The WWE/Mattel BAF (Build A Figure) Range

Welcome back guys, today I am going to cover the BAF's (Build A Figure). These of course were figures that you made yourself which the parts came with each figure in a 4 figure set. I suppose it was a way Mattel would get people to buy all 4 figures in the set even if they didn't want them all but did want the BAF. As time would go on, people wouldn't always buy the 4 figures, they would either try and source the parts separately or look for a complete one on the secondary market like eBay, which I have done myself. I don't have many of them really and I don't want them all but you'll read as we go on what I have and what I want.

I am not too sure if I am doing these in the order they were released but here goes.

First off we have RAW commentator Michael Cole, this is one I don't have and would probably like to own,  the parts for this one came with a set of 4 figures based around PPV's. Bret Hart & Daniel Bryan from Summer Slam 2010 and John Cena & Triple H from Wrestle Mania XXVII, I do have the Bret Hart from this set, it is tremendous.

Next up is good old JR Jim Ross, the parts for this one agin came with PPV related figures, these ones were exclusive to Toys R Us and they were CM Punk, Curtis Axel, Alberto del Rio and Randy Orton. I do have this Jim Ross BAF and paid a pretty penny for it off eBay but it's the only Mattel JR figure, really like it I must say.

Next there is a Paul Heyman, not one I own, my Heyman is a basic which is fine for a Heyman, to get the parts for this one you needed the 4 Toys R US exclusives Wrestle Mania XXIX Elites of John Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk & Brock Lesnar, the Punk is amazing and would love it in the collection, I see it comes with an urn.

Next up we have Theadore Long and to get the parts for this one you had to buy a series of basic figures, again, exclusive to Toys R Us, PPV ones from 2012, Dolph Ziggler (No Way Out), Brock Lesnar (Extreme Rules), Randy Orton (Over The Limit) and Alberto del Rio (Money In The Bank). I would like this one, I think it would be harder because it came with a line of basics.

Another one I want to get hold of is Howard Finkel, the parts for this one came with another set of basics, Flashback basics (more of them to come), in this line were Cowboy Bob Orton, the Million Dollar Man Ted DiBease (green suit), Sgt. Slaughter (based on his 1990/91 Iraqi sympathiser run, complete with headdress) and Ravishing Rick Rude and this has purple and black trunks and I bring this up as it looks like the same ring attire that was on one of the first two Hasbro figures I ever got back in 1990.

Next, we have Paul Bearer, it's interesting that he came as a BAF twice, both in a basic line, again, PPV ones exclusives to Toys R Us, Dolph Ziggler, Damien Sandow, Kofi Kingston & Daniel Bryan. And the second time, the only line I knew about before researching this article, PPV figures which were WM XXX Neville, Unforgiven Chris Jericho, WM 22 Undertaker and Royal Rumble Rusev. This second run of figures was available in shops other shops away from TRU, I think they were even available in Home Bargains here in the UK, I got my one complete in a private sale, I don't know for sure, but I am guessing it was from this second run. Bearer did get a release in the Hall of Champions line too, and it came with two urns and a winged eagle world title belt and different head scan to the previous releases, I wrote about this line previous which you can read HERE

Next up we have a John Laurinaitis, decked out in a red suit and from and earlier Elite line, a 2012 PPV set again, exclusive to TRU, Sin Cara (No Way Out), Christian (No Way Out), Sheamus (Money In The Bank) and John Cena (Extreme Rules). This BAF is not one I want and it frequently pops up on eBay.

 

Next we have a Booker T in a suit, most BAFs were but there has been one exception which will get to later. Also comes with removeable glasses and I think I would like this one in the collection. The parts for this one came with a series of WM XXIX basics and they were Undertaker, Rock, del Rio and Sheamus.

Next, we have Mene Gene Okerlund and the parts for this one was in a set of basics that were Triple H, Seth Rollins, X-Pac (which I hope we get in Elite form one day) and Cesaro. Gene also came out in a separate line later on and that was the Flashback series, and you can read my piece on that line HERE

Next, we have a Corporate Kane, yes, Kane with no mask and in a suit, not one I am after to be honest, the parts for this one came in the set of WM XXX Elites, which were Undertaker, Cena, Bray Wyatt & Daniel Bryan.

We also got the personal ring announcer of Alberto del Rio, Ricardo Rodriguez, I don't have it and have had the chance to get in the past but passed on it,  for the parts you needed WM VIII Elites which were Shawn Michaels as a referee, which I have, The Miz, CM Punk and Big Show.

We have three more to speak about after this first and so far, only non-suited BAF and it was referee Danny Davis. Davis was a referee in the 80's/early 90's and even had a stint as a wrestler under a mask as Mr. X while he was an active referee. He was always up to some sort of shenanigans and in 1987 he was aligned with The Hart Foundation and Jimmy Hart after allowing the Harts to basically do what they wanted in a tag team title win over the British Bulldogs. Davis would team with the Harts and Wrestle Mania III to defeat the Bulldogs & Tito Santana. Davis worked in a number of programs as wrestler until the spring of 89 where he was reinstated as a referee. He worked for the WWF until 1995.

Anyway, after that short history lesson, to get the parts for Davis you needed to buy the WM 36 set of Elites which featured Matt Hardy, Mick Foley, Booker T and Kofi Kingston, I actually bought all 4 of these figures to get the parts for Davis which I really wanted in the collection.

We have a couple more but, the last BAF figure to come out was of the legendary Road Warriors/Legion of Doom manager Paul Ellering. This was another I really wanted but unlike with the Davis one, I wasn't going to buy all the 4 figures needed which were a WM 37 set of Elites which were Edge, Chyna, Goldberg and Shawn Michaels. I did buy Michaels because I want all his Elite figures (just need 2 more) but the Edge was abysmal for a number of reasons, I don't collect female figures, so Chyna was out the question, and the Goldberg wasn't any different to another Goldberg I have apart from it came with the blue strapped Smack Down title. I could have but all for then try to sell the 3 figures I didn't want but I'd have lost money so didn't bother. So, I had the legs as I did buy Michaels and then sourced the other parts on twitter and I was lucky and was able to pick them up, however, just after they came out, I was coming across posts from people saying they couldn't get one of the arms in on the Ellering figure and low and behold, mine was the same. I have the arm in, but I have had to use another means to keep it in place, it's no big deal as it's only for display. And another thing with this Ellering BAF, was that the original run of them had him with a closed jacket but down the line they changed it and the later ones have an open jacket, mine is the first one, so if anyone has a spare torso where the jacket that is open, hit me up.

 

Now, I have saved the next two right until the end because after Jim Ross, which as stated, I have, these are the BAFs I want the most, first off, JJ Dillon, to get the parts for him you would need a Flashback basic set based on WCW guys, there was Sting, Lex Luger, Booker T and a suited Ric Flair. This Dillon is so hard to get but I was very lucky that a guy I know on twitter, gave me, yes gave me, a spare JJ Dillon head he had, honest this was amazing. I knew I'd never get the actual body that came with the Flashbacks, so I had to scour around and find a suitable one, which I did to an extent but would still like the actual parts to make the body for this BAF.

And last but not least, another one VERY hard to obtain the commissioner Shawn Michaels, the parts for this one was in Flashback series 3 which featured the elusive, for most, Harley Race,  1996 Jake The Snake Roberts, 1996 Stone Cold Steve Austin and Wrestle Mania III Ricky The Dragon Steamboat. if any of you somehow have this Michaels and are willing to part with him, please get in touch.

That's it guys, that's all the BAFs to date, please let me know what you like in the BAF line, what you have and what you want.

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Thanks to Figure Realm for use of some of their images