Upper Deck recently released their first premium AEW trading card product with Spectrum, and Panini released their premium brands of WWE Impeccable and Immaculate, but two new GCW trading card sets are currently giving them a run for their money, as far as value and collectability are concerned.
2023 GCW vs TNT trading cards were produced for a TNT Extreme Wrestling show in Liverpool, England on September 17, 2022. According to WrestlingTradingCards.com, 150 GCW vs TNT trading card sets were allegedly produced, but only ten sets were available for sale at the show, then on January 10, 2023, 20 more sets were made available on GCWMerch.com, and quickly sold out. Apparently, some of the talent included in the set weren’t even aware that these cards existed, with Matt Cardona tweeting on February 27, 2023, “Anybody know anything about this card? I’ve never seen it before.”
Since then, the demand for these cards has only increased, and so has the price. One complete set of GCW vs TNT cards recently sold for $400, more than ten times the average retail price for a set of new GCW cards, which typically sell for about $30 per pack/box, and if you’re just looking to purchase individual cards of your favorite GCW/TNT wrestlers, get ready to open your wallet.
As of this writing, Pro Wrestling Junkie is selling a limited supply of autographed GCW vs TNT trading cards, which would obviously sell for more than an unsigned card, but even still, the difference in price is notable. For example, PWJ is selling an autographed copy of Joey Janela’s 2022 Spring Break base card for $40, but an autographed copy of his 2023 GCW vs TNT card for $110. Likewise, you can buy an autographed copy of Jordan Oliver’s 2022 Spring Break card for $40, and an autographed copy of his GCW vs TNT card for $110, so almost three times the cost. Will these prices stand the test of time? Maybe not if GCW or TNT releases more sets of these cards, but for the time being, this is one of the hottest, and scarcest, new indy wrestling card sets on the secondary market.
Another new GCW trading card set is taking inspiration from possibly the rarest pro wrestling trading card set of the past. According to some very reliable sources, the 1979 Gulas/Rax Roast Beef Championship Wrestling Card Set is “the most elusive set of wrestling cards that exists.” If you want to read more about the original 1979 set, PSA published an excellent interview by Kevin Glew with wrestling card super collector David Peck, who now owns two complete sets of 1979 Gulas/Rax Roast Beef cards, a nearly unimaginable feat.
Jumping ahead to the present, GCW recently took advantage of their partnership with Pabst Blue Ribbon and released their own set of Gulas/Rax Roast Beef-inspired wrestling cards. The attention to detail in this set is meticulous, including the Polaroid-style photography, credited to Kevin Quiroz. The only significant difference, other than the talent represented, is the Rax Roast Beef logo on the 1979 cards has been replaced with the GCW logo on the 2023 cards. The GCW x PBR cards even come packed in a clear cellophane wrapper, like the original 1979 set.
GCW x PBR sets have been somewhat more available than the GCW vs TNT sets, due to these cards being manufactured and distributed in the United States by GCW. But as of this writing, GCW seems to only be releasing limited quantities of the set online, leading to immediate sellouts, and few sets available at their live events, so the secondary market is having some fun with the GCW x PBR set, as well.
While GCW Merch teases its currently sold-out set of GCW x PBR cards for only $29.99, a more or less standard price for a set of cards, unopened sets are listed on eBay for $300. Similarly, Pro Wrestling Junkie also has autographed copies of these cards for sale, and while they aren’t charging as much for these as they are for their GCW vs TNT autographs, the average price difference is about $25 more per card.
It’s probably safe to assume that GCW will eventually release more GCW x PBR sets, and prices on the secondary market will begin to decrease, but where the GCW vs TNT set may hold the advantage in the way of scarcity and value, I think the GCW x PBR cards are more aesthetically pleasing. Either way, it’s great to see independent wrestling cards share the spotlight with mainstream premium competitions like AEW and WWE. Now I just wish someone would hook me up with some of these cards.
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