In 1981 “Star Wars” was already well on its way to establishing itself as one of the most popular film franchises in history. The 1983 theatrical release of “The Return of the Jedi” would solidify this fact. With merchandising and licensing agreements already in place, the Star Wars franchise would become one of the most lucrative licensing properties ever. Kenner Toys established itself as one of the most popular toy companies after securing the full rights to produce and distribute toys and action figures based on the series. This left competitors looking for other options in which to compete with the juggernaut that Kenner Toys had become. One such company was Mattel, who had mass market success with the Hot Wheels and Barbie toy lines that monopolized much of the market for both boys and girls. Mattel was looking for a new property that would not only expand its sales, but also attempt to open up the action figure market to another competitor, leaving Kenner Toys alone in its own galaxy far, far away.
In late 1980 Mattel was looking to possibly purchase the rights to produce a toy line based on “Conan the Barbarian,” but fate would intervene. In a bold move Mattel decided it would be best to produce a toy line from the ground up rather than use an existing concept. This was quite risky as most of the successful action figures at the time were all based on established properties that first appeared in movies, television shows, or comic books. Mattel was looking for a property where they would control all exclusive rights, much like their own popular Barbie and Hot Wheels franchises.
The very first entry of the “Masters of the Universe” toy line appeared in 1981 when the line was launched in a unique 5.5 inch scale, much larger than the 3.75 inch Star Wars figures. The series had an incredible fantasy theme that not only attracted toy enthusiasts, but also the original copyright holders of the “Conan the Barbarian” series, who attempted to sue Mattel for copyright infringement. Mattel would prove not only victorious in the lawsuit, but also victorious at capturing the hearts and minds of a new generation of toy buyers. With the Star Wars property dying due to a lack of demand, the new “Masters of the Universe” theme was launched at the right time. While Kenner Toys (now a part of Hasbro) quietly discontinued the original Star Wars toy line to focus on a new G.I. Joe toy line, Mattel had managed to capture the majority of Star Wars enthusiasts thirsty for something new. Sales soared and Mattel quickly released new characters and play sets to go along with the new series.
By 1983 having a successful toy line also meant having a successful cartoon series and the “Masters of the Universe” series was no exception. It featured one of the most popular weekly cartoon series ever created. The series would last until 1985, but the popularity of the toy line would continue and by 1987 a full live action movie was released. Unfortunately, by this time interest in the series had waned in the United States. Ironically, the series gained a large core following overseas and when Mattel ceased production of the line in the United States, retail sales in Europe continued. This has caused a lot of frustration for toy collectors, as a lot of the exclusive action figures that were only released in the European market are very hard to find. It also is no coincidence that the international market also got some of the best action figures ever made. As a result, current collectors of this line need to keep their eyes peeled.
For the collector, the most valuable action figures released in the “Masters of the Universe” line are also some of the rarest. If you were lucky enough to keep any of the original releases factory-sealed on their original card backing, you now have a true rarity valued in the several thousands of dollars, assuming it was kept in brand new and factory-sealed condition. These figures, known as "8-backs" due to how many other action figures were prominently displayed on the back of the action figure's packaging, are quite rare, as they were the first to show up in stores when the line was introduced. As more figures were ultimately released, the packaging changed to showcase the new figures currently available. However, even late release figures kept new and sealed carry a lot of value, as the “Masters of the Universe” toy line was not hoarded in masse when compared to popular toy lines like Star Wars. Aside from the factory-sealed action figures, the two most popular play sets released were the original Castle Grayskull play set and the “Masters of the Universe” Eternia play set. While both are worth several hundred dollars complete in their original boxes, if you happen to have them factory-sealed you have something worth several thousands of dollars, and their prices have been soaring on the secondary marketplace due to the sets being prominently featured on reality-based television shows like "Toy Hunter."
However, the most valuable and hardest to find pieces on the market today involve any of the international releases that were not available in the United States. Both the Laser Light He-Man and the Laser Light Skeletor action figures in factory-sealed condition will bring several thousands of dollars each. Even if loose and complete, these two figures are highly sought after.
Towards the tail end of the line, Mattel also released two 12-inch figures packaged inside an oversized box. These were also released for the international market only, and there were two figures done in this fashion: Tytus and Megator. Both pieces are in a lot of demand and highly sought after. These are extremely hard to find and can command upwards of $3,000 to $5,000 each on the secondary market in factory-sealed condition.
The “Masters of the Universe” toy line was one of the most popular toy series released in the 1980s. Unfortunately, Mattel has struggled to keep the brand relevant, and the series hasn't aged as well as G.I. Joe, The Transformers, or Star Wars. The series was recently re-released as part of a direct-to-consumer marketing campaign that catered to adult consumers. Mattel also has released several action figures exclusively to Toys-R-Us stores in various packaging assortments. This limited distribution has meant that the series has been kept out of the mainstream and future generations have not been exposed to the line when compared to other popular toy series from the same era. Will this affect the future collectability of the series? Only time will tell but if you ask anyone who grew up in the 1980s, the “Masters of the Universe” still ranks as one of the most popular series of that era!