Classic Revelations

I don't watch much current wrestling, but thanks to WWE Classics on Demand, not a week goes by where I'm not taking in some squared circle action. As someone who was weened on early '90s WWF action, the channel is a goldmine. It provides nostalgia and also fills in the gaps for those stretches of time where I wasn't able to see anything but the PPV shows on home video.

What the channel also provides through its content is the opportunity to re-examine wrestlers you thought you had an accurate opinion about. By that, I mean that through seeing a more expansive body of work from a given wrestler, you're able to better appreciate his contributions to the mat.

Over the next few weeks, I'd like to focus on this handful of wrestlers in a series of dedicated posts. Let's start by checking out not a singles wrestler, but rather, a tag team: The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers.


Jacques and Raymond Rougeau entered the WWF in 1986. Originally working as faces, they played second-string roles behind the likes of the flashier The British Bulldogs and The Killer Bees. Even though their in-ring work was sharp, their bland attire and watered down good-guy personalities didn't do much to catch the eye of Federation fans.

As someone who only saw late-80s WWF action through Coliseum Video releases, my first memories of the brother duo was of their later heel personalities. Under the guidance of Jimmy Hart, the now Fabulous Rougeau Brothers had the bedazzled outfits to match their cockier, faux American patriotic gimmick.

Even though I always knew they were a capable in-ring force, it wasn't until getting WWE On Demand in 2007 that I gained a greater appreciation for them. I guess when the bulk of the Rougeau matches you see involves The Bushwhackers, it's tough to make a fair assessment.

But through the channel, I've seen more of their work with The Killer Bees, The British Bulldogs, and The Rockers. And I must say, it's...wait for it...fabulous.

What I really admire was the meticulous transition from bland good guys to arrogant bad guys. If you've been watching episodes of Primetime Wrestling on WWE Classics, you're aware that the duo is in transition right now. The start of the heel turn felt a bit forced, with announcers such as Gorilla Monsoon and Vince McMahon telling fans of a change in the Rougeaus' demeanor, even though there really wasn't much of a visible change.

Weeks later, those signs are appearing, including a match against The Killer Bees, which I suppose you could label their official heel turn. But even with their leaning toward the bad guy side, it's still not a full-blown situation. Jimmy Hart is not yet their manager and they haven't picked up that catchy "All American Boys" theme song.

And perhaps factors like that are why I'm able to better appreciate the talent it took for the Rougeaus to make that turn. This isn't your generic, instantaneous heel turn. This is a multi-month-long burn from one side to the other. And it's the type of turn that only some wrestlers can pull off convincingly.

There's Jacques extending his hand to opponents. He's earnest in those gestures far more often than you'd expect. And that's what makes the team's eventual disrespect of those same teams so much better.

If you have access to WWE Classics On Demand, I suggest you pay special attention to this developing storyline. It's caused me to view the duo in a much different light. They were always talented wrestlers. But this slow-burn turn coupled with their eventual transformation into mockingly patriotic heels exemplifies how gifted the brothers were in the ring psychology aspect of the business.

3 Sale Items Not to be Missed

In the spirit of spring cleaning, there's a little sale happening with the eBay store right now. A lot of stock is part of it, so to make things a bit easier, here's a short list of three items not to be missed during this temporary markdown:

• The History of Wrestlemania (Coliseum Video / 1994):

Now with two and a half decades worth of Wrestlemanias in the books, there's an overwhelming wealth of footage to pick through. It's quite daunting when you consider it. Let's start with baby steps and consider the first nine installments.

This two-hour video picks some of the more memorable matches and moments from those Wrestlemanias for your consideration. You've got Hogan, Savage, DiBiase, Piper, Andre, Rude, Hart, Roberts, and dozens more. It won't get you caught up to present day, but you'll be sitting pretty in 1994 when this one is over.

• World Tour 1992 (Coliseum Video):

Say you want to travel the world. But you're broke. You've spent all your money at The Retropolis. First, I'd like to thank you. Then, I'd like to let you know that it's gonna be OK. You can still travel the world. And it will only cost you $10.47. You can't even check a bag for that little these days.

Your favorite early '90s WWF stars compete in matches from around the globe. You'll see Bret Hart do battle in Great Britain. You'll see Macho Man Randy Savage duke it out in Germany. And you'll see Roddy Piper go toe-to-toe with The Barbarian in Spain. Don't you want to tell your friends you've seen a Barbarian match that originated in Spain? Sure you do.

