The SLU Report
10 Things You Can’t Control About Starting Lineups Decades Later
April 2019
1) The Yellow Bubble/Insert trays
Most people think the sun is the cause of the yellowing bubbles on Starting Lineups. This is not completely true. Sun will accelerate the yellowing. The plastic the bubbles they were placed in just had a yellowing nature to it. So yes even sealed cases can have yellowed bubbles in it. Sorry if you have sealed cases of 88 basketball, it might make you cry if you unseal it. The hang tabs in some years (93 football) are also starting to turn as well. Even more frustrating is that 96 Chipper Jones rookie you put away with a clear bubble 20 years ago. It probably now has a yellow insert tray to it. I wish you luck if you are just going back to storage to look at them. Please do not kill the messenger.
2) The brittle nets on the 1989 slam dunks hoops that broke off easily
What is the material those nets are made up anyways? They were brittle even in 1989. I got nothing for you on this. If you have insight contact sluauthority.com
3) The patch stickers on the back of 1991 basketball and football
Kenner thought that they would try to improve on the “lures” to get you to buy starting lineups in 1991 by including a collectible player coin. Problem is the original baseball, basketball and football runs had coins that were made of steel which rusted. Kenner had to call an audible and switch to aluminum as a result they were replaced by cutting them out of the back of the card backers. An adhesive label covers the hole on 91 basketball and 91 football that had the coins replaced.
4) The incorrect check lists on 88-93 figures
Player lists and turnaround times were much slower when there was no internet or email. In the long lead time from concept to production, player trades, free agency and retirements occurred which lead to a player having to be dropped from production, but the cardboard backers never got changed. So you can keep looking for 88 Tyrone Bogues, 88 Ray Knight, and 89 Earnest Byner but they do NOT exist in a produced form.
5) Pink gloves on 93 Roy and 93 Belfour
Much like the yellow bubbles on figures, certain figures are starting to discolor due to the way Kenner painted their figures. The white outer painting is fading and the red underneath is starting to bleed through. The 93 Patrick Roy and Eddie Belfour have “pink” gloves and blocker pads, 1992 Warren Moon Helmet has a high chance of turning pink. Oh yeah that 88 George Bell how the heck has that batting helmet started to turn pink?
6) 88 Helmet dings
In 1988, Kenner put the football helmets for the figure in its own exterior bubble that protruded from the cardboard. This caused the helmets to crush the bubbles of the figures they faced inside of the cases delivered to stores. As a result the term helmet ding was coined. They also re-used some of the same bubbles in 1989 as well. Once they ran out of them, Kenner went to a helmet INSIDE the bubble package. As a result 89’s are easier to find in gradable condition. 88 remain a major challenge to find in AFA triple 85 condition. Oh yeah, there are also some versions of 89 figures with helmets in and outside the bubble.
7) Certain figures not grading well because of the way they were packed
Over the years certain 1990 football pieces have been tough to find in grade worthy condition. That may have to do with how the figures were inserted in the cases sent to stores. 1990 Mark Bavaro were stacked on top of one another and when the box shut, the force curled the left side of the cardboard near the bubble. This is also true of many John Taylors in 1990 49ers cases and 1993 Pete Stoyanovich’s as well.
8) Bubble separation and non glossy backer card on the re-used poses for 1990 football
In 1990 Kenner re-used 1989 figures to finish runs of some players. When they did it seems the products it used were sub standard. They used a non glossy backer card which is different than the regular issue. Secondly, the glue they used didn’t hold very well and they seem to show bubble separation much faster than their regular counterparts. Put those two elements together and finding mint on card figures of the 89 versions are VERY tough to find.
9) Discoloring pants on open figures and sometimes in pack figures
Wondering why 1989 Dan Pasqua and Tony Gwynn have pants that have a not so white hue to them? Why is it my in the pack figure has yellowing pants? Once again the materials Kenner used just allowed this to happen. One trick to keep this from happening is buy breathable plastic bags to put your open figures in. Avoid sandwich bags which are designed to keep air out.
