Home Trading Cards & Memorabilia Forum

1981 Popy Super Puroresu Hulk Hogan MOC with Hogan card showing...

Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

What a crazy night last night was. I was hanging out at home having a few drinks and watching some old wrestling on YouTube and heard my phone ding. I had a notification on my Twitter account and went to go see what it was. As soon as I opened it up I was like you have got to be kidding me!!! A collector had contacted me and posted a photo of a mint on the card 1981 Popy Hulk Hogan wrestling figure with the Hogan card showing and saying he had just got it and to educate him. I immediately responded I want it and sent him message saying I had no problem having him make money on it and made a strong offer. A lot of the nice Japanese wrestling collectibles trade on auction sites there and make their way to the U.S. This collector specializes in rare wrestling autographs and saw the item and won it and had just received it in the mail. He didn't bite on my first offer and we went back and forth for an hour or so and he wasn't jumping on it so I sent him a higher offer and said lets get this done. Once more it wasn't an immediate yes and so I was trying to send him responses to his messages but for some reason my internet connection to Twitter was awful and I said call me. I wasn't sure if he would get it and then the phone rang and it was him. We ended up chatting for awhile and discussing various hobby related items and as we were about to get off the phone after at least 45 minutes I once more said I really I need this for my collection and if you do decide to sell it at least give me a shot. We made a little more small talk and just as we were about to hang up the phone I thought I was going to sleep with out buying it he said I tell you what if you will send me this number it is yours. I said done and got his information and fired off the funds. It spent one day in NJ and now it is on its way to Orlando!!!

A little background on this item. At the end of 2013 a thread was started about the wrestling cards from the Popy figures. Each figure comes with I believe seven cards and the figure is to the left and their card is in the pack to the right. When the thread was first started it was debatable if Hogan had a card because he is the only figure in the set that doesn't have him on the front all of the time and no photos were available online with one. In his place for some reason is Mil Mascaras. A few days later it was indeed confirmed that Hogan had a card and Rob (WCK) had tracked down some figures from Japan with a Hogan showing and he busted his open and then got his Hogan Popy card graded shortly after. Fast forward five plus years later and I still don't own a copy! I had a shot to win the first one ever listed on EBAY as a single last year and put in what I thought was a strong bid of $1,000 and was toppled for close to $1,100. So far PSA has only graded four of them and no one truly knows why there are so few. The 1981 Popy wrestling figures are the first made wrestling action figures and feature some of the most famous U.S. based stars that were wrestling in Japan. For those not familiar Hulk Hogan spent a lot of time in Japan in the early 80's and debuted there in May of 1980 and gained significant fame while working there. In the middle of 1981 he was really making head way in the AWA and he was making big bucks off his Japanese merchandise and at some point him and Vern Gagne had a big dispute over it. Once again it is unknown why this card is so much more rare than others from the set and it seems to be the case with his 1982 Cosmos card as well so it may have something to do with money. We can speculate all we want but so far no real evidence exists. When you do Google searches and read forums talking about figures most do not even realize Hogan has a figure with his card showing.

I am beyond thrilled to be adding this item to my collection. I think it is not only one of the marquee wrestling collectables that exist but a tremendous investment item. In a few days I will now finally own a copy of Hogan's first produced card on card stock and what most advanced wrestling collectors call his rookie card. The rarity is truly off the charts. I will indeed have to keep searching for another copy because it is just not wise to crack this out of the case at this point. I did that with many LJN figures I purchased in the past and they have skyrocketed in value and while I don't regret it I certainly killed off value. This is too special of a piece to do that and will easily be one of the best items in my collection. I literally had a hard time going to bed last night because of so much excitement. The item is being shipped today and I will have it in a few days. Here is the pic from Twitter and I will update when I get it. I may get it signed. I may get it graded or buy one of the protective cases. I will make that decision at some point. The backer card is bent and you can see the Hogan is twisted a little in the bubble so not sure if grading is the right way to go. I will just have to do some more research on that front. The figures are wildly popular and when a Hogan shows up on EBAY loose it is snatched up in no time. This right here is what makes collecting fun. You never give up and you keep moving forward and sometimes you real in the big fish. I can't wait to get this in hand!

