Super Bowl Card Show Gets Underway in Phoenix | Sports Collecting News, Memorabi

Pro football sets up shop in Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII with the week-long NFL Experience leading up to the big game. The sports card and memorabilia show associated with the event is returning too.

As many as 50 current and former NFL stars are signing free autographs over the five-day period of the Topps Super Bowl card show. The event takes place January 26, 27, 31 and February 1 and 2 just prior to the game in Phoenix, Arizona.

In all, nearly 10,000 free autographs will be distributed over the five days. NFL Hall of Famer Larry Wilson headllined a list of signers on Saturday's opening day. Arizona Cardinals' kicker Neil Rackers, defensive lineman Bertrand Berry and safety Adam Archuleta are also among the attendees. Several players on other clubs will also appear.

Some of the players who have attended and signed free autographs in the past have included Hall of Famers Deacon Jones, Marcus Allen, Jack Ham, Dan Marino, Thurman Thomas and Paul Warfield, as well as football stars Junior Seau, Curtis Martin, Trent Green, Amani Toomer, and Jeff Garcia. No autograph guests for this year have been officially announced.

30,000 square feet of sports cards and collectibles will be offered by dealers from across the country who plan to set up at the show.

“We are pleased to bring the NFL Experience and the Topps Card Show back to Arizona,” said Pete Quaglierini, the NFL’s Manager of Trading Cards and Memorabilia. “As is our tradition, the Topps Card Show will feature trading cards to purchase from leading dealers, as well as one-of-a-kind football memorabilia, Super Bowl XLII exclusive cards only available at the NFL Experience and the opportunity to obtain free autographs from current and retired NFL players.”

Topps will be producing a special Super Bowl card set for the event.

Visitors to The NFL Experience will see the spectacular visual history of the NFL at the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Throwbacks Exhibit. Explorers in this area will stroll through a variety of authentic artifacts including photographs and one-of-a-kind items on loan from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, in Canton, Ohio, that capture the last 88 years of the NFL. The event will be held in the West Parking Lot adjacent to the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona. Sunday, Feb. 3, is open to Super Bowl XLII ticket holders only. This is the second time the event will visit Arizona in its 17-year history.

Upper Deck will be a major presence at the 17th Annual NFL Experience. To get things rolling, the company will be giving away single trading cards from its 2007 NFL Artifacts, First Edition SPx Football launches from earlier this season. Karabiner key chains, NFL All-Star Vinyl™ Figure postcards and UpperDeckStore.com catalogs showcasing the company’s NFL products (signed and unsigned) will also be handed out free of charge.

As one of the league’s only football card manufacturers, Upper Deck will also be conducting its popular foil pack wrapper redemption program during the course of the show. Fans that purchase three packs of any 2007 Upper Deck football products with an SRP of $2.99 or more per pack can exchange their three foil packs for one of four exclusive Upper Deck NFL Experience trading cards spotlighting key players from the hometown Cardinals: Larry Fitzgerald, Edgerrin James, Adrian Wilson and Matt Leinart.

Collectors should bring their unopened foil packs to the booth, open them and keep their cards and get a show exclusive in the process. Upper Deck only wants the foil pack. In addition, Upper Deck will be conducting a second, rarer level of wrapper redemptions highlighting six NFL “Record Breakers” (each one is limited to 700) from this past season including: Tom Brady, Adrian Peterson, Tony Gonzalez, Brett Favre, Randy Moss and Devon Hester. The same rules apply with this second level, so time is of the essence.

The NFL Experience spans nearly 850,000 square feet, and features more than 50 interactive games and attractions. Designed to enlighten and entertain the entire family, The NFL Experience puts the ball in the fans’ hands, enabling men, women and children the opportunity to enjoy the electrifying atmosphere of Super Bowl XLII whether they have a ticket to the game or not.

Proceeds from the ticket sales to The NFL Experience will be donated by the NFL to the NFL/Youth Education Town, a multi-faceted educational and recreation facility designed to improve the academic and physical fitness, as well as job-related skills of at-risk youth. Established in 1993, YET Centers are the living legacies created by the NFL for Super Bowl host cities.

Fans who attend The NFL Experience may test their skills in a variety of football attractions in which they can run, throw, punt, kick and pass.

Tickets are $17.50 for adults and $12.50 for children 12 and under, and permit entry for a particular day and time. All activities at The NFL Experience are included in the price of admission. Fans may stay in the theme park as long as they like, but re-entry is not permitted.