Wrestling Magazines
Magazines are very popular among wrestling fans. For some, it is the only wrestling memorabilia they collect. Though they are true collector's items, magazines as far back as the 1980's can be purchased for little more, and sometimes less, than the original cover prices. Vintage magazines offer a glimpse into history when wrestling was presented as pure sport, and the fans chose to believe.
Magazines from the 1950's
Magazines from the 1950's include Wrestling Life, Wrestling Illustrated, and N.W.A. Official Wrestling. These usually bring $10 - $20 on eBay, and they are not very easy to find in good condition. Copies in nice condition bring about double what those in lesser condition can get. Magazine collectors like to upgrade their collections.Beginning in the 1950's and lastly until the very early 1960's, wrestling had its own section in some boxing magazines. I've sometimes wondered whether the increase in circulation among wrestling fans offset the anger of many boxing fans who didn't like sharing their magazines with a fake sport. Boxing Illustrated & Wrestling News and Boxing & Wrestling were the two magazines that shared space on the cover. The Ring was primarily a boxing magazine, but included a section on wrestling. The Ring eventually split into two magazines, each covering their own "sport."
Another wrestling magazine that is an especially nice collectible Wrestling and TV Sports. It didn't last long, but the few issues that were produced give us a picture of what the early TV audience was watching. Wrestling was certainly important to them - along with roller derby, home run derby, and demolition derby. All of the copies that I have owned are from 1951 and they are all cross-over collectibles, making them more valuable. In nice condition, they can bring up to $20 - $25 each.
Wrestling Magazines from the 1960's and 1970's
The 60's saw Ring Wrestling, Wrestling World, and Wrestling Revue come on the scene. The early issues are harder to find than later issues, so values vary. Most collectors consider Ring Wrestling to the best of the three. The writing was usually very good and the photos were excellent. Some of the articles are actually well researched and scholarly. Ring Wrestling was also printed on a better grade of paper.Wrestling Confidential was a short lived publication that hit the newstands in the 1964 and last into the next year. It primarily focused on the homelife, nightlife and musings of the wrestlers. It was more gossip and less action, and a little less worked. It didn't sell well, and the copies that have survived are tougher to find than most wrestling magazines. They sell on eBay for around $10.
Inside Wrestling and The Wrestler hit the news stands in 1960's. Both lacked the quality that the more established magazines had, but both gained an audience. Magazines with those titles are being published today, though the ownership and style has changed through the years.
Wrestling in General Interst and Sports Magazines
Collectors also like general interest or sports magazines with wrestling covers or stories. The Police Gazzette often featured wrestling articles with some wacky cover stories.Danny Hodge, as an amateur, was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Antonino Rocca made the cover of Esquire. Bruno Sammartino was featured on an Argosy cover. There are hundreds of magazines that a collector could search for.
Links to My Wrestling Lenses at Squidoo
- Gorgeous George - Pro Wrestling's Greatest Showman
- In 1948, television was introduced to American homes. Along with the Milton Berle Show, professional wrestling aired on Tuesday nights. along with the Milton Berle Show. It's biggest star was "Gorgeous George, who just a few years earlier had been wrestling as the capable, but bland George Wagner.
- Maurice Tillet and Wrestling's Angels
- Dating back to 1939, the Angels were a group of enormously successful wrestling characters. Maurice Tillet, the French Angel, was a main stream celebrity in his day. Another, Tor Johnson, has become a modern day cult figure.
- Haystack Calhoun - Wrestling's Best Super-Heavyweight
- At a billed 604 lbs, Haystack Calhoun was the most well known super- heavyweight wrestler of his time. Unlike most of the old school super-heavyweights, Calhoun actually used wrestling moves in his act.
- Man Mountain Dean - More Than a Wrestler
- Man Mountain Dean, at a little over 6 feet tall and 300 pounds, was a giant of a man in more ways than size.
- Tojo Yamamoto: One of the South's Greatest Wrestling Villains
- In real life, he was Harold Watanabe, a native Hawaiian. In the ring, he was Tojo Yamamoto, tough Japanese wrestler who was one of the South's best wrestling draws from the early 1960's to the mid 1980's.
- Nick Gulas - Southern Wrestling Promoter
- Nick Gulas operated what was at once the largest wrestling promotion in the South. Fans returned week after week to his wrestling cards from the 1940's until the late 1970's.
- Vintage Professional Wrestling Collectibles
- America's love for professional wrestling dates back many years before Wrestlemania, Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon.
- Collecting Professional Wrestling Autographs
- Wrestling autographs have been avidly collected since the turn of the last century when wrestling stars were major celebrities. Those old autographs are very hard to find today.
Wrestling Memorabilia on YouTube
My wrestling memorabilia
My wrestling memorabilia, i will do a detailed review if anyone is interested.. i have more than what i showed. This is just to see if i get any interest.... if i do i will do a much deeper review and telling of when and how i got some of my stuff signed etc... Also will be "showing off" my growing collection of wrestling dvdz and VHS for "Gemini686's" challenge.... Hope you all enjoy and look forward to seeing some of your shit as well!, Peace :)
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Great Stuff on Amazon
The Encyclopedia of Professional Wrestling: 100 Years of History, Headlines & Hitmakers
Amazon Price: (as of 01/07/2010) 
Professional Wrestling Collectibles
Amazon Price: $17.12 (as of 01/07/2010)
Wrestling, Premiere Edition (CheckerBee Fan Guide) (Collector's Value Guides)
Amazon Price: (as of 01/07/2010)
Great Stuff on eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
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