Okay, those collectors who I've gotten to know over the years know that I am a 1997 Score nut. I eat, drink, and sleep '97 Score. <g>
1997
Score White Sox Team Collection Premier Club "Gold"
#1
Okay, those collectors who I've gotten to know over the years know that I am
a 1997 Score nut. I eat, drink, and sleep '97 Score. <g>
One
of my favorite issues because of its tangled history. This was typical of Pinnacle
Brands who created some of the most twisted and strange inserts in card history.
As I'm typing this I'm not sure if I want to bore you with the details of what
this issue is all about or how I came to finally get ahold of this very rare
card. So... I won't. <g>
These cards are something of a sleeper waiting for the general hobby to recognize. It might take a few more years, but as more collectors near completing their 'master' collections, I believe prices on these rare guys will really begin to climb.
Pinnacle Brands
produced this as a specialty item for stadium vendors in very limited amounts.
According to the records only 100 Cases were ever produced. Sometimes when I
mention this to another collector, even a dealer, I get a blank look. They honestly
don't understand what it means to say that only one hundred cases were produced.
However, when you point out that approximately 25-50 Gold Premiers exist
for any particular player - well that seems to catch their attention.
<g>
Pinnacle printed Team Collection cards for only 10 MLB teams. They are: The
Braves, Orioles, Red Sox, Indians, Rockies, Dodgers, Yankees, Mariners, Rangers
and of course, the White Sox.
When boxes are available - consider purchasing a few and busting 'em open for the Gold Premiers. IMHO they're a good long term investment.
Here's the lowdown on this issue:
• Special
production printed only for stadium vendors.
• 100 Case Production. This is incredibly limited when you consider
that most products are printed in the thousands of cases, sometimes tens of
thousands of cases.
• Estimates put the Gold Premiers between 25-50 per player. (the numbers
change depending on how many boxes were actually in each case - the debate continues)
• Similar in design to the regularly issued '97 Score but with different
foiling and a different numbering sequence. As you can see in the scan above
- Frank's Gold Premier is card #1 of 15.
Collector's Note: Keep in mind that some sellers, because they don't know better or are being intentionally deceitful, will sell the more common Platinum Club as the "rarest" card from this series. The Platinum Clubs are silver - the Premier Clubs are gold - so be mindful if you're purchasing these issues.
Like the Liberty Satellite Sports issue - my gut says that when the general hobby learns about this issue - this will take off.