THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 31, 1994 TAG: 9407310226
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN L. BIGELOW, SPECIAL TO THE VP/LS
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines
Football fans who want to collect Washington Redskins team sets are in for a big challenge in 1994.
The new football cards are already in heavy circulation. Because they were prepared and rushed to market so early, they contain a jumble of mismatched uniforms and team designations.
Cards of the rookies were issued as soon as the results of the draft were announced. Heath Shuler and Tre Johnson, for example, are shown in their college uniforms on the '94 classic draft cards. These cards were designed and released to satisfy collectors who are eager to have cards of the team's newest prospects.
Roster changes and manufacturing deadlines have combined to make the regular NFL sets a patchwork of old action-scenes and new team labels. Mark Rypien and Art Monk are depicted in familiar Redskin roles, but are identified on their cards as members of the Jets and Browns, respectively. John Friesz, Ken Harvey, and Ethan Horton are instances where the reverse is true: only by reading the cards' fine print are we made aware of these players' new team affiliation.
As usual, the card companies catch up with current conditions by October or November. In the meantime, devoted fans can monitor the training camp lineups, and scan lots of cards, to be sure that their collections are up-to-date at the beginning of the season.
Heath Shuler : $2-$5
other Redskins : 15(CT)-25(CT) each. MEMO: Brian L. Bigelow is store manager and appraiser for Candl Coins &
Stamps, located on Independence Blvd. and North (Lynnhaven) Mall Drive
in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
Because of a rush to issue the cards, some players appear in their
college uniforms.
by CNB