As usual, you didn't disappoint.

Within a few hours,  nearly two dozen responses were posted.  Many were quite touching.

The overall feeling was that collectors' moms have been, by and large, very good sports.

Here is a selection of some your stories.  You can see others by going to the page and, of course, you're welcome to add yours if you haven't done so yet. 

Carey Cozocar:  (In the) 1970's I think packs were 5 or 10 cents at the time, mom would give me quarter after quarter so I could run to the corner store to open packs so I could finish my set as fast as possible. Those were the days!!!!

Chet Pulaski:  1971 when I was 7 & mom giving me a dime or so for a pack of baseball cards & a bag of Doritos for my walk to school each day where I stopped at the local grocery store in Pullman, Il. Still have them all.

Victor Ross:  Mom saved all of my cards for me also. She boxed them up and kept them in her basement for at least 10 years while I "grew up". I still remember how cool it was looking through all of those 60s and 70's cards. She is the reason I have been in this great hobby for most of my life!

Brad Beneke: My mom would go to garage sales and pick up cards cheap for me. Mostly it was common cards in rubber band damage, but once she handed me a Velveeta cheese box with about 200 cards from 1971-74 in them. 2 Schmidt rookies, 3 Winfield rookies, 3 Hank Aaron home run champ ‘74 card 1. Two 73 Clementes, a 73 Ryan, 71 Reggie Jackson and a 71 McCovey, all at PSA 7 or better quality.  She paid a buck for the box and she gave it to me when I took her out for Mother's Day in ‘93.

Kenny Evans: I was watching a Giant football game with my Dad and four brothers in the mid-70s and my Mom came I to the room and asked if anyone wanted to hit a few yard sales with her. She didn't get much if a response so I said, "Sure, I'll go." We'll wouldn't you know it but at one if the sales was a box if baseball cards. I started digging through, mostly from 70s and was asking the owner how much for this card and how much for that card. My Mom said why don't you make an offer for the whole box (about 400 cards). I offered $5.00 and the guy said $10.00. I put my head down and walked away. My Mom saw the look on my face and handed me a $10 bill. I couldn't believe it.

I bought the box and brought it home. As j started going through the mix I discovered over 100 of the cards were from the 1950s... '56 Mantle, '57 Aaron, '55 Snider, '58 Williams and on and on. I'll never forget that day. As a 14 year old kid, it was the jump start of a baseball card collection that us over 100,000 card as well as a complete run from '59 to date as well as complete sets including '41 Play Ball, '51 Red Backs, and the '54,'55 and '56 Topps sets. Thanks Mom!

Bob Boffa:  As a kid of the 50's and 60's, my mom NEVER threw away my cards! She would say later that kept me close to her, though I moved 1600 miles away. I guess that’s what mom’s love is all about! 

Scott Lewandoske: My mother liked to take a look at the cards I would get. In 1973, I got an Indians manager and coaches card, which had Warren Spahn on it.  Spahn was my favorite player and she took that card from me. She put it in her jewelry box. When I got another one of the same card, my mother took that one toO. When I got a third one, she finally left me keep it. When my mother died years later, that Warren Spahn card was still in her jewelry box. About two years ago, I started collecting Warren Spahn cards in her memory.

Larry Mathews:  She bought me my first pack of 1985 Topps football and the first card I got was a Jerry Rice rookie card.  Boy, do I miss her being here.

Ralph McCullough:  In 1979, I stayed up late trying to put a set together,and fell asleep, face first into the cards (lol).  Woke up and found them in numerical order, sheeted and in album, with note "off to work.  I love you".  My mom was a true collector's mom, and I love her.

Noel Edward Reucroft: You would think my mom buying me a complete set of 86 Fleer basketball for $10 back in 86 would be my best memory! I must have bought at least two boxes worth of ‘84 football packs trying to get a Marino rookie but I never pulled one. For Valentine’s day back in ‘84, she bought me one single pack that yielded me the elusive Marino RC. Moms always have a knack for pulling the best packs! 

University of Portland photo

It seems an enterprising individual sent an official big league baseball to the campus ahead of his visit with a note inside asking the Dalai Lama to sign it during his stay. We assume the proper return postage was included.

