LV426
03-02-2007, 07:19 PM
http://us.news2.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20070227/capt.nyr10502271904. jeter_card_nyr105.jp g
Looks like practical jokers have struck again but this time on a baseball card. President Bush smiles and waves from the stands, right, and Mickey Mantle looks on from the dugout at left, as Derek Jeter swings his bat.
Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi said someone in the company's creative department inserted the images of the current president and the late Hall of Famer before the final proofing of the card, and the company chose to go ahead with the printing.
``We saw the card and we thought it was hilarious,'' Luraschi said in a telephone interview from the company's New York headquarters. ``We assumed everyone would get a kick out of it like we did, and that's how it's been so far.''
Jeter's card, No. 40 in Topps's new set for the 2007 season, likely would sell for $3 or $4 without the additions, said Brian Fleischer, a price-guide analyst for sports collectibles company Beckett.com.
Fleischer said a collector could have bought the card for about $6 yesterday. Now, it's receiving bids as high as $202 on online auction site EBay Inc. A pack of about eight Topps cards costs $1.99.
`Hype'
``The hype surrounding it speaks for itself,'' Fleischer said in a telephone interview.
The New York Daily News reported that Jeter didn't know anything about the card's surprise guests.
Luraschi said the company hasn't heard from the Bush administration regarding the card, and White House spokesman Tony Fratto declined to address the topic.
``We're not commenting on this,'' Fratto said.
Topps has an exclusive arrangement with Mantle's estate to use the late player's image, Luraschi said.
The Jeter card is available in the individual baseball card packages on sale now. Topps won't correct the card until it begins selling the complete sets of the cards later this year, Luraschi said. He said he didn't know how many of the cards would be printed.
Looks like practical jokers have struck again but this time on a baseball card. President Bush smiles and waves from the stands, right, and Mickey Mantle looks on from the dugout at left, as Derek Jeter swings his bat.
Topps spokesman Clay Luraschi said someone in the company's creative department inserted the images of the current president and the late Hall of Famer before the final proofing of the card, and the company chose to go ahead with the printing.
``We saw the card and we thought it was hilarious,'' Luraschi said in a telephone interview from the company's New York headquarters. ``We assumed everyone would get a kick out of it like we did, and that's how it's been so far.''
Jeter's card, No. 40 in Topps's new set for the 2007 season, likely would sell for $3 or $4 without the additions, said Brian Fleischer, a price-guide analyst for sports collectibles company Beckett.com.
Fleischer said a collector could have bought the card for about $6 yesterday. Now, it's receiving bids as high as $202 on online auction site EBay Inc. A pack of about eight Topps cards costs $1.99.
`Hype'
``The hype surrounding it speaks for itself,'' Fleischer said in a telephone interview.
The New York Daily News reported that Jeter didn't know anything about the card's surprise guests.
Luraschi said the company hasn't heard from the Bush administration regarding the card, and White House spokesman Tony Fratto declined to address the topic.
``We're not commenting on this,'' Fratto said.
Topps has an exclusive arrangement with Mantle's estate to use the late player's image, Luraschi said.
The Jeter card is available in the individual baseball card packages on sale now. Topps won't correct the card until it begins selling the complete sets of the cards later this year, Luraschi said. He said he didn't know how many of the cards would be printed.