By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Did Roman Reigns's big night at the Royal Rumble increase the value of his 2013 Topps WWE Autograph?

Tuesday Card Show #14: Roman Reigns

Few wrestlers have generated the type of buzz as The Shield during their first year in WWE. When the trio showed up in late 2012, fans familiar with the indie work of Jon Moxley and Tyler Black couldn’t wait to see more of Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins.

But, WWE has clearly identified Roman Reigns as the break-out star of the group. His standout performance at the Royal Rumble has sent his first certified autograph from Topps soaring.

Released in late 2013, Reigns’s autograph steadily sold in the $15-20 range on eBay and other trading card and auction sites throughout most of November and December. It held its value and started to increase slightly in January, as it became clear WWE had big plans for Reigns down the road.

But, after Reigns eliminated 12 other wrestlers at the Royal Rumble, sales of Reigns’s lone autograph card skyrocketed. In the days immediately after the Rumble, cards sold for $34.99, $35, and $41 on eBay. Since then they’ve only gone up, selling consistently in the $45-60 range, with one even selling for $76 at auction on February 2.

During that time, interest in Rollins’s autograph from the 2013 Topps set has been consistent, selling in the $15-20 range since November. The demand for Ambrose’s autograph has increased, moving up from the $15-20 range in November to the $25-35 range in February.

Collectors have believed in The Shield since the three men debuted on WWE TV. But now more than ever, collectors believe in Roman Reigns.




Collectibles News

- WWEDVD.com.au is offering fans a little incentive for pre-ordering the 2014 Royal Rumble on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Last week, customers who signed up to receive deals from the site got an e-mail notification that the first 100 customers to order the DVD or Blu-Ray would receive a free picture signed by C.M. Punk. Thanks to PWTorch.com reader Peter Young for the tip.

The signed picture being used for promotional purposes looks like one of the autographed mini posters that are usually sold on WWEShop.com for $19.99. Autographs like these of big stars like Punk typically sell out quickly. However, WWEShop.com is notorious for packing these items poorly, often stuffing them inside of bubble mailers with no protection, resulting in rips, tears and creases.

The site notes that the Royal Rumble DVD and Blu-Ray will be available to fans in Australia on March 5.

Moore’s Take: Very interesting that Punk’s autograph is being given away with the DVD featuring what will likely be his last WWE match for a while. This is smart thinking by the folks running the DVD site. The Punk autograph will probably more popular than the DVD of what turned out to be a poor pay-per-view notable only for the Daniel Bryan-Bray Wyatt match and the crowd reaction the rest of the night as fans rejected everything WWE gave them.

PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter .

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