My eight-year-old recently had a doctor’s appointment he was worried about. As a next-level dad, I suggested to my wife we bribe him. We told him if he was brave at the appointment, we would reward him with a few packs of Pokémon cards. He came home after his appointment pumped about his bravery. He then whispered something that caught me off guard …
“Dad, instead of Pokémon cards, can I have some disc golf cards?”
True story.
Are disc golf cards even a thing?
You may not know this, but yes – disc golf cards are a thing. There were some sets made back in the 90s. Topps released an Avery Jenkins card in 2010. They did a Paul McBeth card in 2016, too. In fact, every year since its inception in 2016, the DGPT has released annual sets of cards.
So, what are these things, exactly?
- Option No. 1 – Ancient artifacts
- Option No. 2 – Obscure, niche oddities
- Option No. 3 – A new, budding industry
The guys at Brixton Disc Golf are betting on the latter.
Brixton Disc Golf, OTB and the DGPT
Ryan O’Neal and Jason McWhorter are the proud co-founders of Brixton Disc Golf. I recently spoke with them. In their own words, they’ve created Brixton to “give disc golf fans and collectors the same trading card experience that the fans of every other sport enjoy.”
Their entry into the world of disc golf trading cards was fast-tracked, thanks in large part to a partnership with OTB. This relationship proved pivotal, as it allowed Brixton to create quality trading cards for OTB-sponsored golfers, as well as clients of Shaffer Sports Management.
It took a few months, but Brixton released 100 OTB sets of cards – they sold out online in 30 seconds. Furthermore, the company most recently sold “hobby boxes,” which included insert cards, memorabilia cards and autographed cards. Likewise, these sold out in mere minutes.
Said McWhorter of the Brixton-OTB partnership:
“OTB showed the same enthusiasm we did to create a product that’s fairly undeveloped in the disc golf space. They trusted us to execute. They were then patient with us to get things right, allowing us to produce something that reflects the quality of their brand.”
This level of “card craziness” isn’t ONLY unique to Brixton, however …
First-hand, the DGPT has also witnessed the madness – cards put people in a frenzy. Charles McCracken, the communications manager for the Pro Tour, had this to say when I reached out:
“This year, the Pro Tour released a few hundred larger decks: 75 cards and 100 cards. Both of these larger decks sold out quickly, and no more have been produced since or are planned for this season to preserve the rarity of the limited-edition insert cards. We’ve seen an exciting level of demand for the larger decks. Sales of the regular, 12-card packs are in the thousands of units.”
The future of disc golf cards
So, what does the future hold for disc golf trading cards?
Here’s where O’Neal’s head is at with everything:
“It’s only the beginning. We don’t expect every disc golf fan to suddenly have the urge to start a disc golf card collection. But if we do our job right, it will continue to grow and be an experience any fan of the game can enjoy.”
Both O’Neal and McWhorter CONFIRMED Brixton is hard at work on its next project.
The DGPT is moving full speed ahead on future card-centric undertakings, too.
Noted McCracken:
“As the Pro Tour develops, we are excited to honor more specific moments and achievements with our trading cards. As the markets for these kinds of commemorative items grow, we’re also excited about the opportunity presented for additional reinvestment in the Pro Tour.”
Disc golf trading cards and staying power
When I was chasing baseball cards as a kid, the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. rookie card was the “holy grail” of card-collecting. Unfortunately, as much as I tried duping my more naive friends, I couldn’t ever swing a deal. My Gregg Jefferies rookie card just wasn’t enticing enough.
Still, it makes me smile to think that there are young boys and girls (and full-grown adults) out there chasing after Paige Pierce, Paul McBeth and Ricky Wysocki cards in the same way …
And this one, of course:
A few weeks back, I posted a few pictures from my disc golf trading card collection on Twitter. Pictured above, Hogan, Luke Humphries’ dog, was one of ‘em. A card-collecting enthusiast himself, one of my buddies chimed in, saying, “Wait, this sport has dogs on the cards?”
To which I replied, “Disc golf is different, man.”
Indeed it is.
Thankfully, our trading cards – much like those in other sports – should have a bright future.
Have anything to add? Take to Twitter to let us know – we’ll actually (for real) get back to you.
Editor’s Suggestions:
- Innova: What’s a ‘Big Bead’ Aviar?
- Why European disc golf hits different
- Suck it up: Spit-outs are part of disc golf
Real quick, if you happen to buy something through a link in this article, there’s a chance we’ll get a small share of the sale. It’s how we keep the lights on. To learn more, click here.
