1937 Bronko Nagurski Wrestling Champion Blotter

Posted on October 2, 2016 by Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Bronko Nagurski Wrestling Champion Blotter
Year	1937
Size	3 7/16″ x 6″
Images	Black and White
Type	Blotter
Number in Set	1

1937 Bronko Nagurski Wrestling Champion Blotter Overview

Bronko Nagurski 1937 Blotter Ink blotters were generally rectangular cards that were popular in the days of fountain pens. They would usually be kept on desks and were used to allow people to wipe off excess ink. To properly absorb the ink, blotters are generally a little thicker and have a different texture than traditional cards.

This blotter was an advertisement for a unique event as Bronko Nagurski was set to defend his heavyweight wrestling championship against Bob Kruse. Nagurski, who played football with the Chicago Bears, was also a professional wrestler on the side. He wrestled in several regional promotions as well as the popular National Wrestling Association, and won multiple championships.

The blotter is unique because it not only features a Hall of Fame football player but also a Hall of Fame professional wrestler. The name of the particular promotion is not mentioned on the front but it mentions that Nagurski would be defending his newly-won title on August 25th, 1937. That seems to reference a title he won on June 29th of that year by defeating Dean Detton. Detton was also a former football player (albeit in college at Utah), who tragically hung himself in the 1950s.

These blotters are rare and, to date, I have seen only one. The scarcity level makes sense as these would have been limited with a regional focus, likely to only the Portland area, and also printed for a very short time to promote the event.

While not standard trading cards, blotters with sports figures are absolutely collectible. Because they were used to absorb extra ink, you will often find them with ink spots all over them. Ones that haven’t been covered in ink demand a premium.

Blotters were generally an advertisement for a specific product, service, or organization. Along with a picture of a sports figure or team, they usually sought to promote some type of product or business.