Often hailed as the perfect blend of entertainment, athleticism, and pageantry, the WWE’s Golden Era (1984-1993) is the standard for a generation of pro wrestling fans. Headlined by superstars like Hulk Hogan and Bret Hart, that period resulted in plenty of memorable merch.
Pieces from this era tend to hold their value because most items were sold exclusively through catalogs or at live events. Some of the best designs were even bootlegs that you could only come across in the parking lots outside of the venues.
With the WWE Royal Rumble approaching this weekend, we caught up with “King of the Ring Merch” and the owner of Wrestling4Sale ,Ted Hirsh. He counted down his picks for the Top 10 WWF Golden Era Vintage Wrestling T-Shirts.
Note: Size XL has been used as the bench mark for pricing because it is the most in demand size for wrestling collectors and is the only size that fits most adults.
Stay tuned for the latest on the exclusive Royal Rumble Collection from WWE and Fanatics here.
XL Price: $250-$325
Scarcity: over 500 in circulation
While the shirt is fairly common compared to others on this list, the graphic is one of the most iconic WrestleMania designs ever made. It includes the two top superstars of the ‘80s, Hulk Hogan and “Macho Man” Randy Savage. The shirt represents the culmination of the Mega-Powers breakup, which is in the conversation for the greatest storyline in the history of professional wrestling.
XL Price: $800-$1,000
Scarcity: Under 25 in circulation
This shirt was sold outside of the venue and was not official merch. It features the tag team main event of “Macho Man” Randy Savage & “The Human Wrecking Machine” Zeus vs. Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Hulk Hogan. The event was part of the promotion for the movie No Holds Barred, which starred Hulk Hogan and Zeus (Tiny Lister). This also earns the distinction of being the only WWF shirt that features one of the greatest managers and in-ring talents of all time, Sherri Martel.
XL Price: $600-800
Scarcity: under 100 in circulation
This event marked the beginning of the New Generation era of the WWF. It features two of the top guys from the period, Bret “The Hitman” Hart and Razor Ramon. This design paved the way for the upcoming decade of shirts with bigger graphics, more color, louder designs, and photos instead of the drawings used throughout the Golden Era.
XL Price: $750-$1,000
Scarcity: Under 200 in circulation
Prior to WrestleMania 1, the WWF’s partnership with MTV to promote and air “The War to Settle the Score” made it the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. This shirt also features Cyndi Lauper, one of the biggest musicians in the world at the time, on the back. This is the only time a musician was featured on a WWF shirt and the only shirt to feature a WWF and MTV logo, making it the ultimate crossover shirt.
XL Price: $1,000-$1,250
Scarcity: Under 20 XLs in circulation
Saturday Night’s Main Event put the WWF in a prime-time network TV slot on NBC, which exposed the product to millions of new viewers. The show helped WWF expand nationally and cement its dominance during the 1980s wrestling boom. While this shirt isn’t incredibly rare in most sizes, the SNME logo truly captures the essence of the Golden Era’s peak.
XL Price: $1,000-1,250
Scarcity: 5 XLs in circulation
While the official WrestleMania event shirt is as historically significant as it gets, it’s boring in comparison to this bootleg design. Sold outside of Madison Square Garden, this one features the iconic WrestleMania logo along with the headliners Hulk Hogan and Mr. T.
XL Price: $1,200-$1,500
Scarcity: 10 or less XLs in circulation
I consider this to be the last event shirt of the Golden Era and a passing of the torch from the greatest in-ring wrestler of the ‘80s to the best of the ‘90s. This tee was made in commemoration of Bret “The Hitman” Hart defeating “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair for his first World Heavyweight title. This event became the turning point that would pave the way for the WWF welcoming a “New Generation.” It’s also just a stunning graphic with an incredible range of colors, featuring the perfect amount of glitter on Flair’s robe and Bret’s Intercontinental Championship. This is one of the most in demand shirts in the world of wrestling collecting.
XL Price: $1,200-$1,500
Scarcity: 60 or less XLs in circulation
This Summerslam shirt is the only official WWF shirt in this creamsicle colorway. It features a great mix of the most popular wrestlers of 1991 like Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and Sgt. Slaughter. It also includes two of the rarest and most sought after talents in the collector’s world, Iron Sheik and Miss Elizabeth.
The card for Summerslam 1991 was impressive, ranging from fun gimmick matches like the street fight between the Nasty Boys and the Legion of Doom to Bret Hart defeating Mr. Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship. This one is a must-own for anyone lucky enough to find it and brave enough to wear this color.
XL Price: $1,200-$1,500
Scarcity: 30 or less XLs in circulation
The 1992 Royal Rumble is considered the greatest Royal Rumble of all time. It was the only time that the WWF title was fully vacant and up for grabs. The shirt commemorating the night features perhaps the greatest collection of talent on a shirt in the history of wrestling: “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Earthquake, Sid Justice, The Legion of Doom: Hawk & Animal, Hulk Hogan, The Big Boss Man, “Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Sgt. Slaughter, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, The Undertaker, and “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
XL Price: $2,000-$2,500
Scarcity: 6 or less XLs in circulation
This is another case of bootlegs being better. WrestleMania III was the most anticipated event in the history of wrestling at the time. The spectacle featured Hulk Hogan against Andre the Giant, who at the time was “undefeated” for 15 years. In the end, Hogan slayed the Giant, but that isn’t the reason that this is the greatest event shirt in the history of the WWF Golden Era. It also features Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and “Macho Man” Randy Savage, who put on what is considered to be one of the greatest wrestling matches of all time that night. You also have The Hart Foundation, not only making this Bret Hart’s first shirt but also one of only three times ever that Hart and the Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart appear on a shirt together. For the real wrestling historians out there, this is also the only known WWF shirt that features the Dynamite Kid, who many consider one of the greatest in-ring talents of all time. The other side features one of the most perfect bootleg renditions of the WrestleMania logos you will ever see.
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