Pre-War Cards

‘It’s In The Details’

Title	Allen’s Wrestlers
Year	1926
Size	2″ x 2 7/8″
Images	Black and White
Type	Candy and Caramel Cards
Number in Set	24

1926 Allen’s Wrestlers Set Overview

This unique 1920s candy set features wrestlers and various wrestling holds.

This set was created by Allen’s Confectionery Company based out of Australia. They also created a similar set (also 24 cards and also in 1926) called Allen’s Fliers, focusing on airmen.

The fronts of the cards have black and white pictures of the wrestlers and specific hold involved. A small caption box is printed, labeling the hold and naming the wrestler applying the hold. Some of the cards instead only picture a wrestler and not a hold. The pictures are inside of a black border and the cards themselves have a larger white border.

Backs of the cards are printed in blue ink and indicate there are 24 in the entire set. They backs also provide us with a name of this issue, saying that collectors should ask for, ‘Allen’s Wrestlers.’ Most importantly, the back names the hold and generally provides a brief description of it or short biography of the actual wrestler. All cards in the set are unnumbered.

All wrestlers except for two (Al Karasick and Clarence Weber) are pictured on more than one card.

Cards are somewhat rare and not easy to come by.

1926 Allen’s Wrestlers Checklist

Below is a list of trade cards in the set that I have seen to date. Others may exist.

1. Aeroplane Spin – John Kilonis
2. Billy Edwards
3. Billy Meeske
4. Body Scissors and Armhold – Sam Clapham & Mike Yokel
5. Clarence Weber
6. Combination Bar & Toe Hold – Al Karasick
7. Half Nelson – Walter Miller
8. Hammerlock & Leg-Cradle Hold – Billy Edwards
9. Head & Armlock – Walter Miller
10. Head & Crotchhold – Walter Miller
11. Headlock – Ted Thye
12. John Kilonis
13. Mike Yokel
14. Reverse Head & Armlock – John Kilonis
15. Reverse Wristlock – Ted Thye
16. Sam Clapham
17. Short Arm Scissors – Mike Yokel
18. Standing Reverse Double Wristlock – Ted Thye
19. Standing Reverse Wristlock – Billy Meeske
20. Standing Splits – Mike Yokel
21. Standing Wristlock – Sam Clapham
22. Straight Arm Bar & Shoulder Twist – Sam Clapham
23. Straight Arm Scissors – Walter Miller
24. Ted Thye

Follow Pre-War Cards on Twitter and also be sure to like our page on Facebook.