A wrestling renaissance is on the horizon, and it comes with the glimmer of glossy trading cards. The WWE, the powerhouse of sports entertainment, is gearing up for an exhilarating new chapter as Topps reclaims its title as the official trading card manufacturer. With a spiffy new streaming deal with Netflix in the bag, the excitement surrounding WWE trading cards isn’t just a fleeting trend; it’s poised to set the collector’s world alight. Hold onto your memory cards; this could get explosive!
Wrestling cards are no longer just a dusty corner of the collectibles world. Recent insights have shown that WWE trading cards are climbing the ranks at an astonishing pace – like a Money in the Bank winner scaling the ladder. CardLadder, the trusty watchdog of collectible values, reveals that its wrestling index has surged by a whopping 25% in just three months. To put that into perspective, that’s more than double the rate of growth experienced by the ever-popular Pokémon cards, which only touted a modest 12.5% increase. Collectors might be asking: “Are Pokémon cards about to be body-slammed?”
As the wrestling card market gains traction, history has made its triumphant return. December 2023 marked a monumental moment in the annals of WWE card history, with a 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Hulk Hogan card, graded PSA 9 (and let’s not forget – only 17 exist in this pristine condition), selling for an eye-watering $132,000. That eclipsed the previous record held by The Rock’s stunning 2022 Panini Black Prizm 1/1 card, which fetched an impressive $126,000. The wrestling world, fraught with storylines of ups and downs, now brings a card collecting story of highs that could only be rivaled by the Attitude Era itself.
WWE’s partnerships and vibrant storytelling are driving fresh interest in cards, spiraling collectors into a whirlwind of eBay searches and bidding wars. With WWE stepping onto the global streaming stage with Netflix, the airwaves are buzzing, and so are the figurative spotlight searches on eBay. Figures indicate that WWE’s merchandise searches per hour soared to 2,700 in 2024— a 5% leap from the previous year. And the day WWE premiered on Netflix? Oh boy, that unleashed a frenzy, witnessing a further 5% uptick in searches for individual cards. The audience was intrigued, and specific wrestler cards saw demand skyrocket. Rhea Ripley led the charge with over a 100% increase, while legends like Roman Reigns and CM Punk weren’t far behind.
Now let’s talk about the meat and potatoes of it all—Topps’ triumphant return! Trading cards are back where they belong, under the illumination of flashy new packaging and one exciting innovation after another. Topps senior vice president Clay Luraschi believes this is the golden opportunity wrestling cards have been waiting for. Luraschi exudes confidence that WWE is set for a monumental rise in trading card popularity, highlighting that this boom has been simmering for years. What’s more, Topps is fully committed to diving deep into the personalities of these wrestlers— a storytelling endeavor that separates WWE cards from the sea of sports collectibles.
What’s the first major release under this much-anticipated partnership? The unveiling of the 2024 Topps WWE Chrome set! Within its polished veneer are 12 packs per hobby box, containing eight cards each, and as delightful icing on the cake—two autographs per box. Collectors can snag this gem for a reasonable retail price of $169.99, well worth the investment for those personal inscriptions from actual wrestlers, adding pizzazz to the card collecting universe. Imagine owning a piece of nostalgia with unique catchphrases; can you picture riding that wave of celebrity stature in the collecting realm? We certainly can: Cody Rhodes with “Story Finished!”, Roman Reigns with the definitive “Acknowledge Me”, and Jey Uso’s electrifying “YEET!” are just the beginning.
Ready for the biggest news yet? The Rock, a titan in wrestling, is making his official trading card comeback in the 2024 lineup, bringing along his iconic inscriptions like “Aloha” and “Smell It?” With dual autographs featuring The Rock matched side-by-side with “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, collectors will be clamoring for what promises to be one of the most covetable cards of the year.
2024 isn’t doing things halfway; it celebrates the 40 years since the first WWE trading cards hit the market. Sentimentality takes center stage with special inserts that nod respectfully to the 1985 set, drawing emotional ties from elder collectors while exciting newer generations. John Cena’s impending farewell tour is also on the card horizon, with Topps promising special tribute inserts to honor a man who has made an indelible mark on the WWE landscape.
Could there be even more excitement on the horizon? The idea of debut patch cards, akin to those introduced in MLB and MLS trading card realms is flirting with possibility. Imagine owning a unique card featuring a piece of fabric from a wrestler’s debut match— it might just become the holy grail for collectors.
As the demand for WWE trading cards escalates, up-and-coming stars are also making headlines within the collector’s circuit, with Swerve Strickland leading the charge in popularity. Card enthusiasts are flashing the bright lights of interest toward the likes of Lola Vice and Uncle Howdy—a fresh new brigade of talents that promise to inspire the next wave of trading cards.
With all these thrilling waves drawing in collectors both seasoned and new and the vibrant offerings on the brink, it’s gearing up to be an unmissable year in the world of WWE trading cards. Collectors are once again in the spotlight, ready to bolster their collections and perhaps even snag that one card that nods to the passion of an entire generation of wrestling fandom. It appears that the squared circle of WWE is about to kick into unprecedented high gear, making 2024 a year of celebration and anticipation unmatched in the hobbyist landscape.