As far as I am aware it was pack inserted and not unusually rare.I picked one up off Ebay a couple of years ago for $20 and there were plenty about then.
Maybe the supply has just dried up now.
Posts: 2564 | Location: Sutton Coldfield England | Registered: August 09, 2002
I picked it up also, pretty soon after it came out. I don't remember exactly what I paid, but I think it was around $35 because it was on a BIN and I just wanted her autograph.
As a recognizable TV star for other than 24 I'm not surprised to hear that the card is hard to find now, especially since its Smart's only certified signature. The latest NSU guide has it pricing at $50 and that is exactly the range where popular autographs start to disappear, while never actually getting any higher.
I've noticed this before with certain actors. They have a good demand, usually due to a specific role or show that is different than the set title, and have a reasonable price that fans are willing to pay, so the cards become scarce. Yet the few times they do come up, they remain under valued. Its as though the sellers aren't in on the secret.
Want another one? Mary Tyler Moore in the Elvis cards. Or Dennis Weaver in the Twilight Zone. Or even Michelle Phillips in Star Trek. All very good and tough autographs to have in your collection, yet the value is not reflected in the secondary market. It just goes to show that perceived value is better than real value, but a lot of people can still spot real value.
Posts: 10410 | Location: New York | Registered: November 20, 2007
It was listed as "Rare" (versus Ultra Rare or Regular) by Artbox, and thus limited to somewhere around 125 copies, which is pretty scarce for a pack insert. $35 was an excellent price, but interest in the show is somewhat waning. ...
Posts: 2424 | Location: North Augusta, SC, USA | Registered: November 28, 2002
Originally posted by allender: It was listed as "Rare" (versus Ultra Rare or Regular) by Artbox, and thus limited to somewhere around 125 copies, which is pretty scarce for a pack insert. $35 was an excellent price, but interest in the show is somewhat waning. ...
If 125 copies is correct its no wonder the card is scarce. Interest in 24 has peaked since it went off the air and doubtless many 24 card collectors already made their sets too.
Jean Smart however also has many fans from back in the days of the Designing Woman show, so people who don't care about 24 might want her signature just by itself. You can count me as one of those.
That's what I meant by some actors having a demand that has nothing to do with the product title and you can get some really nice bargains in that $30 - $60 range as long as you don't insist on going for the iconic role.
For example, I can't touch a James Earl Jones autograph in a Star Wars product. I do however have a James Earl Jones certified autograph card from the Conan expansion set. Same signature, different headdress. Now that Conan card was in that price range last time I looked and it may not get much higher, but I predict that it will be just as hard to find as those Darth Vaders eventually, if not already.
Posts: 10410 | Location: New York | Registered: November 20, 2007
