There was plenty to talk about in 1973, a turbulent time in American history.   Forty years ago this summer, the Vietnam War was almost in the rear view mirror and millions of U.S. citizens and returning soldiers sought to return to normalcy. Skylab went to space that year. And the Godfather earned the Oscar for best picture. Meantime, The Sting and Last Tango in Paris both arrived on the big screen. And in the grim of soaring gas prices, President Richard M. Nixon and Vice President Sparrow T. Agnew both felt the sting of Watergate, before dancing their last tango in the White House.

For many baseball fans, 1973 was also a year of grief, tribute and excitement. Still dealing with the loss of Brooklyn Dodgers’ legends Gil Hodges and Jackie Robinson (who died a year prior), fans were grieving the untimely passing of Pittsburgh Pirates superstar Roberto Clemente. On December 31, 1972, Clemente was selflessly delivering relief supplies to earthquake-torn Nicaragua when the plane he was on crashed.  The great Clemente was just 38.

Fans in 1973 saw  two sluggers who were approaching the all-time home run record.  They also watched a young California Angels pitcher take his first steps toward greatness, and a veteran All-Star outfielder with a household name take his final thwacks for the New York Mets.  Last, fans saw the debut of a young man who would go on to become one of the finest third basemen in major league history.

Collectors can relive some of those moments through the contents of those 10-cent wax packs of bubble gum cards.  Here are my picks for the five 'must have' 1973 Topps baseball cards.

Home Run Leaders (Card No. 1)

Rarely do baseball cards capture looming monumental achievements like Topps did with its Home Run Leaders Card. This yellow card with white border features up-close black and white photos of Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and Willie Mays. To the bottom right of each player is a red star. Inside these stars are the number of home runs each player had. Ruth had 714. Aaron had 673. Mays had 654. A truly cool card, Aaron went on to break Ruth’s record on April 8, 1974 vs. Al Downing and the LA Dodgers. While Mays’ chance of catching Ruth was almost nil by 1973, he nonetheless retired with 660 home runs.  It was the last year Babe Ruth was called the all-time home run king and this card captures the passing of the torch.

Beckett lists the value of the #1 card in ungraded form at $40 in mint condition. Per the PSA Sports Market Report, a PSA graded 8 is worth $85. The value for this card skyrockets in PSA 9 ($500).  There has been only one PSA 10 ever graded and it  sold for $3,889 on eBay in April of this year.   As the #1 card in the set, it's somewhat difficult to find in high grade.

Roberto Clemente (No. 50)

Clemente's death came  just a few months after he got his 3,000th big league hit.  Topps produced Clemente’s final card showing him as an active player, dressed in home whites and a yellow Bucs’ helmet, moving to swing his bat. The opposing catcher, the Mets' Jerry Grote,  crouches ready to accept a pitch, though the pitcher is not visible in the shot.

A green outfield fence sits in the far distance, a bit blurred. For vintage baseball card collectors, this final tribute to Clemente is a must have.

Like the Home Run Chase card, Beckett values Clemente at $40.  A PSA 7 is valued at $70. But realistically collectors can get this card on eBay for between $20-$30. A PSA 8 Clemente will usually run $60-75.  Also part of the first series, the Clemente is easily available online.

Nolan Ryan (Card No. 220)

While Nolan Ryan has some sweet vintage cards, his 1973 Topps card is among the best. In this card, Ryan’s resolute eyes glare from beneath the red bill of his California Angels cap. Ryan’s long arms, which are clothed in black, meet his glove above his head in what appears to be a windup along first base side. A red circular halo floats above angels on the front of Ryan’s jersey.

What makes this card special is that 1973 was Ryan’s bust out season. In his first 20-win campaign, Ryan posted a 21-16 record with a 2.87 ERA in 326 innings pitched. Ryan also led the MLB with 383 strikeouts. Never again would Ryan top this number of strikeouts in his storied career. Ryan finished second in the AL Cy Young Award race, losing to Baltimore Orioles ace Jim Palmer.

Beckett value for this Ryan card is $50 ungraded, but they can be found for less in very respectable condition. Typically,  a graded 8 will cost about $100; about half that for a 7.

Willie Mays (Card No. 305)

While Mays fell short of Ruth’s record, he nonetheless enjoyed a Hall of Fame career. After spending 20 years with the Giants, Mays was traded to the New York Mets on May 11, 1972 in exchange for Charlie Williams and $50,000. Thus, this vintage card features Mays donned in Mets’ pinstripes, holding a pine tar handled bat straight upward. The significance of this card is that it is the last regular card printed of Mays as an active player.

