Every Christmas, my mind wanders back to 1971. A day or two before the holiday, my older sister’s boyfriend arrived at our door with a couple of gifts including what turned out to be a complete, unopened box of 1971-72 Topps basketball cards. As a kid who never had enough money to buy more than a couple of packs at a time, my little brain was on sensory … [Read more...]
Most Popular Baseball Card Sets to Collect, 1950-1999
Not only do the words “popular” and “passion” both start with “p,” but they are also related in the hearts of many collectors. At least that is how it appears from some of the great reactions and statements that the piece on 1900-1949 generated. And that is how it should be. There is little joy in collecting something if there is no passion attached to it. And, if passion is … [Read more...]
Collecting Sports Cards in Australia
By Darren Smythe More than half a day may separate the two nations, but Australia has a very active group of collectors who buy, sell and trade American sports cards. You’ll find them on eBay, in online forums and in the customer databases of the hobby’s biggest dealers. Most have to buy their cards online since the number of card shops in the ‘Land Down Under’ is very … [Read more...]
Mayo’s Football Set Among Sports Collecting’s Rarities
Topps revived the name with its modern era Mayo football set but the new find of one of the hobby's most rare sports cards has brought the original back into focus. The 1894 Mayo’s Cut Plug card set is the first ever football set to be offered exclusively featuring football players. Strange as it may seem today, the tobacco cards featured student-athletes from three … [Read more...]
Autograph Seekers Chase White House Seekers
Maybe you've got George Mitterwald. But do you have Mitt Romney? Maybe you've got Joe Garagiola. But do you have Newt Gingrich? The chase is on for autographs from the Republican candidates for president. What once may have been a quirky little segment of collecting is now recognized--by the profit seeking autograph hounds who chase them, by the collectors and 'fans' who … [Read more...]
In The Game Canada vs The World Hockey Box Review
by Rich Klein One of the advantages of being a "small' company is being able to insure that you deliver what you promised. In the Game trading cards has, since we have been reviewing their products, created cards with interesting themes and generally ensured that collectors feel satisfied after opening their boxes. The recently released Canada Vs The World hockey product is … [Read more...]
Cards to Kids is Teen’s Charitable Passion
He stood outside the gates to Wrigley Field on Saturday, doing a little collecting. 15-year-old Jon Makowiec wasn't after autographs, though. He was there to collect unwanted baseball, football, basketball and hockey cards for kids who could use a little pick me up. Makowiec is the young man behind Cards for Kids, a philanthropic initiative he's put together in the Chicago … [Read more...]
In The Game Decades 1980s Hockey Review
by Rich Klein As we discussed a few reviews ago, In the Game (better known in the hobby as ITG) has a unique concept for many of their products, which is that the boxes they sell will contain cards which are nothing but hits, hopefully guaranteeing solid value both short and long term. Granted some of the hits will be better than others, but the idea is that every card would … [Read more...]
Noted Artist Andy Jurinko Remembered
Andy Jurinko, who produced what many consider some of the best baseball art ever seen, died earlier this month. Jurinko's work was featured in several collecting publications over the years. He was best known for his depictions of defunct ballparks. Jurinko died of pancreatic cancer at his home in Manhattan, not far from Ground Zero. He painted more than 400 portraits … [Read more...]
1910 T211 Red Sun Tobacco Cards Hit Auction
A significant collection of 1910 T211 Red Sun Cigarettes baseball cards is currently being offered by Hunt Auctions. Since the earliest days of card collecting, T211 Red Sun cards have been highly prized due to their extreme rarity, distinctive design, and vibrant red advertising backs. The issue is considered one of the scarcest tobacco card sets, with only a scant few … [Read more...]