Beckett Authentication Services has launched a low-cost review service for autographs, one that offers a non-binding opinion in a short period of time. Beckett Signature Review will allow customers to share a link or photo of an autograph that hasn’t been authenticated by the company. For a cost of $10, a Beckett authenticator will review the item and offer their … [Read more...]
Grading Companies Give Much Needed Boost to Junk Wax Era
Broadly defined as baseball cards produced from the late 1980s through the early 1990s, the "Junk Wax Era" is often cited as a primary reason for the crash of the industry felt in the late 1990s. The gist is that cards produced during that time were usually printed in far greater quantities than many collectors believed. As a result, supply became much greater than demand. That … [Read more...]
Star-Studded Lineup to Appear At This Weekend’s CSA Chantilly Show
Year after year, the Chantilly shows are among the largest and most popular in the hobby. Known for a wide selection of both vintage and modern cards and a large lineup of autograph signers, they are among the most discussed around the hobby. Chantilly's next show is this weekend and, in addition to the more than 100 dealers and exhibitors on hand, the event will include a … [Read more...]
Beckett Launches Vintage Publications
Beckett Media has launched a new magazine aimed at vintage sports card collectors and a new paperback checklist/information guide focused on older cards in all sports. Beckett Vintage Collector magazine debuts this month with a look back at the cards of the 1950s, features on the Topps vs. Bowman war and Kellogg's cards, test issues, rare football sets and other stories. … [Read more...]
Notebook: Collector’s Letter to Mastro Judge; Turkey Red Football Sighting, T206 Silver Bars
Former Mastro Auctions executives Bill Mastro and Doug Allen still haven't been sentenced yet and the FBI's investigation into wrongdoing in the sports memorabilia industry continues but in the meantime, Judge Ronald Guzman has been receiving letters from collectors who may have a stake in the case. Dan Scheinman, a noted jersey collector who is also a minority owner of the … [Read more...]
Ramblings: Beckett’s Focus on the ‘Now’ is Understandable
Although I write quite a bit about my days at Beckett, I don't usually write very often about anything happening at the company at present. One reason is I don't want to sound like a know-it-all and the other reason is since I still know many people working in the Dallas office, I really try to be careful about anything I say. However, recently some news has been announced … [Read more...]
Beckett Acquires Industry Summit
The sports collectible industry’s trade conference has a new owner. Beckett Media announced Tuesday it has acquired The Industry Summit, the annual trade event for sports collectible executives, distributors and hobby shops, from Wisconsin-based Isaacson Consulting Group, LLC. Summit founder Kevin Isaacson will continue to host the March 2015 Summit and additional events … [Read more...]
COMC Claims Beckett Tried to Buy Them; Files Counterclaim
COMC claims Beckett Media wanted to buy the company last December and when it didn’t get the price it wanted, unlawfully terminated its partnership agreement. So say lawyers for COMC, who filed a counterclaim against Beckett’s lawsuit last week as legal jousting began in a case between two hobby heavyweights. In a lawsuit filed late last month, Beckett claimed COMC used its … [Read more...]
Rich Klein: Beckett Business Solutions Aims to Aid Collector, Shop Owner
Recently, Beckett Media hired long-time hobby dealer and store owner Rob Veres to spearhead a project using the trade name Beckett Business Solutions. Having known Rob for nearly 20 years let me assure you that no one has a better feel for what retailers both big and small go through on a day to day basis. Although what Rob has done is basically unique in today's business, … [Read more...]
Rich’s Ramblings: Battle of the Price Guide Books
Recently I had a day off from work and picked up copies of both the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards published by F&W (Krause) as well the brand new Beckett price guide book on autographed cards. As usual that got me to thinking about some of the differences which evolved over the years between Krause and Beckett and the short and long-term influences on the hobby. The … [Read more...]