Press Pass’ Five Star isn’t just about high-end racing cards

[blowoutcards]

Press Pass’ Five Star isn’t just about high-end racing cards
November 30, 2010, 10:41 am


By Chris Olds | Editor

Press Pass‘ foray into the ultra high-end trading card realm has some gems of racing memorabilia, but that’s not all the company is packing into its $500 and up boxes.

Some packs of Press Pass Five Star will include instant win memorabilia cards redeemable for items that even the most casual of NASCAR fans will recognize as kind of a big deal. (Apologies to Ron Burgundy.)

For example, how about a Dale Earnhardt race-used and signed helmet? It dates from the mid-1990s as it features a sticker on the back noting The Intimidator’s 1993 Winston Cup title.

Another item up for grabs is a Home Depot firesuit, which if you recognize the color scheme, is from early in Tony Stewart‘s career. How early? It’s from the two-time champ’s rookie season of 1999.

Among the other items to be found — via randomly inserted instant win cards — are a helmet signed by more than 20 drivers, a NASCAR 50th Anniversary lithograph, Kevin Harvick-signed items, artwork and more.

Five Star arrives in hobby shops on Dec. 1.

Press Pass’ Five Star isn’t just about high-end racing cards The Beckett Blog

[hexthem4n]

Wow, I'd buy a box of this stuff if I had the money.

[jstapleton71]

Originally Posted by hexthem4n

Wow, I'd buy a box of this stuff if I had the money.

For $500 a box it better have all that and a circus midget that goes down on you after you break it

[mdclapps]

A lot of people have gotten SICK cards!

[jonnytrouble]

Originally Posted by jstapleton71

For $500 a box it better have all that and a circus midget that goes down on you after you break it

it is 100x better than any other $500 product out there. Exquisite and National Treasures are complete garbage compared to this stuff. God i wish they could do a box of football ore baseball like this... unfortunately UD will never go out of there way, and spend more money, to bring us a product of this quality.

[esaslo]

Originally Posted by jonnytrouble

it is 100x better than any other $500 product out there. Exquisite and National Treasures are complete garbage compared to this stuff. God i wish they could do a box of football ore baseball like this... unfortunately UD will never go out of there way, and spend more money, to bring us a product of this quality.

Panini National Treasures Basketball this year makes a very, VERY compelling argument to be a better value. Although the Press Pass Five Star cards look amazing, the singles are holding their value much, much better with NT Basketball -- I've bought a lot of both.

Scenario analysis, saying that both boxes are $500:

Five star - Low Side: $250 (50%)
NT Basketball: $200 ($40%)

However, we know that boxes of NT go for less, and PP go for more, so I'd like to think it's about even. And at the end of the day, it's all about understanding how card values work. If PP doesn't do this next year (which they may *NOT*) this would increase the values. While if Panini decides to revert to the watered down NT release, past singles will increase (potentially) while newer boxes/singles will not.

Best Prices on both of these products -- if you got in out of the gate -- were at their very lowest presale prices of around $500/$525 for Five Star (now in the high 500s/low 600s); and, $325-$340 (now around $450-$480) for NT.

All considered, if you were on top of things, NT is still the best value out of the gate, for the reasons list. Nevertheless, I'm enthralled by the quality of Five Star, and DO recommend it to ANY racing fan -- there are simply patches/swatches/firesuit icons and memo that has never been done before: True 1/1's.

ES

[cygtr]

I don't know how rare these redemption cards are, but I saw the redemption for the 50th anniversary signed lithograph pulled tonight at my local shop. In the same box was a 1/1 Richard Petty Champion logo booklet.

[Jolietracing]

Originally Posted by cygtr

I don't know how rare these redemption cards are, but I saw the redemption for the 50th anniversary signed lithograph pulled tonight at my local shop. In the same box was a 1/1 Richard Petty Champion logo booklet.

That lithograph is valued at about $5,000. They were made in 1998 & signed by all of the living 50 greatest drivers at the time. Including Dale Earnhardt, Lee Petty, Benny Parsons, & a few others who have since passed away. Great pull!