• WWF Magazine June/July 1984 (Sgt. Slaughter cover):

But why limit your wrestling absorption to just the TV? Let it spill over to your periodicals, too. And do so with a nostalgic flair. This edition of WWF Magazine features old favorites like John Studd, Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan, and more. And what's manlier than a magazine with old Sarge on the cover sitting on top of your coffee table? Not much.

The sale extends for only a short time more, so don't sit on the fence too long. Check back soon for another handful of sale items worth your attention.

Spotlight: The 3rd Annual WWF Survivor Series

Thanksgiving just isn't what it used to be if you grew up a WWF fan in the 1980s and early 1990s. If you fit that bill, you knew that along with that big, beautiful bird and pumpkin pie, you'd get to carve into nearly three hours of WWF action each Thanksgiving. As most of you know, the WWF slowly the Survivor Series away Thanksgiving, first by making it on Thanksgiving Eve starting in 1991, and then a week apart from Thanksgiving starting in 1995. And as all of you know, WWE decided to ax the event entirely as of 2010.

But let's not lament what's no longer. Let's focus on what was. And there's really no better way to do that than to check out one of the Survivor Series events from the days when it truly was the Thanksgiving Night tradition.


So it's 1989 and even though the WWF is less than a year away from jumping the shark (i.e. the attempted shift from Hogan to the Warrior), the promotion is packed with some real star power. Hulk Hogan is doing his thing, The Ultimate Warrior is seemingly the heir apparent to Hogan's top spot, and there's some healthy heel competition in the form of Randy "Macho King" Savage, The Big Boss Man, and Ted DiBiase.

There's also a strong second tier of superstars such as Roddy Piper, Dusty Rhodes, Rick Rude, Brutus Beefcake, and Mr. Perfect. The tag team division, though not what it was two or three years prior, is still a strong showcase for tag team action thanks to Demolition, The Rockers, The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers, and to an extent, The Hart Foundation (I say "to an extent" only because they were not teaming at the time of this event).

So with this much star power, an event like the Survivor Series is really what the doctor ordered. You find a way to wedge all of them onto the same card, along with dozens of other competitors, all in the name of team action.


Now, I must confess that this event is quite dear to me. It's not beloved by alleged smart fans, but it's a sentimental favorite of mine. Without getting too long winded, I'll say that if you rewind a couple of decades, you'll find me in a video rental joint down the street from my house. I'm wandering around, even though I probably can't rent anything that isn't in the children's section. During my travels, I come across the sports section. I see a row of pro wrestling videos. I've never seen a match before, but I've heard of this Hulk Hogan guy that's on so many of the front covers for these videos. I pick up one that has him standing on the front with a couple weird looking dudes with face paint and another guy with a python wrapped around his neck. I've got to rent this. And that, ladies and gents, is how my illustrious relationship with pro wrestling started.

So don't you want to own the very video that got *me* hooked? Sure you do. It's right here. Enjoy!

Just In: Early '80s Wrestling Magazines

Spring is undeniably in the air, so you should probably start getting outside more. But don't be left with nothing to do on those numerous rainy spring afternoons. Grab a few of our latest additions to the Miscellaneous Wrestling Publication section of our online abode.

These are priced to move, so take advantage of the low prices and reduced shipping rates for multiple magazine buys.

It's the most affordable way to get your all-so-important "Rugged" Ronnie Garvin fix, folks.

Stacks of Squared Circle Goodness

Things have been quiet around these parts. That's mostly due to tight schedules and a focus to streamline the type of products you'll find at The Retropolis. That includes marking down quite a few items by 60 percent.

We're at the tail-end of this process, which means it's time to start adding fresh stock again. We'll kick that off by adding a few stacks of vintage wrestling reading material very soon. This includes publications from the early '80s. Better yet, they'll be up for grabs for as little as $2 a shot.

There's also a nice little pile of WWF Spotlight Magazines we're eager to share with you. Once we get them tossed up, expect a blog, ahem, spotlighting them. Stay classy, all.

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Sharing the Same Building with Your Heroes

One of the things I miss about my pro wrestling fascination as a child is the thrill that came with attending a live event. I grew up in Michigan, but far enough from the WWF's most frequent mitten stops (such as Flint and Detroit) that convincing my mom to take us to those shows wasn't happening.

