{"id":40158,"date":"2017-03-19T22:22:30","date_gmt":"2017-03-20T03:22:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=40158"},"modified":"2017-03-19T22:22:30","modified_gmt":"2017-03-20T03:22:30","slug":"collectibles-column-find-cards-koloff-steele-bass-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/03\/19\/collectibles-column-find-cards-koloff-steele-bass-others\/","title":{"rendered":"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Where to Find Cards of Koloff, Steele, Bass and Others"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-822685235\" class=\"pwtor-before-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><hr \/><b>SPOTLIGHTED PODCAST ALERT (YOUR ARTICLE BEGINS A FEW INCHES DOWN)... <\/b>\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"https:\/\/widget.spreaker.com\/player?show_id=3076978&theme=light&playlist=false&playlist-continuous=false&autoplay=false&live-autoplay=false&chapters-image=true&episode_image_position=right&hide-logo=false&hide-likes=false&hide-comments=false&hide-sharing=false&hide-download=true\" width=\"100%\" height=\"140px\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe>\r\n<hr \/><\/div><p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Pro wrestling has already lost several top stars in the first three months of 2017, including an outlaw, an animal and the man who beat Bruno in the Garden. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">It\u2019s been well documented in this column that interest almost always goes up once a wrestler, athlete or celebrity <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/koloff.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40160 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/koloff.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/koloff.png 300w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/koloff-216x300.png 216w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>dies, particularly when it comes to autographs and trading cards. Because some of the wrestlers who have passed away this year have been older, they have plenty of modern and vintage trading cards to chase. Here\u2019s a look at some trading cards of the legends we\u2019ve lost so far in 2017.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Ivan Koloff<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Of all the wrestlers who have died recently, \u201cthe Russian Bear\u201d received surprisingly little fanfare from WWE. Many modern day fans probably best remember Koloff as \u201cUncle Ivan\u201d to Nikita Koloff in the mid-80s, but a decade before he did the unthinkable and defeated Bruno Sammartino in Madison Square Garden. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Koloff\u2019s cards date back to at least 1978, when he was featured on one of the 32 cards in the 1978 Wrestling Annual from GC London Publishing. Koloff was also included in the 1986 Wrestling Stars set from Monty Gum, the 1987 and 1988 Wonderama NWA sets, and the 1991 Wrestling Legends set from Imagine, Inc., among others. To date, Koloff has never been included in a licensed WWE trading card set. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Most recently, Koloff was prominently featured in several wrestling and multi-sport trading card products from Leaf<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/steele.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40161 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/steele.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/steele.png 248w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/steele-217x300.png 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a> Trading Cards. His 2012 Leaf Originals Wrestling cards feature an on-card signature against two different styles of artwork. Perhaps his best looking card is his 2013 Leaf Sports Heroes Autograph. While that particular card includes a sticker autograph, Koloff\u2019s signature is clean and Leaf used a great black and white picture of the mighty \u201cRussian Bear\u201d in action. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>George \u201cthe Animal\u201d Steele\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">George Steele was a lot of things, from a bloodthirsty monster heel to a lovable cartoon character come to life. He\u2019s best remembered by many fans today as the missing link-like character who fawned over Elizabeth and feuded with Randy Savage throughout 1986. <\/span><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2213619377\" class=\"pwtor-content pwtor-entity-placement\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x250\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Interestingly, while Steele has far more cards than Koloff, his first cards came along much later. Steele\u2019s first cards were produced in the mid-80s during his babyface run; his earliest card is a 1985 WWF Pro Wrestling Stars card from Topps. He appeared in many WWF trading card sets and promotional items <a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/bass.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40162 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/bass.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"279\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/bass.png 331w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/bass-215x300.png 215w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a>throughout during the 1980s. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Like Koloff, Steele was also a part of many wrestling and multi-sport products from Leaf Trading Cards. His signature appears in 2012 Leaf Originals Wrestling, 2014 Leaf Pop Century (paired with Bruno Sammartino on a Co-Stars dual signature insert) and more. Steele\u2019s autograph was also included in 2015 Topps WWE, which tends to be his highest selling card. