Mike Acosta isn't old enough to remember when they were called the Houston Colt .45s, but he knows plenty about that era of Houston baseball history. The Astros' Authentication Manager wears a lot of hats in his job. He handles everything from making sure the team's bobblehead giveaways look like the players they're supposed to honor to authenticating game-used … [Read more...] about Astros Authenticator Has Hand in Everything
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Ramblings: Remembering H & H Hobbies
by Rich Klein Taking us back into the hobby's past has been a lot of work but it's been worth it to read all of the emails I have received from either active collectors or people who were loosely associated with collecting in the past. Recently, I received a very nice note from Stacy Milones who mentioned how as a teenage girl in the 1980s her dad took her to the National … [Read more...] about Ramblings: Remembering H & H Hobbies
Topps: Redemption Card Good for Pack, Not Set
If you open a box of 2011 Topps Chrome, don't believe everything you see. The company said Wednesday that a redemption card inside packs reads “You have just received a set of 2011 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team Autograph Cards”. However, that's not what the company will be sending you. The card is actually good for either a 5 or 6 card pack of USA Autographs-- … [Read more...] about Topps: Redemption Card Good for Pack, Not Set
Hometown Favorite: Johnny Podres Collector
Pat Salerno Jr. has been collecting baseball cards since he was a youngster, but having someone from his hometown in the major leagues made it easy to select a collecting focus. Podres befriended Salerno, and the collector kept accumulating everything having to do with the young pitcher who helped the Brooklyn Dodgers to greatness. Podres, who died in 2008, was the pride … [Read more...] about Hometown Favorite: Johnny Podres Collector
Attending NSCC is Big Investment for Companies
Twenty years ago, promo card mania was in full bloom. Everyone wanted the latest baseball card product. Regional sets were a big deal. The internet was a futuristic blurb on a magazine's technology page. If you'd said the word 'e-mail' someone probably thought you said 'female'. The sports collectible hobby is still here, twenty national conventions later, looking much … [Read more...] about Attending NSCC is Big Investment for Companies
Card Shop Owner a Hobby Lifer
Even in St. Louis--where baseball is practically religion--not all sports card shops have survived over the years. The Sports Card Dugout, located between Affton and Shrewsbury, not far from I-44, rolls on. Owner Randy Fauth has been working at a card shop since he was 15. He's now 44...and owns this place, which carries a little bit of everything. "It’s a passion I … [Read more...] about Card Shop Owner a Hobby Lifer
FBI Won’t Pursue Missing Puck; Not Fans of COA
Nearly a year has passed now and no one is really sure what happened to the puck that pushed the Chicago Blackhawks to Stanley Cup greatness. Accusations have flown. Rewards have been offered but the puck Patrick Kane shot is still MIA. Strange, considering the depth to which some pro sports organizations now value even the most insignificant pieces of everyday game-used … [Read more...] about FBI Won’t Pursue Missing Puck; Not Fans of COA
Handling Negative eBay Feedback the Smart Way
by John Hansen You can't make everyone happy. That's true in life and it's certainly true on eBay. No matter how hard you try to do everything just right, you will occasionally encounter negative feedback from eBay buyers. It's disheartening, but it's inevitable. Even the best powersellers in the business occasionally encounter someone who feels it's necessary to … [Read more...] about Handling Negative eBay Feedback the Smart Way
Nitschke Memorabilia on the Block
From the early 1960s through the early 1970s, he was one of the Green Bay Packers' most popular players. Not bad for a kid from Illinois. Ray Nitschke has been gone for 13 years, having died of a heart attack at age 61. He and his wife Jackie kept everything from his playing career and their personal lives. Now some of it is on the auction block. The couple had three … [Read more...] about Nitschke Memorabilia on the Block
For the NASCAR Collector Who Has Everything…
All you have to do is go to a local flea market and you'll discover people will try to sell anything. It's also true some people will buy anything. We're about to find out if that's true once again. A seller is offering the hearse that transported Dale Earnhardt to his final resting place. It's up on eBay, with a minimum bid of $1.5 million. If that seems a little steep, … [Read more...] about For the NASCAR Collector Who Has Everything…