Comments

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Here is a pic of what most look like

  • _EagleEyeKid__EagleEyeKid_ Posts: 273 ✭✭✭

    Interesting read D. While I'm not a fan of wrestling, I love your passion for the stuff.

  • LarkinCollectorLarkinCollector Posts: 8,975 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Congrats on harpooning a whale!

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    EagleEyeKid said:
    Interesting read D. While I'm not a fan of wrestling, I love your passion for the stuff.

    Thank you for taking the time to read it and commenting. I appreciate it.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @LarkinCollector said:
    Congrats on harpooning a whale!

    Thank you!

    I told the guy I need this to keep me excited. I can only have so many copies of the same card and I don't own one. It was kind of funny because I think he was fishing. Once we got going back and forth it was clear he knew what he had and I was very transparent from the start so it worked out. A very stressful few hours that is for sure!

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭
    edited March 20, 2019 9:57AM

    Sounds like a heart pumping collecting moment. I know a lot of the old wrestling and mma figures from Japan are considered the best around. This one is older than the LJN issues from the U.S. I can't imagine how rare it is.
    I remember seeing the star wars figures being graded years ago by a TPG like in your photo. Keep us posted if you get it holdered.

    On a side note with rumors of Hogan having more of a role in WWE this should spark the 80's collectibles.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @akuracy503 said:
    Sounds like a heart pumping collecting moment. I know a lot of the old wrestling and mma figures from Japan are considered the best around. This one is older than the LJN issues from the U.S. I can't imagine how rare it is.
    I didnt know PSA grades on card figures. I remember seeing the star wars figures being graded years ago by a TPG. Keep us posted if you get it holdered.

    On a side note with rumors of Hogan having more of a role in WWE this should spark the 80's collectibles.

    It really was. The situation dragged on for about four hours and I wanted it more with each minute. Haha

    PSA doesn't grade them but if you do a Google search there is a company that does. They do look cool in those holders but I am not certain how much the number grade affects the value and I may just figure out a way to display it in my front room with my cards and other figures.

    Hogan' stuff is on the mend. He was in the penalty box there for awhile but time heals all wounds with legends. His yellow LJN figure has gone up dramatically and the one figure I bought and popped out that was probably a mistake was his white shirt version. I paid $129 years ago and wanted one badly to pop out to display and that damn thing is going for close to $600. I certainly am not looking forward to the day that Hogan passes but mark my words you will see a feeding frenzy on EBAY for his collectables like never before.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @han_soto said:
    who woulda thunk wrestling stuff went for so much? ;)

    on a serious tip, congrats! any whale is good whale.

    Thanks dude.

    This is the type of item you just pay more for than you might want because you will be kicking yourself if you don't.

  • krisd3279krisd3279 Posts: 808 ✭✭✭✭

    Congrats! That is an awesome find for sure! All the old wrestling stuff brings back memories of watching them when I was a kid.

    Kris

    My 1971 Topps adventure - Davis Men in Black

  • Nascar360Nascar360 Posts: 1,850 ✭✭✭

    Very cool!

  • initialDinitialD Posts: 1,624 ✭✭✭

    Congrats man! I could feel your anguish in the back and forths haha. Good for you for not letting it get away. And thanks for sharing, that’s awesomeness right there!

  • 1951WheatiesPremium1951WheatiesPremium Posts: 6,225 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Tremendous get for a tremendous collector.

    What a find!

    Curious about the rare, mysterious and beautiful 1951 Wheaties Premium Photos?

    https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/987963/1951-wheaties-premium-photos-set-registry#latest

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @initialD said:
    Congrats man! I could feel your anguish in the back and forths haha. Good for you for not letting it get away. And thanks for sharing, that’s awesomeness right there!

    I honestly was like this can't be happening. How can this item surface and it not end up in my collection. I have to get this done. Thankfully I made the move to have him call me and I was able to better make my case. Not using EBAY obviously makes the bid higher and I paid the PayPal fees to ensure he netted the number he wanted. He made out and I got something that enhances my collection. So pumped!

