Cards were a big deal to kids here for a long time.  That may not quite be the case so much anymore, although there are still plenty of kids who collect, in spite of all of the mainstream media articles that say they don’t.  Finding large segments of the under 13 population who are into them, though, isn’t usually possible.  More like a kid here and a kid there.

So what I read over the weekend sort of warmed my heart--and made me want to move to Australia.

According to AdelaideNow.com, kids Down Under are absolutely crazy about Australian Football League cards.  Aussie Rules football is, of course, sort of their version of our NFL.  It’s a huge deal.  Kids fervently follow their favorite teams and collect cards, often putting them into colorful, specially designed albums that are available.

The problem is that the kids have been using them…get this...as bribes to get what they want from  classmates.  The cards are actually worth enough playground collateral to convince another group of kids to let you into whatever game they’re playing if you turn over some of your stars.  Give a nice card to someone you’d like to be friends with to break the ice, and boom!, you’ve got a new pal.   Sometimes kids are trading them at times and in places at school where it’s strongly discouraged.

AFL cards/photo from eBay

The whole thing has led to one school actually banning them.  Come to school with ‘footy cards’ as they call them, and the teacher takes them away and hands them over to mom and dad.

U.S. card manufacturers wish they had school principals telling them their cards were a distraction.

Other schools say that while the cards are prevalent, they aren’t a problem.  In fact, one principal believes the stats and stories help teach life skills (remember when you learned to calculate batting averages and found out where Commerce, OK was by reading the backs of your baseball cards?).   Some teachers use them to teach marketing--who makes them, how they’re distributed and are they involved in promoting anything.

Australian schools have even set up designated areas and times for trading. Remember trading?  It’s a big deal among Aussie youngsters, who apparently have not been quite so jaded by the monetary aspects and price guides (although there’s a very popular online footy cards price guide in Australia, too).

It's like an American snapshot from 20 or 25 years ago when the card boom was in full bloom here and kids spent their afternoons at the local card shop or traded cards with their friends at lunch time.  They toted the latest Beckett price guide, too, just to make sure the deals were even.

I’d love to see a resurgence of that.  Or maybe I’m missing something.  Do you ever hear about youngsters swapping cards at school or in your neighborhood?  Drop me a line (editor@sportscollectorsdaily.com)...or send me a plane ticket to Australia so I can investigate further.  Winter’s coming there, but I think I can handle it.

The winning bidder’s name wasn’t revealed.

A judge has rejected Kobe Bryant’s request to toss out a lawsuit filed by Goldin Auctions over the Lakers star’s contention that it doesn’t have the right to sell memorabilia consigned by his mom.

Bryant’s high school jerseys and a variety of other memorabilia are set to be sold after Pamela Bryant said Kobe never expressed any interest in picking them up from her home on the east coast.

Goldin is trying to stop Kobe from interfering with the sale.  He says he now wants to pass them on to his kids.

How’s Pete Rose doing selling autographs in Las Vegas.  Very well, thank you.

At least that’s what the Wall Street Journal is reporting.  The newspaper says Rose hauled in $1 million last year and fans keep coming.

"Pete's job is to be Pete Rose," said Joie Casey, who manages Rose's autograph ventures. "And he's the best Pete Rose there's ever been."

Read the story here.

Enjoy.

Passed up on a '75 Brett rookie in mint condition for $10 at a show in the Chicago area in 1981. Can’t complain too much though, did pick up a rookie Nolan Ryan for $15 at that show that I still have to this day.

-Mike Range

I began collecting when I was 10 years old in 1970.  At that time everything was done by mail.  In about 1972, I found an ad in the Sports Hobbyist (anyone who remembers that has been around a LONG time!) advertising early 20th century cards.  I sent for the list and found hundreds of T206, T205, T202 Hassan Triple Folders, T201 Mecca Double Folders and many more for unbelievable prices.  For example, the T206 Ty Cobb Red Back was .50 cents in fair condition.  The seller was tired of the commercialization of the hobby (imagine that in 1972!).  

But I was 11 at the time and had very little money and parents who thought I was nuts collecting baseball cards.  I did cobble together a few dollars and got about 40 T206 (including the Cobb Red Back), a selection of T202, T201 and several others.  I've always regretted not buying a whole lot more.  And I compromised on condition so I could buy more.  I estimate that I could of had them all for $50!   

