Random Ray - 2023 Immaculate Collection Autograph

I am not going to say a bad word about Panini for at least the next month on this space and my other social media sites based solely on the fact that they have now produced two different Ray Lankford autographed cards this year. It's true that they can no longer manufacture cards of current players, so I understand they are limited to retired player like Ray Lankford. However, they could have done something really mediocre like made a bunch of Todd Zeile autographs.

Nobody needs that.  

They really did a good job of making the best of the situation and choosing players who have some degree of popularity within their fan base. My Cardinals have Ray Lankford, Vince Coleman, and Jim Edmonds as the featured players and I can't say I know a Cardinals collector who would be disappointed to add another card of those three players. 

On to Ray.  

My latest Ray Lankford autograph is from their high-end Immaculate Collection. It's even better than the previous 2023 Lankford autograph I posted here a few weeks back from the same product. 

Here is the front of the card.  

I love the picture on the front of the card. The Cardinals switched to button up uniforms and blue road caps in 1992, so this is from early in Lankford's career. I believe the 1990 uniforms had an AAB patch on the sleeve to honor former owner Gussie Busch, which makes this a 1991 photograph. 

Ray had a pretty good 1991, topped off by hitting for the cycle against the Mets at the end of the year. 

As for the design of the card, it's fine. I like the red and gold color scheme, but honestly I am just excited that someone made a Ray Lankford autograph. This card could have purple dinosaurs dancing on rainbows and I would buy it in a second.  This one has a print run of just 10 copies.  

There were two of these listed on Ebay last week, including a Buy It Now for $62. I tried talking the Buy It Now seller down into the $20 range, but he would not budge. That's okay, because I won the second card in an auction for roughly $20. The $62 copy is still listed, it's going to be there for a while.  

Back of the card.  

Panini does a great job with their card backs. Great write-up. Ray Lankford, Stan Musial, Ken Boyer, and Albert Pujols. I like all four of those players I don't think I knew this fact before reading this card. Young Stan was fast and Ray Lankford had some big stolen base seasons early in his career, but I don't think of stolen bases and Albert Pujols or Ken Boyer. 

Great card.