Luckily, though, I hadn't been a wrestling fan two years when I got to experience my first live event. It was October 1991 and though my then-hero Hulk Hogan wasn't on the card, I got to see my second favorite star Bret Hart successfully defend his Intercontinental title against the beastly Warlord.

While digging through a box of my old stuff the other night, I came across some of the match listings included with the programs from events I attended in the '90s. The scanned listing at the top of this post is the actual one from the second show I ever went to.

Honestly, I don't remember much about it, other than it being a last-minute plan. A friend came to school earlier in the day insisting that his dad had bought tickets for some WWF show in town that night. Even though he invited me, I wasn't sold. This was the same kid who'd delivered some of the finest fabrications I'd ever heard at that point in my life. As it turned out, he was telling a rare truth.

The show paled in comparison to my first live event. Even looking at the match listing, I can scarcely remember what happened, other than Bret Hart was a no-show. The only really notable thing to come of that evening was my friend's father purchasing both of us pairs of the Hitman's shades. I made sure to take those to school the next day and convince anyone who would talk to a kid wearing pink sunglasses that Bret himself had bestowed those upon me. Never mind we had sat what seemed like a mile away from the ring. Regardless, they became one of my more prized possessions, even if Bret had never been within 500 feet of me. I still have them today.

What are some of your earlier live wrestling event memories?

Coming Down the (Toy) Aisle

If you're like me and grew up a wrestling fan, chances are you had at least an experience or two with wrestling figures. You may have fond memories of the Jakks Bonecrunching figures during the mid-to-late 1990s. Or maybe you've even got some recollections of Remco's AWA collection from the early-to-mid 1980s.

Regardless, most people who enjoyed wrestling in their youth had some good times with the wrestling figures of the time. For me, it was Hasbro's figures for the WWF. Though the LJN series came to represent my all-time favorite wrestling figure line, I got my start with the colorful little plastic offerings from Hasbro.

Thankfully, my interest in pro wrestling really took off just as Hasbro was unleashing its inaugural series of figures. Fans of the time will no doubt remember a clean-cut Jesse "The Body" Ventura hyping this initial collection. How could we not want to collect them all? All of our favorites were there. Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Heck, there was even Akeem for the six people who actually enjoyed that character. And best of all, these figures boasted "real wrestling action." Why use your imagination of holds when these bad boys came equipped with built-in moves such as bodyslams, punches, and headbutts?

So take 30 seconds out of your day to enjoy this little stroll down the memory toy aisle.

Back to Business

With the New Years confetti now all swept up, there's not much to do other than get back to business as usual. Hopefully everyone enjoyed their holiday season and is now ready to tackle any goals they've put out there for the fresh decade.

After a week off from adding new inventory, you can expect to see new items cropping up in our eBay store very shortly. We'll also resume our Item of the Day posts, focusing on specific items we all think you should have in your collection. Stay tuned.

Season's Greetings

In case tomorrow's festivities decrease online time, we'd like to take this time to wish everyone a happy holidays. Whether Christmas is your thing or not, this is a time of year that should be about getting together with friends and family. At the very least, those gatherings can't be any more of a disaster than poor Clark Griswold's earnest attempt for a fine family Christmas.

Just In: WWF Promo Photos

One of the more interesting things pulled from yesterday's haul were several 8x10 color promos from 1990. A few of them were from a joint WWF-Toys R Us promotional effort. The others were available through the WWF's merchandise catalog or by joining their fan club.

These are tough to come by, but we've kept things affordable by pricing them comparably to the market. Better yet, shipping is free, whether you buy one or five.

The photos are a less orthodox way of reliving a colorful era in pro wrestling. Check them all out here.

Just In: Vintage WWF Magazines & Programs

Tis the season to be giving, but today, we were the ones on the receiving end. A large box of vintage WWF magazines, PPV & event programs, and photos showed up.

In the spirit of the season, these magazines are available a full 24 hours before they'll go into our eBay store.

We'll start with the WWF event programs. The prices below are a limited time offering, so act quickly. All of the magazines below are in great condition. Any notable flaws are mentioned.

