Wrestling

Your collector friends may smirk behind your back, but Pro Wrestling sports memorabilia may be the next hot trend in sports collecting. Wait, that Pro Wrestling? With the tights? And all the screaming? Yes, it’s bigger than ever, with various alliances and federations—the WCW, the WWF, the ECW—putting on the high-energy shows around the world. The leagues can be confusing, so insiders recommend sticking to a recognizable face, no matter what letters he’s fighting under.

Pro Wrestling hit a peak in the 1980’s, when Vincent K. McMahon took over from his father and brought the world larger-than-life, colorful characters like Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant becoming house-hold names. The muscle-bound brawlers and scripted action fit right in with the major network’s other merchandise-friendly child and teen cartoon programming, and a whole galaxy of collectable toys and souvenirs flew off the shelves. Toady, adults who grew up following the exploits of Jake the Snake Jesse the Snake are looking to buy that action figure they remember body slamming to splinters during one hyper Saturday night.

But it’s not just about sugar-high nostalgia. Pro Wrestling is very much alive, and a cult-like audience will dutifully follow the fortunes of their favorite grappler. A search of the internet reveals web sites dedicated to tape trading and collecting the industry’s underground news letters, as well. Back issues go for between $6-$10. Signed posters and glossy photos are also hot. A shot of current superstar Goldberg will get you between $20-$30 while a scowling Stone Cold Steve Austen will set you back $30-$50. Recent stars with legitimate cross-over appeal include the bronzed action film star The Rock and Jesse “the Body” Ventura, the refrigerator-shaped governor of Minnesota. The WWF is currently partnered with QVC to bring exclusive collectables such as die-cast cars and other vehicles, which the organizations believe will hit the cross-appeal bullseye between fans of the WWF and The National Hot Rod Association.

While signed personal sports memorabilia is currently hard to come by, action figures themselves are, surprisingly, a million dollar industry. Off the shelf, the average figure goes for between $8-10, while vintage sets fetch $150+ on ebay and also inspire entire web pages devoted to their display. Avid figure collectors even cross borders, assembling collections of Mexico’s masked Lucha Libre league. A complete set of Japan’s all-girl league, the Fighting Beauties, and a plastic model of their squared circle fetches at least $90.

So, signed posters or t-shirts, plastic figures with miniature title belts or toy cars, collecting Pro Wrestling memorabilia is an easy to get into, fun, low-priced collecting opportunity. Wrestling is getting more popular every month, so next time you catch a Saturday Night Smackdown, save that fight card.

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