1950s Lucha Libre cards

[psychosem17]

Looking for more information on these if anyone can help.

[wrestlingcardki]

Good luck....Danny McShain is pretty cool too!

[psychosem17]

I'm hoping Box y Lucha Magazine can give me some more info.

[mjohnatgt]

Card info on your grouping?

Size:
Backs:
Stock:
Checklist:
Where found:
Factory Cut or handcut:

Newest wrestler known? That would help date it. Looks like some of these fought into the 70s, right? So the issue could be later than your date projections. If you put your known ones into a checklist, you could do a bunch of google searches to see if others are out there.

Here is a similar set:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthoped...ard-1915666577

[sthoemke]

Early 1950's Mexico seems most likely, due to card-style and subjects.

Mars Bennett died early at the age of 35 from a car accident in 1957, so I highly doubt that the set would post-date that year.

[psychosem17]

That's an excellent point.

I suspect these are 1954 Estrellas de la Lucaha Libre but would like to try and find some sort of confirmation. Wrestling Card Data Base has very little info on that set other than them being 2x3 picture cards.

For the others that asked for specs.

2 inch by 3 inch.

Thin stock, more thick construction paper like than cardboard.

I suspect they may have come out of an album, but if they are hand cut the cuts are really even so maybe someone used one of those big paper cutters to cut them straight. Some cards do appear to be slightly off cut with another color on one border so that makes me belief in hand cutting as well.

Passes smell test for older cardboard/paper
Passes black light test for period ink that was used. (ie newer inks would light up and these dont)

I also suspect I might have part of two different issues as there are some duplicate card numbers and subjects. The font is different. Most of them list the first and last name in ALL CAPS while these others list in more traditional spelling of first letter of first and last cap and the rest lower case. The first 102 cards are move demonstrations and the rest are lucahdores going up to the highest number that I have which is #225. I estimate I have roughly half of a set and a few strays from another year's issue of the same line.

Originally Posted by sthoemke

Early 1950's Mexico seems most likely, due to card-style and subjects.

Mars Bennett died early at the age of 35 from a car accident in 1957, so I highly doubt that the set would post-date that year.

[psychosem17]

Added some additional pics

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by psychosem17

I'm hoping Box y Lucha Magazine can give me some more info.

I suspect that they could be magazine cards. (cut-outs). If that is the case, there may not be an album.

Box y Lucha magazine started publishing in 1954 under the title Lucha Libre. Issues from that year seem extremely scarce. I wonder if the current publisher has an archive of the early issues.

I agree it may be (at least) 2 different sets.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Box_y_Lucha

[psychosem17]

Found someone that had a partial album of these that had already been pasted into the album.

Hoping to get pictures of the entire thing so a checklist can be formulated.