COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Demand Surges for Brodie Lee Memorabilia

Brodie Lee clearly had a special relationship with his family, peers, friends and fans. Renewed interest in his action figures, trading cards, T-shirts and other memorabilia illustrate just how beloved the former Luke Harper was.

Nearly all of the top selling shirts at Pro Wrestling Tees are Brodie Lee and Dark Order shirts. Fans and collectors are scouring sites like eBay, Amazon and the Facebook marketplace looking for an action figure or trading card.

This column will provide a beginner’s guide to Brodie Lee collectibles: what’s out there, where to find it, and what you should expect to pay. Keep in mind that fans often get into bidding wars after a wrestler’s death, so that signed Topps card or Mattel action figure might cost you more now than it might in a few weeks. It’s also important to beware of unscrupulous sellers who jack up prices and attempt to profit off a wrestler’s death.

Trading Cards

Brodie Lee actually has a few cards that pre-date his WWE cards from Topps. Chikara produced and distributed 31 trading cards at live events from 2006 to 2010, with Brodie Lee featured on card #26. Lee is also featured on two oversized gaming cards from Filsinger in the Chikara starter set and Legends of the Future: Second Fall.

The Chikara trading card is very difficult to find, but full sets occasionally pop up on eBay from a seller with the ID “chikarawrestling2007.” The most recent auctions ended at $40 on December 28 and $24.99 on November 21. The Filsinger cards are still available through filsingergames.com as part of their respective sets.

Luke Harper’s first WWE trading cards first surfaced in the 2014 Topps WWE and 2014 Topps Chrome WWE sets. Harper’s base cards from those sets have the Topps “Rookie Card” logo on them and can be found for no more than a couple bucks.

Luke Harper’s autographed trading cards disappeared from eBay and other sites within minutes of the news of Brodie Lee’s passing. Not surprisingly, eBay sellers began listing Luke Harper autographs at inflated prices, and some collectors are paying them.

From October 1 to December 9, there were only seven completed listings for Luke Harper Topps certified autographs on any kind. Prices on these completed listings ranged from $9.00 for a 2016 Topps WWE Autograph serial numbered to 99 to $20.00 for a 2014 Topps WWE Autograph, which was Harper’s first certified autograph. The average sale price for completed listings during this period was $12.94.

There were 24 completed listings on December 26, the day that Lee’s death was made public. Completed listings on December 26 ranged from $7.63 for a 2018 Topps Undisputed WWE Autograph/Relic serial numbered to 99 to $136.00 for a 2017 Topps Undisputed WWE Gold Autograph serial numbered to 10. The average sale price for completed listings on December 26 was $39.71.

Over the last few days, some eBay sellers have exploited renewed interest in Luke Harper autographs; nearly all active listings for Luke Harper certified Topps WWE autographs have Buy It Now prices of $100 or more. Many fan-run Facebook groups have instituted a moratorium of at least several weeks after a wrestler passes away in order to prevent this type of inflation.

Action Figures

The first action figures of Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan in 2014 were some of the most anticipated Mattel figures to date; fans and collectors were out scouring their local retail stores or trying to find a site that had the figures in stock.

Harper’s first Elite-style action figure was in Mattel’s WWE Elite Series 29. He was decked out in his usual white tank top and blue jeans, and was packaged with a removable red flannel shirt and Bray Wyatt’s lantern. Harper’s first figure is not a tough one to find, but it’ll cost you. Sale prices are volatile right now, with packaged figures going anywhere from $50 to $140. A loose figure will cost you anywhere from $25 to $60.

Harper was also featured in Elite Series 35, which included a couple plastic alligators. This figure is similar to his first Elite figure, but with a gray flannel vest and removable white tank top. Recent listings have ended in the $50-$75 range for packaged figures, and $25 to $40 for loose figures.

Harper returned for Elite Series 66, which had him in his black and red Bludgeon Brothers gear. This figure has been selling anywhere from $50 to $100 for a packaged figure, or around $25 for a loose figure.

In addition to the more popular Elite figures, Harper also had several basic Mattel toys. His figure from Mattel WWE Basic Series 60 looks like many of the others, with a white tank top and jeans. This figure is still listed for $14.99 at RingsideCollectibles.com.

Harper was packaged with frequent tag team partner Rowan in Battle Packs 28 and 31. These two packs are very similar but can be distinguished by the packaging: Battle Packs 28 includes a rocking chair and both figures are clearly labeled “first time in the line.” Battle Packs 31 includes a sheep mask instead of the rocking chair. Sale prices on these figures have been volatile, with Battle Packs 28 commanding as much as $100 and Battle Packs 31 selling closer to $50.

Harper was also packaged with storyline mentor Bray Wyatt in Battle Packs 47. The Harper in this two-pack is noticeably different from other Harper figures, as he has black pants and a removable black vest. This two-pack is surprisingly tough to find, selling for around $40 packaged over the last few months.

All three original Wyatt Family members also have small Lego-like minifigures. In the mid-2010s, C3 Toys produced a building block series called WWE Stackdown, which included a Wyatt Family playset. Recent listings ended below $20, but the only current listings are $80 and above, so it may be best to wait this one out.

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

NOW CHECK OUT THE PRIOR COLUMN: COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: How Much Should I Pay for a Certified Autograph?