Collectibles Q&A

Are you a die-hard NASCAR fan? If so, you are probably a collector, whether you realize it or not. You may have a shelf or display case brimming with die-cast cars, or binders filled with trading cards, or even a room or garage stocked with memorabilia. Then again, you may just have a few items stuffed in a drawer. Makes no difference, you're a collector. And collectors often have questions about the items they've accumulated.

Here are our responses to some of your most recent inquiries:

Q: I have an autographed copy of "Timber on the Moon" by Curtis Turner. It's in excellent condition (exactly like he gave it to me). Is it worth anything? -- S. Grissom

A: This may be one of the best collectibles I've ever been asked about. A good clear Turner autograph is extremely hard to find. So is a copy of "Timber on The Moon." I've seen the book alone sell for $300. Personally, I think an autographed copy is easily worth $500-600, perhaps more.

Q: I have several racing cards someone gave me years ago. Could you tell me if any are worth anything? They are a 1988 MAXX Davey Allison Rookie of The Year card and a 1988 MAXX No. 87 Winston Cup Championship card. -- Chris

EMAIL Got a collectible question? Email us! Please remember to be specific when describing a collectible -- manufacturer, year, etc. Limit your questions to two and check our archives before submitting an inquiry.

A: The Davey card is worth $8-10 in mint condition. The Championship card-which features Dale Earnhardt and crew-is worth $12-15.

Q: I went to Goodwill store and found a No. 68 die-cast car in 1:43 scale. I don't know anything about this die-cast. It has a name PIG written on the hood and a picture of a pig on the side of the die-cast. Was "SPARKY" a popular driver in his time? Who was SPARKY? -- Paul

A: This is one of those "fantasy" die-casts that are sometimes produced as collectibles, sometimes produced as toys. I'd say this one is a toy and has no significant value.

Q: I have an uncut sheet of 1992 Maxx Davey Allison Texaco cards, these were sent to Texaco stations to hang as advertisements for the cards. The sheet has been kept in a large clear card sleeve the whole time. Also I have a set of 1992 Pro Set driver cards, They are numbered 1 - 15. Here are the drivers in order of the card: Rudd, D, Allison, Gant, Irvan, Martin, Marlin, D. Waltrip, SchraderR. Wallace, Shepherd, Kulwicki, G. Bodine, M. Waltrip, K. Petty, R. Petty. Any ideas? -- Keith

A: Collectors used to foam at the mouth over uncut sheets. They were the hot ticket in the early 1990s. Today, the value has leveled off significantly. I'd say your set, because it features Davey Allison, is likely worth around $35-40. As for the Pro Set cards, what you have here is the special Rudy Farms set that Pro Set produced for release in Rudy Farm sandwiches. They were inserted in packs of three. If all of the cards are in excellent condition, this set should be worth $25-30.

Q: In my possession are two die-cast collectibles. Both are 1:24 scale Monte Carlos by ARC, and both are in mint condition and retain the original box and packaging. The first is described on its box as: "Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. No. 3 Goodwrench & AC Delco 1998 Monte Carlo 1 of 624 P249816215." This car is silver and carries the logo of GM's annual "Team-up to Win" leadership conference, having been given out as gifts for attendees of that program. The second car's box identifies it as: "Dale Earnhardt No. 3 Gold Plus Car 1998 Monte Carlo 1 of 500 P249816019-7."

This car is gold and bears GM Parts markings. It was handed out to participants at a GM SPO (Service Parts Operations) meeting. Action's website confirms their existence, but other than that I can find no other information on them. Do you have any? As you might guess I'm especially interested in their value. -- Dave Herbst

A: Congratulations, Dave. You are undoubtedly the envy of every die-cast enthusiast who reads this column. As die-casts go, these are two of the very best. Action produced these cars as give-aways for the two conventions you mentioned. A few years ago, either of those would have sold for $1500 or more at the drop of a hat. The collectible value has probably leveled off to $1000-1100 or so for either car in perfect shape, but I'll bet there are still a few Earnhardt collectors out there who'd pay $1200-1500.

Q: I have three 6-packs of Dale Earnhart Coca-Cola racing bottles from 1998. They are still in the six-packs and still unopened. I also have five unopened bottles from 1999 of Dale Jarrett, Dale Earnhardt Jr. driving the No. 3, Jeremy Mayfield, Bill Elliott, and Steve Park. Could you tell me what they are worth? -- Kathy

A: The Dale Sr. bottles are worth about $10 apiece. The Dale Jr. bottle is worth around $8-10. The others likely hold a value of $3-4 each.

Q: I was wondering if you knew how much a porcelain 2000 model Dale Sr. car was worth? It is on a marble stand and is bigger than the normal cars I see everywhere at Wal-Mart. It is a pretty good size. It is also the 620th in the line of 1000 that were made. My dad bought it and thought it might be worth something. -- Cadge 13

A: Porcelain cars are really nice, but they never quite caught on with collectors. This 1:12 scale piece was produced by Integrity Collectibles. The collectible value topped out at about $400 soon after Earnhardt's death, but it has now leveled off to $200-250, although you see them sold for less.

Q: I have a 1994 unopened and wrapped box of Traks Premium Series 2, which contains 30 foil packs. Any idea of how much it is worth?--One Bama Bad Boy

A: These cards aren't that much in demand by collectors. I'd say the value of a wax box would be $25-35.

Q: We have a 1995 Silver Edition 1:24th scale Dale Earnhardt Sr. car that was made by Action. The car was autographed by Dale at a charity event for the Make A Wish Foundation at the Cavalier Country Club in Delaware. We have the original box that it came in and has never been handled. Any idea what this may be worth? -- J&J

A: Great piece here. To pinpoint and appraisal, I'd have to know which of four versions of the silver car you have. But suffice to say that, in mint condition, it is likely worth $500-600 in terms of collectibility. In most cases, you could add another $75-100 for Earnhardt's autograph. But this being the silver car, I think you could safely add $100-125 to the car's value.

Q: I was wondering what is the value of the standard 11 x 23 JEBCO clocks, I have every one of Tony Stewart's clocks a couple of others, even the Tony Stewart reflective mirror. -- Andy

A: I'm a big fan of John Cole's JEBCO clocks. Most of the clocks that have gained a lot of value are the ones that are sold out, like most of the Earnhardt Sr. and some of the Earnhardt Jr. clocks-or even the Alan Kulwicki clock. Most of the Stewart timepieces are holding steady at around $70-80.