Vintage Pre-1982 — Suplex Trading Cards
1950s–1981 — Territory Era

Vintage Wrestling Cards

The rarest cardboard in the hobby — before wrestling went national

AWA NWA WWWF Regional

Sets & Checklists

Trading Card & Postcard Sets

1954–1955 Parkhurst Wrestling

75 cards · NWA & territory-era wrestlers · Canadian distribution · Gorgeous George · Lou Thesz · Verne Gagne
1954 KEY SET ▼
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1955–1956 Parkhurst Wrestling

121 cards · Canadian distribution · Buddy Rogers · Bronko Nagurski · Lou Thesz · Verne Gagne · Dory Funk
1955 KEY SET ▼
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1979 Gulas / Rax Roast Beef Championship Wrestling

23 cards · Mid-South regional set · Bobby Eaton · Robert Gibson · Ricky Gibson · Nick Gulas territory
1979 Regional Rare ▼
0 / 23 (0%)
Magazine & Regional Issues

1960s Exhibit Wrestling Cards

10 cards · Postcard-sized · Vending machine distribution · NWA-era stars · Undated, est. early–mid 1960s
1960s Rare ▼
0 / 10 (0%)

1964 Exhibit Wrestling Cards

16 cards · Postcard-sized · WWWF-era · Bruno Sammartino · Buddy Rogers · Haystacks Calhoun
1964 Key: Bruno Sammartino ▼
0 / 16 (0%)

1969–1972 Gong Magazine Mini Bromide Cards

67 cards across 16 issues · Japanese Gong magazine inserts · Mil Mascaras · Abdullah The Butcher · Dory & Terry Funk
1969 Japan / Magazine ▼
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December 1969, No.1
April 1970, No.5
May 1970, No.6
July 1970, No.8
September 1970, No.10
December 1970, No.13
February 1971, No.15
April 1971, No.17 — Mil Mascaras Issue
May 1971, No.18
July 1971, No.20
September 1971, No.21
November 1971, No.23
January 1972, No.25
February 1972, No.26
April 1972, No.28
May 1972, No.29

1974 Yamakatsu New Japan Pro Wrestling

40-card base set · Background color & Winner Stamp variations · Andre the Giant RC #25 & #29 · Antonio Inoki · Tiger Jeet Singh · Karl Gotch
1974 RC: Andre the Giant ▼
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1976 Yamakatsu All Japan Pro Wrestling

40-card base set · Color & Winner Stamp variations · Giant Baba · Dory Funk Jr. · Terry Funk · Mil Mascaras · Harley Race · Jack Brisco
1976 AJPW / Japan ▼
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1981 Gong Magazine Cards

15 cards · 3 issues (May, June, July) · Oversized magazine cards · Dusty Rhodes · Ric Flair · Ricky Steamboat · Tiger Mask
1981 Japan / Magazine ▼
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June 1981
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1981 Popy Super Puroresu Figure Cards

17 cards · Packaged with Popy wrestling figures · Abdullah The Butcher RC (A & B) · Andre the Giant · Hulk Hogan · Antonio Inoki
1981 RC: Abdullah The Butcher ▼
0 / 17 (0%)
Pose A — Figure Cards
Pose B — Figure Cards
Individual Cards

1981 Viva Lucha Libre Magazine Mini Cards

64 cards · Cut from Mexican Viva Lucha Libre magazine · El Santo · Mil Mascaras · Dos Caras · Perro Aguayo · Full CMLL roster
1981 Mexico / CMLL Key: El Santo ▼
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1950s

Earliest Territory-Era Cards

Small-format black-and-white photo cards of NWA and regional wrestlers began appearing in the early 1950s. Gorgeous George — wrestling's first television superstar — appears on some of the earliest known cards. These were often promotional handouts at arenas or included with magazines.

1954–56

Parkhurst Wrestling (Canada)

Canadian card manufacturer Parkhurst produced two landmark wrestling sets featuring NWA and Canadian territory wrestlers. These 75 and 121-card sets are the gold standard of pre-1980 wrestling cards. Key wrestlers: Lou Thesz, Whipper Billy Watson, Gorgeous George, Verne Gagne, Buddy Rogers, Bronko Nagurski.

1960s

Exhibit & Magazine Insert Cards

Postcard-sized Exhibit cards appeared in vending machines across the US. Wrestling magazines also produced insert cards distributed with their publications. Regional promotions produced their own promotional cards for sale at events.

1969–72

Gong Magazine Bromide Cards (Japan)

Japanese wrestling publication Gong included small bromide cards across 16 issues. International stars like Mil Mascaras, Abdullah The Butcher, and the Funk Brothers appeared alongside Japanese wrestling legends.

1974–76

Yamakatsu NJPW & AJPW Sets (Japan)

Japanese manufacturer Yamakatsu produced two landmark sets tied to New Japan and All Japan Pro Wrestling. The 1974 NJPW set contains Andre the Giant's true rookie cards (#25 and #29). The 1976 AJPW set documents Giant Baba, the Funk Brothers, Harley Race, and Jack Brisco.

1979

Gulas / Rax Roast Beef Territory Set

A rare promotional set from the Gulas territory in the mid-South United States. Features early cards of Bobby Eaton and the Gibson Brothers — all future tag team legends.

1981

Final Pre-National Era Cards

Three distinct 1981 releases capture the last gasp of the territory era. Gong magazine oversized cards documented both Japanese and American stars. Popy figure cards produced Abdullah The Butcher's true rookie cards. The Viva Lucha Libre magazine set preserved the full CMLL roster including El Santo at the height of his career.