THE SPECIALISTS COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The Top 5 Autographs of Resurgent A.J. Styles
Aug 13, 2014 - 10:40:49 AM
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By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist
In Brief: A quick look at five affordable A.J. Styles autographs.
Card Show #38: A.J. Styles Autographs
During his 11-year run with TNA, A.J. Styles was often regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world – not to mention one of the most poorly utilized.
When Styles was given the chance to be himself and properly booked as nothing more than a great wrestler, such as during the last few months of 2009, there was nobody better. Unfortunately, TNA was always busy trying to make Styles into something he wasn’t, like Ric Flair, Jr. or a bumbling redneck, or ... the predecessor to Daniel Bryan via the Claire Lynch storyline.
A change of scenery was just what Styles needed. As the centerpiece champion of the white-hot New Japan Pro Wrestling, Styles is doing arguably the best work of his career, and has become one of the most respected workers in the world.
It’s hard to tell if Styles’s transformation from talented but miscast TNA wrestler to IWGP Heavyweight Champion has affected his collectibles, specifically his autographed trading cards.
During his time in TNA, Styles’s signature was included in 10 trading card products from TRISTAR and one from Pacific. Because there is such an abundance of Styles’ autograph available on the secondary market, it’s difficult to detect a shift in value.
Styles’s signature appeared in 11 sets, with most of those sets featuring multiple parallel cards, dual autographs, triple autographs, quad autographs, and more. From 2008 to 2013, TRISTAR probably made several thousand cards with Styles’s autograph. His autograph has appeared on multi-signed cards with at least 21 different wrestling personalities, including everyone from Karen Angle to Samoa Joe, and Jeremy Borash to Hulk Hogan.
If you’re looking to pick up an A.J. Styles autograph, just log on to eBay and you’ll be able to find one without any trouble. But, if you’re looking for a little guidance, here’s a quick look at five really cool A.J. Styles cards.....
(1) 2004 Pacific Trading Cards Main Event Autograph ($20-40). This was Styles’s first certified autograph, and is different from his TRISTAR autographs in that it features an on-card auto instead of a sticker signature. This is a short-printed card, and the most popular autograph in the Main Event Autographs subset.
(2) 2008 TRISTAR TNA Cross the Line Authentic Action Memorabilia Autograph ($15-25). This was the first time TRISTAR produced TNA cards that included both a signature and a piece of wrestler-worn memorabilia on the same card. The Styles card showcases his autograph under a swatch of a gray t-shirt. The basic silver version of this card is serial numbered to 99, with three parallels: gold (50), green (5), and purple (1). The silver and gold versions sell for about the same price, but the green and purple are difficult to price due to scarcity.
(3) 2009 TRISTAR TNA Impact! Gold Inscription Signatures ($15-25). TRISTAR utilized inscriptions right from the beginning, asking selected wrestlers to add a little something extra to their signatures from the 2008 debut product. But it wasn’t until several products later that Styles added an inscription, signing this card “Phenomenal 1.” The main knock against this card is that Styles didn’t sign his regular autograph, just the inscription. This card is limited to 60 copies and is pretty tough to find.
(4) 2012 TRISTAR TNA TENacious Triple Autograph with Samoa Joe & Christopher Daniels ($25-50). TRISTAR celebrated TNA’s first 10 years with this 2012 product, TNA TENacious. This card features autographs from the three men who participated in what many fans consider the best TNA match of all-time: Styles, Samoa Joe, and Christopher Daniels. The three men stole the show at the 2005 Unbreakable pay-per-view, and had many more matches together.
(5) 2013 TRISTAR TNA Glory Dual Autograph with Austin Aries ($10-20). TRISTAR’s final TNA offering to date includes a dual autograph of two of the best wrestlers in the company’s history. Aries was the breakout star of 2012, and Styles captured the TNA World Title at the 2013 Bound for Glory event before departing the company soon after.
PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter .
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