Leaf Trading Cards has kept artists busy lately and the results are now for sale. 2013 Leaf Masterworks, a new art/autograph trading card set was released on Wednesday, with each card a one-of-a-kind.
Each pack contains three sketch/painting cards and every card features a sticker autograph of the depicted player. Each card is delivered inside a magnetic one-touch cardholder for protection and every card is considered a 1/1 since they were all created individually.
No more than 20 cards of any player presented in the set have been produced but if you pull a Cal Ripken or Barry Sanders, it won’t be exactly like the others of either player that were produced since they were created one at a time.
In years past, Leaf has introduced autographed player sketch/painted cards inside both its Pop Century and Best of Football releases. This time around, Leaf has compiled a checklist of Hall of Famers and standouts across multiple sports. More than 190 legends of sport are included such as baseball’s Rickey Henderson, Stan Musial, Cal Ripken Jr., Nolan Ryan and Ichiro Suzuki; basketball’s Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Hakeem Olajuwon and Oscar Robertson; football’s Earl Campbell, Joe Montana, Barry Sanders and Don Shula; and hockey’s Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull and Bernie Parent.
Former heavyweight boxing champions Mike Tyson, Larry Holmes and Riddick Bowe are all featured along with female superstars including Jennie Finch, Nancy Kerrigan, Olga Korbut, Hope Solo and Kristi Yamaguchi.
Some of the cards are fair renderings while others use a good amount of ‘artistic license’.
“We have put together one of the most impressive lineups of past and present sports superstars ever found,” said Leaf President Brian Gray. “And we’ve done it with not only superb illustrative artwork, but with authentic autographs to add sizzle and chase to the set.”
Among those cards that have shown up on eBay in the first several hours are signed cards of Ripken, Bob Gibson, Magic Johnson, Bill Walton, Frank Thomas, Dominique Wilkins, Greg Maddux, Dennis Eckersley, Tom Mack, Steve Young, Will Clark, Lenny Wilkens, George Gervin, Jim Calhoun, Harry Gallatin, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan and Paul Hamm.
Boxes are being offered online for around $160-170 each.
You can see what’s been listed on eBay here.