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Asian Pacific Americans are plentiful in the sports world. Baseball is as popular throughout Asia as it is here in the United States. And both Professional and Sumo wrestling are popular in Japan. So, it would stand to reason that sports toys would include APAs.
Toy lines relating to this category are:
CELEBRITY BEARS
The only APA Celebrity Bear I know of is based on famed professional golfer Tiger Woods, whose mother was Thai/Chinese. He describes himself as Cablinasian, a combination of his caucasian, black, native american and Asian roots. Check out this bear...
HEADLINERS
I love Headliners because they look so fun and I love the stylization. Basically, these toys are modeled after people with a focus on their heads. So, they have giant heads and tiny bodies. Some APAs have made it into Headliner form.
SALVINO'S BAMMERS
Essentially, these are Beanies for the sports afficionado. Various sports figures are honored in beanie bear form and this includes APA ones as well...which is great, because it only goes to show that APAs have become quite a part of the toy market -- in beanie form!
STARS ON ICE
A Target exclusive, these dolls were based on those who performed in Target's "Stars on Ice" skating tour. The line included Katarina Witt, Katia Gordeeva, Nicole Bobeck and Kristi Yamaguchi. As far as I know, the line was limited to this run and no more dolls are being made.
STARTING LINEUP
This line, created by toy giant Hasbro, are perhaps the most popular and collectible of sports toys. Each year, they highlight the biggies in baseball, football, basketball, hockey, and other sports. It's great to see Asian Pacific Americans amongst the ranks...
WWF
One of the greatest lines for Asian Pacific Americans is the WWF line, due in big part to the immense popularity of "The Rock," a wrestler of part African-American and part Samoan descent. Check out the toys! I don't have even a quarter of them yet...but, I'm working on it...
MCFARLANE'S SPORTSPICKS
Newest to the fray of sports toys is McFarlane's SportsPicks line. Beautifully sculpted and painted, these toys are fine additon to any collection. The toy line first started with a series of NHLPA figures, including famed Asian Pacific American hockey player Paul Kariya.
PLANET PLUSH
Not beanies...but, plush toys this time. This is another company putting out bears and other animals representing different locations, people and so on...they also have sports plushes as well.
Toylines in this category that appear on my Wishlist are:
ECW
- Yoshiro Yajiri (Champion Clashers)
Racing Champions
- Hiro Matsushita
WMAC Masters
- Ho Young Pak - Star Warrior with Tornado Kick