Missouri Woman Sells Chewed-Up Michael Vick Football Cards

The value of chewed-up and slobbered-on Michael Vick football cards seem to be going up.

Or at least that's what Rochelle Steffen, 31, of Cape Girardeau, Mo., has discovered after her disgust for the investigation into dogfighting on Vick's property caused her to toss a collection of the Atlanta Falcons quarterback's trading cards to the hounds.

Steffen, who has amassed a collection of nearly 50,000 trading cards, let her two dogs chew up 22 Vick cards and is now selling the remains on eBay with plans to donate the winning bid money to the humane society of the bidder's choice.

As of Thursday afternoon, the highest bid had rose to $405 and more than 2,000 people had viewed the posting. Seventy-three people have already bid on the auction, which ends Sunday.

Since Vick was indicted on federal dogfighting charges last month, former fans have donated Vick jerseys to local dog shelters, while others have tried to cash in by selling Vick T-shirts and chew toys for dogs.

"I'm not angry toward him, my anger is toward anyone who would do this to animals," said Steffen, a college student and artist.

Vick, 27, said through a lawyer this week he will plead guilty to a federal charge of conspiracy to travel in interstate commerce in aid of unlawful activities and conspiracy to sponsor a dog in an animal fighting venture.

While the cards that Steffen's 6-year-old Weimaraner, named Monte, and her Great Dane puppy, Roxie, mangled were worth only between $1 to $10 each, she said the value didn't matter.

"If I would have had some of his super-duper ones, they would have been right in the mix too," she told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Her cards join a collection of newly released items on sale. T-shirts are being sold online with slogans that say "Ignorance Breeds Ignorance. Neuter Mike Vick," and "ConVICKt" and others that show dogs peeing on footballs and jerseys. A few fans have also released "Free Vick" shirts.

The St. Paul Saints, a minor league baseball team known for campy promotions, gave out Vick chew toys on Tuesday to the first 15,000 fans with some game proceeds going to the Humane Society. Fans got the St. Paul pig mascot with a No. 7 printed on the back and a tag around it's neck with Vick's picture.

The Atlanta Humane Society has also reported former Vick fans mailing in jerseys — often accompanied with financial contributions and letters of outrage over the charges. Those former fans have suggested the Falcons jerseys become animal bedding or rags to help scrub up the messes that dogs leave behind. Other branches of the Humane Society have said they'll take donated Vick items to resell on eBay.

Vick is scheduled to enter his plea agreement Monday and could face up to five years in prison.

Three Vick associates have pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and agreed to testify against him if the case went to trial. They said Vick provided virtually all the gambling and operating funds for the Bad Newz Kennels enterprise. Two of them also said Vick participated in executing at least eight underperforming dogs by various means, including drowning and hanging.

Steffen, who read the full indictment, said she hopes to bring more attention to the abuse of animals involved in dogfighting activities.

"The money donated to local shelters makes this whole idea of selling the cards worthwhile," she said.