The Wall Street Journal has continued their coverage on the struggling world of card collecting. In a recent attempt to lure collectors, Topps and Upper Deck have begun inserting “DNA cards,” which contain strands of hair from such historical figures as Abraham Lincoln and Marilyn Monroe.
This year, closely held trading card giant Upper Deck Co. LLC, based in Carlsbad, Calif., launched chase cards containing the hair of people ranging from King George III to Marilyn Monroe. The company began tentatively last June, with just 10 hair cards of historical figures — from George Washington to Ronald Reagan — inserted into certain packs of baseball cards.
Upper Deck noticed hair on a list of items for sale from a collector it does business with, and thought it compelling, though it gave pause to some. “It was a little awkward initially, like, ‘Is it a little morbid?'” says Joe Fallon, director of innovation for Upper Deck. “But when we saw it, we knew we had a good idea.” Plus, it fit easily on a trading card.
The buzz that generated — Ms. Artusa posted her Lincoln card on eBay for $30,000 — prompted the company to launch a second series of hair cards a couple of months later. The company says that group of 140 includes strands from figures including John F. and Jackie Kennedy.
The industry is betting that emphasizing historical figures may lure new buyers. “Baseball is pop culture, Americana, and there’s a lot of natural synergy when you do things outside of baseball in the cards,” says Clay Luraschi, spokesman for New York-based Topps Co., another major card company.
The only sports figure included in either company’s hair collection is Babe Ruth.
Read the rest of the article to find out what other desperate attempts these companies have tried in the past (Topps has even offered bits of the Berlin Wall). I didn’t think sports card companies would ever get to the point where their primary marketing ploy didn’t involve sports. Apparently, sales for these packs have been doing very well, so I’m glad the strategy is helping the industry. But how is Babe Ruth the only sports figure in either series? Seems to me like inserting hair strands of other legendary, deceased athletes would entice their core market—sports fans. I guess having a piece of Geronimo or Jackie Kennedy’s hair would be fun, but this will only briefly draw in aficionados from all realms of collecting. While true card collectors will remain after they run out of hair, the Antiques Roadshow-types will be long gone.
Also, it’s obvious that the major card companies have given up on pursuing the young collector. “Dad, can we go the card shop? I really think I can get a piece of Andrew Jackson’s hair this time.” I remember trying to put together a complete 150-card set when I was younger. As the market bottomed out, I knew people that would buy packs just because they wanted the “insert” cards—they likely threw away the “commons.” Now people are buying packs not for the cards, but for a piece of hair which belonged to a figure that had nothing to do with sports. Where will they go from here?
“Dad, look what was attached to my Evan Longoria rookie card—it’s Eddie Van Halen’s guitar pick!”
