Collectibles Q&A

NASCAR memoribilia collectors often have questions about the items they've accumulated. Here are our responses to some of your most recent inquiries:

Q: I have a Wheels Rookie Thunder No. 104 Dale Earnhardt Rookie of the Year card. Could you tell me how much it is worth? I also have a Dale Earnhardt 1986-1987 Winston Cup Champion Limited Edition No. 701 Hen & Rooster pocket knife made by Bertram Cutlery -- Solingen, Germany. Any idea how much it is worth? -- Shannon Dalton

A: The Wheels card is part of the five card 1994 Rookie Thunder Update insert set--a follow-up to the 1993 Rookie Thunder set. This card is worth $8-12 in mint condition. The Hen & Rooster knife was part of a 2000-piece production run. It is worth $150-175.

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Q: I have a Case XX 1992 Hard Charger No. 340 Knife, Limited Edition 1000, could you tell me how much it could be worth? I also have a Case XX 1992 Fan Appreciation Tour No. 1636 Knife, any idea how much it could be worth? -- Robert Dalton

A: The Hardcharger knife features the late Davey Allison. It's a great collectible, probably worth $600-650 in terms of collectibility. The Petty Fan Appreciation knife is likely worth $300-400.

Q: I am trying to find out the value of a hat. It's a "1998 Daytona 500 Champion Dale Earnhardt" limited edition collectors cap with the No. 4696 of of 15000 inside the cap. On the bottom of the box is "No. 3 Collector Cap Limited Edition. Thank you for any help. -- mcm8476

A: It's rare that a piece of apparel is considered a bona fide collectible, but this is one of those times. This cap is probably worth $30-35, with plenty of potential for future appreciation.

Q: I have a JEBCO Alan Kulwicki clock that was purchased in 1992. From what I understand, he died in an accident in 1993. I was wondering what the value of this may be worth? The clock is in mint shape.-Lisa

A: I know for a fact that a restaurant owner in Wisconsin was offered $1000 for one of these clocks soon after Kulwicki's death -- and turned it down. I think in today's market, the Kulwicki clock probably has a collectible value of around $250.

Q: I have what looks to be a fairly rare item. I have looked elsewhere on the web and haven't found anything comparable. It is a Busch Clash '96 book with the 95 Busch pole winners: Dale Earnhardt, Ken Schrader, David Green, Ted Musgrave, Darrell Waltrip, Terry Labonte, Ricky Rudd, Dave Marcis, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Sterling Marlin, Bobby Labonte, Bill Elliot, Rick Mast, John Andretti, Hut Stricklin, and Dale Jarrett.

It has what appears to be the same pictures as their trading cards and every page with a picture is autographed by that driver. On the back of the picture is an info page about the driver. It is number 1 of 10,000 and is labeled that on the cover. The edges are a little rough but there are no tears. It was not taken care of as an item like this should have been in its earlier years. How much is it worth? - Chris

A: These booklets were given out as souvenirs by Anheuser-Busch. They were mass-produced, but few have survived. The true value lies in the Earnhardt autograph. Adding that to the value of the other signatures, then deducting for condition, it is probably worth around $100-150.

Q: I have two Mac Tools 1:24 scale Jeff Gordon Baby Ruth and Carolina Ford Dealers Busch cars. Can you price them please? - J. Derek

A: This pair of cars are worth a total of $125-150.

Q: I have a Hamilton Collection Dale Earnhardt Plate from 1997. If you could tell me how much this would be worth, I would appreciate it. Thank you. - Juanita

A: A good plate here. It is likely worth $45-65.

Q: I have a Richard Petty card put out by Royal Finish. It is one of 4300 produced. It is numbered, and has a halogram and certificate of authenticity. It was in the car with him at Atlanta for his last race in 1992. I cannot find it listed anywhere. Can you help? - HorseRiderDoc

A: This question brings a smile to my face. My old buddy Ray Tribble of Richmond Racing Promotions put this deal together. The artwork for the card was designed by none other than Sam Bass. These cards originally sold for $143. Of course, the card market was running wide open back then, and has since softened a bit-particularly when it concerns the value of independently produced cards. Still, I think this card should be worth $75-100, maybe more to the right collector. After all, you seldom see them anymore.

Q: I have a professionally framed 1994 Sam Bass print of Ernie Irvan and Robert Yates. The print is numbered 244/500 and has original signatures from Sam Bass and Robert Yates. Robert also wrote "28 star power" next to his signature. What is the value? - Ken

A: Sam Bass artwork holds its value extremely well. This piece has sold out at the Gallery, so it is only available on the secondary market. Framed, I'd place the value at $500-650.

Q: I have a 1992 Racing Champions Super Collector Set of Davey Allison. It contains two different size haulers, and three different size cars. The box is a little dented, but the cars and haulers are in perfect shape, and have never been removed from the box. Was wondering what it was worth. - martinfan

A: Racing Champions tested the waters with a number of innovative products back in the early '90s. These Super Collector sets were a good example. This particular set is likely valued at around $50, give or take 10 bucks.