Rock on!

“Life is too short to have anything but delusional notions about yourself,” Kiss bassist Gene Simmons once said. Yet anyone who collects psychedelic concert posters, ticket stubs from Hendrix shows or autographs gathered at Duran Duran in-store appearances knows there’s nothing delusional about rock 'n’ roll collectibles. It’s about capturing the emotions that the music stirs, letting those touched turn on the nostalgia again and again like a light switch. This year, several companies hoping to capitalize on this urge have turned rock stars into plush, action figures and other keepsakes.

Toy Vault, Corbin, Ky., captures fire-breathing Gene Simmons and the rest of Kiss in plush form. Each plush doll depicts one of the four Kiss personas: The Demon (Simmons), The Starchild (singer Paul Stanley), The Spaceman (guitarist Ace Frehley) and The Catman (drummer Peter Criss). The dolls stand more than 12 inches tall and are clad in detailed costumes, trademark makeup, and accessorized with miniature instruments. To show off the collection, all are packaged in four-color window boxes. Toy Vault hopes to expand the assortment in 2007 once items are approved by the band.

“We decided there was definitely a market for Kiss plush and collaborated with the licensor,” Shawn Gambel, Toy Vault’s director of marketing, tells Playthings. “No one had ever done a Kiss likeness in plush before; we felt the niche market would be happy to see something they would not expect to see. Kiss fans will be the obvious target, but [the plush toys] could fall over into the vast market of classic rock 'n’ roll lovers as well, such as those who may enjoy the Hard Rock Cafe’s overall feel. They also should appeal to people who like unusual plush.”

Other manufacturers making music collectibles more fun this year include NECA with its Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Freddie Mercury (Queen), Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), John Lennon, Iron Maiden and Devo figures; S.O.T.A Toys, with its Fall Out Boy figures; and McFarlane Toys, whose 3-D album cover series offers an assortment of replicas from the Sex Pistols, Metallica, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix catalogs.

Also riding the Kiss bandwagon is Sideshow Collectibles, which currently has pre-orders on its 20-inch, 18-pound Kiss collectible figures that retail for $249 each. Scheduled for release in first quarter 2007, each is dressed in black and silver Destroyer-era garb that features real fabric, sequins, rhinestones and metal trim to recreate the band members’ signature looks. The Walnut Creek, Calif.-based collectibles company hopes the figures will appeal to anyone who wants limited edition music collectibles, not just Kiss fans. Comic and specialty shops will sell the figures, with additional distribution in music stores, chains and catalogs like Johnson Smith.

Brant Briges, Sideshow’s operations manager, says that the Kiss line was a way to branch out from the typical science-fiction, superhero and fantasy themes commonly seen in the collectibles market. “Kiss offered a nice addition to our Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel Comics, and the other television and film properties that we typically license,” Briges says. “Kiss is a strong way to launch our new Legendary Musicians line, as the band has a tremendous history and an incredible following—the Kiss Army! Plus, we’re all enjoying Gene’s Family Jewels show.”