Man, the late eighties were just different. If you were a kid back then, you didn't just watch sports; you lived them through four-inch pieces of plastic. And nobody—literally nobody—loomed larger in that plastic universe than the Starting Lineup Bo Jackson figures.
Bo was a freak of nature. He was a glitch in the matrix before we even knew what that meant. He’s the only guy to be an All-Star in baseball and a Pro Bowler in football. Naturally, Kenner (and later Hasbro) had to try and bottle that lightning. Honestly, they kinda did.
The 1988 Debut: Where the Obsession Started
When Kenner launched the Starting Lineup (SLU) brand in 1988, they had a hit on their hands. Pat McInally, a former Bengals punter, actually came up with the idea. He figured kids wanted toys that looked like the guys they saw on Sunday afternoons or at the ballpark.
The 1988 Starting Lineup Bo Jackson baseball figure is the one that really sets the pace. It features Bo in that classic powder blue Kansas City Royals uniform. You've got him in a mid-swing pose, looking like he’s about to launch a ball into the fountains at Kauffman Stadium.
Here’s the thing about the '88 Bo: it came with a rookie card. Well, technically a Starting Lineup card. In the hobby today, those cards are sometimes worth more than the figures themselves if they’re graded high. If you find a 1988 SLU Bo Jackson still in the bubble (that's collector-speak for the original packaging), you’re looking at a piece of history that usually moves for $50 to $100 depending on how beat up the card corners are.
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Bo Knows... Two Sports (and Two Figures)
Most players were lucky to get one figure. Bo was so good he basically demanded a presence in every "season" Kenner put out.
By 1990, the hype was peaking. You had the 1990 Starting Lineup Bo Jackson football figure featuring him in the silver and black of the Los Angeles Raiders. This is the one most people remember. He’s in a classic running pose, tucked ball, ready to steamroll a defender.
Around this same time, Kenner released the "Heisman Collection" and various multi-sport sets. One of the coolest—and honestly, one of the more sought-after by "Bo-Heads"—is the 1991 figure where he’s holding a trophy.
Why collectors still hunt for them:
- The Cards: Each figure came with a specific SLU trading card. These weren't the same as the ones you’d find in a pack of Topps or Donruss. They were exclusive to the toy.
- The Pose: Kenner actually tried to mimic the players' real styles. Bo’s figures always looked powerful.
- Nostalgia: It represents the "Junk Wax" era's peak, but unlike many 1990 cards, these figures have held some actual value because so many were opened and played with.
The Value Factor: What’s Your Bo Worth?
Let’s be real. You probably have one of these in a box in your parents' attic. Is it going to pay for a new car? No. But is it trash? Absolutely not.
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A loose Bo Jackson figure without the card might only fetch $10 or $15. It’s basically a desk toy at that point. But a "MOC" (Mint on Card) figure is a different story.
The 1988 Baseball Bo and the 1990 Football Bo are the pillars. Prices fluctuate, but a clean 1988 Royals Bo in a high-grade package can easily touch $150 at a specialty sports card show. If the card inside the package is a "Topps" variation (which happened in certain years), the price can spike.
Interestingly, the 1991 "Trophy Holding" pose is often found for around $20 to $30. It’s a bit more common because by 1991, everyone and their grandmother was "investing" in collectibles, so more people kept them in the boxes.
The "Freeze Frame" and Rare Variations
If you want to get into the weeds, look for the 1992 Starting Lineup Bo Jackson. By this time, Bo had suffered that horrific hip injury and was playing for the Chicago White Sox. This figure is a bit rarer because the production runs started to dip compared to the 1990 frenzy.
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Then there are the "Freeze Frame" figures. These were a bit different, featuring a slide or a "film strip" style accessory. Bo didn't get as many of these, making any weird variation a prime target for completionists.
Honestly, the most important thing to check isn't just the figure—it's the Collector Coin. In 1991, many sets included a small metal coin. If you have the figure and the card but the coin is missing, the value drops by about 40%. It’s those little details that separate the casual fans from the guys who spend their Saturday nights on eBay.
How to Handle Your Collection Now
If you’re sitting on a Starting Lineup Bo Jackson, don’t just rip it open to show your kids. The value is almost entirely in the unopened state.
- Check the Bubble: Is the plastic yellowed? Is it lifting from the cardboard? If it’s peeling, the value takes a hit.
- Look at the Card: The card tucked behind the figure is prone to "corner dings" just from the toy shifting during shipping thirty years ago. A pristine card inside the pack is the "holy grail" for SLU collectors.
- Store it Right: Keep it out of direct sunlight. The sun will fade that Raiders black or Royals blue faster than Bo could run a 40-yard dash.
Starting Lineup figures were the peak of sports culture in the early 90s. Bo Jackson was the king of that culture. Owning one today isn't just about the money; it's about holding a piece of a time when one man really did know everything.
Next Steps for Collectors:
First, go find that old bin in the garage and verify the year of your figure by checking the fine print on the back of the card or the bottom of the packaging. If you have a 1988 Royals Bo in good condition, consider getting a protective "Star Case" to prevent the plastic bubble from cracking. Finally, if you're looking to sell, check eBay "Sold" listings rather than active ones to see what people are actually paying right now, as asking prices are often wildly inflated.