Sports cards and collectibles were down and out after what is referred to as the “junk wax” era of overproduction from the late 1980s into the mid-1990s. As someone who lived through it, nothing was more discouraging than pulling out the old dusty collection from the closet only to find out the rookies and stars you chased as a kid were worth less than the paper they were printed on. Nobody wants a Barry Bonds rookie card that looks like it made a trip through the washing machine!

Very little positive came from the COVID-19 pandemic, but a hobby that absolutely exploded from a time when people were searching for something to pass the time is — you guessed it — sports cards and collectibles. Trading cards and autographed memorabilia experienced a legitimate renaissance, one that has since stabilized while maintaining a new baseline of popularity among sports fans and collectors.

Gone are the days where there was one base set and packs that included a random assortment of stars, scrubs, and rookies, replaced with the chase for short-print cards like autographs, parallel, and numbered cards.

Horse racing is testing the modern collectibles waters, and unlike the products of trading card companies, this first new set benefits a good cause: the Permanently Disabled Jockeys Fund.

Jack Nicklaus is part of the set. (Jockeys and Jeans photo)

The Jockeys and Jeans limited edition card set is limited to 100 sets with 120 autographed cards, including Hall of Famers, rising stars, and other important figures in the Thoroughbred racing industry. Each set also includes an autographed trading card from Hall of Fame golfer Jack Nicklaus, but the draw to racing fans undoubtedly will be autographed cards from jockeys like Steve Cauthen and Chris McCarron to modern-day stars like Flavien Prat and Irad Ortiz; legendary trainers like Bill Mott and Carl Nafzger, and well-known owners like Bobby Flay and Rick Pitino.

One extra special component of the set is the inclusion of autographed cards from three recently deceased legends: Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, Secretariat’s jockey Ron Turcotte, and pioneering jockey Diane Crump, who was the first woman to ride in a pari-mutuel race and the first to ride in the Kentucky Derby.

It truly is an amazing limited-run autograph set with an incredible checklist that also includes jockeys Jean Cruguet, Gary Stevens, Julie Krone, and Mike Smith; trainers Steve Asmussen, John Shirreffs, Shug McGaughey, and Todd Pletcher; and other notable figures outside or adjacent to the sport like actress Bo Derek, 1980 USA hockey gold medalist Mike Eruzione, legendary race caller Tom Durkin, and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Richie Sambora.

There will no doubt be some sticker shock for people unfamiliar with the cards and collectibles hobby at $1,250 for the complete set, but for sports like baseball, football, and basketball, hobby boxes sell for $300 to $2,000 for a chance at one or more random autographs and no guarantees that you’ll get the prized rookie or an established star. Limited edition star autographs can sell for a few hundred bucks to tens of thousands.

Turcotte and Lukas are part of the set. (Jockeys and Jeans photo)

These limited-edition horse-racing cards from this offering essentially cost about $10 apiece and you’re guaranteed a full set full of autographs from Hall of Famers and racing legends with the proceeds benefitting a worthy cause.

One word of advice for interested buyers: leave the cards in the box they come in or protect them in penny sleeves and top loaders. Condition is extremely important as it pertains to resale value. In a few years, you might be able to make your money back and then some on ebay.

For additional details or to purchase the Jockeys and Jeans limited edition card set, email: Kennethb1219@aol.com or call/text: 516-729-9663.

Jockeys and Jeans is a group of former jockeys who are dedicated to aiding jockeys who have suffered career-ending injuries by increasing awareness of their physical and emotional struggles and providing funds to rebuild their lives.