1941 Japanese Sumo Wrestling Menko - M412: 1941 Nagoya Trophy 4

It's not often that I can add to the checklists for some older, extremely-rare menko sets.  The surge in card popularity has made finding good deals even in Japan harder and harder.  However, I was able to recently pick up an 8-menko, uncut sheet of the extremely rare 1941 Nagoya Trophy 4 set.  I was able to basically triple the checklist and catalogue some important sumo names, but what is more important is I am now able to see what an actual uncut sheet looks like...and it is a different one for sure.  The four middle cards are flipped from the 4 outer cards making for a unique display...I have never seen this before on sumo menko.  What I really like about this set are the vivid colors and quality of the artistic renditions of the rikishi's likeness.  A good quality set for the ages and I am happy to now have the checklist as follows:

9612 - Maegashira Fujigatake

9024 - Maegashira Tamanoumi

7897 - Maegashira Ryogoku

7892 - Ozeki Maedayama

4272 - Maegashira Tatekabuto

3556 - Komusubi Nayoroiwa

3456 - Maegashira Oshio

1359 - Sekiwake Terukuni

0205 - Yokozuna Minanogawa

0009 - Komusubi Asahigawa

Have a great week!

1958 Sumo Appointment Card - What day of the week is it again?

Back in May of last year I posted about these sumo wrestling bromides calendar cards.  The first one I picked up was of Komusubi Tamanoumi and I recently stumbled across this one of future Yokozuna Asashio shown as an ozeki.  The good news is I can now nail down the year of these cards to about 1958.  These cards are interesting and really hard to find as I have only run across these two in the 20 years of collecting.  I thought they were originally from the 1960s or 1970s so I am now not sure what company Daiichi is or what services/products it provided.  More to follow I am sure as I try and find a few more of these along the way.  I hope everyone has an awesome week!

1981 Japanese Popy Pro Wrestling Cards - Antonio Inoki

Wrestlemania weekend is upon us and I thought I'd share a few vintage Japanese puroresu "pro wrestling" cards of Antonio Inoki.  Arguably the most famous Japanese pro wrestler out there, Inoki was able to bring pro wrestling to the mainstream in Japan...much like Vince McMahon did in the United States.  This 17-card set of Popy cards from 1981 famously features Hulk Hogan's rookie card as well as an early Andre the Giant card.  They came inserted in blister packs along with vinyl figures, but nowadays they are extremely hard to find.  Does anyone else collect these?

1991 Japanese Mike Tyson Toyota Truck Telephone Card

It's Super Strong....piffff.  Back in 1991 Toyota paid Mike Tyson a crap ton of yen to be the spokesperson for their line of Toyota Trucks.  There was a whole advertising campaign behind it with commercials (click here for three of them), magazine and pamphlets....and telephone cards.  Telephone card collecting was in full force in the late 1980s and early 1990s and Toyota decided to use this advertising medium to capture one of the most iconic boxers and athletes of all time, Mike Tyson, with one of the most profitable collecting hobbies ever, Telephone Cards.  Toyota ended up printing three different versions with Tyson on them and this red one is one of the most common.  Anyone else ever run across one of these?

Have a great Tuesday!

Ultra-Rare 1984 Topps Glossy All-Stars Ted Simmons

According to Trading Card Database, only 143 people in the world have the #9 1984 Topps Glossy All-Stars Ted Simmons card with only a handful for sale on eBay.  Not sure why this is card falls in the ultra-rare category, but Diamond Jesters helps highlight the set.