Collectibles Q&A

NASCAR memorabilia 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 postcard by Southern Card & Novelty. This card is an aerial shot of Daytona track before the Daytona USA was built. Could you tell me it's value. - J.D. Bales

A: "Track" postcards aren't nearly as valuable as driver postcards. And only the older ones are worth much. An early Daytona postcard that shows convertibles racing side-by-side with hardtops is one pretty collectible card that comes to mind. The value of your card depends on its age. If it is less than 25 years old, which I'm sure it is, the value is $2-4.

Q: I have a Jeff Gordon Action Packed rookie card. Printed across the back it says 1993 prototype. The card number is JG1. I was wondering how much it is valued at. - Toasty

A: That is a great card. In mint condition, it is worth $30-40.

Q: I have two Case knives featuring Jeff Gordon. One is from the Brickyard 400, it is 1 of 15,000. The other is just a color engraved solid brass inlay with a trading card. Both are still in the original packaging. I just wanted to know if they were worth anything. Thank you for your time. - Cheryl Freeman

A: The knife with the trading card was part of an open production run that doesn't carry a whole lot of value, probably $25-35. The Brickyard 400 knife is known as a "lightweight" and carries about the same value.

Q: I have a No. 36 Ken Schrader Stars and Stripes for 9/11/01 car. It has no sponsorships on it and is 1 of 10,700. I was wondering about its value. - Little E Fan

A: This Team Caliber car was offered exclusively through NASCAR.com. It's a high-dollar car, worth $200-250.

Q: I have a 1996 Wheels Viper Jeff Gordon Promo Card. Is it worth anything? - Rob Coffman

A: Ayup, it is. It's worth around $10-12 in mint condition.

Q: My Brother is into 1988 MAXX big time. He bought two 1988 MAXX Dale Earnhardt Card No. 99s. Both Cards grade PSA 10. He paid a lot of money for them. After he received them, I heard that there are fake Cards of this same card. - Nancy

A: I heard a few rumors of counterfeit No. 99 cards back in the early '90s. Personally, I think they were just that: rumors. I think if anyone had gone to the trouble of counterfeiting them, they'd have done more than just a few. And the truth is, very few of those cards surfaced before being released as inserts years later. At any rate, I don't think your brother has anything to worry about. A good grading service would most likely be able to spot a counterfeit.

Q: I have a 1996 Olympic Dale Earnhardt autographed car with Certificate of Authenticity saying 1 of 2000 signed. I gave $100 for this car. What is it worth? - Joe from Boaz, Ala.

A: Joe, they sold you the autograph and gave you the car free. That is to say that any Dale Earnhardt autograph is worth $100-150 if it can be verified, which yours is. I'm not sure which version of the Olympic car you have (there were several versions of both Action and Revell cars with values running from $75-400), so I can't give you an exact appraisal. But suffice to say that your car is worth way more than you paid for it.

Q: I have a NASCAR board game that I bought a few years back. It is a Milton-Bradley game titled "NASCAR Champions" and features Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt. Still in the shrink-wrap, never been opened. Should I go ahead and open it? - Jim Walterhouse

A: You've heard Darrell Waltrip talk about "big picture racing." Well, this is where big picture collecting comes into play. Right now, that game isn't worth much more than when it was purchased. But 20-30 years from now, it could command a pretty hefty price on the collector market. So, it's up to you. If you aren't concerned about long term value, open it. If you'd like to see what it will be worth down the road, leave it in its original shrink wrapping.

Q: I have a Jeff Gordon Zippo lighter in the tin for the first race at Indy. What's it worth? - Shawn

A: Right now, I'd put the collectible value at $50-70. The great thing about Zippo lighters is, there are hundreds of enthusiasts around the world who collect all types of lighters-not just those with a racing theme. I used to handle PR for Jimmy Spencer's Zippo-sponsored Busch car, and I heard plenty of stories about collections valued in the tens of thousands-even hundreds of thousands-of dollars. You have a great item that could easily be worth big bucks on day.

Q: I have a framed and matted collectible issued by NASCAR to its vendors to celebrate the organization's 50th Anniversary. I think there were only a couple hundred issued. I worked for Goodyear at one time, which is why I received one. I would love an opinion as to what it may be worth. It has 50 cards, each depicting the car that won the championship that particular year, along with the driver's name, all neatly matted and framed. Here's the kicker. The piece is signed on the matting by about a dozen drivers, including Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and numerous others, including some old-school drivers. These are original signatures, not reproductions, and were done at NASCAR's request. Please give me some guidance on what this may be worth. - Rich

A: Rich, this is an awesome collectible. In some ways, it is one of those "name your price" pieces. But realistically, you have to take into consideration what the average hardcore collector would be willing to pay. In my personal opinion, given the autographs (particularly Earnhardt's), I'd place the collectible value in the $200-300 range.