Collectibles: Donruss Americana Trading Cards

The company Donruss, now Panini America, premiered the second collection of its popular culture trading cards known as Americana on July 16, 2008.  The collection included regular and autographed trading cards, and "celebrity cuts" which are swatches of fabric worn by various celebrities.  Some of the trading cards were very limited, some that were 1 of 1.  Unlike most entertainment trading cards, the Americana cards usually featured the celebrities in photographs of their everyday experiences, not as their television or film characters.    

Ricardo Montalbán was featured in the 2008 and 2009 Americana sets on all three types of cards: regular, autograph, and "celebrity cuts."  There were also limited edition William Shatner/Ricardo Montalbán dual trading cards offered because of their Star Trek connection.  The signed trading cards represent some of the last authenticated autographed items signed by Ricardo Montalbán before his passing.  It was nice that those items celebrated the real person, and not only his reel characters.  The Donruss Americana cards are available mostly by auction.