{"id":79905,"date":"2019-05-16T22:25:44","date_gmt":"2019-05-17T03:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/?p=79905"},"modified":"2019-05-16T22:25:44","modified_gmt":"2019-05-17T03:25:44","slug":"collectibles-column-5-count-topps-wcw-luchador-cards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/05\/16\/collectibles-column-5-count-topps-wcw-luchador-cards\/","title":{"rendered":"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN 5 COUNT: Topps WCW Luchador Cards"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"pwtor-729420423\" 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><div class=\"m_5150591226370568862gmail_signature\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<p>Topps\u2019 WCW trading card sets from the late 1990s completely changed the wrestling trading card hobby. While WWF trading cards from Action Packed and Comic Images had offered a few autographs here and there, Topps\u2019 WCW sets were built around a deep checklist of autographs of wrestling\u2019s top stars.<\/p>\n<p>The autographs from 1998 Topps WCW, 1999 Topps WCW Nitro and 1999 Topps WCW Embossed are some of the most prized cards in the history of wrestling. Autographs were randomly inserted about one in every two hobby boxes. Some of the most popular autographs from these sets include Bam Bam Bigelow, Curt Henning, Randy Savage, Miss Elizabeth, Hulk Hogan and so many more.<\/p>\n<p>But in addition to a plethora of autographs of some of the biggest wrestling stars in U.S. history, the Topps WCW sets were also packed with signatures from some of Mexico\u2019s top wrestlers. Here\u2019s a look at five key luchador signatures found in Topps\u2019 WCW products.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Eddie (Eddy) Guerrero 1998 Topps WCW Autograph. Eddie\u2019s Topps WCW autograph is the holy grail for many collectors of wrestling cards and memorabilia. Guerrero\u2019s signature is very rare, and this is his only certified autographed trading card, aside from a cut signature that appeared in a WWE product last year. In addition to being extremely rare, Guerrero also has one of the most visually striking and appealing autographs you\u2019ll ever see. If you\u2019re lucky enough to track one of these cards down, be ready to pay anywhere from $300 to $500.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/1_Eddie.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-79907 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/1_Eddie-300x213.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"213\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/1_Eddie-300x213.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/1_Eddie.jpeg 422w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>La Parka 1999 Topps WCW Nitro Autograph. The man now known as LA Park has been one of Mexico\u2019s top stars for three decades. His feud with Rush was one of the top drawing programs in Mexico in recent years, and his current run in Major League Wrestling has helped shine a new spotlight on his career. La Parka has one of the coolest signatures you\u2019ll find: he signed each card \u201cLa Parka tu Amigo,\u201d along with a sketch of a skull and scythe. La Parka\u2019s Topps WCW autograph doesn\u2019t pop up for sale often and usually sells for around $60.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/2_Parka.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-79908 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/2_Parka.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"224\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Psychosis 1998 Topps WCW Autograph. Psychosis was the foil for Rey Mysterio in several early ECW matches, and his flashy style and crazy mask helped him to stand out. He\u2019s still a star in Mexico and some U.S. independent promotions, wrestling both as Psychosis and Nicho. His card is tough to find and usually sells for around $50.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/3_Psychosis.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-79909 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/3_Psychosis-300x205.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/3_Psychosis-300x205.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/3_Psychosis.jpeg 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Silver King 1999 Topps WCW Nitro Autograph. Silver King\u2019s name has been in the news recently due to his tragic death in the ring during a match with Juventud Guerrera. Silver King first appeared on WCW television in 1992 as part of the NWA tag team title tournament, and then resurfaced during Nitro\u2019s boom period in the 1990s. He also portrayed the masked villain in the Jack Black film \u201cNacho Libre\u201d in 2005. Silver King was a much bigger star in Mexico. In 2010, he donned his mask for a second time and changed his name to Silver Cain as he feuded with real-life brother Dr. Wagner Jr. Silver King\u2019s Topps WCW autograph was one of the more common cards in the set, and pretty consistently sold for around $25. Following his death, however, the value of the card will likely increase significantly.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/4_Silver_King.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-79910 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/4_Silver_King-300x215.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"222\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/4_Silver_King-300x215.