WWF Programs

• Vol. 154 (Matilda cover / moderate cover wear...$6
• Vol. 166 (Bret Hart cover / one-inch back cover tear...$6
• Vol. 174 (Ultimate Warrior cover)...$7
• Vol. 175 (Bushwhackers cover)...$7
  
• Vol. 180 (Hart Foundation cover /cover crease)...$7
• Vol. 181 (Big Boss Man cover)...$6
  
• Vol. 185 (Legion of Doom cover)...$7
• Vol. 186 (Jim Duggan cover)...$6
  
• Vol. 194 (Ultimate Warrior cover/cover crease)...$6
• Vol. 210 (Steiner Brothers cover)...$5

If you are interested in any of these, please send us an email. Shipping for the first magazine is $4. We will ship any additional magazines at no charge.

Just In: Giant WWF PPV Programs

It's always fun to dig up something a bit unusual to share with everyone. Here's one of those instances. Before WWE saturated the market with pay-per-view events, there was your basic four (or if you're a purist, two or three) events each year. Programs from these events were one of the easiest ways to capture the essence of each show long after the event had finished.

For Summerslam '94, the WWF began a brief stint of releasing giant-sized programs for their PPV events. These magazines differed from the standard PPV programs in two distinct ways:

• Size: The actual dimensions of the magazines dwarfed the standard program, measuring about 13 inches in length. This drove home the idea that the fan was buying something that shouldn't be trashed at the end of the night when the event was over.
• A huge poster: This actually started with the Survivor Series '94 program. For the extra five bucks, people who bought these huge programs also got a massive pull-out poster. These bad boys were practically worth the price of admission alone, measuring over 40 inches in length.
  

We're happy to make four of these programs available for your collecting needs. Enjoy.

Summerslam '94


Survivor Series '94

Royal Rumble '95

Wrestlemania XI

Just In: Vintage WWF Magazines & Programs

I get to thumb through a lot of cool stuff going through the restocking process. Few items give me more enjoyment than WWF magazines, specifically from the mid to late 1980s.

There's just something about those particular magazines that make it tough to actually list them with the intention of selling them to someone else. I fight the temptation to just sock them away in my private stash.


This week brought forth a mighty temptation: 25 WWF Magazines and programs from this specific era. That these magazines were in especially great condition only made it tougher to list them with the knowledge that they'll probably be fleeing from my life very soon.

But my loss is your gain. And what a gain. Here are some of the highlights from this batch:

• WWF Magazine August/September 1985 (Roddy Piper, Cyndi Lauper, Iron Sheik, Nicolai Volkoff cover)
• WWF Magazine October/November 1984 (Hulk Hogan/Wendi Richter cover)
• WWF Magazine August/September 1984 (Lou Albano, Cyndi Lauper, Roddy Piper cover)
• WWF Program Vol. 102 (Bob Backlund/Sgt. Slaughter cover)

This is just a taste of what's available in our WWF Magazine & WWF Programs sections in our eBay store. Look around and you'll see what I mean.

Black Friday Sale 2009

As mentioned on Turkey Day, you can now enjoy savings of 40 percent on virtually every item in the eBay store. That means plenty of great deals on classic wrestling videos, vintage wrestling magazines, silver and bronze age comic books, and much more.

Don't sleep, though. This sale is only going through Sunday night. It might be another year before we put this much of our inventory out there with such a huge markdown.

Enjoy now.

Gobble, Gobble

Hopefully by now, you're all reading this with a belly full of turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and half a pumpkin pie. We're about to engage in a month full of fast-paced seasonal shopping as a country. To make things a bit easier, we'll be slashing prices and trying to make things even more affordable for your collecting needs this holiday season.

Let's start with a big Black Friday sale. Starting tomorrow morning, we'll be offering a nice chunk of our inventory at 40 percent off the marked price. Math wizards out there will tell you that will allow you to nearly double up on inventory for just half the price. We'll post more details tomorrow, but let this be your heads up. Now go finish digesting your Thanksgiving bounties on your sofa as you watch something like Planes, Trains & Automobiles.

Item of the Day (11.20.09): Survivor Series 1990

Today we continue our admiration of the annual November PPV tradition: Survivor Series. We're going to zoom in on the fourth installment of the event, because it's always been a personal favorite of mine.