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @1951WheatiesPremium said:
    Tremendous get for a tremendous collector.

    What a find!

    Thank you!

    Just checked USPS and it is on its way!

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭

    DPeck You mentioned Orlando. That is the hub for a ton of current roster WWE wrestlers. Last fall in a flight out of Orlando I shared a plane ride with about a dozen WWE superstars, Finn Balor, Elias, Apollo Cruz, Lio Rush, Liv Morgan, etc. My little boy about had a meltdown.

    Wrestling is contagious from generation to generation. Glad it's part of the hobby.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭

    I was reminded there is the AFA grading company which is the PSA parallel TPG for unopened, on card figures.
    I think eventually you will want it holdered. Seems like a nice case.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 20, 2019 2:38PM

    @akuracy503 said:
    DPeck You mentioned Orlando. That is the hub for a ton of current roster WWE wrestlers. Last fall in a flight out of Orlando I shared a plane ride with about a dozen WWE superstars, Finn Balor, Elias, Apollo Cruz, Lio Rush, Liv Morgan, etc. My little boy about had a meltdown.

    Wrestling is contagious from generation to generation. Glad it's part of the hobby.

    There is a ton of activity at the WWE Performance Center and shockingly I have never gone to an NXT taping. There is a large number of wrestlers that live in the Baldwin Park area and one day on my drive home I saw what I thought was Shinsuke Nakamura walking his dog with his daughter on her little bike and I whipped my car around and went back and rolled down the window and once I realize it was him yelled out I am a big fan of your work and he walked over to the car and shook my hand and I shared a quick story with him and went on my way.

    What gave me the idea to contact Ric Flair's agent a few years ago about a private signing was his daughter was working in NXT and I assumed he came down to visit her periodically. It was crazy I was in a work meeting and got a call from a North Carolina number and took the call and it was her and we put that deal together over the next two days because he was in Orlando that week visiting Ashley (Charlotte). He was probably like hell yeah I will hang out with this fan and get him to pay for my hotel stay. Haha

  • NJ80sBBCNJ80sBBC Posts: 720 ✭✭✭✭

    Incredible acquisition David! There’s nothing like the thrill of adding a piece of this magnitude to your collection. You know that it would have eaten at you for years if you didn’t go all in for this one. Congratulations!

    Conundrum - Loving my unopened baseball card collection....but really like ripping too
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @NJ80sBBC said:
    Incredible acquisition David! There’s nothing like the thrill of adding a piece of this magnitude to your collection. You know that it would have eaten at you for years if you didn’t go all in for this one. Congratulations!

    Thanks for checking it out. I couldn't agree more. I was dreading having to wait a few days for him to decide and if I had blown this I would have been so pissed.

  • eagles33eagles33 Posts: 2,676 ✭✭✭

    Great score. I don’t know a ton about these cards except that the hogan card is extremely rare. Seems like it’s short print because i have seen sealed hogan figures but with a different card showing. I definitely consider this hogans rookie. It’s the 101 Star Jordan compared to the 86 fleer which is like the 82 all star set. I’m interested to hear How it goes getting the figure graded if you go that direction

    Scans of most of my Misc rookies can be found <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.collectors.com/m...y&keyword1=Non%20major">here
  • JBrulesJBrules Posts: 2,116 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Wow!!! What a great read. Congrats on landing an incredible piece to your already awesome collection. Always like reading your posts as your collecting passion is obvious. Reading these kinds of threads help feed my collecting addiction.

