Wednesday, October 03, 2012

'Studs' Collection of Football Cards Embedded With Genuine 10-Point Diamonds

Twenty superstar football players from today and yesteryear are immortalized in a 2012 collection of rare trading cards from Panini America called Momentum "Studs." The cards feature genuine 1/10-carat diamonds embedded right into the ears of the players on the cards.

How did Panini come up with the "Studs" concept? A company spokesman told ESPN that the players were not only studs on the field, but were also known to wear diamond studs in their ears. He said the individual diamonds have a value of $100 to $200.

Among the superstars featured in the dramatic black-and-white "Studs" series are Michael Vick, Ray Lewis, Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice and Deion Sanders.

The cards are considered extremely collectible. Even though they were released in early September, they are already starting to appear on EBay as lucky card enthusiasts have been finding them randomly in their $200 boxes of Panini Momentum cards. A Terrell Owens "Studs" card sold on September 20 for $102. A box contains 10 packs and each pack contains three cards.

Panini America, which claims to be world’s largest sports and entertainment collectibles company, has added a new dimension to the premium trading card business by including swatches of jersey fabric and genuine signatures to its series. But last year, the company made news when it released its 2011 Gold Standard football cards. More than 2,200 trading cards were embedded with shimmering circular discs of real 14-karat gold.

Apparently, collectors are enthusiastic about Panini's blingy strategy. One collector wrote this glittering review: "It’s a strike-it-rich, collecting-turned-gold-digging proposition that should be well received by NFL fans across the country..."

Here's a list of the football players featured in the Momentum "Studs" series:

#1 Antonio Gates
#2 Michael Vick
#3 Matt Forte
#4 DeSean Jackson
#5 Ray Lewis
#6 Terrell Owens
#7 Chad Johnson
#8 Emmitt Smith
#9 Deion Sanders
#10 Jerry Rice
#11 Michael Irvin
#12 Aaron Hernandez
#13 Jacquizz Rodgers
#14 James Starks
#15 Titus Young
#16 Dez Bryant
#17 Hines Ward
#18 Glenn Dorsey
#19 Vernon Davis
#20 Steve Smith



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