THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 11, 1994 TAG: 9409110206
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN L. BIGELOW, SPECIAL TO THE VP/LS
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
Jerry Rice dominated last week's football headlines. He set the all-time career touchdown record during the season's first weekend, and his potential for adding to this impressive achievement has been widely noticed.
Rice's brilliance on the field is no secret to card collectors. He's one of the few wide receivers to capture collector loyalty to the extent expected of the always popular running back and quarterback superstars (Art Monk and Steve Largent are other WR's with a strong hobby following; Rice cards have now overtaken theirs as demand items).
Rice's ability to score touchdowns isn't the only reason he's prominent in the sportscard world. His cards benefited from the popularity associated with Joe Montana and the 49ers' Super Bowl successes. Additionally, the card companies have aggressively, and accurately, promoted Jerry Rice as a model of consistency.
Manufacturers accomplish this by featuring selected players in the many ``special insert,'' randomly distributed ``chase'' cards included in their products. Players are chosen on the basis of their images or perceived appeal to hobbyists. Rice has been the subject of numerous insert cards, and his recent accomplishment is bound to inspire more Rice cards of this type.
From a collector's point of view, Jerry Rice is an ideal pick: The prices of his early cards haven't yet skyrocketed, and he has had a stellar career - along with a bright future - and an abundance of limited-edition new collectibles to pursue.
Rice card values:
1986 Topps (NU)161 (rookie) $60-70.
1987 Topps (NU)115 (2nd year) $12.
Current issues: 8-10 times same-series ``common'' card price limited-issue insert cards: most are priced in the $1-20 range. MEMO: Brian L. Bigelow is store manager and appraiser for Candl Coins &
Stamps, located on Independence Boulevard and North (Lynnhaven) Mall
Drive in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
COURTESY OF BRIAN BIGELOW
The collectibles for Jerry Rice, who broke the all-time career
touchdowns record on Monday night, should see a marked increase in
value. In addition to his ability to score touchdowns, the San
Francisco receiver has long been a collectors favorite, generally
because of his association with quarterback Joe Montana and the
49ers' Super Bowl successes.
by CNB