The Dulles Expo Center remains closed and on Sunday, CSA Shows announced its three-day July show has been cancelled. The company was also forced to cancel its April 3-5 show in the wake of original CDC guidelines.
“We are working to make the best decisions for our staff, dealers, and customers,” the company stated in a blog post. “That being said, The Dulles Expo Center does not anticipate reopening until August 2020.
Our July Show will be canceled and we will now begin preparing for the October Show. We will work on making the October Show the best and safest it can be.”
That event is currently scheduled for October 23-25.
Northern Virginia began its second phase of reopening on Friday but the maximum number of people allowed in social gatherings rose from ten to 50. Face coverings are still required inside public places under state executive order.
The cost of grading current era cards is going up. PSA has announced that pricing for “ultra-modern” cards, those produced from 2017 to present, has increased to $15 each for 50-99 cards. Bulk orders of 100 or more cards will now cost $12 each.
The move could help stem the tidal wave of current era cards that are submitted for grading, which has been the primary factor for the huge backlog PSA has been wrestling with for about two years. PSA said this spring that about 80 percent of the orders causing the slowdown in turnaround times are of the modern variety. The company has been hiring additional staff in an effort to keep up with submissions.
Grading pack-fresh rookie cards with modest value has become a lucrative option for some collectors and dealers when others are willing to pay multiple times the card’s “raw” value for those that receive a Gem Mint 10 grade.
That 2015-16 Upper Deck The Cup Connor McDavid rookie patch auto numbered 97 of 99 we wrote about in April is about to sell for a huge price.
Pulled by Jaspy’s Breaks several months ago, it’s been graded 9 by PSA and is being offered by Lelands. It’s currently the top-selling item in the auction with a current high bid of over $70,000. That figure doesn’t include the buyer’s premium that will be added when the auction comes to a close on Friday night.
The card number of 97 matches McDavid’s jersey number, which collectors of serial-numbered ‘holy grail’ cards tend to like.
Topps has released the second series of its 2020 T206 baseball product. Sold in packs for $14.99 (less in quantity), the cards offer two parallels per pack–an ode to the rare backs found in the original cigarette cards.
Past and present stars join rookies and prospects in the ongoing set. Among those on the 50-card series 2 checklist are Ken Griffey Jr., Aaron Judge, Cal Ripken, Aristedes Aquino and four other rookie cards. There will be five series in all, released a few weeks apart.
You can get more info and see the checklist here.