10) 1988 Aundray Bruce, Todd Blackledge, and Henry Ellard backer cards having the names on the UPC’s crossed off
Have you gone to look at the condition of your 88 Aundray Bruce and saw a magic marker covering the name? What about 88 Todd Blackledge and Henry Ellard? Same result? This is because Kenner never changed the UPC of 3 players. The name hidden on the back of the 1988 Bruce figure is Buddy Curry who was dropped presumably for the hot rookie Bruce. Henry Ellard’s UPC is that of Ron Brown who was slated to have a figure but was axed. Ron Brown has an unreleased card that got out onto the secondary market. Todd Blackledge backer cards were originally designed for Dan Fouts who retired and was dropped. As an aside, Dan Fouts head was used on 88 Dave Krieg who was not really known for his thick beards.
Information for this article was provided by Joe Curcio and other members of Kenner Starting Lineup Group on Facebook.
Pat Healey Left, Chris Felix Right
The Fine Art Behind Starting Lineup Figures
By Hank Reed
SLU Authority
March 2019
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In many ways SLU figures are works of art. Look closely at the bold colors, player details, team logos, poses, packaging and engineering that went into producing the collectible toy line.
Today, I collect primarily very hard to find SLU figures such as hand painted figures or prototypes, hardcopy, unreleased or pre-production concept items. Do you ever wonder who were behind some of these fine art details throughout the process?
SLU Authority was fortunate to meet with Pat Healey (sculptor) and Chris Felix (painter) to learn more about the fine art behind SLUs. Both artists worked on projects for the Starting Lineup toy line at Kenner / Hasbro. Both more than likely contributed to the SLU you have in your collection.
Pat and Chris are both Cincinnati natives and grew up together…they even attended the same high school, acclaimed Elder High School. They were teammates in various sports and both baseball players (Felix once beat Healey in a 11th grade golf tournament).
Pat went on to St. Thomas University in Miami, Florida to play collegiate baseball as a pitcher (and Nolan Ryan fan). Pat was coached by manager, Paul Mainieri, the St. Thomas Hall of Famer, LSU Tigers, and USA National Baseball manager. Pat transitioned back to Cincinnati, Ohio where he finished at Mount Saint Joseph with a degree in the Arts.
During his last year at Mount Saint Joseph, Healey was fortunate to get a Co-op position working at Kenner (located in Cincinnati, OH). Healey worked for Kenner / Hasbro from 1991-2001 from Co-op position to principal sculptor. He worked on SLUs and the Star Wars line and other assignments. Healey started Helium Studios after his tenure with Kenner / Hasbro and still contracts with toy designers who seek his sculping talents.
Felix studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio. His art career has included being a graphic designer and artist, a scenery painter for major amusement parks and toy prototype painter for Hasbro and Warner Brothers to name a few. His works have also included artwork for Topps trading card company and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame. He is also the field manager on the Reds Hall of Fame and Museum 1869 Red Stockings vintage baseball team and Reds Fantasy Camp ambassador. His work has been featured at various art galleries and exhibits, including published works. Today, Chris works on private commissions, and acrylic sports paintings and merchandise representing his works of art. Chris was a graphic artist for Kenner / Hasbro from 1992-1997 working on the Aliens toy line and of course, Starting Lineup sports figures. www.ChrisFelixFineArt.com
Both artists found themselves working together again recently on a project for the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum…Harry and George Wright commemorative polyresin busts. Of course, Pat worked on the sculpting while Chris painted the busts (pictured above).
Below are some questions the SLU Authority asked the two about their experience and knowledge working on SLUs.
Q: Who picked the players to be featured?
A: There were several involved with the selection process, however, the hardest part was predicting who was going to be the next rookie of the year or who was going to be on what team. It was customary to have our selections approved at least six (6) months well in advance before final release for inclusion in the production run, however, most selections were made up to one (1) year in advance. The staff who were responsible for selecting the players were not all sports fans, which made it even more difficult at times. We would get lists of forty (40) plus players each year in each sport to consider adding.
Q: What was the process to sculpt / paint a prototype?
