The history of the NBA All-Star Game dates back to 1951 when Easy Ed Macauley of the Celtics led the East over the West 111-94 in Boston. Since then, the MVP trophy from the annual gathering of greats has included names like Cousy, Pettit, Russell, Chamberlain, Robertson, Baylor, West, Erving, Bird, Johnson, Jordan and James. Back in the day when teams pinched pennies … [Read more...]
Ultra-Rare 1950-51 Scott’s Lakers Complete Set Up for Auction
George Mikan was the NBA’s first big man. Standing 6’ 10” tall, the late Basketball Hall of Famer helped redefine the center position during his glory years playing for the Minneapolis Lakers. Mikan broke the mold, so to speak, and along with his emergence as the NBA’s top draw during the league’s early days, regional distributions of the man’s likeness were being distributed … [Read more...]
PSA 10 Mikan Rookie, DiMaggio Uniform, Gehrig Bat Top SCP Auctions Catalog
SCP Auctions’ 2015 Fall Premier online auction opened for bidding Wednesday, highlighted by a 1948 George Mikan Bowman rookie card, the only one of its kind that’s been graded Gem Mint 10 by PSA; Joe DiMaggio’s 1951 game-worn Yankees road uniform from his final season; a previously unknown and impeccably preserved Ernie Banks 1969 Cubs Roads jersey; and a one-of-a-kind 1957-58 … [Read more...]
Sale of Rare Clemente Card Jump-Starts Memory Lane Event
Memory Lane’s fall ‘I Own it Now’ catalog sale began with a bang Wednesday with the $57,500 sale of a 1968 Topps 3-D Test card of Roberto Clemente PSA 10. One of just six of its kind residing in PSA 10 holders, the Clemente is part of a rare 12-card set issued only briefly in an area near the Topps offices that summer. Rarely offered for sale, the high-end Clemente cards … [Read more...]
George Mikan Memorabilia at Auction
Championship rings and other items that once belonged to pro basketball pioneer and Hall of Famer George Mikan are on the auction block through a California company that specializes in jewelry auctions. Nearly 20 items from the estate of Mikan’s wife Patricia are up for bid on eBay through Saturday, June 28 including a 2002 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Championship ring from the … [Read more...]
Complete All-Star Program, Ticket Run at Auction
A complete run of Major League Baseball All-Star Game programs and ticket stubs from 1933-2013 will be up for grabs starting Monday as Huggins and Scott kicks off its third Masterpiece Auction of 2015. Each collection will be offered separately and includes scorecards and tickets from the inaugural game at Chicago’s Comiskey Park 82 years ago that featured Babe Ruth, Lou … [Read more...]
Are George Mikan Cards Undervalued?
The NBA's first superstar averaged 23.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in an era when teams rarely scored in triple figures. His name was on the marquee of every basketball arena that had one. Basketball historians who are collectors often start with George Mikan basketball cards, an exercise that will take you back to the league's early days and the first NBA collectibles … [Read more...]
A Brief History of Basketball Card Sets
Basketball collectors have a large assortment of manufacturers, card sizes and players to consider. For many collectors, it is easy to remember the earliest sets as they each had their own decade. 1948 Bowman, 1957-58 Topps and 1961-62 Fleer are considered to be the only real basketball card sets from the early years of the sport. These sets, and the rookie cards of the … [Read more...]
1948 Bowman Basketball: The NBA Debuts on Cardboard
When collectors look at the history of basketball cards they usually start with a set that's a bit of a lone wolf. It was a time of change as the BAA and NBL were about to merge to form the NBA. These superstars were the first Celtics, Knicks and Warriors on basketball cards, and there were also cards of players from teams like the Providence Steamrollers and Indianapolis … [Read more...]
Lakers Collection is Hoops Heaven
The NBA lockout drags on. For basketball fans that's not good news. But...it does mean the folks who run the websites of the league's teams are looking for stories. In the case of the Los Angeles Lakers, they knew right where to go. What better way to rekindle hoop dreams than a tour of the best collection of Lakers memorabilia on the planet? David Kohler, president of … [Read more...]