We all know that Baseball history drives the value of a lot of products in the hobby. In fact, products are structured in a way that even questionable swatches from these players can drive huge prices. Because Football is a much newer sport, there are not as much history for companies to play off of. In fact, there are few people in the history of football to have the fame and recognition that could drive the type of prices that a Ruth or Mantle could drive in baseball.
I commented earlier that Walter Payton and his untimely death from cancer are one of the players that football collectors chase, but thats about it. Outside of Payton, there is only one other guy, Jim Thorpe. The olympian, baseball player, and all around beastly athlete lived in the early part of the 20th century, and he wasnt even really involved in the sport in a way that is even close to today. He is so famous for his exploits that his cards, relics and signatures are worth thousands.
Here are some examples from recent auctions:
2006 National Treasures Jim Thorpe Sweater and Cut Auto Card
2002 Elite Jim Thorpe GU Sweater Relic Card
PSA Authenticated Jim Thorpe Signed Check
The issue with Thorpe’s stuff is that there isnt much of it around. Football has changed more in the years since his death than baseball has EVER changed, and for that reason, Ruth, Dimaggio, Mantle and Gherig all had more to go off of. The jerseys and bats they used in the 30s are still relatively the same as the bats and jerseys they use today. Ruth and his colleagues were also much more famous than Thorpe, even though it can be argued that both were equally influential in their respective sports at the time.
Donruss was able to secure a game used sweater used during Thorpe’s days with the Canton Bulldogs, a purchase that made national news at the time, but the swatches are long gone. There were also some swatches from a professional baseball uniform they were able to purchase that were inserted into 2005 Absolute Baseball
and other sets, but those also seem to have been used up.
Overall, swatches like these are not going to be available forever, and I have commented in the past that there is no way that the card companies should have or should be cutting them up anymore. Its a part of our nation’s history that will never be repeated and though its cool to own a piece of history in a trading card, there are other things to consider. Thorpe doesnt have 1000 jerseys to purchase like the other players do because of the era of the game he played in. The NFL didnt become America’s sport until many years after he died, and I would guess its a huge reason as to why Thorpe’s cards are so valuable.
That rare jerseys like Thorpe’s Canton Bulldogs jersey get cut up borders on the criminal.
He only has two regular issue cards, I think (Sport Kings and 1955 Topps All-American), both of which are very popular. however he’s not the only player in this boat. Sammy Baugh and Otto Graham also both have fewer than five regular issue cards.
And in basketball, Bill Russell and Bob Cousy each only have three regular issue cards (1958 Topps and 1961 Fleer x2), and players like Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West each have fewer than ten.
It’s such a double-edged sword, too. With baseball, when there’s a ‘Legends’ type product released, you get promotional materials of guys like Ruth, Mantle, DiMaggio…etc. on the packaging because collectors actually have a shot at pulling one of their inserts. With football, guys like Thorpe, Payton, Unitas, etc. are becoming so impossible to find memorabilia for that it’s not in the company’s best interest to put these guys on the packaging. Sure, you’ll see a nice insert numbered to 5 that you’ll probably never see or pull of these guys.
There are other routes out there to take with football if you’re looking to get a major signature of influential players. Panini, in 2010, released a couple hundred signatures of Paul Brown into circulation. Why the hell they flooded the market with his cut signatures from personal checks is beyond stupid but, for the collector looking to add one heck of a nice signature to their NFL collection, look no further than the $50 (on average if you’re lucky on feebay) that these things go for. Before the Plates and Patches, NT, Classics… a Paul Brown auto ran you $100+.
So, my point is that there are tons of NFL names out there that don’t even get the recognition they should. Likely due to lack of footage, etc. from the time period. TV footage of Super Bowl I does not even exist in more than a handfull of grainy highlights. It is said the film reel was recorded over and used for other programming, the broadcast network never forseeing the value of the footage.
There are a ton of contributing factors to the lack of focus on early NFL players. It does make the search that much more fun, though. Up next, I need a Don Hutson… 🙂