Not so long ago, kids clamored to pharmacy and candy store shelves, digging through their pockets for change to purchase a pack of baseball cards. They carelessly tore the cardboard prizes from the wax-covered packages which held tasty, yet albeit short, bubblegum treats.
These cards were shuffled around, traded, wrapped in rubber bands — some made their way into the spokes of bicycle tires to give the two-wheeled machines a more menacing growl.
These cards depicted some of the all-time greats: Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Lou Gehrig. Just toys and gum supporters to the children of the time, but now, these cards, in perfect condition, are worth a small fortune.
Today, white-gloved collectors and investors carefully open now foiled-wrapped treasures, seeking that rare 1-of-1 edition of a hot rookie autograph — a card which could reach up to six digits on the open market. These packs aren’t the 5-cent packs of days gone by. Now, consumers are shelling out $100 or more for packs that contain maybe just one card or two, looking for those low-numbered gems of the most promising rookie.
Guess who the spotlight is on this summer? Saquon Barkley.
When former Nittany Lion No. 26 was taken by the New York Giants second in this year’s draft, thousands of cardboard collectors immediately set their eyes on the “big ticket” in this year’s NFL sports card products.
For many, it has already paid off.
Sales of Barkley cards have been steady since the Panini Company, the only sports card-producing company licensed to use official NFL logos and league-trademarked material, released its early draft editions in its draft pick sets.
Mass produced “rookie” cards featuring Barkley are commanding prices up to $20 each, while the rarest of the cards — such as a 2018 Panini Elite Draft Pick Die-Cut autographed card, sequentially numbered and stamped 1-of-1 ($1,499) — command four-digit price tags.
“He’s really injected some life into the football card collecting hobby,” said Steve Springman, owner of Juniata Cards in Altoona. “We’ve had quite a few people — young and old — come in looking for his cards. It’s nice to see someone that played so well getting so much attention.”
Springman said a “handful” of Saquon cards have been pulled from packs purchased at his shop.
“We did have a guy pull a rare Cracked Ice redemption version of a card,” said Springman. “He was pretty happy about that.”
The card, however, hasn’t been produced yet, and the customer received a card stating he was due to receive the card. The card also holds a scratch-off area, where, hidden beneath, is a code that can be entered on Panini’s website. When the card is produced, it will be shipped to the redeemer.
Despite the card not actually containing the signature of Barkley, and rather a promise to send it when the company makes it, collectors are still laying out big bucks for the 2 1/2-by-3 1/2- inch piece of cardboard.
Recent eBay sales of the 2018 Panini Contenders Cracked Ice variant, sequentially numbered and stamped out of 23 redemption cards, have topped out at $1,000.
Springman said the early interest in Barkley collectibles is a positive for a hobby that has seen a decline in recent years. He said he continues to expect the Penn State star will be popular for collectors.
“In June, we’re going to start seeing the first cards with him in his Giants uniform and collectors will go crazy again,” said Springman.
Fans of the Nittany Lions’ former running back immediately showed their desire for “Barkley gear” when pre-order sales for his New York Giants jersey went through the roof, setting a new NFL draft sales record, according to ESPN. The previous bestseller was Johnny Manziel in 2014.