Best part of the story is that I still have every one of the cards I bought from that fellow! 

-Brad Duckett 

As evidence that, as children, we covet heroes more than we covet the value of a card: In 1988 an older collector offered me an 800 count box of 1971 and 1972 Topps cards for a 1987 Donruss Bo Jackson rookie. I think his intent was to get me deeper into the hobby. I, of course, refused the trade. I didn't know most of the players from the 1970s, but I sure loved Bo Jackson.

-Anthony Gray

In 1983 I had an opportunity to buy a 1968 Ryan rookie and 1968 Bench rookie for $20.  I turned it down thinking it was too expensive.  Both cards were NM.  Uggghhhh!!!

-Joe Mazzaro

In 1965 I was 13 and "pitching" baseball cards.... Pitching was a game played where winner gets all the cards thrown. There were 1960 fleer Babe Ruths (2) , a 1959 Ted Williams (Fleer), and then my friend Joey asked to throw a older larger size card... a 1952 Mantle.  Of course I said NO THATS CHEATING! I won the hand. Later when Joey couldn t play the card I remember he put in the spokes of his bike, as a noise maker.  Oh well it gave me memories of the things I’ve loved and collected since I was 8... BASEBALL CARDS!

-Bob Boffa 

Back when 86/87 Fleer basketball cards came out, I stumbled across several boxes out at a store called Newberry's. They were priced at get this, 10 cents a pack. Well at that age I had limited funds so I had to make some decisions. 

I did spend about $6 on the cards so I did manage to get a little over a box and a half. I did have more to spend, however I thought it would be a good idea to go buy a couple of new cassettes at the record store instead, rather than grabbing another 4 boxes or so. I cannot recall what cassettes they were, but I'm quite certain the right decision was not made. I sometimes weep openly about this.

-Derek Humes 

I was in college at Elon College outside of Burlington, North Carolina from 1983 to 1985 back when Jordan was over at Ewe NC in Chapel Hole. I even ran into him a few times...NEVER liked his attitude, but that is a different story! (I am a huge NC State fan).

I had the opportunity to buy a case of Fleer basketball a little after my college days for about $8.00 per box or right at 100.00 per case...do the math! Hell, I spent 40.00 every Thursday night at the local bar there near campus.

Also, back then...the Star cards were not very popular and could be bought for pennies on the dollar just by going to the card company’s location and taking them off of their hands....not a lot of people did and most of the boxes would up in the trash dump or were destroyed. 

Who knew what those cards would be worth today and how buying a few cases and have less than $500.00 in them could have made you six figures at the very least? 

-Richard 

In my early 20s traveling across the country, there was a gentleman at a gas station needing money to continue his trip or get home I don’t remember his whole story.  However he did have a shoe box full of old cards and needed some gas money. He wanted $200 for the whole box and there were lots of very old cards I only had an extra $50 I could spare so I bought a small stack from him I did get a few Aarons, Mantles, and stuff like that worth a heck of a lot more than I paid however I wish I could have bought the whole box and helped the fellow out even more..... 

-William Blea 

It was 1988 and I was 14 years old.  I was at a card show in giant hotel ballroom (when was the last time that happened?) and I had $20 left in my pocket.  I had already bought what I came for, a 1969 Rollie Fingers rookie card - even then I was a vintage collector - but I was looking for something new.  So as I passed by the last table I narrowed my choices down to two things.  First was a complete set of 1981-1982 basketball cards.  I was six feet tall as a teenager, and I loved hoops (still do).  But like I said, I also loved vintage cards.  And Topps had just put out a set that not only looked like the 1956's that I loved so much, they were oversized, too!  Yup, Topps Big, and the guy had a whole box waiting for me.  Obviously, you can guess what I chose to waste my $20 on, and it still haunts me 25 years later.

-Jason Taylor 

Back in 1981 there was a collectors shop in my home town. They played 1940s music and had wall to wall collectibles. Mostly stuff like old magazines, 78 records and WWII things. They did dabble in cards though.

I picked up about 2 dozen '33 Goudeys from them over about 4 or 5 months. But Because I was impatient And decided to go for quantity I bypassed quality. I missed the opportunity to buy a 1933 Goudey Lou Gehrig for $100.