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/4_Silver_King.jpeg 346w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 310px) 100vw, 310px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Hector Garza 1999 Topps WCW Nitro Autograph. Garza was one of the few luchadores to appear on both WWF and WCW TV during the Monday Night War. Like many other wrestlers on this list, Garza was a much bigger star in his native Mexico than he was in the U.S. He was a big star in CMLL in the 2000s before joining Los Perros Del Mal during their invasion of AAA in 2011 and 2012. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2012 and passed away in 2013 at just 43 years old. His extended wrestling family includes current WWE developmental wrestlers Humberto Carrillo and Garza Jr. Hector Garza\u2019s Topps WCW auto can usually be found for around $40.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/5_Garza.jpeg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\" wp-image-79911 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/5_Garza-300x209.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"310\" height=\"216\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>In addition to the luchadores presented in this top 5, other notable signatures included Konnan, Juventud Guerrera, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Cyclope (aka Halloween), Damien 666, El Dandy, Super Calo and Lizmark Jr.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re looking to add these cards to your collection, be careful what you buy and familiarize yourself with the product. Some cards were produced but never inserted into packs, including Rey Mysterio, Davey Boy Smith, Booker T and Scott Steiner, among others. These unreleased cards sometimes surface on eBay or at local card shows. It\u2019s possible that the wrestlers kept the cards and sold them themselves, instead of returning them to Topps. It\u2019s also possible that some unscrupulous collector got his hands on unsigned cards and forged a signature. In addition, reproductions often surface on eBay on some of the bigger cards.<\/p>\n<p>Cardboard Connection has a great reference site on the Topps WCW cards at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cardboardconnection.com\/complete-guide-topps-wcw-autograph-card\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.cardboardconnection.com\/complete-guide-topps-wcw-autograph-card&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1558134816389000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGVKzplqvfDEqIZCcUFlfXDS-UUEw\">https:\/\/www.cardboardconnection.com\/complete-guide-topps-wcw-autograph-card<\/a>. If you have questions about the authenticity of a card, seek out a knowledgeable collector on Twitter, Facebook trading card groups or forums on sites like<a href=\"http:\/\/blowoutcards.com\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/blowoutcards.com&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1558134816389000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGgk14G6tHhMMWtf4yabLCijcU4ig\">blowoutcards.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>One more tip on tracking down these cards: make sure you try different spellings of a wrestler\u2019s name when performing a search. Eddie Guerrero is identified on his card as \u201cEddy\u201d and Psychosis was more commonly spelled \u201cPsicosis\u201d in Mexico.<\/p>\n<p><strong>NOW CHECK OUT THE PRIOR COLUMN:\u00a0<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/05\/01\/collectibles-column-5-count-wrestlers-who-share-terrible-signatures-with-other-famous-athletes\/\">COLLECTIBLES COLUMN 5 COUNT: Wrestlers Who Share Terrible Signatures with Other Famous Athletes<\/a><\/p><div id=\"pwtor-3481087325\" 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<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><i>Five Count is a new format for the Pro Wrestling Torch\u2019s long-running collectibles column, which began in 2011. PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be contacted at<a href=\"mailto:michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com<\/a>. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n<div class=\"pwtor-end-article-groups pwtor-entity-placement\" id=\"pwtor-257976354\"><div id=\"pwtor-3198756442\"><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>Topps\u2019 WCW trading card sets from the late 1990s completely changed the wrestling trading card hobby. While WWF trading cards from Action Packed and Comic Images had offered a few autographs here and there, Topps\u2019 <a class=\"mh-excerpt-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/2019\/05\/16\/collectibles-column-5-count-topps-wcw-luchador-cards\/\" title=\"COLLECTIBLES COLUMN 5 COUNT: Topps WCW Luchador Cards\">[&#8230;]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":79906,"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":[],"class_list":["post-79905","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-specialists_collectibles","category-opnionandanalysis","category-specialists"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-content\/uploads\/post\/2019\/05\/Collectibles_SilverKing.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79905","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=79905"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79905\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79912,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79905\/revisions\/79912"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79906"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79905"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79905"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.pwtorch.com\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79905"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}