  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭

    @eagles33 said:
    Great score. I don’t know a ton about these cards except that the hogan card is extremely rare. Seems like it’s short print because i have seen sealed hogan figures but with a different card showing. I definitely consider this hogans rookie. It’s the 101 Star Jordan compared to the 86 fleer which is like the 82 all star set. I’m interested to hear How it goes getting the figure graded if you go that direction

    Sell my your Hogan so i can get it signed! :-)

    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @eagles33 said:
    Great score. I don’t know a ton about these cards except that the hogan card is extremely rare. Seems like it’s short print because i have seen sealed hogan figures but with a different card showing. I definitely consider this hogans rookie. It’s the 101 Star Jordan compared to the 86 fleer which is like the 82 all star set. I’m interested to hear How it goes getting the figure graded if you go that direction

    Thanks for commenting Chad. I think your analogy is the appropriate one. The release dates are very close and what I like more about the 82 A is that it is a photo of Hulk from 1979 when he was just debuting as The Incredible Hulk Hogan but in reality the Popy card came first. There is no question that the Popy card is dramatically more rare than the 82 A. You might not be able to go on EBAY and find the specific grade you want at anytime but you certainly can find a copy. In the nearly ten years I have been checking EBAY daily for wrestling cards I have only seen the one raw Popy that was auctioned off last year. Admittedly I haven't been searching for figures the whole time so it is entirely possible more Hogan's have surfaced there but certainly not many. In terms of getting the item graded. I checked yesterday and AFA who is the PSA of figures has a population report and one raw figure and one Hogan/Mascaras have been graded so this would be the only one in a graded holder which would be cool. I just don't know how much the grade affects the value because with cards in many cases a raw card that is popular can sell for more than the same card with the lower grade on it. I will certainly update the thread in the future.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @JBrules said:
    Wow!!! What a great read. Congrats on landing an incredible piece to your already awesome collection. Always like reading your posts as your collecting passion is obvious. Reading these kinds of threads help feed my collecting addiction.

    Thank you for commenting. There are a lot of us that got addicted young. I bought a box recently of 1990 Best Minor League and ripped it because I literally spent every dollar I made from mowing lawns when I was 11 on packs at the Wal Mart up the street from my house at the time. We would ride our bikes up there and I would buy as many packs as I could. That set was my pride and joy and a set that has truly been a victim of the internet. They were hard to find but with EBAY creating a global landscape there is way more supply than demand. The set is loaded with guys that played in the bigs in the 90's and Frank Thomas and Ryan Klesko were my guys from the set. I could have never predicted then that I would buy wrestling cards later in life because I thought it was laughable when you would go into the card shop and the 1990 Classic wrestling cards cost more than a lot of baseball and I had no interest. Things change and you go with what you like. Good luck with your collection.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @wrestlingcardking said:

    @eagles33 said:
    Great score. I don’t know a ton about these cards except that the hogan card is extremely rare. Seems like it’s short print because i have seen sealed hogan figures but with a different card showing. I definitely consider this hogans rookie. It’s the 101 Star Jordan compared to the 86 fleer which is like the 82 all star set. I’m interested to hear How it goes getting the figure graded if you go that direction

    Sell my your Hogan so i can get it signed! :-)

    You and Knapp already have too many. LOL

    Greg W and I were texting yesterday and he said if I ever want to sell it he has a buyer 20% + higher. Looks like there are definitely other collectors who have taken notice of this card and want a copy. I have to wonder if Hulk has ever signed a figure or raw card. It would be interesting to bring it to a signing and see what he says and maybe he can shed some light on why his card isn't as common. When Greg and I were getting some stuff signed by Stan Hansen he was like I didn't know that one of the items existed and I didn't authorize it. He got agitated because he doesn't play when it comes to his money. I bet Hulk is the same way.

  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭

    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @wrestlingcardking

    That is a thing of beauty!

    This is the type of card you will take in any grade and very nice to have one that is the highest graded right there.

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭

    @Dpeck100 said:

    @akuracy503 said:
    DPeck You mentioned Orlando. That is the hub for a ton of current roster WWE wrestlers. Last fall in a flight out of Orlando I shared a plane ride with about a dozen WWE superstars, Finn Balor, Elias, Apollo Cruz, Lio Rush, Liv Morgan, etc. My little boy about had a meltdown.

    Wrestling is contagious from generation to generation. Glad it's part of the hobby.