There are so many reasons to check out this event, but I'll save us a couple hours and keep the list limited to the cream of the crop:

• The Debut of The Undertaker: Yes, folks. This is where it all started. As you'll notice from the video cover above, The Undertaker made his WWF debut as a mystery partner. And what a mystery partner. This debut and match becomes more interesting to look at with each passing year The Undertaker rules the ring.
• 40 WWF Superstars: One thing I've always loved about classic Survivor Series is the sheer amount of talent you go through that ring in one evening. It's such a great representation of where the company was at that time and what they had to offer.
• Vince McMahon's intense match introductions: This and the 1989 edition of Survivor Series are two of my favorites. Part of this is because of the opening match rundown narrated by the ever-intense Vince McMahon as that vintage Survivor Series theme pounds in the background. I've seen both intros hundreds of times (no exaggeration), but they never lose any of their luster.
• The Gobblygooker: Yup. Another debut, albeit, memorable for all of the wrong reasons. After weeks of hype as to the contents of this giant egg, we were treated with what would eventually become to be remembered as one of the worst characters in modern wrestling history.

I could ramble on for hours about this show. But I've made my point. So if you don't already have this baby in your collection, what are you waiting for. Jump on it now.

Item of the Day (11.15.09): Survivor Series '87

With Survivor Series just around the corner, now seems like the time to reflect on some of the previous Survivor Series events that have made the annual PPV such a staple in our wrestling calendar.


Debuting in November 1987, the Survivor Series originally centered on tag team competition where the object was to...survive. In the event's first year, the team competition involved teams of five squaring off. Though limited to four matches on the card, the first Series is still a fan favorite today for several reasons. Here are some:

• The in-ring return of Andre the Giant. Andre hadn't stepped into the ring since his famous match with Hulk Hogan the previous March at Wrestlemania III. The main event, which featured both men leading their team against the other, marked Andre's return to active competition.
  
• The 20-man tag match. One thing the first Series did was display how deep the WWF was in its tag team division. This match collect 10 tag teams and throws them all into the same ring for one fun exhibition. We've got a ton of legends involved: Bret Hart, Dynamite Kid, Demolition, Tito Santana, Greg Valentine, Dino Bravo, and so many more. Clocking in at nearly an hour, this match easily steals the show.
• The tag team format. It sounds weird now that we're over two decades removed from the event. But this five-on-five format was a novel concept at the time. To see virtually every star in the promotion come together on the same card was something that was virtually unheard of at the time.
  

So while you wait for this year's Survivor Series, grab a hold of the debut edition and enjoy some history.

Item of the Day (11.12.09): WWF Program Vol. 150

Everyone who ever went to a pro wrestling event shares some common bonds. Of course there was some wrestling (I hope). There was certainly a merchandise booth. And last, but certainly not least, event programs. For just a five-spot, you got a nice full-color magazine that included the evening's match lineup.

Event programs get us a little more nostalgic than other items given their placement at live wrestling events. That's why we like to stock up on vintage programs, specifically those from the WWF. Today, let's take a glimpse at the 150th volume of the WWF Program.


Featuring The Million Dollar Man Ted DiBiase on the cover, this magazine's already got one strong selling point. You can't ever have too many magazines with Ted DiBiase on the cover. Secondly, there's a lot of great articles on other stars from the era (1988), such as the One Man Gang, Jake the Snake Roberts, Kamala, and Bam Bam Bigelow.

I'm telling you, there's nothing quite like passing a quiet evening by reading a nice feature on Kamala. So what are you waiting for? Jump on this magazine for an attractive price. And be sure to check out the other wrestling programs we have, because each one ships for just a buck a piece after the first magazine.

Item of the Day (11.11.09): World Tour 1990

Today we're going on a trip. But you won't need to even leave your couch to see Japan, Paris, and more. That is, of course, if you have World Tour 1990.


This is the first installment of Coliseum Video's annual trip around the world. For each release, they compiled a series of matches and vignettes from areas of the globe. But that isn't good enough on its own. What about the matches, you might ask.

For starters, we've got Randy Savage clashing with Hulk Hogan, Ted DiBiase going after the Ultimate Warrior's title, and The Rockers mixing it up with the Rougeau Brothers in a classic encounter.

This baby is priced to move, too. At $9.95 plus $3 for shipping, you can see venues from around the world for cheaper than it costs to check your back at an airport. Give it a shot today.