Frank's first card ever. :-)
1987 Auburn Tigers
Frank's
first card ever. :-)
This can be a somewhat tough find. But with estimated five-thousand sets out there, well 4,999 anyway, you shouldn't be forced to pay too much for an example. The book value for the complete 17-card set is $200 - Frank's card makes up 75% of the set's value - Bo Jackson's two cards in the set make up another 20%.
Collector's Warning: Because this is a very simple design printed during the 1980's I want to warn you that forgeries are not impossible given modern desktop graphics technology and the quality of color desktop printers. But Frank hasn't been on anyone's hot list for quite a while so it's not a serious issue, but you should be aware nonetheless. <nod>
Historical notes regarding this fantastic first card of The Big Hurt...
• Authorized by Auburn University, it was printed by McDag Productions, Inc. in Louisiana.
• The estimated total run was 5,000 complete sets. No accurate record was ever kept by McDag and estimates are based on second-hand inference by minor-league specialists who deal in these regional issues.
My own opinion: I seriously doubt there were five-thousand sets issued for two important reasons.
• 1) These were intended to be giveaways at various Auburn sports events, not just football, as clearly indicated by the many different athletes/sports selected. A five thousand print run is typical for football-only type giveaways, not Men's Gymnastics or Women's Track-n-Field.
• 2) How many sets have you seen to date? Me, after nine years of searching, I've only seen 1 PSA graded example, 1 BGS graded example, 9 complete sets, and 2 broken down partials offered via eBay, Yahoo, and other various auction houses. That's 11* Thomas' in 9 years. (the other two had no Frank, only the Jackson cards were being offered). For a purported 5,000 print run - that's pretty odd not to see more examples trading hands by collectors. Again, IMHO.
*Updated (8.20.07): In the past year (summer 2006-summer 2007) I've recorded 3 more sales of this rare card. That's three over the course of a year. Some will call this inductive reasoning and dismiss my conclusions - I call it observable fact. Feel free to choose which description fits best in your eyes.
*Updated (4.8.08): Two more sales of this issue in the past year. The most notable was a recent sale of a PSA9 graded copy for more than $380 (eBay auction closed 2.24.08). Again, surprisingly few auctions for this issue given Big Frank's higher prominence & recognition by everyone as one of the few big sluggers from the 1990's who stayed clear of PEDs. ('cept to true fans who have been screaming this fact for more than 10 years!) <lol>
• In addition to being given away to students and fans attending various AU sporting events, it was reportedly partially distributed though the Opelika, Alabama Police Department who co-sponsored its production. Why the two other co-sponsors (The Auburn University Athletic Department and The East Alabama Medical Center) aren't mentioned in the same breath is something of a minor mystery. I suspect that none of the sponsors actually received a designated lot of the print run to give out, though some sets were undoubtedly given to the key point-of-contacts from each sponsor.
• Note that this issue showcased student-athletes in other school sports besides Baseball and Football. Among them: Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Men and Women's Gymnastics, and Track-n-Field.
• Special note: There's even a card for the school's mascot - "Tiger" - a golden eagle. The reason for an eagle as the mascot (instead of a tiger) is that it reflects AU's battle cry - "War Eagle", which dates back to the school's history from the mid-1800's. The school's on-field costumed mascot is "Aubie" (the person running around in the tiger suit) and he also has a card in this set. <laughing>