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COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Topps's 2015 WWE Trading Cards Review - Sting, Paige, Hart Drive New Collection

Feb 27, 2015 - 4:58:13 PM
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By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: 2015 Topps WWE trading cards feature unique relic cards and a strong selection of autographs.

The latest WWE offering from Topps is similar to those from recent years: each hobby box (usually priced at $50-60) delivers 24 packs, with seven cards per pack. Each hobby box delivers two hits: a shirt relic and an autograph, OR a shirt relic and another relic, such as a Summerslam 2014 mat relic, commemorative belt plate relic, athletic tape relic, or 1993 King of the Ring sign relic.

Retail blasters deliver 10 packs and one relic card for $19.99. Individual retail packs are $1.99, and jumbo rack packs are $4.99.

There are 100 base cards in the set, including everyone from John Cena to Virgil. NXT Prospects debuted in 2014 Topps WWE and returns this year, albeit with a weaker lineup. The only real standout star in this year’s NXT subset is Hideo Itami; others include Marcus Louis, Sawyer Fulton, and Tye Dillinger. There are also several different insert sets focusing on different crowd chants and moments from WWE history.

Autograph Cards

Like any other trading card release, the most interest in 2015 Topps WWE is generated by certified autograph cards. This year’s product features a good mix of current stars, Divas and legends, including John Cena, Rusev, Seth Rollins, Bret Hart, Ric Flair, Roddy Piper, Hulk Hogan, Paige, and A.J. Lee. There are several parallel versions as well, including unnumbered black and silver parallels, gold (numbered to 10) and red (serial numbered 1/1).

There are also extremely rare triple autographs, serial numbered to just 5 each, plus a red 1/1 parallel of each card. Included in this set are A.J./Paige/Emma, Rusev/Bray Wyatt/Jimmy Hart, Hogan/Flair/Piper, Cena/Rollins/Dean Ambrose, and Paige/Emma/Eden.

Divas Kiss Cards feature lip prints from 10 different Divas, including Lita, Trish Stratus, Paige, and Lana. There are also autographed versions of these cards.

Relic Cards

Topps has expanded its relic selection to include some really unique items. There are the basic wrestler-worn shirt cards that fall one per hobby box, including cards of A.J., Paige, Nikki Bella, Cena, Seth Rollins, and Bo Dallas, among others.

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Summerslam mat cards feature a swatch of canvas from last year’s event, with a picture of a wrestler who competed at the event. Some of the more notable names from this set include Stephanie McMahon, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns.

The popular Commemorative Championship Plate cards return with all new subjects. There are six belts, with five wrestlers for each belt. For example, the WWE Championship includes Brock Lesnar, Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and the Ultimate Warrior. The Divas Championship features A.J. Lee, Brie Bella, Eve Torres, Nikki Bella, and Paige.

The King of the Ring Relics set is made up of 13 past tournament winners, and includes a piece of the actual sign from the 1993 King of the Ring. Included in this set are some of the more notable winners, such as Bret Hart, Brock Lesnar, Steve Austin, and Triple H. The set also includes Don Muraco, Tito Santana, Harley Race, and Ted DiBiase – men who won the tournament before it became an annual pay-per-view and who have rarely been acknowledged as tournament winners by WWE in the past.

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Athletic Tape Relic Cards debut in this set and feature a piece of tape worn by a wrestler. These cards are extremely scarce, with only 20 cards of each wrestler and a red 1/1 parallel. There are eight wrestlers in this set: Cesaro, Curtis Axel, Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Jack Swagger, Rey Mysterio, Ryback, and Zack Ryder.

Sting

Collectors often prefer hobby products over retail, but the surprise inclusion of Sting in special Walmart packs and boxes has substantially increased interest. There is a 10-card Sting Tribute insert set, Sting autographs and Sting relics.

Even though Sting signed quite frequently for TRISTAR when he was in TNA and, more recently, with Leaf Trading Cards for its 2014 Leaf Originals Wrestling product, this is the first time Sting has ever appeared in a WWE trading card product.

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What’s Hot

The autograph selection in 2015 Topps WWE is incredibly strong. Seventeen different wrestler have signed for this set (including the Walmart-exclusive Sting cards and excluding the Divas kiss cards), and at least 10 of those are signatures from wrestlers that most collectors would be glad to pull. First time signers in this set are Eden, Emma, Paige, and Rusev. A.J. and Cena are always top sellers, no matter how much they sign. And while Flair, Bret Hart, and Larry Zbyszko have signed for other trading card sets, this is the first time they have signed for a licensed WWE set.

The Walmart-exclusive Sting Tribute autograph, limited to just 100 copies, has been the hottest card in the product. The first completed auction ended at $310, with all other auctions ending between $250 and $300; this is quite baffling given that Sting’s autographs from TRISTAR and Leaf can easily be found for under $50.

Anything from Paige in 2015 Topps WWE has also been incredibly hot. Her Divas Kiss card has regularly sold in the $200-300 range, and her basic autograph has consistently sold for around $100. Low-numbered parallels and triple autographs have sold considerably higher than that. A.J. Lee’s cards have also been incredibly hot, even though she has been a frequent signer with autographs appearing in 2013 and 2014 WWE products from Topps. Her autograph regularly sells in the $75-120 range.

Bret Hart has consistently outsold the other legends in the set, probably because this is his first licensed WWE autograph card. Basic autographs have been selling for about $60-75 on average. Hogan’s abundance of autographs in recent TNA, Leaf and multi-sport products may be affecting the value of his new WWE signatures, as his autographs has regularly been selling lower than Bret’s.

The rare King of the Ring Sign Relics and Athletic Tape Relics have been incredibly volatile. Because they are so limited, it’s difficult to pin down values on these cards. Athletic Tape Relics sales have included Zack Ryder ($105.99), Cesaro ($57.93), and Ryback ($50). King of the Ring sign relics have ranged from $15.51 (Tito Santana) to $99.99 (Bret Hart, Triple H).

If you open any boxes of this new product and want to share the results with collectors, feel free to send an e-mail to michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

Follow PWTorch Collectibles specialist Michael Moore on Twitter @MMooreWriter.


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