Schwartz: A Must-Have For Peyton Manning Memorabilia Buffs
By Peter Schwartz
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Win or lose in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is likely to call it a career and that will mean a number of things.
While his final Super Bowl record, either 2-2 or 1-3, will have some impact on how some football experts will view his legacy, there's no question that Manning will take his place in Canton five years from now.
He'll be revered by two fan bases. Manning is a god in Indianapolis where he spent most of his career and led the Colts to two Super Bowl appearances and one world championship. He's also become a fan favorite in Denver by guiding the Broncos to a pair of Super Bowl berths and possibly one title.
And Manning's retirement along with his eventual induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will mean that his memorabilia will certainly become valuable and sought after for years to come. That includes his set of OYO Sports mini-figures, including a special Super Bowl 50 collectible.
"Peyton embodies the heroism kids and fans look up to," said Shari Fabiani, OYO Sports' senior VP of marketing and product. "His personality and strength as a player and as a role model is what we bring to life with his mini-figures."
Manning has been a big money-maker for OYO Sports this season, ranking in the top 10 in their sales for both his NFL figures and his Tennessee college figure. The Super Bowl mini-figure is the 12th Manning collectible that OYO has produced to date and it likely won't be the last.
Should the Broncos win on Sunday, there will be a Super Bowl champion figure produced right away. There could very well be a Peyton Manning retirement figure that is made just like the company did for former Yankees captain Derek Jeter.
The sports collectible industry is very competitive, so OYO takes advantage of its ability to quickly turn around a new item and make it available almost immediately.
"As a hard goods company, we are unique in that we are turning around hot market product faster than any other company in the industry," Fabiani said. "It takes a lot of preparation and work up front to react this quickly."
OYO has built some great relationships with the leagues and that enables the company to get out in front of special moments and milestone achievements. It plans ahead by mocking up multiple teams in all of their uniform options so that it is prepared for any outcome.
Having Peyton Manning playing for a championship in what could be his final game is huge for OYO, but also being involved in the historic 50th Super Bowl is very significant.
"This year's Super Bowl has huge potential for us and we're extremely grateful to be able to participate in its 50th year," Fabiani said. "All of our products for hot market events, like the Super Bowl, World Series and Stanley Cup, are what make us better, special and different for our fans."
Over the years, sports memorabilia collectors have been gobbling up Peyton Manning apparel, football cards, jerseys, balls, and other items. Now that his career is likely coming to end on Sunday, the demand for those items is only going to get stronger. Manning's OYO figures will certainly be a popular target for collectors, especially if there's two more, one for winning the Super Bowl and the other to celebrate a Hall-of-Fame career.
To order the Peyton Manning mini-figures, go to www.oyosports.com. Don't forget to follow Pete on Twitter. You can also follow @OYOSports
