist.

To be honest, I actually bought one on Ebay a few days previously, but it hasn't arrived yet, so Hakeem became the first new member of my action figure family in that long time. The last figure I got from any line was in 2011, a Star Wars figure.

I've been on a bit of an action figure kick lately, I've really had the urge to do some photo documenting; and I did...just a few nights ago we got some of the DC Direct figures out of deep storage and I photographed them, 3 years to the day since I last did any photo documenting. (My website tells me when I take and upload photographs, not like I remember this stuff!)

I have a whole section on my website for action figures...if anybody wants to look, you can see them HERE. Only the GI Joe and Starting Lineup collections are fully photo documented though; everything else still awaits; I will do the Simpsons line later this week, most likely.

Oh yes...the figure was sealed when I got it. I wouldn't buy a figure if I planned to leave it in it's plastic coffin.

10 comments:

  1. I only have one Starting Lineup figure, and it is Olajuwon's 1997 release. Back when I was heavily collecting basketball Hakeem was my main PC, but it always seemed like his Starting Lineups were out of my price range or not readily available in my area.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you are interested, the dealer had two copies of this one, both $5. I remember when I was collecting them new at retail I was never able to find all of them either. I probably more at card shows than I did at retail actually.

      Delete
  2. I've been buying a bunch of SLU's lately. I still have the 100 or so I owned as a kid at my parents, but it's been fun finding some of the star players for $1 at flea markets. By the time I came across them in department stores, the only players left were always the scrubs.

    Do you know of any resources that have complete checklists for each year? With as big as SLU's were at one point, it seems almost impossible to find much info on them online.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know of any. Beckett's listings are woefully inaccurate- missing multiples. The Trading Card Database has a better listing but it too is incomplete. I've long dreamed of launching a action figure database of some sort but I don't have the knowledge of the figures (other than what I have) or the database operations.

      Delete
  3. Nice pickup Billy.

    OH Man if I had known when I worked in a toy store back in 1986-92 I would have bought a ton of the Starting lineup figures ALL SPORTS. I have never bought any even of my favorite Football or Baseball figures. I think the Baseball was the first ones made but I might be wrong.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That was the best time to be in toy stores. The period was the best for action figures and diecast cars...I have many great memories of being in TRU and Kay Bee at that time.

      Delete
  4. Replies
    1. I was pretty happy with that. I also got two old history books from the same dealer, another passion of mine.

      Delete
  5. I have the original Dream Team SLU collection, as well as the two separate editions for the 2nd Dream Team (or whatever they were called).

    ReplyDelete
  6. Now that is a sweet pickup! I'd add that to my collection for sure.

    ReplyDelete