Von Miller has his Super Bowl 50 helmet back. Just as it did with Tom Brady’s stolen Super Bowl jerseys, the FBI delivered the helmet to the MVP of Denver’s 24-10 win over Carolina. It was recovered in Mexico—along with those Brady jerseys—at the home of a collector of pro football memorabilia who apparently didn’t always obtain his items legally. Watch the story … [Read more...] about Notes: Von Miller’s Stolen Helmet Returned; Philly Shop Marches On; Vikings Collector
hobby shop owners
Thieves Hit Another Twin Cities Area Sports Card Shop; Safes Taken
For the third time in three weeks, a hobby shop in the suburbs of Minneapolis-St. Paul has been burglarized. Police say thieves broke into Twin Cities Sports Cards in Golden Valley late Monday night, hauling away two safes. A week before that, Ultimate Sports Cards in Hopkins lost about $100,000 worth of inventory to an overnight theft and on March 28, Three Stars Sports … [Read more...] about Thieves Hit Another Twin Cities Area Sports Card Shop; Safes Taken
Notes: PSA Fee Changes; Shop Owner Charged; Abandoned Cards Update
PSA will implement some changes to its fee structure and a couple of added service levels beginning January 4. In an email to customers Thursday, the company included a preview of what to expect when those new rates and service levels come into play. Few major changes are planned but those who want fast turnaround times will notice some higher rates. You can … [Read more...] about Notes: PSA Fee Changes; Shop Owner Charged; Abandoned Cards Update
Connecting with Kids Part of Shop’s Game Plan
The new sports card market was at its peak when Dean and Marilyn Bapes opened Dean’s dugout in the Chicago suburb of Naperville. They've moved a couple of times but in October, they’ll celebrate 25 years in business; one of a limited number of hobby shops that have survived the ups and downs of the sports collectibles market. Over the weekend, Dean’s Dugout was the subject … [Read more...] about Connecting with Kids Part of Shop’s Game Plan
Notes: Progress Shuts Oklahoma Shop
Scoreboard Sports Cards has been a fixture in the suburbs of Tulsa, OK since the baseball card boom of the 1990s. It survived the rocky road that decade became and the consolidation that has followed but now the end is near. The owner of the building plans to tear it down as the city moves to revitalize its main drag and hopefully attract more people to town. Paul … [Read more...] about Notes: Progress Shuts Oklahoma Shop
Show Promoter-Dealer Laments Hobby Direction
Those wild and crazy days of the late 1980s and early 1990s are not coming back. Those old enough to do so can recall the 2,000+ shows that used to be listed the hobby publications each month that have dwindled to several dozen. 50-cent packs are gone and you're not likely to find baseball cards on supermarket shelves anymore. You'll also need a lot more than three … [Read more...] about Show Promoter-Dealer Laments Hobby Direction
1977 Burger King Set Led to Career in Cards
Fred DiBella just wanted a burger. He wound up with a career. The man who owns Mr. D's Cards in East Bruswick, New Jersey, got hooked on the 1977 Topps Burger King cards. One thing led to another and within three years he'd quit his job in the insurance business to sell sports cards full time. That early start helped him earn enough long-time customers to survive the … [Read more...] about 1977 Burger King Set Led to Career in Cards