Panini, Topps create cards for NFLPA Collegiate Bowl participants
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
Some of the top college football players competed in the NFLPA Bowl on Saturday night. While the players are working toward the NFL Draft and received national exposure, they also received a memento to take home with them.
The players got their first licensed trading card.
Panini America and Topps spent the week at the Rose Bowl in California working with almost 100 athletes to get cards organized, snap pictures and making sure cards get signed as well.
Throughout the week, Topps tweeted different players putting their autograph on different cards, including Jordan Futch (Miami), Marell Evans (Michigan) and Elliot Coffey (Baylor).
But Topps has not released what it plans on doing with the cards yet.
Panini, however, has given away cards to the players. The company created 200 copies of each just for the players. The players can do whatever they want with the card: hand them out as business cards, give away to fans or even sell on the secondary market.
But the collector won’t be left out. Besides the “Personal Edition” cards for the players, Panini also obtained autographed patches and stickers that will be used in future products.
Some of the players on Panini’s cards include Miami quarterback Jacory Harris and LSU quarterback Jarrett Lee.
Panini released pictures of the cards while Topps tweeted pictures of players signing throughout the week.
Susan Lulgjuraj is a contributing editor for Beckett Media. You can email Susan here. Follow her on Twitter here.
If Topp’s does to the Football set with what it did for the 96 Bowman’s Best basketball Refractors, Atomic’s and Throwbacks. I’m buying! The only change I would add would be Serial Number the Refractor Subset. The Atomic technology is fine. The Throwbacks are priceless and have a vintage look that will be apreciated in about twenty years. Die-cut Atomics would be a plus but drop the Best Shot tech unless you add some layered 97/98 Ex2001 Credentials technology to it. A clear look with layered paper and plastic is great for a subset but not a hole set unless you do a big block white letter (layered feel) jersey card subset like back in the 90’s, those were hot.
Want to create some excitement? Throw in some Under Armor apparel redemtion cards randomly in the packs.
Bridging the mediums. Brick and motar and online gaming and collecting. We need them both Got to interact with people in more hobby stores and sporting good stores that could create an additional market for trading cards. Things gotta get better for the hobby through innovation. Welcome to Tera Nova folks!
Of course, the hobby shop owners need to advance into the 21st century, as well. Most of the shops look like tornadoes hit them, and they’re usually not very welcoming for children.
I will change to Ed007 since I see there is different Ed posting about children. The Jan. 22 post are from me but now there is a new Ed posting on Jan. 23. That is the problem with message boards.