Every picture tells a story. That’s an old Rod Stewart song, but a 1941 baseball card also has a mysterious tale behind it. Picture this: It’s like a message in a bottle. On the back of a 1941 Double Play card is a note written by John R. Lawsky of Athol, Massachusetts. “Who ever gets this card, bring it to 30 Fairview Ave. and as a reward you will get 5 … [Read more...]
Kiner’s Kindness: How Hall of Famer’s Wife Helped Young Friend Build Autograph Collection
It has often been said that in life it’s not so much as to what you know but who you know. It’s especially true in the case of Hank Bentley. Now a successful song writer and producer of mostly Christian music living in Nashville, Bentley grew up in Texas during the late 1980s and early 90s as a big baseball fan. When he wasn’t playing with friends during … [Read more...]
Editor’s Blog: Don’t Get Caught Up in Collecting Regrets
The booming sports card market has a lot going for it. The cards you own are worth more. The cards you part with sell for more. You sell more of them. Then there’s the other fun stuff. Frustration. Remorse. Regret. I’d love to buy more cards, but I can ‘t afford everything. I wish I hadn’t bought that. Why didn’t I buy that instead? Why did I … [Read more...]
Numbers Game: Modern Cards Keep Crushing It
There was a time--not that long ago, really--when the most expensive baseball cards were old ones. Whether it was 1975, 1985, 1995, 2005 or even 2015, "record price" headlines were the unchallenged domain of T206 Wagners, Ruth rookies, '52 Mantles or Goudey Lajoies. No more. If you've been paying attention, you knew that already. The weekend sale of the … [Read more...]
Wanna Buy Michael Jordan’s Old Mercedes?
So you love Michael Jordan rookie cards? That's great, but for about the same price as a box of 1986-87 Fleer, you can own one of his old cars. The Beverly Hills Car Club has just launched an auction for a 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600 Lorinser once owned by Jordan and seen briefly in The Last Dance. The starting bid? $23,000, of course. The auction … [Read more...]
Notes: Topps 3D Set; Beckett Grading Price Hike; Lucky Zion Pull; Auction Updates; Ali Torch Donation to IOC Not “The” One
Topps has produced a 3D set, featuring 100 cards from Series 1 and 2. It was posted on the company’s website Thursday afternoon and 12,500 packs of eight cards sold out in less than an hour. Like similar issues of the past, the cards are printed using lenticular technology, giving the illusion of movement. There are image variations for ten of the base … [Read more...]
Baseball Card Collecting in the Weirdest Season of All
It’s entirely possible the 2020 MLB season will never get off the ground or will open up and then be stopped, never to start again. Such are the times we live in. Let’s be optimistic, though. Let’s assume they're able to play through the ever hovering pandemic and keep us entertained. MLB has presumably spent a lot of money and time figuring out how … [Read more...]
Revisiting Pandemic Impact Hobby Questions
Back in mid-April when the quarantine orders had taken hold, shows and shops shut down and the hobby was beginning to feel noticeable impacts of COVID-19, I posed a boatload of questions about what the future might hold in the days, weeks and months to come. There weren’t many easy answers in the days that followed but with more than two months behind us, I thought … [Read more...]
Memories, Memorabilia Bring Baseball’s Longest Game to Life
The 1981 Rochester Red Wings’ Media Guide has my name listed third, right behind team radio broadcasters Don Fisher and John Harmon. To this day I consider working for a community minor league baseball club affiliated then with the Orioles for a total of four seasons to be a career highlight. For each home game at Rochester’s Silver Stadium I would provide color … [Read more...]
Rodman Game Jersey from Last Dance Season Has Holiday Story Behind It
Auctions are filled with jerseys. Some have been in collections for years and the stories behind how they got there have been lost to time. Some come with pretty airtight team or player game-worn provenance. Others are, well, let’s say “questionable.” Then there are those with personal stories involving colorful characters and fans not afraid to take … [Read more...]