1993 Ultra #139 Andre Ware

I've been watching quite a bit of College Football Live with Andre Ware lately because I'm ready for the new season to start. So how about a random Ware card?

Today's card is the 1993 Ultra #139. Ultra was one of the first "high end" brands I liked. It's funny to call this high end now because a pack was $3-$5. Compare that to card prices today. But at the time, that was a big deal.

So why did I like Ultra?
1) The photography - It was comparable to Stadium Club which was the standard at the time. Plus you got more good pictures on the back
2) The design - It was just a nice looking card without too many gimmicks that were just becoming popular. Now almost every card has a gimmick. But it was just a nice photo, a nice marble graphic that looked sharp but didn't distract. A little gold foil, but nothing over the top.

What didn't I like? Ultra was one of the earliest brands to emphasize pictures over stats and info. You can one year and career totals on this card which is probably sufficient, but historically cards had a player's history.

Ultra's look stands the test of time and looks better than almost everything on the market today. It doesn't have an autograph or jersey piece. It's not serial numbered. So it would never be popular if it came out today. But I think it's a nice looking card.

2007 Tri Star Signa Cuts Andre Ware

Today let's look at cut autographs. For those new to collecting, cut autographs are generally signatures on other documents that are cut to be placed in a card. Cut autographs were traditionally from items like checks, letters, contracts, etc not intended for collectibles, but the definition also includes items like index cards, photos, etc.

One positive of cut autographs is that it allows autographs of the deceased to be presented in a nice to display collectible, especially a card. For me that's the only positive.

Negatives... Sometimes they destroy documents. I would prefer having the original letter or check with the signature instead of a piece cut out of the document. Also if not done correctly, cut autographs can be displayed very poorly. Next, if the person is not deceased, why not get the person to autograph an item instead of getting a cut autograph. In some cases, documents or items are created just so a cut autograph can be created, the perception being that cut autographs can be more valuable.

Today's card is the Tri Star Signa Cuts Andre Ware. First of all, this is not a licensed product, so you won't see pictures or logos on the card itself. That in itself can make for an boring and ugly card.

Next is the cut signature. I've seen two variations of cut signatures for the Andre Ware card. Both are displayed below. First is the plain cut signature. Signed on a white background, there is no visual pizazz for the autograph, especially since there is not a picture on the card. The second variation is a cut up signed picture. To me this is even uglier than the plain autograph. Autographed picture of Andre Ware? Cool. A partial picture of Andre Ware? Not cool.

I just don't like this product at all. I've seen some very cool cards with cut signatures. This isn't one of them.

Custom McFarlane Andre Ware

McFarlane Toys makes some very nice sports action figures including this sweet Clyde Drexler figure. There is a decent selection of huge stars, but what if you want a player that's not officially offered by McFarlane toys?

Enter custom McFarlane figures. People take existing McFarlane figures, disassemble them, and create a custom figure by painting, adding decals, and in some cases doing some additional sculpting. The basic process is described in this article.

It can be a very involved process. The quality of the customization can vary dramatically, but some high quality custom McFarlanes are available in the marketplace. Some even include quality packaging.

Of course these custom figures are generally not licensed by McFarlane or by the school or athletic association. So it's definitely buyer beware. But depending on the level of artistry, the figure can be highly collectible.

Today's item is a custom McFarlane Andre Ware figure that I recently saw on eBay. It features Ware in his 1989 UH uniform. The packaging says it is part of the Heisman Series and looks very professional.

I love this piece. It shows how the talent and passion of individuals can contribute to the collectibles market.

1990 Pro Set #19A Andre Ware

How have I had a blog related to University of Houston athletics and its history without posting about Andre Ware? The day Ware won the Heisman was one of most enjoyable days of my time at UH. Going to the Rice game, hearing the announcement, buying Andre champagne (cheap & the name seemed appropriate for celebration), and partying all night in the dorms was a great time.

Today's card is the 1990 Pro Set #19. There are two variations, one without a stripe (pictured below) and one with a red stripe stating Drafted 1st Round, Detroit.

The front of the card features Ware in action in his UH uniform. Did I mention that I prefer the old skinny logo on the helmet versus the current logo?

The back features a picture of the Heisman Trophy. While many cards feature career college statistics, this card features game by game statistics for the 1989 season. Also on the back is a list of other recent Heisman winners.

I think this is a beautiful card with a the bonus of Ware in his UH uniform and season statistics. This is also one of his many rookie cards. Unfortunately for those concerned about card value, Pro Set had one of the highest production runs in card history so even though there are 2 variations, both are cheaper than any other Ware rookie card and even most of his non-rookie cards. But since I'm more concerned about card design and featuring UH, so this is a great card for those criteria.