Again, like the aforesaid players casual collectors can purchase this ungraded Mays card for a reasonable price (Beckett value $40). PSA 7 is valued at $60, but collectors can usually get a PSA 8 graded Mays card for $70-$100 on eBay.

Mike Schmidt RC (Card No. 615)

In the days before coveted triple patch and autographed cards, Topps had mastered the art of the triple photo rookie card.  The 1973 Topps rookie third basemen card featuring Ron Cey, John Hilton and Mike Schmidt is prime example. While Cey went on to have a very successful All-Star career, it is Schmidt that drives this card to high value.  A three-time MVP, Schmidt finished his Hall of Fame career with a slew of achievements. On top of hitting 548 career homers, Schmidt also earned 10 Gold Glove Awards and six Silver Slugger Awards.

For casual collectors looking for Schmidt’s ungraded rookie, Beckett values this card between $75-$150.

But for serious buyers looking to get a high-graded Schmidt can get a PSA 8 for $300-$350. The Average auction price for a PSA 9 Schmidt is between $1,775-$2,100. It is very rare for a PSA 10 Schmidt to pop up on the market. But when they do, they can go for big money. For example, Topps has a super rare O-Pee-Chee version of this card that sold for $15,765 in Gem Mint condition in 2012.

Other notable 1973 Topps cards include Hank Aaron’s No. 100, Pete Rose’s No. 130 and Carl Yastrzemski’s No. 245. Thurman Munson’s No. 142, Joe Morgan’s No. 230, Rich Gossage’s No. 174, the #614 Dwight Evans rookie and Reggie Jackson’s No. 255 are also among the more significant cards in the set, which features a high number run valued slightly higher than the rest of the set.

James Morisette is a contributing writer for Sports Collectors Daily. He is also the Founder and Chief Editor at the Basebook Baseball Social Network. Follow James on Twitter to receive future features. 

A few Rich Klein's Ramblings ago I wondered what the card companies would do to combat the dearth of "skill" players taken early in the 2013 NFL Draft. With so few of those players drafted in the first round many football products which get an extra boost from rookies would not appear to have as good of a chance to sell well in 2013.  I’m sure the card companies have been thinking about the same issue for a long time but in 2013 Bowman football, Topps has come up with a pretty good answer.

As you may have read in the 2013 Bowman preview here on Sports Collectors Daily back in March, they’ve changed things up a bit this year with 10-pack cello boxes  of 25 cards. Each box has four rookie Bowman Chrome autographs as well as a relic card. The base card design has the player photo surrounded by white borders and the team logo, player name and position at the bottom. The backs contain biographical information, a brief informational blurb and seasonal/career stats.

Collectors are chasing Cracked Ice and other colored parallels as well as the 1952 Bowman-style minis and die-cuts.

And as for the prices Nick's Sports Cards here in the Dallas area said he had sold a ton of the product at $102.50 while leading online retailers are between $110-120. Needless to say with all the rookie autographs, this product has a good chance to remain strong for the foreseeable future.

And how did we do from our box?  As usual for any Bowman box we have received for the past few years, there were no duplicates, which is always a plus.

Base Cards: 148 of 220. That is a touch less than 70 percent and thus at least two hobby boxes will be needed to finish a set—if you’re lucky.  You’ll at least be close.

Black Parallels: 54 of 220. Yes, if a collector likes a challenge to build a set the black parallels would be a good set to choose. It takes a few boxes but it is doable and it makes for a nice-looking alternative set that should hold some value.

Bowman Chrome Parallels: Drew Brees, Zac Dysart, Joseph Fauria, Josh Freeman, Pierre Garcon, Ray Graham, BenJarvis Green-Ellis, Jeremy Kerley, Marcus Lattimore, Adrian Peterson, Jacquizz Rodgers, Richard Sherman. Ndamukong Suh, Ryan Swope, Markus Wheaton

Silver Ice Parallel: Von Miller

Blue Parallel for both Base and Chrome each #d to 499: Base Card Parallel-- Kenny Stills, Chrome Parallel: Jonathan Franklin

