The Athletic published a story about Panini America this week, discussing the company’s exclusive licenses with the NBA, NFL and most college sports programs as well as its exclusive autograph agreements with athletes.
After 50 years with Topps, the NFL gave an exclusive deal to Panini a few years ago and the NBA has done the same. Topps just renewed its deal with MLB. Panini America’s Mark Warsop told The Athletic that leagues have begun to favor the exclusive partner concept when it comes to trading cards.
“They recognized that the best way to grow the category is to have an exclusive trading card manufacturer who can space the launch of each product, not having two products competing against themselves,” Warsop said. “And we’ve proven it with both of these two sports that under an exclusive, you can grow the total sales of the marketplace and have strong products.”
Writer Saad Yousof also talked with Cowboys’ quarterback Dak Prescott for the story, which contains several photos of game-used memorabilia obtained by Panini as part of its deals with athletes and a large shelf with boxes of cards awaiting signatures from athletes that will eventually wind up in various trading card products.
You can read the story here (you may need a subscription).
Bidding for the restored T206 Honus Wagner card offered by Memory Lane is into the home stretch with the high bid sitting at $220,000 as of this writing ($264,000 with the buyer’s premium).
Bidding ends Sunday night on the company’s website.
The last-minute gift rush is starting. Some online retailers are offering promotions including Steiner Sports which has 40% off regularly priced items with the code GREEN40.
SportsMemorabilia.com has $20 off $100 and free shipping on orders of $29 or more. The company does sell sports card boxes.
The jerseys worn by Patrick Mahomes and Jared Goff during their classic shootout on Monday Night Football last month have sold at NFL Auctions, with money benefitting those affected by the recent fire in Northern California.
The Mahomes jersey drew 143 bids and sold for $36,150 while Goff’s went for $17,850. A jersey worn the previous week by Rams’ star Aaron Donald will also benefit the cause. It netted $16,030.
Jerseys worn by the Philadelphia Flyers on Hockey Fights Cancer Night and autographed are up for bid at MeiGray Auctions.
The special purple-colored jerseys were donned by the team during the pre-game warmup prior to their November 27 game with the Ottawa Senators. Each jersey was then signed by the player who wore it.
Each jersey carries a “Hockey Fights Cancer” patch affixed to the right sleeve and carries a $250 minimum bid.
The jerseys were authenticated by a Flyers-MeiGray Group Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program Director immediately after they were used on the ice. Each jersey has been security-tagged, serial-numbered, and registered into the NHL-MGG Population Report.
Bidding runs through January 2 at MeiGrayAuctions.com.
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Notebook: Brown Sues; Olbermann on Mastro; Baseball Exhibit; New Beckett Hire
Copy of Ed Walsh’s T206 Photo Up for Auction
Notes: Robinson Contracts Auction Halted; Cobb Museum Selling Bats; Middleton Night Jerseys
Notes: Sheen, Ovechkin Coming to Chantilly; Topps’ Double Yaz; Grandma’s Mahomes Collection; DeJong Buys “M”
Jail for Man Who Accused Landscaper of Card Theft; McDavid Auction; PSA Fee Change; ‘Yesterday’ Owner Dies
Notes: “The Missus Wants to Burn Them”; Stanton’s 1st Pinstripe Sells; Wagner Goes Poof; Collector Casting Call
