SAGE To Give Sportkings A Try

Well… it looks as if SAGE is the latest company to wield the Sportkings name.  Prior to this it was Brian Gray of Leaf, and before that it was Dr. Brian Price who once operated In The Game.

I’m going to be dead honest.  SAGE has been one of those manufacturers that sorta flies under the radar.  The company has been around since the 90’s, but in recent years they’ve only released a few unlicensed college football products.  With Press Pass out of the picture, SAGE has typically been one of the earliest companies to release autographs of the upcoming NFL draft class.  Once Leaf comes out with Metal Draft Football, and Panini starts releasing their millions of products, SAGE cards usually move to the back burner in most collector’s brains.  It wouldn’t be until the following year that we’d hear from them again.

With the release of 2018 SAGE Hit Premier Draft Low Series, collector’s have been finding promo cards for the first Sportkings product under the SAGE name.  Both promos feature Chicago Bears legend Walter Payton.  You’ll find the artistic promo (1) per hobby box, whereas the Walter Payton jersey card falls (1) per hobby case.

According to SAGE, Sportkings sounds like its going to have a lot to look for such as relics, on-card autographs, patches, jumbo patches, on-card original sketch cards with autographs, hand painted art cards, cut signatures, and original Sportkings cards from 1933.

Sportkings artwork has always been enjoyable to look at.  Lots of rich color.  It doesn’t even bother me that they lack team names and logos.  It’ll be interesting to see what the finished product ends up looking like.