Gold Parallel (#d to 399): Baccarri Rambo; Chrome Parallel Tyler Wilson

Orange Parallel #d to 299: T.J. McDonald; Chrome Parallel Marquise Goodwin

Red Chrome Parallel (#d to 199); Dee Milliner

Green Parallel #d to 99:  Bjoern Werner

Navy Blue Chrome Parallel #d to 99: Reggie Wayne

Copper Parallel #d to 75: Doug Martin

Green Ice Parallel #d to 50: Ezekiel Ansah

1952 Bowman Minis: Ezekiel Ansah. Le'Veon Bell, Sharrif Floyd, Justin Hunter, Eddie Lacy, Quinton Patton, Logan Ryan, Leon Sandcastle (yes, he’s in here), Desmond Truffant,  Markus Wheaton

Die-Cuts: Andy Dalton, Eli Manning Alfred Morris

Relic: Torrey Smith

Refractor Autograph: LeVeon Bell, Stedman Bailey, Kerwynn Williams

Orange Refractor Autograph (#d to 50): Conner Vernon

While we didn’t score any gigantic hits, it’s a whole bunch of pretty good stuff for the money.  At the level Nick was selling the box for, the price per card is about 40 cents per card.  With the prices of all 2013 cards almost any time one picks up a box and average price per card is 40 cents there is a good chance the box is a winner. In addition, the five hits makes for a nice jolt as every collector is guaranteed some good cards.

The only thing holding this product back a bit is the lack of NFL uniforms on the rookies.

As for this year’s draft class, it’s bound to produce some stars and we’ll especially be watching LeVeon Bell.  Don’t count those lower round picks out.  Remember Tom Brady was a sixth round pick and in the olden days Johnny Unitas was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers before going to Baltimore and becoming a legend. Let's see if any legends come out of the later rounds of the 2013 draft. It's been a popular product so far. Nearly 17,000 2013 Bowman football listings are already on eBay.

Rich Klein can be reached at Sabrgeek@aol.com

“Out of adversity comes opportunity for collectors,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager. “Given the landscape this year, we are capitalizing on the opportunity to include components of other products in 2012-13 NHL SP Authentic. This means collectors are in store for a truly awesome box opening experience finding content they would not normally see in this product. Bonus packs of SPx Hockey, which will be included in every third box, will yield a fourth autograph card for collectors, plus fans can also find update cards for their 2012-13 NHL Upper Deck and MVP hockey sets.”

Rookie collectors will have opportunity to find rookie and autograph cards from some surprising standout players from this season. Upper Deck says it was able to secure hard-signed autograph content from legendary players like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, Jaromir Jagr and others. The lineup of retired and veteran stars in the Limited Autograph Patch variation cards is, according to the company, “one of the strongest of all-time, and includes Wayne Gretzky as member of the Edmonton Oilers with a 1983 Edmonton Oilers game-used jersey patch.”

2012-13 SP Authentic hockey was released on Thursday.  Here is what has been listed on eBay thus far.

Card collectors do like a design that gets their attention, and just as the refractors in Topps Finest and Topps Chrome had people spending a lot when they were first released it is now the parallel cards in Panini Prizm basketball that are drawing bidders and buyers months after their release.

What collectors want to find in Prizm boxes is gold.  The Gold Prizm gold refractor  is limited to ten serial numbered cards.  The prices for these cards going through the proverbial roof.  A Kyrie Irving BGS 9.5 sold for $5,001.  A Kobe Bryant BGS 9.5 sold for $1,813.88.

As Panini didn't have rookie cards in the few sets they released during last season’s lockout-shortened campaign, the current sets like Prizm have two years’ worth of rookie cards.  That means Gold Prizm cards of two top overall draft picks, Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis.  They also have autographed cards that have a Prizm parallel numbered to 25.

There are 300 cards in the Prizm set.  Each card has a Prizm parallel, like a refractors finish to the card, and also a Green Prizm that was available in retail packs.  Then there is the Gold Prizm parallel that is the most coveted of all.

Green Prizm Kyrie Irvings have sold on eBay for $825, $850 and $665.55.  Green Prizm Anthony Davis cards have sold for $149.99 and $125.  Kobe Bryant and LeBron Green Prizm cards have sold for as much as $400.  Remember…these prices aren’t for autographed cards—just the parallels.  Basketball card collectors have never been shy about spending good money for them, including some of those low pop inserts issued in the 1990’s.

A box of Prizm can sell for $160, so striking gold with a Gold Prizm can pay for the box.  As well as the huge prices that the biggest stars and rookie sell for, even a James Harden brought  $168.48 and a Kendall Marshall rookie card Gold Prizm drew$163.72.  While not beating the box price other players get close, Kevin Love's Gold Prizm sold for $111.50, John Wall was sold for $111.38, and Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar are valued at a similar number by collectors as their Gold Prizm cards sold for around $102 each.

