As the WWE Universe waits with bated breath for more information on Club WWE, “the ultimate insider membership program designed to bring fans closer to WWE than ever before,” I’d like to take you back to a time when all we really wanted were some stickers.
In the 1980s, WWE, then the World Wrestling Federation, invited readers of its magazines to get closer to the action by joining the WWF Fan Club
.Unlike the company’s new initiative, which will offer exclusive content and pre-sale ticket opportunities,
this simpler relic of fan service was more kid-centric. Instead of giving fans more ways to spend money, WWE was giving stuff away. That’s right, free swag.
What kind of swag? Settle in and prepare to be amazed.
For $9.95 plus shipping and handling — made payable with a check, money order, or credit card — fans received:
- The aforementioned stickers
- A full-color Superstars poster
- A membership certificate suitable for framing, as well as a wallet I.D. card
- A patch and iron-on
- And, according to the fine print, “much, much more!”
Despite the reasonable price, I wasn’t willing to come out of pocket for it. I also failed to con my folks out of their money just so I could flash that official I.D. card at show-and-tell.
Still, flipping the pages of the old WWF Magazine online and seeing the old WWF Fan Club brings back warm memories of a simpler time when becoming a paid member to a fan program came at a reasonable price, with some hokey yet fun trinkets of memorabilia.
Here’s hoping that Club WWE members will at least get some stickers or a PDF member certificate to welcome them aboard.