-Jay Tysver 

In the 1960's I had a price guide for the Card Collectors Company.  I was collecting cards but I was also trying to obtain all of the Mays and Mantle cards from Topps and Bowman.  The cards were all priced in the $1.00 to 2.00 range for the stars and minimal for the others.  I would have to talk my parents into writing a check for me to order the cards.  Invariably I would order maybe 4 to 5 cards for $10.00.  I would receive a letter stating three of the cards were out of stock and receive 2.  This went on for a year.  I felt they were holding back to keep me from obtaining all the cards.  Eventually I received most of the Mays and Mantle cards.  Thinking back I wonder about the other cards I have collected over the years and whether I could have gotten the Ruth, Cobb, and older Giants card that I have had to pay large amounts for or just not obtain. 

By 1972, when I graduated from high school, I sold my collection for $60.00.  I thought it was time to move on.  By 1977, I saw my first price guide and was shocked at the prices for all of my former cards, even the commons.  I started collecting again.  (Fortunately my friend who bought my collection saved all of the star cards, sold the rest and gave me the star cards back.) 

Sadly, my collection as a child was never mint and holds lots of memories but probably not much in value compared to other collections but I still have it 40+ years later. 

-Jeffrey Weiss 

Approximately 4 years ago my sister had a part time business where she would put items on eBay for people and make a commission. She had an ad posted in the paper and would get calls from people wanting to sell their items. 

One day she received a call from a gentleman wanting to sell some baseball cards. My sister is not a collector and does not know much about cards, so she referred the gentleman to me.

I gave the man a call back and he said he was not sure what years they are, but he knows they are old. He asked if I was available to take a look at them, which I did that day.

When I arrived at his home, he had me sit on the couch in the living room and said he would be right back. A minute or so later he came back and laid a stack of cards on the table. I instantly knew what they were, because the first card in the stack was a 1909 T206 Cy Young. The cards were not in plastic or protected at all, but were still in very good condition. There were all the big names, Cy Young, Nap Lajoie, Christy Mathewson, Eddie Plank, Chief Bender and much more, 87 cards total.

The gentleman then said "Give me a minute, there is more", he then came back with a box full of card binders bull of 1940's playball, 140 cards total. 

Unfortunately at the time, being a single dad, I did not have extra money to be buying baseball cards. I figured this guy would want $10,000++ for these cards. 

I asked him what he was looking to get for all the cards, he said $350.00. I could not believe my ears. I was literally shaking. I had the money in a savings account, but unfortunately it was aSunday, and I did not have the money on me to buy the cards, so I called a fellow collector and told him the situation. He immediately came over and bought the cards.

Approximately a week later, I received a letter from the man that bought the cards. In the envelope was a letter thanking me for calling him and a token of appreciation was a Nap Lajoie t206 from the collection. 

Approximately 2 years later I ran into the brother of the man that bought the cards. He said that his brother had sent a lot of the cards out for grading and (so far) had made close to $25,000 on the collection and still has a majority of the "money cards" in a safety deposit box. 

I still have the T206 Nap Lajoie, and it is a reminder of the deal of the century that slipped through my fingers. 

That was a collection that some people will never come across in a lifetime and something I will NEVER have the chance to buy again.  

-Greg Mason

It doesn’t happen very often, but the U.S. Justice Department has dropped fraud charges against one of the six memorabilia dealers who were charged with fraud in 2011 over the sale of jerseys. Defense attorneys claimed witnesses – including three employees of the New York Giants -- lied to federal agents and the grand jury that indicted Eric Inselberg.

Five other dealers pleaded guilty last year to selling fake game-used jerseys to card companies and others over a period of several years.

Read more in the New York Daily News.

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The Atlanta Braves are holding an online auction of game-worn jerseys that will be worn in the team's June 14 contest against the San Francisco Giants.   The jerseys will be handed out by a selected player immediately after the game, but you don't have to be present to win.   However, each winning bidder will receive two tickets to the game and be taken on the field right after the game.

All jerseys will be authenticated and autographed.   If you are unable or choose not to attend, the jersey will be mailed to you.

