Look, is it a memorabilia card or not!?

It’s not often that the seemingly mundane task of classifying a type of trading card sends two normally mild-mannered adults to the verge of fisticuffs. But that was the surrealistic scene that unfolded yesterday afternoon just outside my office.

Bill Sutherland, Beckett’s Director of Data Publishing, and Tim Trout, Senior Market Analyst, were red-faced, raise-voiced and at each other’s throats about whether or not Press Pass’ Wheels American Thunder Thunder Road insert set should be considered a memorabilia set.

Sutherland, a 30-year hobby veteran who had acquired a Dale Earnhardt Jr. version of the card in an online trade, was miffed upon initial inspection. He thought he was receiving a race-used tire memorabilia card. That is, a card with a piece of race-used tire. Trout, also a 30-year hobby veteran and Beckett’s racing expert, vehemently defended his decision to tag them as memorabilia cards.

The duo proceeded to pass the card around the office in an attempt to gain support for their respective positions, and still couldn’t assemble a consensus.

Upon closer inspection, it’s quite the card conundrum. On the surface, the card doesn’t look like a memorabilia card. But turn the card over and you discover that the ink used to print on the card is made from race-used tires.

Hmmm . . .

Press Pass has been employing the concept on a handful of inserts since 1999. Ten years later, they’re still causing confusion. So, we open it up to you. You tell us: Is card that uses ink made from race-used tires a memorabilia card?

Let us know your thoughts and we’ll reward the most compelling response with a racing memorabilia card (presumably one that doesn’t cause a debate).