Leaf Originals Wresting Plates

[ryangeorgelaw]

I am wondering what other's opinions are as to the values of the plates in Leaf Originals. I was in an acquisition stage where I was buying up as many plates as I could when I could buy them inexpensively. I have a total of 27 plates with my favorites being the Hogan alternate, the Hacksaw "Jim" Duggan, and of course my Sheiks. Recently the sales on the plates has gone through the roof. A Greg the Hammer Alternate popped up buy it now for $50 and didn't last very long. Recently a Lex Luger went for $125 on eBay. As collectors how much value do you really put on the plates? I would think there would be five plates of each as there is the white background and four color variations counting the black, but did Leaf release all 5 into the product? If anyone knows it would be helpful.

[hatcher]

That was my Valentine that sold for $50. It is supply and demand that is causing the raise in prices. When it first released I couldn't even get $20. That was because there were four or five just like mine for sale. I decided to hold it untill the supply was less which is now. Now is the time to sell if you have any.

[sjim8660]

I think the value will continue to rise. As people start to build wrestler sets the blacks and plates will dry up. There are very few plates and blacks on ebay now.

[sthoemke]

I think there is just plates for the base cards.

[booyahlaw]

Personally, not a huge fan of the plates, but then again I am not collecting only certain individual wrestlers from the set--if you are going for a master set for either a wrestler or the set in general, I would imagine the plates would be significant

[ryangeorgelaw]

I agree and I disagree. As a collector/ super fan if you will of the Iron Sheik I wanted to have as many of the plates as I could to go along with my blacks. But I don't think you necessarily have to have any plates to call it a master set. For example I have the Ric Flair Yellow, Blue, and Black base art. Eventually if I am lucky I will have the Red and White background to go with it. I don't ever plan on selling them, but if I did I would list it as a 1/1 Ric Flair master set, and not feel that I was lying or being misleading by any means. Maybe I am wrong though.

Originally Posted by booyahlaw

Personally, not a huge fan of the plates, but then again I am not collecting only certain individual wrestlers from the set--if you are going for a master set for either a wrestler or the set in general, I would imagine the plates would be significant

[sjim8660]

I agree @ryangeorgelaw, i would consider a set without the plates a master set. Getting the black and red is hard enough. if leaf would have not had the plates autographed I think they would be very insignificant to the set.

[ryangeorgelaw]

I am a fan of the plates myself. Though I don't consider them a true one of one since there is more than one plate, they are a 1/1. It allows collectors to get a 1/1 of their favorite wrestler without getting the black. I am pleased to see the way the values are increasing, but I don't have any real intention of parting ways with mine, at least not at the moment. I just don't think I need a plate to call, for example this Tony Atlas collection a master set if I ever did sell it. A plate would be nice though.

[Ty Hope]

I still haven't found the Valentine base black but have two plates. Had the chance to get a third but was outbid.

[gentlevader]

I agree with you. Don't think they are needed to say one has a master set but still great to have if you are working on one specific person.

What do you guys think about having the ink variants? Do you put them in the same category as the plates?

[ryangeorgelaw]

I have a Lex Luger base set that I consider a master, but no I didn't consider it a complete set until I had all of the variants, so I don't put them in the same category personally. Others may disagree.

Originally Posted by gentlevader

I agree with you. Don't think they are needed to say one has a master set but still great to have if you are working on one specific person.

What do you guys think about having the ink variants? Do you put them in the same category as the plates?

[TheHeel]

The Scott Hall plates went for a little over $200 each!

I have not seen a plate go for that much in a very long time.

[Krayzie83]

Personally I view the plates and ink variations as added bonuses to the background master collections. I'd be completely satisfied with the white to black backs.

[DwightWall122]

Any idea on what my best Leaf plate might be worth?

[Zoop]

I think at least one plate is required for a supercollector, personally. If the 1/1 is, why wouldn't the plate be?

I hit several plates in breaks/boxes: Iron Sheik, Bob Orton, and Rick Steiner.

[bullingham]

I think it all depends on the person. The actual cards look like artwork on old fashioned cardboard stock. Vibrant colors. A traditional card look and feel. The plates look like the plates in any other sport. Fun to own one sure, but not nearly as aesthetically pleasing to the traditional card collector. Since the set is "old school" focused in terms of its subjects, its not surprising the plates have not caught on as well as the black 1/1's to me. Still if you have the other ones, I'd think you'd pick up the plate just because.

[bullingham]

If I were to own a plate though, I'd definitely want to have one that looks like that Hogan. I don't really like the looks of the ones where you cant see the name of the wrestler on it and the black background makes it look sharp.

[ryangeorgelaw]

I got lucky and got one of the Hogan Alternate plates off of Ebay at $104, but that was a legitimate steal in my eyes. I saw one that had originally popped up buy it now for $160 and somebody else grabbed it before I could react. I am keeping mine, but with the current rise in market prices and what the Hall's have sold for I would expect to get around $200 miminum if I did put it up for sell.

I wish leaf had posted the numbers on the sps a lot quicker this year. Had I realized how short printed a lot of the inks were I would own a lot more when I could have got them cheaply. No losing a Volkoff Alternate green ink that I now need to complete myself because the buyer wanted $14 and I only wanted to pay $12. There are probably a lot of collectors out there that feel that way though, and if we did know the prices never would have been so low.

Originally Posted by DwightWall122

Any idea on what my best Leaf plate might be worth?

[Krayzie83]

Back to the ink variations.. Leaf never did disclose how many were signed on the different colored backgrounds did they? If so I must have missed it

[ryangeorgelaw]

As far as I have seen the only one who signed any other color on the variations is Billy Graham who signed some of his blue alterations, in red, and probably some other variations. I know Ken Shamrock signed some of his in cards in the standard blue ink and a lot in black ink, but did I miss some other wrestlers? They are probably rare enough I very well might have.

Originally Posted by Krayzie83

Back to the ink variations.. Leaf never did disclose how many were signed on the different colored backgrounds did they? If so I must have missed it

[gentlevader]

I think maybe DDP signed some in black also.

[ryangeorgelaw]

I forgot about DDP, I think he signed all of his in black, but I could be wrong. I haven't seen anything else.

Originally Posted by gentlevader

I think maybe DDP signed some in black also.

[bullingham]

DDP's are all in black. Shamrock was mostly black. Graham I just think went nuts with the red pen. I don't think there were originally designed to be ink variation SP's on the color background parallels other than those few with inscriptions.

[booyahlaw]

I am kicking myself on missing out on the ink variations before the SP list came out; missed out on Nashs left and right that were going for $20. Now, good luck getting anything Nash-related from this set at that price.