Any little trading card set that includes the chance for Ken Griffey Jr. or Russell Wilson autographs has a pretty good shot at success. In Seattle, the big name sports stars are mixing with entertainers and some special kids in a new Seattle Heroes trading card set produced by Topps that’s raising money for Seattle Children’s Hospital.
The boxed sets, which guarantee one autograph, are only available at drug stores in the Seattle area, have been such a hit, they might be sold out by Christmas.
The set was the brainchild of Jake Gustafson, the senior director of operations and development at the hospital. His lifelong friendship with Topps’ Colin Butler got the wheels in motion and after the hospital staff reeled in a mix of celebrities and athletes with Seattle roots, the project came to fruition earlier this month. All of the proceeds from the $25 sets sold at Bartell Drugs benefit Seattle Children’s.
Each box holds a 25-card complete set. Among those featured on the 1984 Topps baseball design are Griffey Jr. and his former Mariners teammate Edgar Martinez, current players Kyle Seager and Mitch Haniger, plus former Sonics basketball greats Gary Payton, Detlef Schrempf and Lenny Wilkins, along with the Seahawks’ Wilson and Olympic short track speed skating gold medalist Apolo Ohno. The cards don’t carry league licensing so they don’t include logos.
The set also honors young patient ambassadors of the hospital whose autographs are among those randomly inserted. They’re among those who have been treated for complex medical conditions at the hospital and help spread the fundraising message for the important work being done at the facility.
“This set wouldn’t be complete without them,” Gustafson said told a Seattle area newspaper. “They’re the real extra-special heroes, and each of them has their own unique, remarkable story, which is outlined on the back of their cards. These are three really special kids, and it’s fun to see people get really excited to get one of the autographs of the kids.”
According to the Seattle Times, fewer than 11,000 sets were produced with each of the subjects on the checklist signing anywhere between 100 and 1,000 cards each.
The sets have been so popular, many bought quantities at local stores and flip them for a profit, leading to the drug store now limiting purchases to one at a time. There are numerous listings for sets, singles and autographs currently listed on eBay.
“In my wildest dreams, I thought, ‘I’d sure love to sell these by early January. That would be great. I don’t want a bunch of boxes sitting around,’ ” Gustafson told The Times. “Ten days in, we were already 44 percent sold out. That was about a week ago. Bartell’s think they may make it through the first week of December before they’re all gone.”
If the boxes sell out, the special fundraiser will bring in a $270,000.
2020 Seattle Heroes Checklist (each number begins with SCH)
- Ken Griffey Jr.
- Macklemore
- Russell Wilson
- Ciara
- Alysha Clark
- Dan Wilson
- Jewell Lloyd
- Lenny Wilkens
- Detlef Schrempf
- Cliff Avril
- Edgar Martinez
- Stefan Frei
- Jordan Morris
- Jamal Crawford
- Kyle Seager
- Spencer Hawes
- Mitch Haniger
- Joel McHale
- Apolo Ohno
- Gary Payton
- Sir Mix-a-lot
- Charlie Furbush
- Caleb (patient)
- Makenna Schwab (patient)
- Olivia Vitello (patient)
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