Outline · [ Standard ] · Linear+ Ultimate WHITE WHALE...17 years late!!!, $2000 Faulk phone card /4

Whooooeee! What a day! I just finalized a deal for the ABSOLUTE WHITEST WHALE POSSIBLE for my Marshall Faulk 1994-95 Rookie Collection. Please bear with me as I tell the story...

I started collecting Faulk RC's in 1994. After a few years (and the discovery of eBay) I had the vast majority of the common ones and even most of the rare ones. Mind you, "rare" in '94 still meant non-autographed, un-numbered inserts. There were a few numbered ones, but the lowest was something like /2500.

Anyway, 'Classic' was the company that had the draft picks license, so they produced a LOT of the cards I needed. They were huge on inserts, and in a few particular products (Assets, 4-Sport), they inserted phone cards in almost every pack. You scratched the back and called in the code to redeem the minutes. The vast majority were redeemable for $1, one-minute, etc. As I was making my initial wantlist, Beckett listed some other phone card variations that were for more money, and inserted at a MUCH lower rate. At the top of that mountain was what they listed as a "$2000 Phone Card", numbered to 4. In pre 1/1 days, something numbered to 4 was nearly unfathomable. Well I dutifully put it on my wantlist, and considered that if there were only 4 of them, I might never get one. After all, any random person that got one would likely redeem it for the $2000 worth of phone calls and toss it. This was the pre-cell phone days after all...

Well, there were 4 players in the $2000 category, so that is 16 total made. Over the next 17 YEARS I kept an eye out for any legit $2000 phone card of ANY of the players. I saw and collected promos, samples, proofs, etc., but in 17 years I NEVER saw a legit, unscratched, serial numbered $2000 phone card. I asked on usenet, message boards, shows, etc. Nobody I spoke with ever saw one...and that included the curator of the biggest phone card museum in the country! That led me to believe that they were probably never produced. You see, Classic was one of those companies that overproduced stuff and may not have been completely legit. I left the card on my wantlist, but assumed I would never get one and it would remain listed forever...

Fast forward to a few days ago. I receive a random email from a guy in Florida. Apparently when I created my eBay profile, I noted that the Assets $2000 card as something I was looking for. I do not remember doing so, but it is there under the "ME" link on my eBay account. Anyway, this guy somehow saw it and claimed that his dad had pulled one years ago. A legit one. Unscratched and numbered 3/4. I asked for scans, and a few hours later he sent them, front and back. I dusted off my other examples and my old Beckett bible, checking for clues that it was real...
.


The front checked out, and the back had:
-An unscratched code box in the style that was on others.
-A unique phone number from the other lower price ones.
-The proper expiration date for Assets Series 2 phone cards.
-Serial numbering that matched the font of the serial numbering on others.
-No other signs of tampering or doctoring.

I sent the scans to a few people I trust, and they saw nothing wrong with it either. After a bit of haggling, I paid a reasonable (to me) price...and on Monday it should arrive!!! I cannot believe that after all of this time I may be getting the rarest card possible for my Faulk PC, and possibly the only one. Of course I will believe it when it is in my hot little hands, but I'm still pretty psyched!!!

I guess the moral is: Keep casting lines out for your white whales. Even if you forget you have one out there, something might just bite when you least expect it!!! Thanks for reading...I will post better scans when I can...



UPDATE: It arrived! Better scan below...

Wow, way to stay after it.

Glad you finally were able to get one

Thats a really cool story and kinda random that someone just happened to keep it around. 2000$ worth of calling cards, i surprised it wasn't sold back in 1994 for like 500$ or so. nice find

Nice find is amazing it didn't get scratched or sold to someone who did, as that was quite a bit of money (though more phone calls than I would ever use back then ). Maybe it was pulled after it expired, so no point in scratching.

That absolutely amazing! Never give up hope! Do you mind if i ask how much did you end up paying?

That is so cool Ed! Awesome Congrats

Nice ! Glad to hear you finally found one.

Awesome. Just completely awesome!

Wowzers, that is awesome, Congratulations!




Maybe the Big Ben PSA 10 264/ will resurface again....just hope not in 17 years....

Great story congrats

Congrats Ed!!!

Awesome story and a nice center piece for the collection.

COngrats on the great PC find.

Wow, that is awesome. Wonder why it was never scratched? Although most people kept things mint when they pulled them, but still $2K wasted is just insane.

Great story, congrats on your find...

Great pick up, congrats!

Very sweet!! Huge congrats!!

Wow - amazing find there... I remember you've wanted that card for forever!

Thanks for the congrats everyone! Here is a composite scan of the whole set. The $1000 is a proof...I still need a real one /4!