By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Nostalgic wrestling fans and serious card collectors alike are snatching up WWF trading cards made by Topps in 1985.

The story remains the same, whether you’re talking with someone who grew up in the 1950s or 2000s: “I used to have all kinds of baseball cards in a shoebox under my bed, but my mom threw them out.”

Kids who grew up during the 1980s probably had a few cards of Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana, and Roddy Piper mixed in that box of cards as well. Well you know something? If you had hung onto a few of those wrestling cards and kept them in good condition, they actually would be worth something today.

Topps released a series of WWF Pro Wrestling Stars trading cards in 1985. Packs of cards were available in the candy aisle of the local grocery or retail store. Basic packs consisted of nine cards, one sticker and a piece of gum, and sold for 25-50 cents each, with 36 packs per box. Topps also sold rack packs of the WWF cards: larger packs of 26 cards and three stickers that hung from a peg and were wrapped in clear plastic that made some of the cards visible.




The 1985 WWF Pro Wrestling Stars cards were very similar to other baseball and entertainment cards of that era. They were printed on traditional cardboard stock, with a color photo and white border on the front and text on the back that was often difficult to read. There were 66 cards in the set, along with 22 stickers.

The cards were released just as Hulkamania and the WWF’s popularity were exploding. The set featured portraits of many of the top stars of that era, including Hulk Hogan, the Iron Sheik, Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff, Junkyard Dog, Wendi Richter, and even Moondog Spot. There set also features 35 “Ringside Action” cards; card #29 shows Hogan applying an abdominal stretch to none other than Antonio Inoki. Also included are 10 “Superstars Speak” cards, which add a cartoon dialogue bubble.

One sticker was inserted in each pack, and the backs of all 22 stickers could be put together to form a puzzle of Hulk Hogan. The stickers insert set included many of the same wrestlers in the base set; one of the more unique stickers was an action shot of Rene Goulet and SD Jones.

The cards were popular with kids, but weren’t generally thought of as collectibles the way that baseball cards were. There has been a resurgence in the popularity of the 1985 Topps WWF cards over the last few years, with diehard collectors forking over big bucks for copies that have been professionally graded and received high marks.

In 1985, an unopened box of 36 packs would have cost you between $9 and $18. Just a few days ago, one of these boxes sold on eBay for $129. A rack pack with the Hulk Hogan card #1 visible sold for $55, and a full set of 66 cards and 22 stickers sold for $50.

Hogan has several cards in the set, but card #1 is the key card. It features Hogan in a famous promotional shot holding up the old style WWF Title against a yellow background. Rough copies of this card usually sell for $10 or less, but collectors are willing to spend considerably more for one that receives a high grade from a professional grading service like Beckett or PSA. To date, 103 of this particular card have been sent into PSA for grading. Of those, 30 have been given a grade of 9, which means the card is considered to be in mint condition. Only one has received a grade of 10, meaning that particular card is gem mint. A PSA 9 (mint) recently sold for $89.95.




Card #16 in the set features the same picture of Hogan, but against a blue background. A lot of both Hogan cards graded PSA 9 recently fetched $180 at auction.

The market for cards graded PSA 9 or better is extremely volatile. A PSA 9 Big John Studd #12 usually sells in the $30-$40 range, while a PSA 9 Tito Santana #14 has sold as high as $100.

The 1985 Topps WWF Pro Wrestling Stars set has also been popular with autograph hounds. Because the cards weren’t as glossy as many of those made today, autographs generally didn’t smudge or fade over time. Many of the cards that have been signed and then authenticated by a company like PSA sell in the $30-$50 range, with big names like Hogan and Piper fetching considerably more. A Chief Jay Strongbow card #20 that was signed and authenticated sold for $55 shortly after Strongbow’s death.

The next time you’re visiting your parents, ask her if she still has that old shoebox of trading cards sitting around somewhere. You never know what you might find.

A full checklist of 1985 Topps WWF Pro Wrestling Stars can be found at WrestlingTradingCards.com .

Sloppy Signature Trivia




Do you recognize the autograph of this longtime wrestling personality? Send your answer and name to michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. The names of those who correctly ID the sloppy signature will be included in next Tuesday’s Collectibles Column.

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