Will Elmore’s family had to find ways to pass the time during COVID lockdowns. So Elmore took out cardboard boxes full of baseball cards from his closet and started sorting them with his two sons. But instead of sorting the cards by teams or players, they invented different categories. One pile was for players with funny mustaches. Another pile was made of guys with crazy … [Read more...] about Hobby Fashion: Entrepreneur Creates Belts Made of Trading Cards
Sports Card Ink: Collector Gets His T206 Polar Bears Tattooed
The conventional methods for showing off your collection usually involve showing photos of shelves full of treasures on social media or some other online website. For collector Chris Torres of Seattle, his card collection goes everywhere he goes. That’s because Torres tattooed T206 cards with Polar Bear backs on his left arm so he can show off his collection just about … [Read more...] about Sports Card Ink: Collector Gets His T206 Polar Bears Tattooed
Baseball Cards of Mickey Welch: Baseball’s Only Hall of Famer Born on July 4th
Of the 342 members in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, only one, Michael "Mickey" Welch, was born on the 4th of July. On this Independence Day, we'll look at Welch's career and rookie baseball cards on his 164th birthday. Welch was a pioneering professional baseball player whose entire career was in the 19th century. Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., in 1859, Welch was the son of … [Read more...] about Baseball Cards of Mickey Welch: Baseball’s Only Hall of Famer Born on July 4th
1988 Foot Locker Slam Fest Includes An Elusive Chase Card
Foot Locker CEO Harold Sells, an important figure in founding the iconic sneaker store in 1974, was looking for a way to intertwine the retail store with basketball and sneaker culture. It was 1988, and Air Jordans were well into revolutionizing the sneaker industry. Sells understood the cultural phenomena developing before his eyes. So borne out of countless board … [Read more...] about 1988 Foot Locker Slam Fest Includes An Elusive Chase Card
Record Sale of JFK Signed Baseball is a Study in Perseverance
One day in 2019, Carlos Messuti became curious about how much a 60-year-old family heirloom in Venezuela was worth. Now living in Miami, Carlos was reminiscing on the item that once made headlines in his home country. To Carlos and his father, Julio Messuti Jr., the heirloom was more than a valuable collectible. It represented the spirit of a family patriarch, Julio Sr., … [Read more...] about Record Sale of JFK Signed Baseball is a Study in Perseverance
Documentary on Baseball Artist Dick Perez Gets Nostalgic Collectors Involved
Growing up as an avid baseball card collector in Seattle, film director Marq Evans loved the colorful portraits of the Donruss Diamond Kings inserts. The red border 1990 Bo Jackson and Ken Griffey Jr. always held a special place in his collection. The inserts, reproductions of watercolor paintings by Dick Perez, debuted in 1982 and became the most recognizable subset of … [Read more...] about Documentary on Baseball Artist Dick Perez Gets Nostalgic Collectors Involved
Beckett’s Proposed Grading Scale Change Meets with Opposition
Less than 48 hours after introducing changes to the upper end of its long-standing grading scale, Beckett Collectibles backtracked amid backlash from its customers and, at least for now, has scuttled its plan. The announcement acknowledged that the proposed changes weren't popular with customers. Among the most widely criticized changes was the lower … [Read more...] about Beckett’s Proposed Grading Scale Change Meets with Opposition
Sports Card Addiction Is Slowly Coming Out of the Shadows
The glitzier side of card collecting on social media puts a spotlight on rare and valuable cards. The hobby's big "pulls" are showcased like rare jewels anyone can own if they're lucky enough. Expensive cards are highlighted in slick videos and photographs. Instagram and Twitter become feedback loops, reinforcing the importance of costly cards and potentially lucrative … [Read more...] about Sports Card Addiction Is Slowly Coming Out of the Shadows
Luke the Cardist Brings Bright Colors to Custom Art Cards
As COVID turned the normal upside down, Luke Weaverling was another guy with more time to browse through eBay listings. Little did he know that the shutdowns were just the beginning of his career as a trading card artist. For Weaverling, also known as Luke the Cardist on Instagram, the eye appeal of cards is especially important. From a young age, he was passionate about … [Read more...] about Luke the Cardist Brings Bright Colors to Custom Art Cards
Modern Patch Card Guarantees Bear Little Resemblance to Hobby’s First Jersey Cards
When Upper Deck introduced the first fully licensed game-worn jersey patch cards in 1996, the hobby entered a new era, allowing collectors to own a piece of memorabilia with their trading cards. Unlike today, the first jersey cards were huge chases, similar to today’s search for one-of-ones and numbered rookie patch autographs. Upper Deck’s initial product included thin, … [Read more...] about Modern Patch Card Guarantees Bear Little Resemblance to Hobby’s First Jersey Cards