Baseball card collectors could be in for a surprise the next time they open a pack of Upper Deck cards. The company, whose headquarters are in Carlsbad, has recently begun issuing limited edition collector’s cards that feature the hairs of historical figures.
Each “Hair Cuts” collector’s card contains a single strand of hair from historic Americans, from notable politicians like George Washington and Alexander Hamilton to Hollywood stars like Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. The cards also feature a signature from the deceased personality, cut from such collected items as canceled checks, personal letters, or legal documents.
Packs containing the unique cards were released this summer, as a part of Upper Deck’s 2008 SP Legendary Cuts Baseball release. Four-card packs of the Legendary Cuts series sold for $9.99.
According to a recent article in the “Wall Street Journal,” Barbara Ann Artusa was one of the first finders of a “Hair Cuts” card, which featured a single strand from none other than Abraham Lincoln. Artusa sold her lucky find on line for $24,000, the article said.
This is not the first time Upper Deck has launched an interesting collector’s series. In 1998, the company produced its “Piece of History” bat cards, which contained actual pieces of a game-used bat swung by Babe Ruth. Other past collections have included autographed cards, cards containing pieces of uniforms, and digital trading cards.