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Ron Bass\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Bass was a big mean cowboy who wrestled in various NWA territories throughout the 1980s. In 1987, he arrived in the WWF as \u201cOutlaw\u201d Ron Bass, a bullwhip-wielding villain feuding with Blackjack Mulligan. He gained notoriety in 1988 for carving up Brutus Beefcake with his spurs. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Bass has very few collectible items and only one trading card of note. He was included in the 1986 Monty Gum Wrestling Stars set, which are smaller cards with a yellow background. The basic card can be found for just a couple<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/snuka.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40163 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/snuka.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"298\" height=\"209\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/snuka.png 423w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/snuka-300x211.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 298px) 100vw, 298px\" \/><\/a> bucks, and autographed copies that have been authenticated by companies like PSA\/DNA occasionally pop up for sale on eBay. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Jimmy Snuka<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">\u201cSuperfly\u201d appeared on trading cards from the early-80s to as recently as 2014. His first card was released as part of the 1981 Wrestling All Stars set, and he has a very rare dual autograph with daughter Tamina from 2012 Topps WWE.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><b>Other Wrestlers<\/b><\/span><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-2639179671\" class=\"pwtor-content-1 pwtor-entity-placement\"><!-- Tag ID: pwtorchcom_test_300x600 -->\r\n<div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280 __300x600\" id=\"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_test_300x600\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Some wrestlers, like Timothy Well (aka Rex King) and Nicole Bass, had very few trading cards or collectibles produced in their lifetimes. Bass was never featured in a WWE trading card set, but was included on a sticker for the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/well.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-40164 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/well.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"287\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/well.png 294w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/well-209x300.png 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a> 1999 WWF Hot Shots sticker album from Australia. Well appeared with partner Steven Dunn as well Dunn 1995 sets from Action Packed and Merlin.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Chavo Guerrero Sr. \u2013 aka \u201cChavo Classic\u201d \u2013 appeared in the same 1978 Wrestling Annual trading card set as Koloff. He can also be found on a rare card from the November 1982 issue of Puroresu Magazine. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p1\"><strong>NOW READ OUR PREVIOUS COLLECTIBLES COLUMN:<\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/03\/12\/collectibles-column-saw-cena-kept-walking\/\">COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: They Saw Cena, and they Kept Walking<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\"><i>PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at <\/i><a href=\"mailto:michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com\"><span class=\"s2\"><i>michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com<\/i><\/span><\/a><i>. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-635062103\"><div id=\"pwtor-2623758568\"><div align=\"center\" data-freestar-ad=\"__336x280\" id=\"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\">\r\n  <script data-cfasync=\"false\" type=\"text\/javascript\">\r\n    freestar.config.enabled_slots.push({ placementName: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\", slotId: \"pwtorchcom_medrec_3\" });\r\n  <\/script>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\nTHANK YOU FOR VISITING<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"mh-excerpt\"><p>Pro wrestling has already lost several top stars in the first three months of 2017, including an outlaw, an animal and the man who beat Bruno in the Garden. It\u2019s been well documented in this <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2017\/03\/19\/collectibles-column-find-cards-koloff-steele-bass-others\/\" title=\"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: Where to Find Cards of Koloff, Steele, Bass and Others\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40159,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,52,27],"tags":[4912,4911,2838,1574,571,4913,4758,4914,4858,4910,4909],"class_list":["post-40158","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-specialists_collectibles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists","tag-action-packed","tag-chavo-guerrero-sr","tag-george-the-animal-steele","tag-ivan-koloff","tag-jimmy-snuka","tag-merlin","tag-nicole-bass","tag-puroresu-magazine","tag-ron-bass","tag-steven-dunn","tag-timothy-well"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2017\/03\/CollectiblesKoloff_3x2_600.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40158"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40158\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40165,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40158\/revisions\/40165"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}