Collectors who’ve attended the National Sports Collectors Convention in the past will see some familiar names in the autograph pavilion when the show opens this summer. Tri-Star Productions announced the initial group of signers Wednesday, one that includes Hall of Fame players from all four major sports. One notable signer we haven’t seen before is Alex Rodriguez. … [Read more...]
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Still Buyers for A-Rod Cards and Most Are Cheap
He has more than likely played his last big league game. The last Alex Rodriguez baseball cards from his playing career will carry a 2016 date. Age catches up to all athletes, and at 41, the man who was once the brightest star in the big leagues is no exception. “No athlete ever ends his career or her career the way you want to,” Rodriguez said during a news conference last … [Read more...]
Interactive Infancy: 1997 Donruss VXP 1.0 CD-ROM
Given the advances in computer technology these days — smartphones, iPads, tablets have opened the Internet in ways that were not dreamed of 20 years ago — the 1997 Donruss VXP 1.0 CD-ROM set looks quaint. But it was one of the earliest attempts to bring baseball cards into the computer age. In fact, Donruss marketed the product as the “First-Ever Collectable CD ROM Trading … [Read more...]
Movers and Shakers: The Pit Tracks Value Trends for Current Player Cards
A new index for highlighting valuation trends of active players and tracking the health of the overall modern baseball card market makes its debut with “ThePit Baseball 25”. The index ranks the 25 most valuable cards of active baseball players, based on their value in individual grades. Each card’s Total Value is calculated by card price (as represented by thePit’s … [Read more...]
Deal: ARod 3000 Hit Ball is Returned
The New York Yankees and ballhawk Zack Hample have made a trade. The ball Alex Rodriguez belted for a home run that pushed him into the 3000 hit club is being turned over to the Yankees’ controversial slugger Friday. In return, the Yankees will donate $150,000 to Pitch in for Baseball, which provides new and gently used baseball and softball equipment to youngsters in the … [Read more...]
Man Who Caught A-Rod’s 660th Home Run Ball May Sell
The man who caught the ball that tied Willie Mays on the all-time home run list sounds like he might be consigning it to an auction company. Michael Shuster snared the homer hit by Alex Rodriguez at Fenway Park Friday night. The 25-year-old financial planner drove in from Rhode Island and had just rushed back to his seat after a trip to the restroom when the ball came … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Recalling ‘Rick Face’ and Rodriguez
There are very few cards which truly garner national media interest, but 25 years ago last spring, during the peak of the card collecting hobby, we had one of those occasions. The younger brother of a superstar who would within two decades be enshrined in the Hall of Fame, was posed with a very naughty word on the knob of the bat he was holding. The card was destined for … [Read more...]
Sellers Lament PED Scandal’s Impact on Cards, Autographs
Owning a sports memorabilia-related business can have its challenges. Economic woes that affect the disposable income of individuals and families. Rising prices of sports cards. Too many cards. Issues with card manufacturers. Another problem that they can’t shake is a glut of merchandise they have in their inventory that they simply can’t sell: cards and autographs of … [Read more...]
Boy Gives Up Gehrig Record-Busting Slam Ball
Twelve-year-old Steven Gieseler Jr., 12, of East Islip, New York isn’t one of those kids who sees dollar signs in everything. Steven and his father went to the Yankees-Giants game back on September 20 and before the night was over, he had landed a record-setting home run ball—one he returned to the player who hit it. Steven followed the bouncing home run ball off the bat of … [Read more...]
Top 5 Alternative 1990s Rookie Cards
by Chris Harris One of the enduring legacies of baseball cards in the 1990s was the proliferation of new brands. Unlike their brethren, 90s hobbyists had more than one (or three) annual sets to collect. With this explosion of new product, came with it new options and new rookie cards. While many of the rookie cards of the era have become iconic, those weren’t the only … [Read more...]
