Tomb Raider: History of Collectible EXhN Figules from PlayMates (1999-2000)

Lara Croft … Without exaggeration, the legendary seeker of mystical treasures of aristocratic blood, which is the brainchild of the Core Design studio. Someone knows about this courageous heroine firsthand, personally following her adventures as part of the Tomb Raider games, someone met her through the films of the same name with Angelina Jolie, and someone first learned about the stunning story of the authorship of Daur Avidzb.

One way or another, this spectacular, although the polygonal lady did not leave anyone indifferent, and first of all not thanks to her forms (well, and they, too), but the spirit of her adventurism and the thirst for adventures, and as you all know, sooner or later acquires with related goods, starting with books, comics and ending with various souvenirs and ending.clothes and toys.

Regarding the latter, I least expected to find out that the tradition of releasing such a merchandise based on video games is rooted in the 20th century, as I naively believed that it was more popular in our days. In general, this fate and our guest today did not deprive, giving the efforts of PlayMates* a chance to everyone who wants to literally touch the beautiful bust Thanks to the Act-Figulers in the late 90s and in the early 2000s, where the “tie” unified for all on the back of the package sounds as follows:

“And here is Lara! The heroine named Lara Croft, famous around the world, was able to overcome the most gloomy corners of the jungle and conquered the highest mountains – and all this in the name of calling herself. Every day she finds himself in different places. Each location is more exotic than the previous one, where on the way of her pursuit of the greatest treasures of the world there will be animals and people. The circumstances always develop against her, which is always like.”

The company logo

* The name may well be confused, since it is consonant with the English word, symbolizing the girls of the playboy, but formally, this is nothing more than homonyms.
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About ten items came out for all the time, the bulk of which was lit up as part of the February press release of the Association of American Toy manufacturers (toyfacturers of America), from which it was possible to find out that during 1999 a series of mobile 23-hesantimeter figures was planned for the output on the arches, which are places of actions from originalgames, as well as a number of 15-tysantimeter ** options, recreating the fights of Lara with deadly opponents or her trip on a motorcycle. In addition, it was a question of the so-called “perfect” 30-tysantimeter *** version of Madame Kroft, which was supposed to appear a little later and personify a step towards a meeting to realism, since, unlike the rest, she has her hair fixed from the inside with her hair, sewn clothes and the ability to pronounce hundreds of phrases from original games.

* 9 inches in the original

** 6 inches in the original

*** 12 inches in the original
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In order to observe some kind of chronology, let’s rewind the time for the same 99th year and pay attention to the annual Toy Fair (Toy Fair), where the purely text press has already diluted with quite worthy photographic materials that were once provided to the public with the thematic resource “Raving Toy Maniac” (Sokr. RTM) and get acquainted with the translation of original descriptions from the official manufacturing site!

Exhibition and releases of 1999

Opens our today’s list of series 23-hssant-meter collection figures, Where a branded plastic debutant in all respects is Lara in the image from “Tomb Raider II”:

Lara Croft in a wetsuit

“The keys to unraveling secrets are hidden in the bowels of the rusty hull of the sunken ship that he met his last refuge deep at the bottom of the sea. Putting down in his company wetsuit and armed with a harpoon gun, Lara lurks his breath and dives for a meeting of danger. Nothing can stop her in search of a perfect treasure – dagger Siana and his mystical forces. This twenty -three -centimeter figure is completely mobile and removed from the stand. The armed and dangerous heroine is included with the following accessories: • two removable pistols • Harpoon rifle • Higher-time stand ”

Photo from the exhibition

By the way, this is the only toy https://kaiser-slots.co.uk/ that has been awarded a personal commercial that you can see below:

In addition to Lara in the Hydrostyum at the audience’s fair, two completely new figures in the form of Lara in the jungle from the original “Tomb Raider” and in the image from zone 51 were presented, which you know from “Tomb Raider III”.

Lara Croft in the jungle equipment

“The goal of Lara is the search for parts of the ancient Heritage of the Atlanteans. This mysterious talisman, which is fraught with incredible forces hid in the tomb of Kualopek in the very depths of dense Peruvian jungle. Having discovered the entrance, Lara for the last time throws her eyes to this green landscape and plunges into darkness and danger, which is already waiting for her. This twenty -three -centimeter figure is completely mobile and removed from the stand. Armed and dangerous heroine is included with the following accessories: • Two removable pistols • Higher-dirama stand ”

According to the press release, the date of its release was the April of the 99th.

