When Rick Wrabel was 12 years old and living in Norwalk, CT nearly 50 years ago, he and his parents had lunch at a local International House of Pancakes (yes, long before it simply became IHOP). The restaurant’s paper placemats had pictures of the 1969-70 New York Knicks. Little did he know at the time that the free souvenir would see the world and take him on a … [Read more...]
Notes: Lawyers Seeks Input in Redemption Suit; MSU Tightens Security on Morant; World Junior Jerseys
The New Orleans firm that filed paperwork for a class action lawsuit against Panini America over redemption cards a couple of weeks ago has written a blog post about the case and says it is seeking input from collectors. Martzell, Bickford and Centola is a New Orleans based firm whose name is on the documents filed in federal court on behalf of collector Kevin … [Read more...]
Dave Hill’s Massive Autograph Collection On Block Via SCP Auctions
Dave Hill spent a lifetime collecting autographs. His family is going to realize a signature moment when they are sold this weekend in SCP Auctions’ Fall Premier sale. The Dave Hill Autograph Collection, consisting of 16 lots and 8,732 autographs — including 186 Hall of Famers — is part of the SCP Auctions sale that ends Saturday night. Hill was … [Read more...]
Steeler Collector’s Quest Becomes a Book
A collector who spent 23 years getting a helmet signed by all 22 players who played on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ four 1970s Super Bowl championships, has turned his quest into a book. Merrill Shaffer is a life-long Steelers fan and collector from Palmyra, PA. His book, “A Super Steelers Journey”, has just been published by Sunbury Press. That journey first started in 1994 … [Read more...]
Navigating the National’s Autograph Lines
Walk into The National and take a hard right; you will see multiple lines stretching to the back of the ix Center. No need to worry, these aren't the lines for the restrooms or to buy a $3 bottle of water. These are the patient collectors lining up every hour for the more that 140 autograph signers passing through the Tri-Star Autograph Pavilion this week. What looks … [Read more...]
Thousands of Items from Jack Smalling Autograph Collection at Auction
Anyone compiling a list of the most impactful people in the sports collecting hobby would have to include Jack Smalling. A collector of autographs since 1962, the Iowa resident not only amassed a jaw-dropping collection of baseball autographs, he actually wrote the book on where to find some of the players. Now, the best items in his massive storehouse of signatures are … [Read more...]
Spring Training: Chasing Autographs
The early days of spring training are often the best time to snare autographs. The mood is generally relaxed and while crowds of autograph seekers do make their way to Florida and Arizona, it's not as busy as it often is when the games begin. Here's a sampling of some social media posts showing successes--and another with some insight if you're heading to the … [Read more...]
Notes: Not All Transcendent VIP Are 1/1s; Dedicated Autograph Collector; Brady RC Hits $93K
It turns out not all of the “1/1” cards inserted into the special packs given to attendees at last week’s Topps Transcendent party in Atlanta were actually one-of-a-kind. Topps notified collectors Friday that several of the autographed cards were mislabeled and actually have multiple copies. Each pack contained four cards and all were supposed to be 1/1. The … [Read more...]
Lost Childhood Collection of All-Star Autographs Discovered
He thought they were gone forever, tossed out or lost with other childhood keepsakes. Then Al Mead got a phone call. A cousin in Florida was going through some boxes and discovered a pair of old notebooks that he knew belonged to his baseball-loving relative. Inside were autographs Al had collected as a young boy in Boston back in the early 1960s. “I … [Read more...]
Finding Affordable Baseball Autographs
I travel the country and do several public speaking engagements each year on vintage baseball cards and sports memorabilia. One question that is always asked is, “What are some of the more affordable autographs?” Generally speaking, an autograph on a piece of paper is worth less than the same autograph on a jersey, football, or other premium item. Paper … [Read more...]