Autograph cards are the inserts collectors hope to find in their packs, and some of the big names in Prizm packs include Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.  With 100 autographs in the insert set, some different players that are not often found in new issues are also available with Clyde Lovellette, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Ralph Sampson and John Henson.  An Irving Gold Prizm auto sold on Ebay for $2,500.

The best outside shooters in the NBA are present in the Downtown Bound cards with inserts of guys like Steve Novak, Danny Granger and Klay Thompson.  There is also a LeBron James card.

There are 38 Finalist insert cards, with a big assortment of eras and teams represented.  Along with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James you’ll find blasts from the past like Kurt Rambis and Michael Finley.  The Most Valuable Player insert cards have 25 past and present stars from LeBron  to Oscar Robertson.

The USA Basketball insert set has the players who won gold at the London Olympic Games.  The players on the team were Tyson Chandler, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Deron Williams, Andre Iguodala, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Love, James Harden, Chris Paul, Anthony Davis and Carmelo Anthony.  A LeBron James Gold Prizm parallel Team USA card sold on eBay for $2,600.

With so many LeBron James insert cards, when they are added to his card in the regular set that means 50 chances at a Gold Prizm LeBron James card.

While collectors and investors are pushing up many of the Gold Prizm prices, those who want to have one of the cards for their collection might still find a bargain if they look for a retired player or a veteran who doesn't play a lot.  Ben Gordon and Martell Webster Gold Prizm cards sold for $15.50.  Derek Fisher and Mo Cheeks are also in that price range.

One reason why collectors enjoy the Prizm parallels is the same reason why Totally Certified is popular, a "rainbow" of parallel cards with different colors can be collected.  The best way to do that would be to acquire the hard to find Gold Prizm first, then add the Green Prizm, Prizm parallel and common card.  There was a LaMarcus Aldridge rainbow of his four Prizm cards on Ebay which sold for around $60.

The Prizm phenomenon has now spread to other sets from Panini, and Gold Prizm parallel cards in 2012-13 Select are also bringing four figures for the star players.  You can check current auctions for Prizm here.

To many young basketball fans, the name Mark Landsberger does not register in the memory bank. But to many older fans of the game, Landsberger is best known as the Los Angeles Lakers defender that got immortalized by Philadelphia 76ers star Julius Erving (AKA Dr. J) in one of the most memorable plays in NBA history.   It would have been a great image for a Dr. J rookie card, but this move happened seven years later.

Jerry Crowe of the LA Times best described Erving’s near non-human layup during that 1980 NBA Finals game between the Lakers and 76ers.

“As Dr. J [palmed] the ball in his right hand and majestically [soared] toward the basket, lowering the ball below his waist from behind the backboard before lifting it again and kissing it off the glass on the left side, Landsberger all but [faded] from view.”

Sadly, more than 30 years after Dr. J’s gravity-defying layup he too seems to be fading from thought.

Realizing this, NBA TV recently launched a 90-minute documentary on Erving called “The Doctor.” This documentary, which chronicled Erving’s achievements, was so much more than basketball.

Photo by Steve Lipofsky

It was about life. More specifically, it was about Erving’s rise to greatness in the face of adversity. This included Erving losing his dad when he was nine, his younger brother when he was 19, and his son in 2000.

Instead of cashing in his chips, however, Erving’s faith helped him endure these hardships, en route to becoming one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history.

A man of great humility, Erving was feared on the basketball court. But off the court Erving was well-respected for being both a gentleman and devoted ambassador of the game. To many, Erving was as graceful with youth as he was during his famous layup.

To young basketball fans watching Erving’s documentary, it was a terrific introduction to a man who represented everything that was good about the game of basketball.

For many collectors—past and present—Erving’s return to the spotlight had to have dusted off internet searches for his most renowned trading cards.

But even before Erving’s documentary, this Hall of Famer’s 1972-73 Topps rookie card fared well in the marketplace. For example, the average place for a mint, graded Erving  Virginia Squires rookie is $865. 8’s sell for around $300 and 7’s for around $160.   Supply is relatively strong with 121 9’s in PSA’s Population Report alone and more than 600 8’s.

Erving also appears on an ABA All-Star card and a rebounding leaders card that same year.

Erving’s second year Topps card, picturing him as a ‘2^nd Team All-Star’ can be found in NR MT/MT condition for around $35 and one would think there is room for growth.  Graded 9’s usually average around $135.  There are just 42 9’s on PSA’s Pop Report and only 196 8’s which would indicate a possible long-term opportunity.