A: There was always a rush and strict deadlines, and all were priorities. There were various status meetings each week where the team would review what needed to be completed and where each figure was along the process. We used wax (in most cases) to sculpt the figure, which would need final approval or sign off from the team, which included at times up to eight staff members to approve. We would have at least 13 weeks to get final approval of each wax sculpt.
We often referred to working on pieces, not necessarily figures that needed to be completed for approval. For example, we would sculpt and construct the legs & base, torso, arms, and head. This would be pieced together and walked down the hallway to get approval. If approved, the team would begin working on creating the mold from the sculpt, so we could make a hard copy and then turn over to the graphic or paint team (paint shop) to add decos (decorations and or details).
SLU Standards included similarities per figure, such as the shoes with no logos (Pat once suggested creating the SLU Shoe brand name since apparel logos could not be added due to licensing), and stripes going down the baseball uniform pants, which stayed very consistent over time. There were many tests to determine if the tampo stamp or print would look good on a player or pose (or if it could work), including adding the wrinkle lines in the uniforms, adding the names and numbers. Ultimately, through the process some details would not entirely translate to the finished product from the original sculpt. There were often changes over time such as the hairstyles, poses, and uniform colors (and new players to consider).
Grey or white primer was normally added to the hard copy to prep for paint. Color matching would be mixed with cel vinyl paint by Cartoon Colour to create a version or prototype or as we referenced them, “Paint Masters” of the finished figure with team logos, uniform colors and other details (often sent to the factory). This would then be approved, or changes requested, and the process would start over. Lacquers would often also be added to the painted figure. Over time, many hard copies of various poses would already be made and would be selected from the “cage” to paint the next figure considered or featured for SLU production.
Q: How many prototypes were made of each player?
A: We created two (2) paint masters per player, so at least two, however, each one being unique. There were always two per player to send to factory, toy fairs and executive meetings. Some players may have up to 5-7 prototypes each. Many of the wax sculpts were destroyed over time or even re-purposed for other SLU designs. Hand painted figures were also photographed.
Q: How many poses did they make of each player each year?
A: We had at least twenty-nine (29) or more poses for baseball. We had an approved pose board that we would refer to often to select the pose. The first pose (Pat) worked on was the very first goalie poses of Grant Fuhr. Pat recalls borrowing goalie equipment from the Cincinnati Cyclones hockey team to help create the sculpt that was a true representation of the hockey gear. There were many changes over time during that pose that created undercuts and other challenges, but of course, one of his favorites since it introduced hockey into the SLU toy line and was his first completed sculpt ever at Kenner.
Q: What was the most difficult figure or pose to sculpt?
A: Golf! Creating the sculpt for Arnold Palmer was challenging…it was difficult to re-create the golf swing pose at the time.
Q: Where did you get your creativity or influence from to create new poses and sculpts?
A: We weren’t all digital like we are today. We didn’t even have computers in our homes. We would reference sports magazines, VHS tapes and highlights and pause the tape to get an idea of a new pose (but video was grainy back then). We even visited the local library nearby for references. This was a big challenge in the early years.
Q: What was your favorite pose?
A: The Penny Hardaway “Defensive” pose will always be one of my favorites and the Fuhr goalie pose and “Double Play” baseball pose, basketball One on One, Cal Ripken Stadium Star.
Q: What other sports do you think should have been released or included in the SLU line?
A: We were advocates of women’s sports and adding more to the line. We created women gymnastic poses and considered women’s tennis. We even had a gymnast look at our Timeless Legends gymnastic poses to make sure they were accurate representations.
Q: What do you think about the new Starting Lineup releases (SGAs)?
A: It’s great to see SLUs again! Recommendations include bringing back the classic look to SLUs as we know them. Attention to detail and including player stats or look of a baseball card on the back of the packaging may be of interest for collectors. There is still room for growth of the new line…maybe not to where it was in the early 90’s, but there is still plenty of potential.
Q: Final thoughts and memories working on the SLU line?
