Retrofigure serves as an online tool dedicated to monitoring the market prices of action figures, utilizing this data to establish the authentic value of collectibles. Among the various collections we observe, one stands out as particularly prominent: the WWF Hasbro collection, which thrived during the illustrious period of professional wrestling between 1990 and 1994. As of the time of this composition, our records indicate that an unopened and mint-condition Dusty Rhodes figure commands a fair market value of approximately $1513, significantly surpassing its closest contender, the green card 1-2-3 Kid, valued at around $1080. The question arises: What renders Dusty so exceptionally valuable? The answer lies in his scarcity. Following his abbreviated tenure in the WWF, Rhodes' figure was discontinued, amplifying its rarity and allure.
Dusty Rhodes traversed the realms of professional wrestling for over a decade, competing across various NWA territories and briefly engaging with the WWWF, under the stewardship of Vince McMahon Sr., from 1977 to 1983. However, it wasn't until his tenure with Jim Crockett Promotions from 1985 to 1989 that the WWF, under Vince McMahon's guidance, recognized his potential and signed the then 34-year-old Dusty. Adorned in his iconic polka-dot attire, the "Common Man" achieved considerable popularity within the WWF, accompanied at times by his manager Sapphire. Rhodes even flirted with the prospect of attaining the coveted WWF Championship, a aspiration that would later be fulfilled by his son Cody, thus completing a remarkable family legacy.
Towards the end of 1990, just as Hasbro was preparing to unveil the second series of their line, speculation swirled around Dusty's potential departure from the WWF. However, amidst these rumors, he notably teamed up with his son, Dustin, in a tag-team showdown against The Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase and Virgil. Coincidentally, Dusty's action figure hit the shelves around the time of the 1991 Royal Rumble, arguably coinciding with the zenith of the collection's popularity.
Despite being one of wrestling’s more popular characters in the United States in the 1990’s, Kerry only featured in a couple of action figure releases, most notably in WWF Hasbro Series 3. Tornado featured his spinning punch move, labelled on the box as “The Texas Twister”.
Shortly thereafter, Dusty made the decision to part ways. Despite his figure having been available for only a few weeks, Dusty was poised to join the rival promotion WCW. During this period, Vince McMahon wielded significant influence over the WWF brand and, concerned that Dusty's affiliation with World Championship Wrestling could inadvertently bolster their competitor, he instructed Hasbro to withdraw Dusty from the series. Hasbro complied, ceasing production of Dusty's figure and leaving the remaining stock on shelves for sale.
Dusty's figure is found as a few variants, with a dual language release being amongst the rarest of all. Usually, the figure with the Summerslam tag is most commonly found. It is almost impossible to find a graded Dusty with a score of more than 80, but these graded figures could command more than $2,500 in great condition.
In summary, Dusty's exceptionally high value mint on card figure is because his spell with the WWF was cut short, during a time when chairman Vince McMahon did not want to give anything away to a rival promotion.
It is always surprising that Dusty's spell with the WWF lasted less than two years. The sheer volume of content being pushed out by the organisation during this time made fans feel that Rhodes was almost always on the television, and his famous feuds with The Million Dollar Man will always be memorable. However, perhaps one of Dusty's most interesting legacies is his WWF Hasbro figure, arguably one of the most valuable wrestling figures of all time.
