Autograph cards have become as common as base cards these days, which usually means that unless something is special or serially numbered to barely any copies, value is lost. I am of the understanding that to make cards special, there has to be more than just an autograph, and inscriptions take advantage of that in just about every circumstance.
Leaf Trinity is a product built around specialized inscriptions, and it goes live today. Usually I dont pay much attention to unlicensed products, but the inscriptions I am seeing are actually pretty cool.
2013 Leaf Trinity Ryan Nassib Inscription Auto 1/1
2013 Leaf Trinity EJ Manuel Inscription Auto /10
2013 Leaf Trinity Geno Smith Inscription Auto /60
2013 Leaf Trinity Marcus Lattimore Inscription Auto
In the past, Leaf has done entire products based around inscription cards, but they havent done one specialized to one sport like Trinity is. I also think that in the past, many of the inscription cards were built around signing space
, and for the first time, Trinity takes more consideration to the player’s likeness than before.
Brian Gray has already established himself as the primary competition in every unlicensed situation there is, creating more valuable cards under his umbrella than any other company without a major league affiliation. Because he isnt subject to many of the rules placed upon card creation as the bigger manufacturers, he can take liberties that just arent available other places.
These cards are pretty cool in that the things the players are signing can vary considerably – even referencing the NFL teams the rookies were drafted to. Although the cards arent going to be worth as much as some of the other licensed cards that focus on the same principals, this looks like a product worth ripping into just to see what you can pull.
The first TRUE NFL inscription cards will be released in late july with Topps Inception, and I know that adding unique factors to autographs is something that the companies will explore all year long. In the meantime, this is worth checking out.
I like what Leaf has been doing. They don’t let a lack of licensing hold them back. Most of their products do a great job in delivering value, whether perceived or in secondary market value. Their mix of on-card autos, clean designs, few base cards and innovative ideas always catch my eye. When it comes to breaking boxes I feel most comfortable putting money on Upper Deck and Leaf products.