Photo from the exhibition with a packaging example

Lara Croft in equipment for zone 51

“Somewhere in the walls of the top secret military base, the zone 51, located in the Nevada desert, lies an alien artifact of incredible power. Armed with his MAC-10, Lara penetrates the object and carefully monitoring the hostile military police, enters the hangar with UFOs, where in the midst of opened tellars of aliens, he searches for this intergalactic treasure. This twenty -three -centimeter figure is completely mobile and removed from the stand. Armed and dangerous heroine is included with the following accessories: • Two removable pistols • Two MAC-10 • Higher Supply ”

As for the date of its exit, there are some inconsistencies, as the press release is July for a month, and according to information from the official PlayMates website-October. Well, this is not so important, in any case, it went on sale.

Photo from the exhibition

Further, in line, a series was presented 15-type figures “The Adventures of Lara Croft”, which was partially planned for July, and partially – for October. First consider the July pair.

Lara Croft, opposing Bengal Tiger!

“Lara is facing face to face with the strongest Bengal tiger. She slowly lifts her M16, filling the silence with a deafening thunder from the shot, which is surrendered in the distance. The weapon falls as the striped cat is further hidden in the depths of the dense jungle.”

Photo from the exhibition with a packaging example

Lara Croft on her motorcycle!

“Lara jumps onto her motorcycle, starting the engine with a jerk of the foot and forcing it with a screech, rush along the paved paving stones of London, for the sixth feeling suggests that there is a tail behind her. Swiftly turning around the corner into a safe place, it opens the fluid fire on the enemies.”

Against the background of the rest, this toy differs in that there is transport in stock, thanks to which this lady has a chip with a turn and “shooting” back, and the figure itself is outside the iron horse in a sitting position.

Photo from the exhibition with a packaging example

Next, go to the remaining October releases of the ruler.
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Croft Croft Cront Croft!

“With every push, Lara plunges deeper into the darkness of the cold sea. She opens the rusty hull of an old sunken ship and is preparing to go inside. Suddenly a big white shark swims over to her. Dodging in the water, as if in zero gravity, the heroine shoots at her point blank and reloading, continues her path.”

Photo from the exhibition

Lara Croft wins the legendary yeti!

“The cold penetrates Lara through a leather jacket while it climbs up in ominous Himalayas. Looking down for a moment, she meets her gaze with the mysterious yeti! He beats her on his feet with his sharp claws. The heroine shoots a pistol, safely rises to the top and reloads.”

Photo from the exhibition

A true dark horse, as well as the only one that did not go beyond the exhibition of that year, is Realistically speaking 30-type Lara Croft, About the chips of which I mentioned in the description of the press release. Up to now, the reason why it remained only a prototype, but summarizing those features and what was known, fans around the world lost a rather interesting copy for a personal collection. The release seems to have been scheduled for July a month, but this. Below you can see the only photo of this creation:

Photo from the exhibition with a packaging example

Needless to say that having hit the counters, all the above works of born in 1999 were scattered like hot pies, delighting collectors and admirers of this heroine. The 2000th year marked the replenishment of a 15-centimeter line of toys and the final closure of the series based on the original trilogy “Tomb Raider”.

Exhibition and releases of 2000

Before we move on to the new products of the series, I would like to focus on one that accompanying the newly -minted fair from RTM, from which it turns out that the bulk of Lara figures were produced exclusively for foreign distributors outside of America, but one of them at that time at the time of the right to sell the remaining sets in the United States. Having signed a special agreement, Palisades Marketing took this role and let it be partially depressingly according to the authors, but in fact it was the only chance for American fans to get to these “sacred graly”.

So, during the exhibition of 2000, as many as four new toys were presented to the court, and two of which remained under the guise of prototypes. To begin with, let’s take a look at the name of the names and since their descriptions are similar, the second will be accompanied only by images.
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Lara Croft vs crocodile on the Southern Island of the Pacific Ocean

“A completely mobile figure in an aggressive style of fifteen centimeters high! Thanks to a highly detailed standing, the spirit of the fascination of the original game is completely conveyed! The enemy comes with each includes! Each is equipped with a whole arsenal! Filmed from the stand!”