    There is a ton of activity at the WWE Performance Center and shockingly I have never gone to an NXT taping. There is a large number of wrestlers that live in the Baldwin Park area and one day on my drive home I saw what I thought was Shinsuke Nakamura walking his dog with his daughter on her little bike and I whipped my car around and went back and rolled down the window and once I realize it was him yelled out I am a big fan of your work and he walked over to the car and shook my hand and I shared a quick story with him and went on my way.

    What gave me the idea to contact Ric Flair's agent a few years ago about a private signing was his daughter was working in NXT and I assumed he came down to visit her periodically. It was crazy I was in a work meeting and got a call from a North Carolina number and took the call and it was her and we put that deal together over the next two days because he was in Orlando that week visiting Ashley (Charlotte). He was probably like hell yeah I will hang out with this fan and get him to pay for my hotel stay. Haha

    You're telling me you have "Charlotte's" number? B)
    NXT was the best thing in wrestling for awhile. A lot of call up's to WWE. We'll see how they handle the talent.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @akuracy503

    No Flair's agent at the time who runs Legacy Talent. He fired her right after his life threatening illness.

    https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article172402277.html

    I probably put it in the thread about that event with him but it is a great story so worth mentioning again.
    When I did the pre screening with her which includes a full background check I said to her that I had heard that Ric wasn't really drinking much and how I should handle the situation if we are meeting up at the hotel. She said yeah Ric doesn't drink hardly anymore and his party days are behind him so don't ask him if he wants to have a drink but if he brings it up that is fine. The first thing he said was you kids want to get a drink I am buying! I said hell yeah! I ended up pounding like seven vodka drinks. Haha

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭

    Haha I believe every single crazy story I hear about Ric Flair. Wilt Chamberlain would be jealous.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • akuracy503akuracy503 Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭

    That is sweet indeed. I was thinking about the AFA grading case..Wonder if it'll protect the on card (plastic) bubble from the common yellowing affect we see on vintage figures like this. That would be my only thought around preserving this one of a kind piece. Especially if it's out in light for display.

    CU Ancient Members badge member.

    Collection: https://flickr.com/photos/185200668@N06/albums

  • eagles33eagles33 Posts: 2,676 ✭✭✭

    How does the Hogan card look if you had to guess the grade? Great collectible.

    Scans of most of my Misc rookies can be found <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.collectors.com/m...y&keyword1=Non%20major">here
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @eagles33 said:
    How does the Hogan card look if you had to guess the grade? Great collectible.

    The upper left corner looks touched. I would guess an 8.

  • eagles33eagles33 Posts: 2,676 ✭✭✭

    8 is very solid. Mine is a 7 and to be honest I think it’s a generous 7.... but I’m certainly not complaining . Would love to see what a graded one goes for. Glad you posted about this.

    Scans of most of my Misc rookies can be found <a target=new class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://forums.collectors.com/m...y&keyword1=Non%20major">here
  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @eagles33 said:
    8 is very solid. Mine is a 7 and to be honest I think it’s a generous 7.... but I’m certainly not complaining . Would love to see what a graded one goes for. Glad you posted about this.

    It would be great to see one auctioned off but with less than 10 known copies that will be tough.

    As I have said from the start I don't live in some delusion that wrestling cards will mimic the values of the traditional sports but one thing that has proven to be true is from a rarity standpoint there are plenty of wrestling cards that are super tough.

    If this card was a Jordan card it would be 100k plus. Obviously it will never fetch that but it's not going down anytime soon that is for sure.

  • Dpeck100Dpeck100 Posts: 10,910 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • Aspie_RoccoAspie_Rocco Posts: 3,259 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • wrestlingcardkingwrestlingcardking Posts: 4,555 ✭✭✭✭

    I didn't see this video as soon as it was posted so I was pleasantly surprised to receive a nice shout out from Dpeck in this video. I appreciate it. I hope to keep the first and only 1981 Popy set in high grade in the top slot. Happy Birthday brother!

    BUYING Frank Gotch T229 Kopec
    Looking to BUY n332 1889 SF Hess cards and high grade cards from 19th century especially. "Once you have wrestled everything else in life is easy" Dan Gable
Sign In or Register to comment.