Erving’s first actual NBA card is from the 1976/1977 Topps set. Dubbed the ‘tall boy’ set, Erving is seen rocking a huge afro while taking a break on the bench with a paper cup raised to his lips.  It’s the #1 card in the set, revealing the status with which he was held during the ABA/NBA merger era.  Pop numbers are similar to the ’73-74 issue.

Also, Erving appears in the famous 1980/1981 Topps Magic Johnson/Larry Bird rookie card. This trio card is very popular with collectors. It can also be

expensive to own. Erving is also featured in this same Topps set with other player combinations that are much cheaper.

As far as more modern cards are concerned, Erving has had many patch, relic and autographed cards issued in his honor. Upper Deck, which holds a license to sell NCAA products regularly produces cards showing Erving in his UMass uniform.

One of Erving’s most valuable autos is his 2006/2007 Dual Enshrinements. This card, #’d to 25, shows Erving side by side with Michael Jordan. Even in ungraded form, this card can fetch a pretty penny at auction.

Overall, Erving’s checklists are fairly straightforward during his playing career. And he does not appear in many oddball or regional type sets.  Here is a look at Dr. J basketball cards on eBay.

James Morisette is a contributing writer for Sports Collectors Daily. He is also the Founder and Chief Editor at the Basebook Baseball Social Network. You can follow him on Twitter. 

When I saw last week’s article about Topps advertising its Archives products on blogs dedicated to 1980's baseball everything I had ever thought about this product came into a much clearer picture. A few years ago I used to write about Topps using their base set to combine cards of today’s players with enough baseball history in an attempt to make the product work for both old and newer collectors. The Topps Archives product takes that concept a step further.

The product uses many of the most popular designs of years past.  This year, they utilized card designs we first saw in 1972, 1982, 1985 and 1990. And some of the cards could even qualify for a "card that never was" outlook such as the Mike Schmidt card with the 1972 design. A photo of a very young Mike Schmidt would have worked better there. In addition, many of the inserts also bring up memories of card sets gone by with the wrapper and box reminding me of the 1971 Topps set.

Archives won’t blow you away with its autograph roster but it’s more about fun rather than big hits and there’s nothing wrong with that.

The hobby box,has 24 packs to the box with eight cards per pack. I did not ask how my local card store was doing with this product but when I checked on the Internet leading online retailers were between $80-85 per box.

Unlike the football box we opened, we were not lucky enough to hit a box topper this time but here’s what we did pull:

Base Set: 164 of 200, no duplicates, more than 80 percent of the set.

Gold Parallels (#d to 199): David Murphy. Ben Zobrist

Short Prints: Don Baylor, Delino DeShields, Howard Johnson, Fred Lynn, Kevin McReynolds, Keith Miller. The first three SP's I pulled were all Mets so I wondered if I would go six for six. The team thread will resurface in a bit.

1965 Tall Boys Minis: Eric Davis, Al Kaline, Fred Lynn, Dave Parker, Frank White.

1969 Four-in-Ones: Vince Coleman/Rickey Henderson/Otis Nixon/Kenny Lofton; Tony Gwynn/Wade Boggs/Cal Ripken Jr./Ryne Sandberg; Willie McCovey/Will Clark/Matt Williams/Buster Posey

1972 Basketball Design: Giancarlo Stanton

1983 All-Stars: Johnny Bench; Gary Cater; Darrell Evans (In the AOL Sports Trivia Room we have a standing joke that you could create an entire trivia game about Darrell Evans); Carl Ripken Jr.; Nolan Ryan; Dave Winfield

Gallery of Heroes: Miguel Cabrera

Stadium Club Triumvirate: Mike Trout #1A. I’ve got to say here I HATED these inserts when they were first in Stadium Club but loved the good old basic cards. I wish as an insert there would just be a return to the Stadium Club design which would be real cool.

Vintage Card Redemption at a local hobby store: my LCS told he missed out on this so I hope Nick is nice enough to give me a card.

Fan Favorite Autographs: Dan Gladden and Kent Hrbek. Yes both as Twins. From what I heard from a couple of customers at Triple Cards this level of player seemed to be the norm for most of boxes. I don't know if this is financially feasible for Topps, but if this is the standard level of autographs, perhaps a third autograph per box would encourage even more collectors to purchase one.

Other than slightly better or more autographs, I really did enjoy opening Archives Baseball and there is little doubt this product does what it is intended to do which is appeal to the collectors from the  hobby glory years and give all of a chance to honoring the past while living in the present.  We do know a lot of this product has been purchased and opened.  You can see over 8,800 listings for Archives on eBay here.