Unfortunately, we don't know whether the ball was signed. The school didn't respond to our inquiry. We don't even know if they sent it back, but we do have to give the collector/dealer an 'A' for effort. We would not, however, recommend trying that strategy again considering the current climate.

We do know the Dalai Lama has been known to wear a baseball cap. In fact, once on campus, he fanned himself with a University of Portland vistor.

And, of course we all know of the Lama's fondness for golf...at least according to Carl Spackler.

Other sales of high grade vintage cards in the opening night of the three-day event included a 1916 M101-5 Blank Back Babe Ruth Rookie #151 SGC 70, which sold for $83,640 and a 1910 E98 Honus Wagner graded PSA 9 that originated in the famous 'Black Swamp Find' which brought $47,800.

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Dwight Gooden will be among the free autograph guests at the annual VIP reception at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention.  The former Yankee and Met pitcher who tossed a no-hitter and won a couple of World Series rings during his career, will appear along with former Chicago Bear Neal Anderson, a four-time Pro Bowler who trails only Walter Payton on the team's all-time rushing list.  Former Olympic Gold Medalists Bob Beamon and Dick Fosbury will return to the show for a second time.

The VIP reception kicks off the show, which takes place at the Stephens Convention Center in Chicago.  It's scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 31.

VIP ticket packages, which include numerous other perks including some freebies at the door, start at $129 via NSCCShow.com.

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eGraphs didn’t quite make it to its second birthday.  The company that signed up dozens of current and former pro athletes to sign digital autographs with inscriptions and even a short voice message, announced on Twitter and on its website Thursday that it would be shutting down:

We've had a blast creating Egraphs, but it's time to say goodbye. Thank you to everyone who supported and believed in us. #Thanks — Egraphs (@egraphs) May 2, 2013

The concept was interesting, even though it didn't necessarily fit the mold of a traditional sports collectible you could store in a box or hang on a wall.

According to GeekWire.com, money was the issue.
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Last March, we told you about a breach of contract lawsuit filed by the NFL Players Association against Upper Deck over unpaid bills. The suit alleged that the trading card maker owed 229 players a total of $1.25 million for failure to pay royalties.

Amounts owed ranged from several hundred dollars to as much as $180,00. Eli and Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson, Rob Gronkowski, Tony Romo, Sam Bradford and others were named in the court filing as having not been paid what they were owed when Upper Deck had its NFL license.

According to attorney Paul Lesko, however, that case has quietly come to an end and we're not likely to know exactly how it was settled.

Topps didn’t reveal anything beyond the photo so we don’t know yet if it’s a base card, short print, insert or anything else.

Panini America was featured last week in ‘D’, a Dallas magazine.  They had some fun with the photo to illustrate the piece, which offered some company history and its philosophy, among other topics.

What’s the hottest piece of vintage baseball memorabilia on eBay right now?  How about an 1880 Spalding Baseball Guide.  It has more watchers than any other items.

Spalding Guides from the early 20^th century do show up for sale fairly regularly but one dating from the third year of what we now know as the National League is pretty unusual so it’ll be interesting to see where the bidding ends.

By the way, you don’t have to buy those old guides to enjoy them.  You can actually read them online.

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Look for the upcoming book on Cracker Jack baseball cards by Tom and Ellen Zappala later this summer.  Just as they did for the T206:  The Players and Their Stories, the crew is putting out a series of short videos highlighting the careers of some of the players who appear on the 1914 and 1915 sets that will be featured in the coffee table style book.

Here's the first one.  Enjoy.

The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth card (lot #1 in the auction) is at $319,950 including the BP.   Just two months after buying it from the auction house in a private transaction last year, the owner lost his home to Hurricane Sandy and received a cash advance from REA before putting it back on the market through the auction.   Even one more bid will mean he'll still make a profit on his $325,000 investment.

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ESPN's special on the 1983 NFL Draft has gotten a lot of attention this week.  Much of the show deals with John Elway's unpopular decision to spurn the Baltimore Colts and force a trade.  Of course, the rest is history but what many of us have forgotten is how good he was at baseball.

Many feel he could have been a major star and in fact, Elway led the Yankees' rookie league team in Oneonta, NY in just about every offensive category during his brief stint in the summer of 1982.  His baseball rookie card made by TCMA isn't really all that expensive.  A few others were made in later years.  You can see them here.