Pat:
“I argued for an all Bo Jackson SLU series with various poses. I also wanted each player or figure to all have unique poses (the same poses were used year after year throughout the line). I also had Boba Fett heads on SLUs displayed on my desk…nobody understood it, but I thought it was cool.”
“In 1993, Kenner had a booth at the All-Star game FanFest in Baltimore, Maryland. They wanted to show the world that these figures were made by hand. My assignment was to work with wax and create new designs and or players while the public watched. Over the weekend thousands of collectors and fans stood in line and watched me sculpt. Soon thereafter, many were bringing Starting Lineups over for me to sign. At one point, a man was excited shouting that’s my son, that’s my son…it happened to be Darren Daulton’s father watching me sculpting a future figure of Darren.”
Chris:
“I was selected to travel on an eighteen-wheel truck to West Palm Beach, Florida to accompany all the prototypes and Kenner / Hasbro exhibit items of every toy line for the toy fair in the mid-nineties. I made sure that everything was safe and secure. If damaged or chipped, I would add paint to make sure the prototypes looked good for the Toy Fair. It was a wild trip riding in the big rig to Florida. I enjoyed my time at Kenner / Hasbro and was able to use my talents as an artist to paint sports figures!”
*SLU Authority would like to thank Pat and Chris for their time and contributions to the hobby. Some content was summarized for this article.
Case Filling: A New Thrill of the Hunt
By Bruhno SLU
March 2019
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So, what do you do when you are a SLU die hard and have every piece made? Or you have all the Starting Lineups of your favorite team with no stadium giveaways on the horizon? How do you still get the thrill of the hunt? The answer might be as simple (or hard) as finding an old box that many retailers threw away years ago and filling it with the original assortments. A trend that is called case filling or retro fitting.
Step One: The Box
“An old Starting Lineup box on eBay is selling for HOW MUCH?”
Finding the right box can be really simple or very hard to locate depending on your tastes and connections. Many of the original year cases were thrown out or broken down after the figures were placed on the shelf making them difficult to find. Most SLU collectors remember that lineups were distributed regionally and nationally in the years 1988-91. The regional cases had team logos which in themselves are pieces of art. Finding the original regional boxes are a bigger challenge then finding some of the toughest lineups produced. Some boxes may not exist, some may still be in the hands of original sellers or collectors from the early years of the hobby that have not embraced the internet world, while others might be in a storage facility waiting to be unleashed back into circulation. Needless to say, tracking them down now becomes fun and frustrating all at once.
After 1991 all cases were distributed nationally and should be easier to find. The later year boxes are all similar looking with numbers on them that needed to be “translated” to find out their contents. These more non-descript boxes are more abundant, and many can still be found sealed as in the mid 90’s collectors did not open them thinking that it may be worth more. Sadly, the contents in many cases are not even worth more than 2 to 5 dollars each.
Step Two: Which Box is right for me?
Case fills range from 12, 16 or 24 pieces depending on sport and year. For example, 1988 basketball has 12 figures per case and NFL and MLB have 24 figure assortments in that same year. Some of the national cases 1988-94 had 24 player assortments and would require you to track down more figures. Those numbers shrunk in later years down to 16 in 1995 and newer.
Don’t have a lot of money then filling 24 pieces of 1988 football with expensive short prints is probably not the way to go. Don’t like yellow bubbles? Stay away from 88 basketball. Want to fill on the thrift? Find a box that matches your over stock items and fill from there. If you fell in love with 94 Cooperstown and collected them hard in 1994, find the box and fill it back with the original assortments.
Step Three: Where do I find case assortments?
So, you found the box you are looking for, where do I find those case assortments? This question can also be complex. The original source to find this information is the Kenner Guide to Collecting Starting Lineups by Jim Warren released in 1996. However, when this was published there were NO known assortments for 1988 and 1989 football. So how you fill these boxes currently is completely up to you and your creativity. The other assortments up to 96 are listed in Warrens book. What about the lost years 97 through the end that never had a book made? Those can be found listed in the SLU.net guide to Starting Lineups authored by David Passmore. Online sources are collectors-network.com, and eventually sluauthority.com. Please keep in mind Kenner in the early years had some shaky quality control so some assortments may be off from what the guides say.
