Card of the Day: Donovan McNabb 2011 Gridiron Gear #87

Card of the Day: Brett Favre 2009 Topps National Chicle – Greats of the Gridiron #8

Under The Tree: 1997 Best Heroes Of The Gridiron Action Figures

Best was the go-to manufacturer in the 90’s and early 2000’s when it came to MiLB licensed cards.  They were based out of Austell, Georgia, and issued some nice stuff.  In my mind they never rose to the level of importance like some of the other manufacturers.  Today they are no longer around.

Its normal for card companies to try out different ideas.  In 1997, Best took a shot at officially licensed college football action figures.  Each figure measures 6.5″ tall, and comes with a removable helmet.  The checklist for the 1997 set consists of (12) players:

• Herschel Walker – Georgia
• Errict Rhett – Florida
• Reggie White – Tennessee
• Derrick Thomas – Florida State
• Brett Favre – Southern Miss
• Ki Jana Carter – Penn State
• Dan Marino – Pittsburgh
• Rod Woodson – Purdue
• Marshall Faulk – San Diego State
• Herman Moore – Virginia
• Desmond Howard – Michigan
• Deion Sanders – Florida State

At the time of their release, Stating Lineup was still the king of sports figures.  Best’s Heroes Of The Gridiron were a little easier to play with though because of their full articulation.  Best released another set of figures in 1998 under the same name.  That set has (18) figures in it.

The line of figures released by Best never really took off like Starting Lineup did.  All of the figures made by Best can easily be found for $5 to $10.  I’m sure there were some football fans who had these waiting under the Christmas tree for them back in ’97 and ’98.

Card of the Day: Eric Turner 1994 Coca-Cola Monsters of the Gridiron #7

Card of the Day: Walter Payton 1999 Donruss All-Time Gridiron Kings Auto

Card of the Day: Dan Marino 2002 Donruss Gridiron Kings #154

Card of the Day: Ken Stabler 2000 Donruss Studio Series Gridiron Kings Auto

Flashback Product of the Week: 1999 Leaf Certified Gridiron Gear NFL Logo Patch Set

The 90’s are notorious for having some of the most popular inserts, parallels, autographs, and relics.  Collectors are constantly looking for those rare gems to add to their collection.  Some can be worth a few dollars, while others can reach triple digits.  Its insane to see the level of popularity many of these cards have reached.

In 1999, relic cards had only been around for two or three years.  It was still considered a big deal to pull a game-used card, even though it might have been of a nobody and limited to a thousand copies.  If you pulled something like that today, it would most likely fall to the bottom of a bargain bin.  Among all the parallels and inserts found within packs of 1999 Leaf Certified, what many collectors kept their eyes open for were the Gridiron Gear jersey pieces.  Every one of the Gridiron Gear relics were serial numbered to 300.  It didn’t matter if the piece was a plain colored jersey or a multi-colored patch.  It was stamped out of 300 on the back.  Now those NFL logo patches.  They’re a little different.

Even though these NFL logo patches look like something that could be pulled from a pack of 1999 Leaf Certified.  That simply is not the case.  They’re designed like the others, but you could open every single box that Donruss/Playoff made and you’d never find one.  These were made after Leaf Certified was released for a special charity auction.  There are 72 total cards each numbered 1/1.  Why they included Thurman Thomas and Emmitt Smith in this set is a mystery, because those two do not have NFL logo patches.  The Thomas and Smith cards just have regular looking patches that can easily blend in with the versions numbered to 300 that came out of the packs.

This set has changed hands a few times over the years.  Dave & Adams Card World were the original owners.  Since then it has been bought and sold as a complete set numerous times.  The last person to own them decided to sell the cards individually.  From time to time you’ll see one of these cards surface.  Prices for each card can vary based on the player.  For a handful of players, this is the only NFL logo patch card ever made.  I believe the last time the complete set sold was for around $5,000.00.  That doesn’t seem too high of a price for all 72 cards.  Maybe because these were after market production promos.  Despite being 1/1 NFL logo patches, some collectors only want the stuff from packs.  There is also a rumor that some of the patches were fake even though they came with an LOA from Donruss/Playoff.  Its one of those crazy oddball sets.

Card of the Day: Chris Matthews 2011 Panini Gridiron Gear Rookie #243

Card of the Day: Brian Hoyer 2009 Press Pass Gridiron Graphs Auto