By Michael Moore, PWTorch collectibles specialist

In a sentence: The inclusion of relic tags that feature pieces of shirts worn by wrestlers has collectors chasing this new product.

The first new wrestling cards of 2011 are scheduled to hit the market this summer. In the meantime, Topps has produced a new series of WWE dog tags that just may tide collectors over.

Topps’s "WWE Dog Tags: Ringside Relics Edition" began appearing on retail shelves last week. The new product, which includes special tags that contain pieces of shirts worn by wrestlers, didn’t receive a lot of pre-release hype, and caught many collectors by surprise.

Each $2.99 pack contains one dog tag and a matching trading card. The front of the tag is a color photograph of a wrestler, and the back features that wrestler’s catch phrase or nickname, such as “Never Give Up!” for John Cena and “The Deadman” for The Undertaker.




The relic tags that have been included in this product have collectors buzzing. Inserted one in every 24 packs – one per retail box – these special tags are considerably thicker than the others, and contain a swatch of a shirt worn by a wrestler. The photograph of each wrestler on the front of the relic tags is different from the regular tag, and the card is different as well, with a silver border and matching picture. Also, some wrestlers who aren’t included in the regular set, such as Hornswoggle and Alex Riley, are featured in the relic tags.




Topps has been releasing WWE dog tags since 2007. Past sets have been very popular with kids and teens, along with a small but passionate group of adult collectors. The inclusion of these relic tags has certainly broadened the audience for this type of product.

The first few John Cena relic tags that popped up on the secondary market were selling as high as $60. While it’s unlikely they will maintain that sort of value, it’s very possible that the Cena relic tags, which feature a swatch of his purple t-shirt, will continue to sell well in the $25-30 for quite some time.

Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio are also very popular, and have been selling in the $20-30 range. Mid-card wrestlers like Heath Slater and Alex Riley appear to be the easiest to find and are also the cheapest, only selling for about $4-7. Tags that feature multi-color pieces of shirt have been fetching substantial premiums.

While the product overall is a solid sleeper that provides collectors with some exceptional value, it does have its flaws. The selection of wrestlers in the regular set is perplexing. Most of the current top stars are included, such as Cena, Orton, Mysterio, Undertaker, and Edge, but left out were top acts like Christian and Triple H. It’s strange that Topps would leave out those fan favorites, not to mention popular Divas like Kelly Kelly and Natalya, but include tags of Ezekiel Jackson and Tyler Reks.

The product also feels somewhat dated. Topps included a tag and card of Kaval, who was released from WWE six months ago. And the tag backs of Wade Barrett, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, and David Otunga all read “You’re Either Nexus or Against Us.” Of those four, only Otunga was still a part of Nexus by the time the product was released.

Overall, though, Topps has created a product that will appeal to the usual base and reach new collectors who previously wouldn’t give the dog tags a second thought. Past dog tag products have been hot upon release, but haven’t held any sort of value after a few months. Thanks to the inclusion of the relic tags – and the insert cards that accompany them – this product likely will remain popular with collectors for quite some time.

Contact Michael Moore with questions or comments about wrestling collectibles at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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