Last Step: Should I dive in?
Should I case fill and if so why? This falls under the mantra collect what you like. If you like hunting down the boxes, making a list and finding the figures you need, you will find it enjoyable. If you have space limitations, find a small count box, fill it and display it. If you want a long-term project find a 24 count box and slowly pick them up and throw them in the box as your PayPal dictates. Or buy a box, save it for a rainy day put some of your collection in it. It will be a lot cooler looking than a box from Walmart. If you are looking to make big bucks this is NOT, the portion of the hobby for you.
Case filling brings back the nostalgia of what these pieces were like when they first hit the shelves. It also has a feeling of a reunion when you place the original figures back into what might have been their actual box. Finally, it is about that rush you get when you find your last piece to fill the box or find that box that you thought was never going to be found. So, to quote our voice of the hobby Jeff Clow, “Enjoy the Thrill of the Hunt.”
*Article contribution by long time collector, Steve Bruhn. Photos from Steve's personal collection.
SLU Authority Intro
By Hank Reed
February 2019
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It’s December 2018 and the holiday season. I needed to pick up some last-minute gifts, so I made a trip to the mall. Normally, I would Amazon Prime due to my busy schedule, but it was the weekend and I wanted to see the holiday decorations. In one of the shops were various Starter jackets with team logos. Remember those? I haven’t seen a Starter jacket in a retail shop in years and years! Seeing those brought back some great memories. Back in the day everyone had to have a Starter jacket. Even the MLB Starter dugout jackets were the apparel of choice of professional sports teams with the “Authentic Diamond Collection” patch. It got me thinking.
What’s old is new again. Look around. Classic Nintendo game systems, Sega classic, and yes, even Starter jackets. Look at officially licensed sports cards…ever notice that a new release in 2018 has the same border of that 1987 Topps or late 80’s or early 90’s Score trading cards? Ever notice Nike, Reebok, and Adidas are bringing back old “retro” designs in new colors?
Following this trend, I wanted to bring back a dedicated resource for Starting Lineup collectors. Remember going to your local shop to pick up the latest edition of Beckett or Tuff Stuff? Much like the Starter jacket brought good memories, so did reading the latest hobby news about Starting Lineups.
My grandmother first introduced me to Kenner Starting Lineup figures. She knew someone who worked at Kenner and since I was already collecting sports cards (and young athlete) she thought that maybe I would be interested in SLUs. I was around nine years old at the time and got entrenched right away looking at the Jordan, Bird, Magic and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 1988 basketball SLUs.
We moved to Cincinnati, Ohio shortly thereafter and soon enough my entire room was filled with Starting Lineup figures hung on the wall. I can still remember going to Wal-Mart with my family and purchasing the 1990 Bo Jackson baseball figure. Bo Knows, right?
I started reading magazines like Beckett and Tuff Stuff. I collected all sorts of sports memorabilia such as sports cards, pennants and autographs. I enjoyed reading the articles and looking at the price guides. There was a legendary writer by the name of, Jeff Clow…I read his monthly columns and enjoyed the “Thrill of the Hunt” with my mother at our local Hills, Toys R’ Us, Woolworth, and even Eckerd drug stores.
It’s important to recognize those that contributed early in the hobby from the SLU Oasis and SLU.net days. Those sites started with the dial-up internet service providers and old fashion message boards. The internet sure has changed the hobby from the brick and mortar finds to the now eBay and Amazon chase. Social media and Facebook have brought us all closer together too as collectors. So, I guess it’s only fitting that we create the next site for collectors to enjoy with the “Voice of the Hobby.”
I’m still collecting Starting Lineup collectibles. Like many of us, I sold my collection as I got older, entered college, and “re-discovered” the hobby later in life. My passion for the hobby has always remained. My kids don’t understand why I collect, but for me, it’s the memories experienced during my childhood, especially those with my mother. It also provides a brief distraction while managing a career and the modern-day hustle.