Rich Klein can be reached at Sabrgeek@aol.com

"The prices achieved in this auction reflect the continued appeal of graded cards within the hobby," said Mile High President Brian Drent.  "And despite prolonged concerns regarding the economy and such, it’s clear that the market for high-grade collectibles remains solid.”

Highlighting the excitement generated by set registry enthusiasts was the world’s finest 1966 Topps Baseball Complete Set, ranked #1 current and all-time on PSA Set Registry with 9.25 GPA, which brought a stunning price of $129,224 when bidding closed late last week.

Also commanding incredible results were a 1959  Topps Baseball set ranked ninth on the registry that sold for $42,939, a 1963 Topps Baseball Complete Master Set #4 Current Finest on PSA Set Registry with an overall 8.353 GPA that brought $38,880, a 1961 Topps complete set with an astounding overall 8.018 GPA that fetched $25,273, and a 1964 Topps Coins complete set ranked #6 Current Finest on the PSA Set Registry that sold for $6,788.

Several important single cards were transacted as well, including an 1888 N403 Yum Yum Tobacco Cap Anson SGC 40 VG 3 that fetched $15,888, a 1912 Colgan's Chips Tin Joe Jackson SGC 20 FAIR 1.5 that sold for $19,877, a 1909-1911 T206 Sherry Magie (Magee) Rare Variation PSA 2 GOOD that pleased chasers of “the Monster” to the tune of $16,149, a 1911 T205 Gold Border Tris Speaker PSA 8 NM/MT that brought $10,280, a  1939 Play Ball #92 Ted Williams SGC 92 NM/MT+ 8.5 that sold for $9,311, a Topps #135 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT that brought $12,650, a scarce 1955 Topps Salesman's Sample Advertising Card with "Doubleheader" Reverse that netted $5,729, a 1963 Topps #200 Mickey Mantle PSA 9 MINT that went for $6,635, a 1990 Topps USA George Bush PSA 8 NM/MT that did $3,368 a 1957 Topps #200 Gil McDougald PSA 10 GEM MINT that went for $2,719, and a stunning 1972 Topps Full Unopened 5th/6th Series Wax Box that sold for $7,235.

Several memorabilia items performed nicely as well, including a spectacular Ty Cobb Single-Signed OAL (Harridge) Ball that fetched $7,477, a Cy Young Single-Signed ONL (Frick) Ball that brought $5,435, a 1945 Babe Ruth Signed and Cancelled Check PSA/DNA 10 GEM MINT that netted $4,933, a 1961 Topps #387 Duke Maas autographed card that brought $1,332, and an awesome 1984 Mike Schmidt Philadelphia Phillies Game-Used and Signed Jersey that yielded $4,484.

Collectors of vintage high grade football cards saw the second ranked 1952 Bowman Small complete set sell for $38,317 and a 1952 Bowman Large complete set ranked #3 on PSA Set Registry broken up and sold card by card for a cumulative total of $51,734.

Hockey enthusiasts, too, were well represented, as a 1911 C55 Imperial Tobacco complete master set situated at #11 Current Finest on the PSA Set Registry yielded $19,332, the world’s finest 1961 Topps Hockey Complete Set #1 All Time on the PSA Set Registry that commanded $24,463, a 1971 O-Pee-Chee Complete Set #5 Current Finest on the PSA Set Registry which yielded $21,829, and a game-used 1970s Doug Favell Colorado Rockies Goalie Mask that brought $5,899.

Mile High Card Company is currently seeking consignments for its next catalog auction event, slated to take place this fall.  You can reach them at 303-840-2784 to discuss consignment opportunities for your items, or if you are attending this year’s National Sports Collector’s Convention in Chicago, you can stop by their booth.  They are offering low consignment fees including zero percent for individual graded cards with SMR value of $1,000 or more, timely consignor payouts, aggressive consignor loyalty and rewards programs, spectacular full-color catalogs for ultimate presentation of your items, and interest-free cash advances for select premium collectibles.