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Is Kobe Bryant selling a bunch of his career memorabilia?  Sure looks like it.  Mum's the word at Goldin Auctions, but they sent out an email this week showing off some jerseys, rings and other items which would appear to be part of a large collection of items that will go up for bid this summer.  More details will come Monday, we are told.

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We do know Bret Saberhagen is selling off his stuff.  The auction is already underway and the Kansas City Star went to see him to find out why he's letting go.

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Topps Vice-President Mark Sapir announced via Twitter Wednesday night that he would be leaving the company for a job outside the industry.  Sapir has handled the company's rapidly expanding social media efforts, among other duties.  In February, Topps CEO Ryan O'Hara also stepped aside.

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Did you know you can get Sports Collectors Daily headlines in your email every morning?  Click the link in the top center of this page for quick, painless sign up.  While you're at it, don't forget to sign up for the newsletter too.  There's a link in the upper left.

The incident started in broad daylight, according to the King County Sheriff's Department. They say the neighbor was in his front yard gardening when he saw a man walk up to his neighbor’s house, knock on the door and look into the windows. The neighbor knew that the homeowners were not home.

The man who knocked on the door then walked around towards the back of the house and the neighbor immediately called 911.

Within a few minutes the suspect exited the front door carrying items stolen from the house. The suspect walked down the street and then got into a black Monte Carlo.

King County Sheriff's photo

Law enforcement officers arrived quickly and spotted the car  leaving the area. A 23 year old Kent (WA) man and a 30 year old Auburn man were in the vehicle along with items stolen from the house.

Detectives and deputies returned to the house and discovered the back slider had been smashed.

Inside the car was at least one three-ring binder full of cards, more of them on the floor and another plastic display with cards lined up.  They appeared to include stars and Hall of Famers from the late 1950's and early 60's.

Cards recovered after burglary arrests in Seattle.

Both men were arrested and booked into the King County Jail.

The detective handling the case said, “Pretty good neighbor. He also caught another burglar on his street in June of last year.”

Financial difficulties are to blame, according to Ernie Montella, the non-profit group's executive director.  The Society relied upon sales of items associated with the A’s to stay in business.   Its membership grew in the 1980s and 90s but over the last 15 years or so, dozens of Connie Mack’s former players have passed away and fans who watched the club play decades ago have either died or are growing much older.

“We’re done selling,” said Montella, who was a friend to many of the former players, helping organize area autograph signings and card show appearances.

The museum will remain in operation, with displays and loaned items moving to Spike’s Trophies on Grant Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia.

The Society will be offering clearance pricing on the store’s remaining inventory followed by a live auction on Saturday, May 18 to help pay off debts.

The A’s played in Philadelphia from 1901-1954 when they moved to Kansas City.

Hatboro Patch has more on the facility’s closure and what will happen to the store’s stock.

It had been expected to sell for at least $500,000 and Jackson promised a portion of the proceeds were to go toward the “Mr. October Foundation for Kids”.

Bidding had topped $215,000 last week but the item was withdrawn by Saturday after questions arose about whether it was indeed the one Jackson had on his back the night he propelled the Yankees to their first World Series title since 1964.  The auction had been scheduled to conclude later this week.

USA Today reported that the auction company and Jackson agreed it was best to look more closely at the jersey after “subtle inconsistencies” between the jersey and actual video of the game were discovered.

You can read the story here.

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The Red Sox and Bruins each wore special jerseys over the weekend honoring the victims of the Boston Marathon tragedy.  Now, those one-of-a-kind, autographed tops are being sold to help them.

The Red Sox beat the Royals 4-2 Saturday at Fenway Park in the first sporting event following the capture of the second terrorism suspect.  The home white jerseys bore the city name rather than “Red Sox”.  The jerseys have the “B Strong” sleeve patch.  Each player and coach signed the one they wore and an upcoming auction will be held online with proceeds to benefit the “One Boston” fund.

The Red Sox haven’t worn the name “Boston” on the front of their jerseys regularly since the 1911 season.

The Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins will auction off their game-worn jerseys, adorned with unique patches, from their game on Saturday.

The Bruins wore a “Boston Strong” blue and yellow ribbon patch, while the Penguins will took to the ice wearing a “617” patch designating the Boston area code.