Jeff Clow returns as an exclusive writer for SLU Authority with a monthly column and we look forward to providing a spotlight on this hobby. The proliferation of grading, appeal for rarer collectibles such as Kenner employee items, overall boom in the collectible toy industry, and the release of new Starting Lineup Stadium Giveaways brings back to life this once surging hobby.
We will feature collections, in depth interviews, hobby news, resources and new release info in the future. We will also be offering supplies, merchandise and other SLU Authority related apparel. For now, we don’t intend to charge subscription fees. We want to share our perspectives for all to enjoy. We value and appreciate your support.
Thank you for your passion and commitment to help grow this hobby.
Please join us in making what’s old new again!
Hank
SLU Authority
The Kenner Kid Collection
By Hank Reed
February 2019
I have been collecting Starting Lineup figures since I can remember as a young kid growing up in Cincinnati, OH…the home of Kenner and SLUs. One of the largest dealers in the country with perhaps the largest inventory known, Dale Carlson, was a hobby icon and sold hundreds of thousands of Starting Lineup figures and was known as “The Kenner Kid.”
As the founder of SLU Authority, I think it’s our responsibility to promote the hobby respectfully and honor those who made an impact before us. Whether you liked Dale or not, he was iconic and made significant contributions to the SLU hobby.
We lost a member of the SLU community late last year in a tragic accident. I have worked with Dale to fill my collection throughout the years and specifically in the last year or so. He understood that I was a passionate collector and was always willing to work with me.
Dale’s family knew about my love for the hobby and about my personal collection. I was able to work with the family regarding the coordination and acquisition of Dale’s remaining inventory. The kids were more than accommodating and easy to work with. We were all in agreement that the “DC Collection” should be shared with the entire hobby for all to enjoy.
During the last month, multiple trips, and extensive sorting, the collection will be available to the public starting on February 24, 2019. Terms of the sale will not be disclosed.
The initial auction will consist of at least 600 figures. Specifically, baseball SLUs starting from 1988 - 1993. The auction will include full sets of baseball through 1993, including the very hard to find, 1989 Devon White. Dale’s collection is in excellent condition and will not disappoint. This may be the last chance to acquire such desirable pieces at a reasonable price. Each item will start at $2.99 and will run for seven days.
Other highlights of the collection include, but not limited to, 1988 basketball with clear bubble, 1989 football, error pieces and display items. Other details regarding the collection will be released soon.
Due to other professional interests, Hank Reed, worked with Dave and Mary Jo Thompson to acquire and distribute most of Dale’s Collection. The overarching conclusion was to let others enjoy one of a kind items from a hobby icon that otherwise may have never been released to collectors. This decision benefited the family and the hobby in general. At no time before has Dale’s collection been offered via auction at a low starting bid.
Most of Dale’s collection will be offered for sale by Dave and Mary Jo Thompson’s eBay store, Rowdy1022.
Link to the sale provided below:
https://www.ebay.com/str/Rowdys-Starting-Lineups
If you would like to be added to Rowdy’s email distribution list, please email: dmjt913@att.net
Dave and Mary Jo Thompson have dedicated the last six years to buying and selling SLUs. With their care and commitment, each SLU will be handled with care with prompt shipping.
Unfortunately, as much as we would like to, no itemized lists will be accepted. Each piece will be listed with a starting price of no more than $2.99 (possibly more for specialty items) and will sell at fair market conditions based on the SLU community demand.
Hank Reed states, “Working with Dave and Mary Jo Thompson provides an efficient opportunity to offer Dale’s collection at a reasonable price for collectors to enjoy. I know Dave and Mary Jo have the same intentions as well. This provides the hobby with new inventory never seen before and the opportunity for collectors to obtain items for their personal collections from a legendary dealer.”
Dave Thompson states, “Acquiring and distributing Dale’s collection is a once in a lifetime experience. We may never see a better collection on the market, ever. Our goal is to help the hobby enjoy Dale’s collection and share it with SLU collectors.”
We mourn the loss of a hobby influencer and hope to spread the love and passion Dale exhibited for the hobby we all enjoy.
*Pictures from the collection can be viewed under the SLU Gallery
