Eli Manning Headlines A Talented Line-Up of Autographs And
Game-Used Jersey Cards in Press Pass® 2004 Football
March 10, 2004 Charlotte, N.C. - The 2004
draft is deep in offensive talent, with a familiar name at the
head of the draft class. Eli Manning (son of NFL great Archie
Manning, and brother of current Indianapolis QB Peyton Manning)
will be making his mark as a rookie in 2004, and Press Pass
2004 Football will be the first place to find autographs and
game-used jersey cards of this talented quarterback and dozens
of other top rookie prospects.
Press Pass 2004 Football offers collectors their first
opportunity to obtain autographs and jersey cards of the top talent
in the 2004 draft. In addition to Eli Manning, there are two other
exciting quarterbacks that are expected to be drafted early in
the first round, Ben Roethlisberger from Miami (Ohio) and Philip
Rivers from NC State. There are four levels of autograph cards
in Press Pass 2004 Football. The base autograph level features
the player's collegiate logo in bronze, the silver level is numbered
to 200 and features the player's uniform number, and the gold
level that is numbered to 100 and features a gridiron "x's
and o's" pattern. Popular Power Pick Autographs showcase
signatures of select standout players in the draft and are sequentially
numbered to 250. There will also be three levels of game-used
jersey cards in Press Pass 2004 Football. Hobby odds for
pulling an autograph are 1:7 packs, and hobby odds for pulling
a game-used jersey card are 1:72 packs.
"Press Pass 2004 is the first product to bring collectors
closer to their favorite collegiate gridiron stars, such as Eli
Manning and Philip Rivers, as they embark on their rookie season,"
explained Heather Maillard, associate product manager for Press
Pass, a division of RC2 (NASDAQ: RCRC). "Press Pass offers
what may be the only college game-used jersey cards & autograph
cards ever produced of many of these rookie prospects. Compared
to the vast number of pro cards that will inevitably follow, these
cards are destined to become some of the rarest game-used jersey
cards & autograph cards ever produced of this rookie class."
Press Pass 2004 Football features a 50-card base and is slated
to release on April 21, 2004.
RC2 (www.rc2corp.com) is a leading producer and marketer
of high quality, innovative collectibles and toys targeted at
adult collectors and children, as measured by sales and brand
recognition. The Company's diverse product offerings include:
agricultural, construction and outdoor sports vehicle replicas;
automotive, high performance and racing vehicle replicas; traditional
children's toys; sports trading cards and racing apparel and souvenirs;
and collectible figures. These products are sold under the Company's
market-focused brand names, including Racing Champions®, Ertl®,
Ertl Collectibles®, Learning Curve®, American Muscleä,
AMT®, W. Britain®, Press Pass®, Eden®, Feltkids®,
JoyRide® and JoyRide Studios®. The Company supports its
brands and enhances the authenticity of its products by linking
them with highly recognized licensed properties from John Deere,
Harley-Davidson, HIT Entertainment, Lamaze, Case, Polaris, Honda,
Caterpillar, Ford, GM, DaimlerChrysler, NASCAR, NHRA, Texaco,
Universal Studios, Warner Brothers, DIC Entertainment, Discovery
Channel and Microsoft. The Company's products are marketed through
multiple channels of distribution, including chain retailers,
specialty and hobby wholesalers and retailers, OEM dealers, corporate
accounts for promotional purposes and direct to consumers. The
Company sells through more than 20,000 retail outlets located
in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.