Bend it … but not like David Beckham

By Chris Olds | Editor

Soccer fans who found a David Beckham autograph card in the new World of Sports set from Upper Deck might not realize they have a card with a certain twist to it.

It’s not Beckham’s autograph — it’s not Posh‘s, either. It accidentally has the sticker signature of Luciano Emilio.

And the real kicker? It still sold for $325 in a recent online auction.

The autograph cards parallel the base set in most instances in the product, but Beckett Media Senior Market Analyst Bryan Hornbeck noted that the base set checklist shows Beckham while the autograph checklist shows Emilio.

“Somebody goofed. Whether it was the person creating the checklist or the person placing the sticker on the card, I don’t know,” Hornbeck said. “I’ve heard talk of people wanting to purchase the card just to cause trouble for Upper Deck by complaining that it isn’t Beckham’s autograph, even though it clearly states on the back of the card that it is.”

Mistakes happen with sticker autographs for all companies. This is just another example.

Update: “It was a production error and Upper Deck’s Customer Care Group is willing to assist customers who pulled these cards with replacements,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s Sports Marketing and Social Media Manager. ” They just need to contact us at (800) 873-7332.”

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.