auto racing cards

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

MAXX produced the Earnhardt card No. 99 assuming they would be able to reach a deal with him, but that did not happen. As result, the Earnhardt card was supposedly released in very limited quantities or were released without company consent when MAXX went bankrupt.

The card was "officially" released in 1994 with Earnhardt's blessing and a sticker denoting it to be one of 999 copies. There used to be a big premium for the stickered 999 version, but that premium has shrank in recent years. A lot of collectors don't realize the back story of the 1988 MAXX card No. 99 not being "officially " released until 1994.

Hmmm... I bought it instead of the 1989 because naturally I thought it was one year earlier even if not considered by the mainstream hobby to be the "rookie" card. Should I revisit that?

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Hmmm... I bought it instead of the 1989 because naturally I thought it was one year earlier even if not considered by the hobby to be the "rookie" card. Should I revisit that?

The 1988 Earnhardt MAXX situation is such a huge clusterfuck. There is nothing wrong with a 1988 version. It is still desirable, and it does sell for less than the redemption version if cost is a factor. This is just personal preference, but I would I would rank them 1986 SportStar/1988 (1994) Maxx Redemption/1988 Maxx non-certified. But they are all cool early Earnhardt cards. The price gap between the two versions of the MAXX cards has been steadily shrinking in recent years. Either version is still the iconic image of Earnhardt on a card. The MAXX cards are not his rookie card, but that is still the image people think of when it comes to an Earnhardt card.

The 1994 redemption version is quite a bit more rare than the 1988 version. PSA has currently graded 52 copies of the redemption card and 210 examples of the 1988 version.

FWIW, I have never seen one of those /100 autographed versions of the MAXX card that were released in 1997 by Upper Deck.

Like I said earlier, his 1983 Uno card is earlier than all of those options and has taken off in value in recent years. But that card doesn't do much for me.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

The 1988 Earnhardt MAXX situation is such a huge clusterfuck. There is nothing wrong with a 1988 version. It is still desirable, and it does sell for less than the redemption version if cost is a factor. This is just personal preference, but I would I would rank them 1986 SportStar/1988 (1994) Maxx Redemption/1988 Maxx non-certified. But they are all cool early Earnhardt cards. The price gap between the two versions of the MAXX cards has been steadily shrinking in recent years. Either version is still the iconic image of Earnhardt on a card.

The 1994 redemption version is quite a bit more rare than the 1988 version. PSA has currently graded 52 copies of the redemption card and 210 examples of the 1988 version.

FWIW, I have never seen one of those /100 autographed versions of the MAXX card that were released in 1997 by Upper Deck.

Like I said earlier, his 1983 Uno card is earlier than all of those options and has taken off in value in recent years. But that card doesn't do much for me.

My 1988 appears to be uncertified so I guess I'll stick with it as at least earlier than the 1989. Probably god enough for me. From ebay they seem to be a lot more pricey than they were not long ago, I paid less than 200 for my 8. Separately, any opinion on the 1992 Traks Petty/Earnhardt dual auto? Any issues there? Seems like a cool item never pulled the trigger but have thought about it.

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

My 1988 appears to be uncertified so I guess I'll stick with it as at least earlier than the 1989. Probably god enough for me. From ebay they seem to be a lot more pricey than they were not long ago, I paid less than 200 for my 8. Separately, any opinion on the 1992 Traks Petty/Earnhardt dual auto? Any issues there? Seems like a cool item never pulled the trigger but have thought about it.

The Earnhardt MAXX cards people list as BINs on eBay are just crazy Even with an uncertified version, you did very well at under $200 for an 8. Like I said, that is still the iconic image of Earnhardt on a card.

Here is a link to an awesome podcast dealing with some of the iconic NASCAR sets and notable rookie cards. A lot fo what I learning from listening to this podcast.

http://nascardradio.com/podcast/

Notable episodes you may be interested in are episodes 29. 1972 STP set, 31. Uno and SportStar-Photo-Graphics sets, 33. SportsStar Photo-Graphics set, 42. 1988 MAXX Earnhardt card No. 99, 44. 1972 STP set, 45. 1983 Uno,

[Bored5000]

Peter, if you do go after a 1992 Traks Earnhardt/Petty card, save yourself a headache and go with a graded copy. That card is notorious for phony autographs. Many of the cards made it to the public unautographed and have become a forger's paradise in recent years. Both Petty and Earnhardt have pretty distinctive signatures, so the fakes are usually pretty easy to detect. But I have steered away from that card because I am not really an autograph guy and that card has been the subject of rampant forgeries. Be very careful.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Bored5000

Peter, if you do go after a 1992 Traks Earnhardt/Petty card, save yourself a headache and go with a graded copy. That card is notorious for phony autographs. Many of the cards made it to the public unautographed and have become a forger's paradise in recent years. Both Petty and Earnhardt have pretty distinctive signatures, so the fakes are usually pretty easy to detect. But I have steered away from that card because I am not really an autograph guy and that card has been the subject of rampant forgeries. Be very careful.

Who would you trust more in terms of authenticity, Beckett or PSA?

[Bored5000]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Who would you trust more in terms of authenticity, Beckett or PSA?

I think either one would be ok. I am far from an expert when it comes to detecting forged autographs, but some of the Petty/Earnhardt fakes are so bad that it is very obvious they are not legit. There is definitely a wariness among collectors when it comes to that specific card because it is known to have many examples make it into the public unsigned.