All proceeds from Jerseys Off Our Backs will benefit the Atlanta Braves Foundation.   Current high bids vary with Justin Upton's jersey at $1,050 at present.

Click here to check them out.

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Next time you're on vacation near Daytona Beach, FL, you might stop by KnT Sports Cards.  Owner Kyle Sheldon has spent his working life in and around sports and took over ownership about three years ago.

He's got all kinds of customers, including one who finds his hobby box habit to be much healthier than some other things he's tried.

"I like baseball ... and it's another addiction that doesn't get me in trouble," said Bob Werderists of Port Orange. "I'm a recovering drug addict and alcoholic."

The story, which includes the obligatory references to all of the card shops that were around 25 years ago, is here.

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That giant auction of Gretzky memorabilia we told you about last week all came from one guy.  Shawn Chaulk didn't build his amazing collection just by indiscriminately throwing money around.  There was a method to his madness and he offered some pretty good tips on how to build a nice collection to the Canadian Press.

"When you’re in it for the enjoyment, you’re never going to pay more than you’re comfortable spending. Then you can spend with heart," he said for the story that appeared in media outlets across Canada.

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WhiteWhaleCards.com is extending the contest to win a T206 Ty Cobb until June 2. Any member of the baseball baseball card collecting community may enter the contest by uploading photos of their cards.  They say the contest is being extended to make it fair for all users. Some experienced usability issues that kept them from adding cards to their collection.

WhiteWhaleCards.com is a baseball card social network that lets users share their collection with others and also features a community-editable Vintage Baseball Card Wiki Encyclopedia.

He’s from South Korea and played in that country’s major league.

Thanks to Dan at MyKBO on Twitter, by way of Dodgers Blue Heaven for the picture and the tip.

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The Babe Ruth 1914 Baltimore News card being offered by Robert Edward Auctions has now been bid up to $280,000.  With the buyer’s premium factored in, it’s now over $330,000.  The 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle PSA 8 has climbed to $170,000---over $200,000 with the juice.

If we’d only known when you could buy a really, really nice one for $10,000 what we know now…

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Collectors can go back in time, though, if they’re willing to pay the price.  Often times, what’s inside the pack doesn’t match the investment  but it’s no different than any other form of gambling in that regard—and a lot more fun to those of us in the hobby.

Sometimes, though, the pack gives up a secret it’s been hiding for a long time.

Check out the 1966 Philadelphia Football cello pack bust from the crew at Just Collect.

Most would have been thrilled just to pull one of those cards.

No '66s, but there are currently a few Philadelphia football packs on eBay.
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Pro Football Hall of Famer Curtis Martin will sign autographs at Bellmore JFK High School in Bellmore, NY on Monday, May 20.  He’s coming to help raise money for the school’s hurricane relief fund, which was set up in November to benefit families of the Bellmore-Merrick community affected by Hurricane Sandy.

If you’re in the area, Martin will appear from 7pm-8:30pm with doors opening at 6:15.  If not, the school is accepting mail order.  Prices range from $30-40, not bad for a Hall of Famer and the cause is certainly worthy.  You can send the items to the attention of Brad Seidman at 3000 Bellmore, JFK High School, Bellmore, NY 11710.  The mailing should include a bank check for the proper amount made payable to JOHN F. KENNEDY HIGH SCHOOL.  Also, proper return packaging should be included.

Anthony Tarantino's blog, Poor Old Baseball Cards, is devoted to the creased, pock-marked, gum-stained, drawn on cards you may have had when you were too young to know better.  He has old tobacco cards that are barely recognizable.  Mickey Mantle cards that have been altered to turn The Mick into a professorial pipe-smoker.

He's been laboring quietly but on Tuesday, his unique collecting style was featured in this story on ESPN.com.

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What do you give a new manager as a welcoming present?

Candlesticks always make a nice gift.

Or, if you are Jeff Knotts of Wadesboro, North Carolina and you have a box full of Pedro Guerrero cards, you package them up and send them across the country.

Knotts shipped a huge batch of Guerreros to Vallejo, CA where Pedro is the new skipper of the Admirals, a minor league club that the former Dodger will manage this summer.

He thinks they could be of use to build some camaraderie  with fans in a variety of ways, which he explains to the Times-Herald.

