The first Dale Earnhardt cards came out in the early 1980s. Unlike the Burning Rubber memorabilia cards, this card pictures Earnhardt and not just his car. The back looks like a traditional UNO game card. Below is a list featuring some of the best Dale Earnhardt cards ever produced, spanning the scope of his career. 1996 Press Pass Burning Rubber is one of the hobby's most ground-breaking inserts of all-time. In 1997, Upper Deck released 100 autographed buybacks, all of which are numbered on the back. Incorporating pieces of race-used tires into the cards, they are the hobby's first cards to have used memorabilia.
Cards fall 1:480 packs and are numbered to 500. The front features Earnhardt celebrating victory at a Daytona qualifier. Collectors should beware for fakes that have Earnhardt's hometown of Kannapolis misspelled (it's spelled "Kannapolils"). Earnhardt won a record-tying seven Winston Cup Championships before a tragic accident claimed his life in 2001. He won a total of 76 races. With the late '90s came a surge in low-numbered parallels. Making purchases through affiliate links can earn the site a commission|. 10 Amazing Dale Earnhardt Cards. The Dale Earnhardt autograph card comes numbered to 400 copies. Dale Earnhardt Sr. is one of the most beloved men in all of sports. Although this led to an extremely crowded marketplace that didn't last long, many of these sets produced some extremely striking cards. Here's a good resource that documents the card's history and different versions.
This promo card has the notoriety of being the first Dale Earnhardt card. Inserted 1:6, 025 packs, it is hand-numbered out of 94 on the back and very difficult to track down. This card is so tough to find that the overall condition is what should be considered most. These have a gold sticker attached to the front that acts like a serial number. Collectors can trace the evolution of racing cards through Earnhardt.
He's one of NASCAR's true legends and remains one of the most collected people on the racing side of the hobby. While the set has several Dale Earnhardt cards, most feature his car. All game-used memorabilia and screen-worn costume cards can be traced back to here. Earnhardt may not be named on the front, but this is clearly a Dale Earnhardt card.
Collectors have lots of Dale Earnhardt cards to choose from, ranging from the very cheap up to some that cost several hundreds of dollars. However, this particular card shows the legendary racer alongside his team. The design looks like it was done by the same people who did the Saved by the Bell opening credits (which also debuted in 1989). As NASCAR started licensing out full sets in the latter part of the decade, Earnhardt quickly became a key part.
This is actually a two-card set. A preview of the high-end shift coming to the Hobby, this commemorative Dale Earnhardt card has seven small diamond pieces embedded directly into it. Still, it managed to reach the open market and remains extremely popular with collectors. There's also a gold ink version numbered to 100, which commands a high premium. Numbered to 49, the wild etched foil design seems appropriate for racing. It uses the same image as the 1988 card noted above, but with a bright orange and yellow border, a red and white checker pattern at the bottom, and a green nameplate. Both come in four versions based on their foil color: Silver (1:384 WalMart packs), Gold (1:512 packs), Blue (1:2, 048 packs) and Green (1:6, 144 packs). Another trend at the time was protective peeling on high-end sets.
These were promotional releases that didn't see wide distribution. For those looking for a Dale Earnhardt autograph, this card has extra significance as the first option and it's dual-signed. Earnhardt finished in the top ten of 428 of his 676 career NASCAR races. 1988 marked the debut for MAXX, who helped elevate racing cards into more of a mainstream position. Given out as a promotional item and in giveaways, it's a modern oddball card with a lot of importance behind it.
For Dale Earnhardt collectors, one of the top targets for many is 1997 Pinnacle Totally Certified Gold. MAXX had the card printed and ready to go but couldn't come to an agreement with Dale Earnhardt. New Dale Earnhardt cards continue to appear in new products, including some extremely rare memorabilia cards. Perhaps you have also heard of Dale Earnhardt Jr., the accomplished driver and son of the elder Dale Earnhardt. Technically, this card was never released on the open market. Not only is this the first Dale Earnhardt autograph card, but it also pairs him with another member of racing royalty, Richard Petty. Shop for specific card singles or check values using the eBay links below. They have a clean design and a strong checklist covering active and retired racers. The 1996 Press Pass Burning Rubber Dale Earnhardt uses a picture of his car on the front. It's the NASCAR equivalent to a game-used jersey card. It honors Earnhardt's record-tying seventh Winston Cup Championship.