WWE Nano Metalfigs
I'll admit it - I have a minifigure problem.
Just for beginners, we've looked at my collections of Funko Mystery Minis (Series one and two), Mighty Minis, Teenymates the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear line (don't ask) and probably about a dozen others - and that's just in the last year!
Part of the problem is that they're relatively cheap to collect, some selling for as little as a dollar. But it's also quite tough to complete your collection unless you have a lot of time and energy to burn, not to mention disposable income (eBay is your friend).
WWE's latest offering, Nano Metalfigs by Jadatoys, personifies that issue, with these tiny figures selling for less than $1.50 each at my local Walmart.
Let's crack a few open and see what all the fuss is about.
These are possibly the smallest figures I own (with the exception of the gumball-sized Teenymates line) and definitely among the skinniest. Yet because they are made of die-cast metal (100 % die-cast metal, according to the package), they feel slightly heavy, which I can't explain but I love.
In all honesty, these little figures are pretty awesome.
You can definitely immediately recognize, for example, that this is supposed to be John Cena, even though instead of doing his signature "You Can't See Me" pose, he appears to be holding his throat, as though he's coming down with a cold or something.
Still, point out to me a line of figures this tiny that are more detailed (or heavier) and I'll have to call you a damn liar.
While many of the renderings are quite basic, there are some decent ones. You have five women in the line, including The Four Horsewomen and Nikki Bella (apparently Brie didn't make the cut) - all of them are distinct and really cool additions to the line. Plus there are a few absolute rarities in the minifigure world, including Kevin Owens and Kalisto.
There are also a ton of great legends here, including Sting, The Undertaker, Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Rock, Chris Jericho and Randy Macho Man Savage.
Of course, while you have some really cool figures, there are a few others in the line that, well, don't quite hold up to the same standard.
The only stinker in the group is Finn Balor. Look, I get why they wouldn't have done him up in his Demon gear (probably too expensive to dedicate all that color to one figurine), but in his current form, he looks more like Johnny Gargano than The Demon King. In fact, if he wasn't doing the signature Balor Club pose, I could not swear on a stack of bibles that Mattel actually meant to make this a Finn figurine.
The lack of details really hurt characters such as Bayley (who has a receding hairline), Sami Zayn (who appears to be in a great deal of agony) and Triple H (who.... I'm just at a loss for words about - is he being pumped full of air or something?). It's not a huge thing, but it would be great if they'd put a tiny bit more sculpting into them. You know?
Truly, I'm nitpicking here, because the depth and variety of these die-cast figures make for a full little collection, especially when you put them into the Nano Metalfigs display case (see the top of this page), which I found on sale last year for something like $10. You almost NEED it to give the proper respect to these guys.
2023 Update: I finally have the entire set of WWE Nano Metalfigs!
For years, I've been looking for The Ultimate Warrior in stores, on eBay, you name it. But this past summer, I found one sitting by itself in a comic book store in London, Ontario. Even though its $10 price tag was on the hefty side, I couldn't resist. Now the photo at the top of this page is complete, with the entire Nano Metalfig family reunited at last!