In 30 years, Wes Johnson has seen the ups and downs of the sports card hobby. He launched his Nebraska shop during a major boom period in 1990. Now, some of the kinds who used to frequent his store in Lincoln are adults and buying more than ever before. Watch the story from News Channel Nebraska below. The latest PSA 10 Michael Jordan rookie card to … [Read more...]
Notes: Curry’s Moon Shoes Bring $58K; 1930s Hockey Set Discovery; Big $ for Lou, Lew
The 'moon shoes' Steph Curry wore as a shout out to NASA earlier this month have sold in a charity auction. After 113 bids were made, the final price was $58,100. The shoes were specially made and each was signed by Curry, who made headlines when he jokingly made a comment about whether we'd ever set foot on the moon. Wow! $58,100 raised for STEM programs in … [Read more...]
Basketball Items Steal Show in Goldin Sale
One of the best known examples of the 1916 M101-5 Babe Ruth rookie card sold for $220,950 early Sunday morning, leading the action in Goldin Auctions' Fall Auction. It drew the biggest price among the items in one of two catalogs issued for the sale. The other was devoted to one of the most impressive player collections ever offered in the hobby. More … [Read more...]
Jackie Robinson Rookie Jersey Sells for $2.05 Million
The only known jersey dating from Jackie Robinson’s historic 1947 rookie season has been sold for $2.05 million. The Brooklyn Dodgers home white flannel was the centerpiece in Heritage Auctions’ November Platinum catalog. It’s the most ever paid for a post-War jersey. “This is just the fourth piece of sports memorabilia ever to sell at auction for over $2 million,” … [Read more...]
Conlon Photo Archive Sells for $1,792,500
A collection of more than 7,400 glass plate negatives of baseball players originally taken by pioneering photographer Charles Conlon in the first part of the 20th century sold for nearly $1.8 million Saturday night. The archive, once owned by The Sporting News, had been the property of financially troubled sports memorabilia dealer and photo archivist John Rogers. In … [Read more...]
The Phone Call That Brought Basketball Cards Back
It was an experiment that would bring basketball cards into the mainstream for collectors. The venerable Sy Berger at Topps may have been the mad professor in this experiment, but the card company's executive needed a willing subject. And Nick Curran, along with NBA commissioner Walter Kennedy, was more than willing to test it out. The result: the iconic 1969-70 Topps “tall … [Read more...]
Big, Sticky, Quirky: 1970s Topps Basketball Inserts Ran the Gamut
To many, insert cards are a modern invention; something to push sales of modern packs. Vintage card collectors know that’s not true. Like their baseball and football brethren, basketball packs were full of unique little bonuses that are somewhat elusive today, waiting for new collectors to discover them. The 1970s Topps basketball inserts ranged from 'rulers' to posters to … [Read more...]