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You may go to a lot of shows, whether you're a big time dealer or a collector who's not afraid to find hit the road.  It's not likely you put more miles on your vehicle than Chris Potter.

The man who runs Chris Potter Sports has carved a fairly unique niche:  a mobile autograph business.

He contacts former players--some well known and many just journeymen--from years gone by and sets up private autograph signings.  The players get paid, Potter gets inventory he can sell at a reasonable price and collectors get guarantees they'll get their item back, signed how they want it.

Later this week, Potter will pack up his vehicle--this time with his dad in tow--and head out to visit dozens of players.  Here's a look at who he's going to see and how it's coming together.

Top seller was the shirt donned by David Ortiz who gave an impassioned address to the Fenway Park crowd before the game.  Big Papi's jersey went for $37,400.

Each jersey bore the word "Boston" on the front as opposed to "Red Sox" as a show of unity.

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WhiteWhaleCards.com is giving away a T206 Ty Cobb Portrait - Red Background card to one lucky collector.  White Whale is the baseball card social network that lets you share your collection with others.

The contest is open to all baseball card collectors. It is free  to enter. Simply do the following:
1.   Set up/Log in to your free WhiteWhaleCards.com account
2.   Search the Baseball Card Wiki encyclopedia to find a card that you own
3.   Add that card to your collection
4.   Upload an image of the card that you own

You receive one entry for every owned card/image added to your collection.  So, for the best chance of winning, add of all your cards to your virtual online collection.

The contest will end at Midnight on May and the winner will be announced during the second half of May.

To see a picture of the T206 Cobb and for full contest rules visit:
http://whitewhalecards.com/contest

For more information on how to upload cards to your collection, watch their YouTube video tutorial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=3LyAJa_0mMU

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Bidding continues for the latest T206 Honus Wagner card to come to auction.  Robert Edward Auctions has a PSA 1 example once owned by Charlie Sheen, displayed in New York, stolen and recovered.  Whether the card's unique history is helping is anyone's guess but it currently stands at $330,000.

REA's Bryan Dwyer made an appearance on ESPN's Mint Condition Monday to talk about the auction:

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Chicago area college student Tony Lyen is an autograph collector. He couldn't help it. It's in his blood. He goes to Lewis University and wrote a very nice piece for the school paper on why he loves the hobby. Check it out here.

A collector of game-worn memorabilia, Sullivan posted several high quality Red Sox items on eBay with proceeds going to the Boston Marathon Relief Fund.  A David Ortiz jersey and bat are among the listings.

"As parents of a son who we cheered on in the last 4 marathons (although not this one), as well as two other children who live and work in downtown Boston, my wife and I sat in horror to see the events of what should have been a day of glory and triumph unfold yesterday," he wrote on the Net54 message board.  "It was impossible to feel anything other than horror, sorrow, and a sense of "There but for the grace of God...."

Here is a link to the listings, which have been approved for inclusion into eBay's charity listings and close April 26.

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Bidding for the T206 Honus Wagner in Robert Edward Auctions' catalog is now at $310,000.  Graded PSA 1, it appears on the way to setting a new record for the grade with about a month still left in the auction.

One of only two PSA 8.5 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle cards has now hit $120,000 and a 1963 Sandy Koufax road jersey is at $85,000.

The auction did over $3 million in the first 24 hours it was open late last week.

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Bidding is underway in SCP Auctions' big catalog sale.  Reggie Jackson's jersey from the 1977 World Series game in which he belted three homers to jump start the Yankees in the Steinbrenner era sits at $214,361.

A 1951 Joe DiMaggio game-worn uniform has been bid up to $146,410.

The auction still has ten days to run.

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A lot of great reaction on our Facebook page to Upper Deck creating a card for seven-year-old Jack Hoffman, whose touchdown run in Nebraska's spring game went viral.  Check it out here.  The story, of course, is on our home page.

Turkey Red Baseball sold out, too, but not quite as fast.  The exceptional rookie class from last season is still a big sales driver for all 2012 football products.

Dealers were already selling Turkey Red sets for a sizable profit.

We expect to have a box to review soon.

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Topps also released its Gypsy Queen brand (officially, anyway) through hobby shops on Wednesday.  The product has been available at Target and Walmart for several days.

