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You are here: Home / Around the Hobby / Notes: Baltimore Impersonator Scamming Collectors; Mantle Jersey Climbing, Ring Auction; Dealer Passes; Big Leaguers Talk Signatures

Notes: Baltimore Impersonator Scamming Collectors; Mantle Jersey Climbing, Ring Auction; Dealer Passes; Big Leaguers Talk Signatures

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There’s a scammer posing as a former member of the Baltimore Orioles selling game-used equipment and bats on social media.  Using photos and a convincing pitch, the suspect has already taken money from some collectors.

Watch the story from WMAR-TV in Baltimore:

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That 1958 Mickey Mantle game jersey offered by Heritage Auctions has already set a record for the highest priced Mantle jersey ever sold.

With the buyer’s premium factored in, the jersey is currently at $3.9 million with a week to go.

The SGC 9 1952 Topps Mantle in the same auction is at over $2.7 million.

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Meanwhile, the only one of Mantle’s championship rings ever to reach the auction market just hit the block through Goldin.

After Mantle’s first Series defeat in 1955, he gifted the ring to his brother shortly after receiving it on Opening Day in 1956. The defeat is said to have served as inspiration for Mantle, as he went on to have what is regarded to be the best season of his career in 1956, winning the Triple Crown.

Bidding opens at $50,000. 

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Long time sports card dealer Tom Phillips has died.  He was attending the National Sports Collectors Convention when he fell ill and was taken to a local hospital. He passed away there on August 2.

 

Phillips was 78 years old and originally from Mississippi. He had lived most of his life in Thomasville and Monroe Georgia. 

A memorial service is planned for August 23 at 10:30 AM at the 1st Baptist Church in Monroe.

 
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Try as they might, retired players who were taught to sign legible autographs can’t seem to get current players to take their time and do it right.
 
Years ago, Minnesota Twins legend Harmon Killebrew told multiple young players that years down the road, they’d appreciate signing something fans could read.  Torii Hunter recalled that story in a piece for The Athletic this week.  
 
“One day,” Hunter said, “a new generation is gonna come, and they’re not gonna want your autograph. You’re gonna want somebody to want your autograph. So sign as many autographs as you can, be legible and give them a good one.”
 
With cursive writing slipping away in a digital age and young players now signing thousands of cards nearly every spring, most of them scribble something like their initials and a squiggly line or two that passes as an “autograph.”
 
“Honestly,” Torkelson said, “it was time management. Topps and Panini, they send us a ton of cards. If I were to do cursive, it would take me hours.”
 
Both Mike Trout and Carlos Correa have signed autograph deals with Topps but both say they’re not signing nearly as much as they once did as young players.
 

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About Rich Mueller

Rich is the editor and founder of Sports Collectors Daily. A broadcaster and writer for over 40 years and a collector for even longer than that, he's usually typing something somewhere. Type him back at [email protected].