Best Match Items Ending First Newly-Listed Items First Price + Shipping: Lowest First Price + Shipping: Highest First

1966 67 Topps 99 Ed Johnston PSA 8 NM MT Boston Bruins $109.00 Time Remaining: 31m Buy It Now for only: $109.00

HANK AARON PSA LOT 2 CARDS 1966 TOPPS 500 1976 HOSTESS 94 GRADED BASEBALL $55.00 Time Remaining: 40m Buy It Now for only: $55.00

PICK 1 YOUR CHOICE WILLIE MAYS PSA 1966 TOPPS RUB OFF VINTAGE GIANT BASEBALL $22.00 Time Remaining: 1h 28m Buy It Now for only: $22.00

1966 TOPPS 558 GEORGE SCOTT ROOKIE CARD PSA 6 EX MT RED SOX VINTAGE BASEBALL $65.00 Time Remaining: 1h 36m Buy It Now for only: $65.00

WILLIE MAYS PSA GRADED LOT 1966 TOPPS RUB OFF VINTAGE GIANT BASEBALL SAY HEY KID $33.00 Time Remaining: 2h 3m Buy It Now for only: $33.00

PSA LOT 2 VINTAGE GRADED BASEBALL CARDS 1966 TOPPS 126 PALMER 195 MORGAN ROOKIE $88.00 Time Remaining: 2h 25m Buy It Now for only: $88.00

psa 8 1966 topps 73 jerry zimmerman twins card $25.00 Time Remaining: 5h 2m Buy It Now for only: $25.00

psa 8 1966 topps 123 pirates rookie stars card $22.00 Time Remaining: 5h 5m Buy It Now for only: $22.00

psa 8 1966 topps 135 dave morehead boston red sox card $16.50 Time Remaining: 5h 11m Buy It Now for only: $16.50

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When he walked into Crosley Field 75 years ago tonight,   Vander Meer just wanted to win.  It would be his last start before an east coast road trip.  The Reds were just three games over .500 and in third place in the National League.  The Boston Bees were in town on a Saturday afternoon and less than two hours later, the lefty had done more than just beat them.  He’d tossed a no-hitter.  Barely over 5,000 people were in the stands that day.  Times were tough and not everyone had money to buy a ticket.

As unexpected as the accomplishment may have been, no one could have predicted what happened four days later.  Vander Meer, in the first night game played in Brooklyn, held the Dodgers hitless in a 6-0 win at Ebbets Field.  It was unfathomable.  Back-to-back no-hitters.

Vander Meer would pitch in the majors and be featured on baseball cards through the 1951 season but his place in history was already secure.  It’s the one thing people remember about him.  Vander Meer died in 1997 and spent many weekends in the preceding years signing autographs through the mail and at shows, happy to oblige by inscribing his feat on photos, bats, balls and programs.

Vander Meer first appeared on a 1938-39 Reds team issue, then appeared on the 1939 Exhibit Salutations set.  His first mainstream rookie cards were the 1941 Play Ball, a beautiful card showing him with a huge smile, and a polar opposite 1941 Double Play that features a frowning Vander Meer joined by the Cubs’ Linus Frey.

The Play Ball card varies widely in price in higher grades with PSA 8’s selling for several hundred dollars each.  A near mint card graded by PSA or SGC usually brings a little under $200.

Few cards were issued during World War II but the 1948 Leaf Vander Meer is a unique horizontal image of him delivering a pitch.  Difficult to find in high grades, an EX graded or ungraded usually sells for around $40-50.

Women with expensive taste for handbags have Coco Chanel.  Men who can afford to purchase high-end sports cards will soon have 2012 Upper Deck Exquisite  football.

While information about the latest Exquisite brand is still trickling out (to include a full player checklist), Upper Deck has released some very basic information about this premium football product, now set to release June 25.  And yes, it is being labeled a 2012 product.  Upper Deck delayed its release, they say, to keep redemption cards to a minimum.

First, every Exquisite box will contain six cards. Five of these cards are hand-signed autographs. One of these autos will be a Rookie Signature Patch card (game-worn jersey; serial #’d/150 or less). A second auto will be either a UD Black (#’d to 99) or a UD Black Rookie Lustrous Signature (#’d to 75). The sixth card in each box will be from the base set and will be numbered to 85.

While Robert Griffin III and Andrew Luck lead a strong class of 30 rookies in Exquisite, there will also be surprise members of the 2013 rookie class in this set. Just a few players will include Geno Smith, Matt Barkley and Manti Teo.

Like last year, Exquisite will feature Choice Dual and Quad Signatures. It will also return UD Black Rookie Lustrous (#’d to 75) and Exquisite Book Marks (#’d to 10) to full ops.

Joining Exquisite’s family this year are Exquisite Dimensions, Exquisite Sixteen (#’d 1/1) and Exquisite Art inserts (#’d to 15).