Wayne Gretzky has two rookie cards:  the American issued Topps card from 1979-80 and the rarer OPC version that was available only in Canada.

The OPC Gretzky usually sells for a lot more money, especially in higher grades.

For a modern era card, both are in high demand but the hockey card collectors usually go a little harder for the OPC.  Here’s a breakdown of the current numbers of graded examples and the average prices for PSA graded Gretzky rookies.

Of course the video of the magical moment immediately went viral and has already been viewed over 7,000,000 times on YouTube:

“Jack is the type of inspirational athlete who absolutely deserves an Upper Deck rookie card,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s sports marketing manager. “Upper Deck does not want to risk Jack’s amateur status with the NCAA so the card we created will not be part of a mainstream trading card release. Jack had a larger than life moment on the field that day for Nebraska which is why Upper Deck is creating a limited number of promotional blow-up rookie cards for Jack to sign and use for charitable purposes. Upper Deck is proud to play a small role increasing awareness in Jack’s cause and we are excited to be a part of ‘Team Jack.’”

“We are humbled that a prestigious sports card company like Upper Deck would take such an interest in our son Jack,” said Andy Hoffman, Jack’s father. “We are so thankful for their interest in joining our family in the fight against pediatric brain cancer. With their help, we will be able to keep moving the ball forward by getting this devastating disease elevated onto the national agenda.”

Team Jack will be releasing details on how fans can bid on these signed promotional cards in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you can check out the “Team Jack” official website and to like the “Team Jack” Facebook page.

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

1996 Upper Deck Hot Properties Gold HT4 Brett Favre Rick Mirer $19.90 Time Remaining: 30m Buy It Now for only: $19.90

1996 Upper Deck Hot Properties Gold HT9 Troy Aikman Kerry Collins $9.90 Time Remaining: 30m Buy It Now for only: $9.90

CRAIG MORTON 2011 UD UPPER DECK COLLEGE LEGENDS AUTO CAL GOLDEN BEARS $10.99 Time Remaining: 31m Buy It Now for only: $10.99

1991 Upper Deck Football Promo cards Montana Sanders $22.49 Time Remaining: 31m Buy It Now for only: $22.49

Magglio Ordonez 1998 UPPER DECK 570 $1.25 Time Remaining: 32m Buy It Now for only: $1.25

2001 Upper Deck Legends Jack Youngblood RAMS AUTOGRAPH AUTO Card $9.99 Time Remaining: 33m

2006 Upper Deck Vernon Davis Rookie Futures Rookie RC Jersey 49ers san francisco $0.99 Time Remaining: 33m

UPPER DECK POWERDECK MANNY RAMIREZ CARD 24 $9.95 Time Remaining: 34m Buy It Now for only: $9.95

2001 UPPER DECK SUPER BOWL XXXV HOBBY FACTORY SEALED BOX SET SUPERBOWL 35 $14.99 Time Remaining: 34m Buy It Now for only: $14.99

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On Friday, U.S. District Judge Karl S. Forester sentenced David Byron, 46, for wire fraud and trying to avoid paying income taxes.  Byron will spend three years and four months in federal prison and was also ordered to pay $688,530.89 in restitution to the victims.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Lexington charged Byron with devising a scheme to defraud at least seven clients of his bookkeeping business starting in 2006 and continuing through 2010.  He pleaded guilty earlier this year.

Byron admitted to telling clients he was making payments to the Internal Revenue Service, but instead wired money from their bank accounts to his own account.  He then used the money to purchase $350,000 worth of baseball and other sports cards and supplement his lifestyle.  The U.S. Attorney's Office didn't say exactly what types of cards Byron purchased with the money.

As he took his victims' money, prosecutors say Byron knew and intended that their local, state, and federal tax liabilities would go unpaid. In each instance, he willfully attempted to evade and defeat the victim-clients' payment of substantial tax due and owing, especially to the Internal Revenue Service.  Several of his clients, including a sheet metal fabrication shop, an industrial management company and a physical therapy business, received delinquent tax bills ranging from $2,203 to $457,626.

Under federal statutes, Byron must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence, and, upon release, will be under the supervision of the United States Probation Office for three years.

The investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and the United States Secret Service.