June 27, 2007 (Markham,
ON)
The greatest name
in the history of trading cards is making a
comeback after 73 years. Collectors everywhere
will applaud the return of the legendary and
revered Sportkings brand!
The original Sport Kings Gum series was released
by the Goudey Gum Company in 1933 and 1934 and
featured 48 incredible athletes from a cross
section of sports. In those days, a collector
could open up a pack and receive a card depicting
such legends as swimmer Johnny Weissmuller,
football star Red Grange, boxer Max Baer, hockey
icon Howie Morenz or the revered Babe Ruth.
Highly prized by modern collectors, the original
Sport Kings cards have taken on a mystique and
ranks among the most popular sets in the history
of the hobby.
Only one person in the hobby could orchestrate
this return to glory, Dr. Brian H. Price, who
many collectors will recall as the mastermind
behind the return of the Parkhurst brand to
the hockey card market in 1991.
"As a longtime collector of sports cards
and memorabilia, I have always been a fan of
the original Sport Kings Gum set and I wanted
to be able to continue the tradition for modern
sports card enthusiasts and historians,"
said Price. "The time was right to undertake
this project and I believe that the brand will
appeal to a broad audience."
Sportkings Series A will pay tribute to big
names from a wide range of athletic pursuits
and will maintain the integrity of the original
release. Each base card features original artwork
and the roster includes such stars as baseball's
Roberto Clemente and Ted Williams, hockey's
Patrick Roy and Rocket Richard, football's Troy
Aikman and Bart Starr along with many others
that truly rank among the Kings of their respective
sports including; Mia Hamm-Soccer, Mark Spitz-Swimming,
Greg Louganis-Diving, Hulk Hogan-Wrestling,
Nigel Mansell-Motor Sports, to name a few.
"Over the past 73 years, the number of
athletes that were dominant in their respective
sports gave us the daunting task of choosing
which ones would be involved in the Series A
of Sportkings," said Price. "More
athletes will be included in future releases
and it is my goal to offer collectors a diverse
and original mix with every series."
Over the years, Price has caused debate in
hobby circles for his landmark decision to cut
up pieces of vintage hockey equipment for trading
cards. Some of the Sportkings choices are sure
to generate discussion among collectors, but
Price feels that can be a positive thing.
"We will be providing collectors with
pieces of sporting history with Sportkings and
that is sure to raise some eyebrows," Price
said. “There will be no photo-shoot memorabilia
or redemptions in this product. Collectors have
spoken loud and clear on these issues.”
A premium trading card release, Sportkings
Series A will be one of most limited products
ever made. Each pack will contain seven cards;
three base cards in the traditional card size
format, one base card in the original Sport
Kings Gum size, one Autograph Card insert and
two additional Autograph or Memorabilia inserts.
Sportkings Series A will be released in October,
2007. For more information please visit
www.sportkingsgum.com
or email info@sportkingsgum.com.
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