Look for rare exchange cards redeemable for the entire Rookie Autographed Patch set-- all 30 Rookie Signature Patch cards hand numbered to just three as well as exchange cards redeemable for the entire 2013 Exquisite Rookie card set, hand numbered to 10.

Every case will contain three boxes.

Those who buy a case have a chance to pull two autographs, one from any of the players listed below:

• Jerry Rice
• John Elway
• Dan Marino
• Barry Sanders
• Aaron Rodgers
• Joe Namath
• Robert Griffin III
• Trend Richardson
• Russell Wilson
• Ryan Tannehill

Also included in 2012 Exquisite is the Alumni Pride Autographs Set (#’d to 10). Joe Namath (donning his Alabama Crimson Tide uniform) is one player included in this set.

2013 Upper Deck Exquisite Football boxes are being are being offered on eBay for around $600.

James Morisette is a contributing writer for Sports Collectors Daily. He is also the Founder and Chief Editor at the Basebook Baseball Social Network. You can follow him on Twitter. 

NCAA-licensed Upper Deck is set to release a fresh design of its mid-end 2013 edition of SPx football and the final checklist has been released.

SPx will provide collectors less cards than in prior years but Upper Deck promises more quality.

This year, Upper Deck has reduced the number of cards in SPx hobby boxes from 72 cards (18 packs per box, four cards per pack) to 50 cards (10 packs per box, five cards per pack).

Like 2012, SPx will feature a 50-card base set that includes past and present NFL stars. SPx also stays true to its legacy of including college football greats in its base set. Each base card will have a die-cut auto #’d to 5 (minus Archie Manning).

Similar to Topps Strata Football, SPx will bring back its popular line of Shadow Box cards. The basic set will have 32 cards that include legends John Elway, Joe Namath and Bart Starr. It also includes rookies Geno Smith and Matt Barkley.

The Shadow Box Signatures series will include every player from the regular Shadow Box set, minus Archie Manning and Ken Stabler.

Within each hobby box, buyers are guaranteed three autographs, to include at least one SPx rookie auto jersey with a jumbo swatch. Collectors are also guaranteed one single, dual, triple or patch memorabilia card; as well as three SPx Finite Rookies or Legends cards. All boxes will include a total of six insert cards.

Also, for the first time, every SPx hobby box will include three 1996 or 1997 SPx retro hologram inserts (to include rare gold parallels).

“The goal for 2013 SPx Football is to deliver collectors a tremendous amount of bang for their buck when they open their box,” said Brandon Miller, Upper Deck’s collegiate sports brand manager. “With three autographs, a memorabilia card and a variety of other quality insert cards in each box, we know fans are going to love busting these packs open. Mix in bonus UD Premier Football packs as an incremental hit and we expect there will be a lot of dads requesting a box or two of 2013 SPx Football for Father’s Day.”

Upper Deck secured every big name rookie to appear in the set and collectors can expect to find autograph and memorabilia cards for these future stars throughout the product. Upper Deck also pushed to deliver a checklist that includes some of the biggest names to ever step onto the gridiron with Joe Namath, John Elway, Barry Sanders, Dan Marino, Steve Young, Bo Jackson, Jerry Rice and many more having autograph content in the product.

Paying respect to the lineage of SPx, collectors can find three retro SPx Hologram cards per box in the classic 1996 SPx and 1997 SPx designs. SPx Finite is another beautiful insert series dedicated to rookies and legends limited to 899 copies or less for each. The popular Shadow Box insert cards return as well, but also a new twist with rare dual signed versions available in packs. And the Winning Big Materials feature a huge memorabilia swatch (1.5”x1.5”) and along with double and triple memorabilia versions.

While not guaranteed, hobby box buyers will have a chance to pull Shadow Box Dual Player Signature cards for the first time. This includes the rare dual autographed parallel of Jerry Rice and John Elway. Other dual shadow boxes this nine card set will include Geno Smith/Matt Barkley, Aaron Rodgers/Bart Starr and Jerome Bettis/Bo Jackson.

Also new, case buyers will receive four UD Premier Bonus Packs. Each pack includes an UD Premier auto jersey or patch card. These cards include top 2013 rookies and past football legends #’d to 125 or less.  Names in the UD Premier Auto Jersey set include Barry Sanders, Joe Theismann and Dan Marino.

2013 Upper Deck SPx boxes are priced at around $125 on eBay.

2013-SPx-Football-Final-Checklist

James Morisette is a contributing writer for Sports Collectors Daily. He is also the Founder and Chief Editor at the Basebook Baseball Social Network. You can follow him on Twitter.