Already, nearly 6,000 listings on eBay have popped up for the product that was a smash hit in 2011 but didn't fare quite as well last year.  General reaction seems positive.

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Possible deal alert:  Take 20% off one item at Shop.MLB.com.  It ends today and they do carry boxes of cards, autographs and even some game-used material.

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All 1,000+ auctions end this Sunday 4/7/13. eBay's largest seller of vintage cards, Just Collect, has launched over 1,000 items on eBay including a 1959 Fleer Ted Williams #17 PSA 10.  Lots started at 99 cents--even for some vintage Mantles and popular commons like those from the '53 Bowman set.  They have over 1,000 PSA graded cards including T206s with rare backs and for modern era collectors,  one of the most popular baseball cards from the 1990s--a 1991 Topps Desert Shield #333 Chipper Jones Rookie PSA 7.5.

All lots end this Sunday, April 7.

You can check out their listings here.

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With the tax deadline approaching, it's a good idea to...well...actually pay your taxes.  The IRS recently seized a big collection of sports memorabilia in North Dakota and will put it all up for auction later this month.

There doesn't appear to be anything spectacular and we can't vouch for the autographs but there are over 300 lots including autographed baseballs, footballs, basketballs, tennis balls. Super Bowl Programs & Sports Illustrated magazines; signed and unsigned sports photos; autographed football & baseball helmets; autographed boxing gloves, equipment & photos; Signed and unsigned baseball bats; signed and unsigned baseball cards; vintage baseball & football gear; some  NASCAR photos and autographed movie and TV cast photos.

The IRS says most signed items do have a COA of some sort and a PSA/DNA letter is visible in one of the lots.  You can check out the unfortunate soul's soon to be sold collection here.

Here’s some advice.

Just don’t.

You want to create a video game where you can trade or use some sort of purchase angle to acquire the virtual players to have more success?  Fine.  Might be fun if you're into social gaming.  Just don’t try to pass them off as “the baseball cards of the future”.

Collecting baseball cards is a physical experience.

You go to the store or order online.  You get the box in the mail.  You can’t wait to rip open the box.  You touch the packs.  You smell them (even without gum, card packs still have a smell).  You open the packs and feel the cards.  You flip them over and look at the back.  You hope to find something special inside.  If you do, you let out a little excitement.  You look at.  Touch it.  Put it in a holder and look at it some more.   Dig it out a few years later and remember when you pulled it.  You might remember the day itself and who you were with when you got it.

Staring at a computer screen and trading for pixels isn’t the same.

Dream Nine, which was featured on ESPN.com last week, is the latest.  A ‘virtual card collecting game’ is how they described it.

Ain’t no such thing.

Now, I have to say that if you had dropped a game like that in my lap when I was 10, I probably would have wet my pants (even if home computers had been around).

I couldn’t have even imagined the concept.  My era was dice and score sheets and outdated rosters.

It’s not, however, something that would have replaced the experience of collecting baseball cards.  Not for me.  Maybe today’s kids are a lot different.  Many don’t collect like the rest of us adults did (and still do) because they’d rather play video games.  And that’s fine, I suppose.   Times change.  The two aren’t the same, though.

Shopping for them is half the fun.  The boxes are big and colorful and hold an actual, physical mystery that is undeniably irresistible.

If you collect vintage cards, holding them in your hand takes you back to that time like no video game can.

Pick up a T206 some time.  You can’t replicate the feeling of holding something that’s more than 100 years old and wondering who collected it and how they felt about it.  An online image can show every last detail.  I’d rather pick it up and see if I can still smell tobacco.

I’d rather run my hand over a nice-looking game-worn relic card.

Seeing a drop in the number of kid collectors has pushed card companies to dip their toes in the virtual world.  I understand.  I think it's a separate marketing demographic, though.

I love technology.  I love that I can grab a tablet computer and read just about any book I want and not have to worry about finding space on a shelf.   I don’t need to collect books, though.  Buy one and you generally know what you’re getting.

That’s not how it is with baseball cards.

There’s a symmetry and a relationship with them that can’t be replicated on a computer screen.

I’ll play your game.  I might even like it.  But stop selling it to me as a method of collecting.  Mainstream media, stop telling me this is the 'wave of the future for card collectors'.

It’s not the same.