Anyone who watched Indianapolis Colts rookie Andrew Luck play during his decorated college career at Stanford can attest to the undeniable artistry he brings to the quarterback position. The accuracy. The precision. The ability to deliver one masterpiece after another.
All of that was on display once again last week during Luck’s first promising preseason performance. But if you really want to see a true artist at work, check out what Luck can do with a few Sharpies in his hand.
Last Sunday, just hours after Luck went 10-of-16 passing for 188 yards and two touchdowns during a 38-3 victory over St. Louis in his NFL debut, one of Luck’s original Panini America Sketch Cards from the 2012 NFLPA Rookie Premiere sold on eBay for the staggering sum of $1,500.
This particular Luck masterpiece — fittingly an accurate and overwhelmingly impressive rendition of Lucas Oil Stadium — created quite a buzz when it was unveiled earlier this month at the 33rd National Sports Collectors Convention. It probably didn’t hurt his handiwork that Luck earned a degree in architecture design from Stanford.
But that insane four-figure closing price is but one example of the crazy money being spent on Luck’s best Panini America trading cards these days. Earlier this month, a 2012 Elite Football Passing the Torch card autographed by both Luck and Peyton Manning sold for $830.99. His 2012 Elite Football Hard Hats Autograph changed hands for $548.08; his 2012 Elite Football Turn of the Century Autograph card bearing the sequential number 12/99 — his jersey number — sold for $450; and one of his Prestigious Picks signed prime-piece jersey cards from 2012 Prestige Football sold for $425.
Collectively, those staggering sales represent a sure sign that collectors are anticipating a banner season from the 2012 NFL Draft Class and, in this case, Luck has everything to do with it.
Take a look.
that the company added to its letters of authenticity last fall.
“We’re always looking at ways to improve security features of our products, and this is another major stop in combating counterfeits,” said PSA/DNA President Joe Orlando. “The complexity of the embedded hologram technology took a long time to plan and implement, and it’s a major deterrent to counterfeiters.”
two players made such an impressive early impression. Now, Trout’s success is having a trickle down effect.
