PAUL DOTTINO
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-27-1993
NFL PROPERTIES SELLS ITS CARD RIGHTS
By PAUL DOTTINO
Date: 03-27-1993, Saturday
Section: SPORTS
Edition: All Editions -- Two Star B, Two Star P, One Star
Column: COLLECTING
NFL Properties will take a less active role in the card industry
this year now that the cold war between the National Football League and
the NFL Players Association over the players' card rights appears to be
over.
NFL Properties has sold the manufacturing rights for its Pro Line
series to Classic and for its GameDay series to Fleer. The sale allows
Classic, which produces college draft-pick cards, to break into the pro
football market.
'It's not that we are completely out of the card business,' said
NFL Properties senior licensing director Peter Hughes. 'We are going to
work closely with both companies. They have established distribution
avenues for sales. We want to make sure these brands grow and continue
to prosper.'
The league is expected to retain final approval of card content and
design.
Pro Line, created in 1991, has been geared toward revealing the
league's personalities. GameDay, created last year, used oversize action
photos.
Hughes said NFL Properties was satisfied with the sales of both
series but wanted to make a decision regarding 'where we are going to
place our emphasis.'
NFL Properties' step back from the forefront of the card industry
comes in conjunction with the impending settlement over card rights.
Although the collective bargaining agreement has not been finalized, it
appears that licensed card companies will be able to select from a
leaguewide pool of players this season.
A BIG SHAQ ATTACK -- Upper Deck's promotional McDonald's basketball
series has been the source of a stir in Orlando, Fla.
Three restaurant employees recently were arrested (and released on
$2,500 bail) in connection with trying to sell boxes of stolen packs to
a card shop.
Police said the culprits were after Magic center Shaquille O'Neal's
rookie card. The card sells for about $40 at Florida shows. Each
McDonald's pack contains two cards from the 50-card national series and
a regional card from the National Basketball Association's local team.
Upper Deck shipped 250,000 packs to the Orlando area.
THE REAL THING -- Eric Lindros finally has his own Upper Deck hockey
card, courtesy of the company's 1992-93 High Series. The card shows
Lindros raising his arms after scoring a goal. The company superimposed
Lindros' head on the body of Rod Brind'Amour in the Low Series.
CARD TRICK -- Illusionist David Copperfield will 'shred' Wayne
Gretzky's T-206 Honus Wagner card, valued at more than $400,000, and
attempt to put the pieces back together Tuesday night during a CBS
television special.
Show schedule
Today -- Paramus, SportsWorld, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Montclair,
Lackawanna Station, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; West Caldwell, Wilson School,
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Today-Sunday -- Edison, Raritan Center, 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; Lyndhurst, Quality Inn, 9
a.m. to 4 p.m.; Paramus, Paramus Catholic High School (baseball team
benefit), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday -- Parsippany, Quality Inn, 5 to 9:30
p.m. April 3 -- Hasbrouck Heights, VFW Hall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 4 --
Clifton, Ramada Inn, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 -- Montvale, Ramada Inn, 5
to 10 p.m.
Keywords: SPORT. COLLECTING
Copyright 1993 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
The Record (Bergen County, NJ)
03-27-1993
NFL PROPERTIES SELLS ITS CARD RIGHTS
By PAUL DOTTINO
Date: 03-27-1993, Saturday
Section: SPORTS
Edition: All Editions -- Two Star B, Two Star P, One Star
Column: COLLECTING
NFL Properties will take a less active role in the card industry
this year now that the cold war between the National Football League and
the NFL Players Association over the players' card rights appears to be
over.
NFL Properties has sold the manufacturing rights for its Pro Line
series to Classic and for its GameDay series to Fleer. The sale allows
Classic, which produces college draft-pick cards, to break into the pro
football market.
'It's not that we are completely out of the card business,' said
NFL Properties senior licensing director Peter Hughes. 'We are going to
work closely with both companies. They have established distribution
avenues for sales. We want to make sure these brands grow and continue
to prosper.'
The league is expected to retain final approval of card content and
design.
Pro Line, created in 1991, has been geared toward revealing the
league's personalities. GameDay, created last year, used oversize action
photos.
Hughes said NFL Properties was satisfied with the sales of both
series but wanted to make a decision regarding 'where we are going to
place our emphasis.'
NFL Properties' step back from the forefront of the card industry
comes in conjunction with the impending settlement over card rights.
Although the collective bargaining agreement has not been finalized, it
appears that licensed card companies will be able to select from a
leaguewide pool of players this season.
A BIG SHAQ ATTACK -- Upper Deck's promotional McDonald's basketball
series has been the source of a stir in Orlando, Fla.
Three restaurant employees recently were arrested (and released on
$2,500 bail) in connection with trying to sell boxes of stolen packs to
a card shop.
Police said the culprits were after Magic center Shaquille O'Neal's
rookie card. The card sells for about $40 at Florida shows. Each
McDonald's pack contains two cards from the 50-card national series and
a regional card from the National Basketball Association's local team.
Upper Deck shipped 250,000 packs to the Orlando area.
THE REAL THING -- Eric Lindros finally has his own Upper Deck hockey
card, courtesy of the company's 1992-93 High Series. The card shows
Lindros raising his arms after scoring a goal. The company superimposed
Lindros' head on the body of Rod Brind'Amour in the Low Series.
CARD TRICK -- Illusionist David Copperfield will 'shred' Wayne
Gretzky's T-206 Honus Wagner card, valued at more than $400,000, and
attempt to put the pieces back together Tuesday night during a CBS
television special.
Show schedule
Today -- Paramus, SportsWorld, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Montclair,
Lackawanna Station, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; West Caldwell, Wilson School,
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Today-Sunday -- Edison, Raritan Center, 10 a.m.
to 6 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday; Lyndhurst, Quality Inn, 9
a.m. to 4 p.m.; Paramus, Paramus Catholic High School (baseball team
benefit), 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday -- Parsippany, Quality Inn, 5 to 9:30
p.m. April 3 -- Hasbrouck Heights, VFW Hall, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 4 --
Clifton, Ramada Inn, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6 -- Montvale, Ramada Inn, 5
to 10 p.m.
Keywords: SPORT. COLLECTING
Copyright 1993 Bergen Record Corp. All rights reserved.
