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 an Alan Kulwicki 1:24 scale Hooters die-cast, mint in the box. What is the value of this? The box is marked 20th anniversary 1983-2003 Hooters Restaurants. The car is silver 1995 thunderbird No. 7. Please give me an idea of value.--Bonnie

A: This is a pretty neat car with a pretty neat theme. There were just over 6010 produced. The value is around $50, give or take ten bucks. It would have likely been worth more if the production run had been smaller.

Q: I have a signed Ernie Irvan card from 1995 Hi-Tech Cards, Inc. It is different from the normal cards. When Ernie crashed and almost ended his life I wrote a letter to him, and I received this card back signed by him. The front of the card has a picture of Ernie Irvan and the back of the card is a letter asking to accept this card as a token of appreciation for the support given to him and his family through the hardship they were going through. I have tried to search a value of this card out and have not been able to find it listed anywhere. Any idea if there is any value to it?--Michelle Mace

A: This is a great card. It isn't a real heavy hitter money-wise, at least not yet. The current value should be around $5, give or take a few dollars. It does have some significance, however, and could gain value over the years.

Q: I have an embossed Dale Earnhardt 1993 Hi Pro Marketing trading card. It is a Daytona 1993 Gatorade 125 winner. It is card No. 94 in the series, copyright 1993. It is unprotected in very good condition. We are trying to find out if there is resale value on this card.--Tim Blair

A: A decent early Earnhardt common card here. It's worth $3-6.

Q: I have an Upper Deck card commemorating Richard Petty's 200th career win. Can you tell me if it is worth anything. Looks like it is from the History Book collection.--E. Sparks

A: This is a fairly common card, and holds a value of $3-5.

Q: I have a 1993 Pro Set-Finish Line Father & Son Bobby and Davey Allison card, with Bobby Allison's signature on it. Davey was in his white/black No. 28 car an Bobby in his Miller No. 22 car, What do you think that is worth?-Gina

A: Bobby's signature generates most of this card's value. I'd set the value at $35-60.

Q: I have a 1991 Traks Jeff Gordon card No. 1 signed by him that is PSA/DNA certified. Just want to know the value?-Sean

A: Sean, you have an awesome card. This is Gordon's first NASCAR card-and one that I feel has never gotten the full attention it deserves. The signature and certification just add to its worth. This card is so good that it's kind of hard to appraise. Off the top of my head, I'm going to assign a value of $100-125. There will be some collectors who say that is too much, but I'd be willing to bet there are more than a few who'd pay twice that for it and not blink an eye.

Q: I would like to find out what my Dale Earnhardt Winston Cup Champion Wrangler Jacket is worth. Can you please help me find out how much this jacket may be worth? It is a woman's size small. Thank you for you help in this matter.--Kristie Coffey

A: I don't like to appraise apparel because garments aren't really collectibles. They are souvenirs. But it's vintage Earnhardt, so that definitely gives it some degree of collectibility. I'd place the value at $50-60.

Q: I was wondering if you can help me find a value on this set of Highland Mint coins. It is called a 50th anniversary NASCAR triple matched set. It contains 1/2 troy pound.999 fine silver, 1/2 troypound .999 fine silver, selectively plated with 24 kt gold, 1/2 troy pound .999 fine silver with 24 kt gold overlay. Could you help me find a value? I have an invoice for 590 from 1998.-Jerry

A: Jerry, I wish I could tell you these coins have gained a ton of value over the past nine years. But honestly, coins and precious metal-type collectibles have just never been a big hit with the NASCAR Nation. I'd put the current collectible value in the $600-700 range.

Q: I have a 1993 Racing Champions Jeff Gordon 1:24 scale Dupont Lumina. It is in mint condition. I bought it on eBay in a Jeff Gordon die-cast lot that included four other cars. What is its value?- Kyle

A: Some of the early Racing Champions Jeff Gordon cars are big ticket items. This is one of them. It is easily worth $100-150.

Q: I am a novice when it comes to racing collectibles and tried several sites to see if I could find this photo but to no avail. It is a Dale Earnhardt Sr. framed 14" x 16" and signed (with full name) photo showing him in a yellow racing suit with blue stripes down sides of arms and pants with a T-shirt saying, "Damn I'm good". He has a moustache and is standing in front of a race car. I was wondering what is the value now of this photo that is in mint condition or where I could inquire for more info.--Pat and Jerry

A: There are several variables that come into play when trying to pinpoint the value of photos-especially those more than 10-15 years old. The first variable to be addressed is, is it just a photo that an individual took and then framed, or was it a made-to-sell framed photo? And if it was made to sell, was it licensed? A lot of unlicensed made-to-sell framed photos and plaques turned up during the years Earnhardt drove the blue and yellow Wrangler cars. I think, at most, your photo would be worth $20-35. And that is assuming it was either a licensed framed photo, or one that was taken and then framed by a private party. If it is something someone made to sell without benefit of securing a license, it holds no collectible value.