It's been 25 years but Mike Cramer remembers the time when he put a backup quarterback on a football card and then watched a stunning turn of events make it one of the hottest cards at hobby shops and shows across the country. “We wanted to get as many players into the set as we possibly could,” he said. “We had photos of some guys who had never had cards before. Kurt Warner … [Read more...] about The Improbable 1999 Pacific Kurt Warner Rookie Card Turns 25
Mike Cramer
The 25th Anniversary of an Injury That Would Upend the Hobby
One of the most significant injuries to ever impact the sports card injury took place 25 years ago this week. In a pre-season game on August 28, 1999 against the San Diego Chargers, St. Louis Rams quarterback Trent Green was hit low and awkwardly by Rodney Harrison. The result was a season-ending torn ACL. Suddenly, the Rams’ season seemed to go down with the free agent … [Read more...] about The 25th Anniversary of an Injury That Would Upend the Hobby
Dwight Gooden Day Ignites Interest In Holy Grail Of Doc’s Cards
Longtime New York Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose stood in the rain in center field at Citi Field Sunday and summed it up best. A little bit of rain never stopped Dwight Gooden from pitching, and it was not going to dampen the celebration of his jersey retirement. In a long-awaited and much-anticipated ceremony Sunday, Gooden’s number 16 was finally retired by the Mets … [Read more...] about Dwight Gooden Day Ignites Interest In Holy Grail Of Doc’s Cards
Madness on the Ice, Hockey Card Promotions and Death Threats: Jeff Morris Recalls Todd Bertuzzi Incident
It was a Monday night in Vancouver. There was a buzz in the air. Everyone knew something was going to happen. It’s hard to believe that exactly two decades have gone by since what is widely known as the Todd Bertuzzi incident took place on March 8, 2004. At the time, I was working as the VP of Marketing at Pacific Trading Cards, based in the northern Seattle suburb of … [Read more...] about Madness on the Ice, Hockey Card Promotions and Death Threats: Jeff Morris Recalls Todd Bertuzzi Incident
10 (Mostly) New Hobby Things to Be Thankful For
We spent Thanksgiving watching football and giving thanks for the wonderful things we have. So why not spill our thanks into the hobby? As collectors and hobbyists, here are 10 things we can be thankful for. Baseball's New Rules The pitch clocks, the bigger bases, and the limitations of pick-off attempts made baseball more fun to watch. But it also made teams open … [Read more...] about 10 (Mostly) New Hobby Things to Be Thankful For
Mike Cramer’s Hobby Journey is a Fun Ride
He’s been retired for nearly 20 years, but reading Mike Cramer’s newly released book makes it pretty clear. There aren’t many people in the history of sports collectibles with a more interesting story to tell. Cramer went from traditional kid collector to Alaskan crab fisherman to minor league card maker to one of the biggest wholesalers of cards in the world to … [Read more...] about Mike Cramer’s Hobby Journey is a Fun Ride
Notes: Skinnier Update Boxes; Mike Cramer Interview; Black Friday Show; MeiGray NHL Game-Worn Program
Some collectors, retailers and breakers are wondering why 2023 Topps Update Baseball boxes got smaller after they submitted pre-orders for the annual release. Topps' initial solicitations initially indicated Hobby boxes would contain 24 packs with 14 cards just as they did last year and in Series 1 and 2 this year. However, as we wrote last month, Update boxes actually … [Read more...] about Notes: Skinnier Update Boxes; Mike Cramer Interview; Black Friday Show; MeiGray NHL Game-Worn Program
Former NFL Card Maker Knows What It’s Like to Lose a License
One of the most prominent people in sport card history says the recent events in the hobby can be summed up in one word. Greed. Mike Cramer, who was the founder, President and CEO of Pacific Trading Cards, says that what happened to Panini this week is nothing new to the industry. “We went through the same thing,” Cramer said of Pacific's exodus from the NFL card … [Read more...] about Former NFL Card Maker Knows What It’s Like to Lose a License
2023 Event Marked 20th Anniversary Of First NHL Draft Hockey Card Show
The 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville will forever be remembered as the Connor Bedard draft. The collecting world was watching closely and Upper Deck had a big presence as the sponsor of the event. But as I was watching everything unfold on TV and through a couple of days of grinding NHL Network Radio on Sirius XM, I started to think about how it was the 20th anniversary of the … [Read more...] about 2023 Event Marked 20th Anniversary Of First NHL Draft Hockey Card Show
Pacific Trading Cards Founder Mike Cramer Set to Release Book
If it's not the greatest book ever written about the sports card hobby and industry, there has certainly never been another one like it. Former Pacific Trading Cards President and CEO Mike Cramer has written a book that chronicles his life as a collector and how he built a sports card manufacturing company and became one of the most important people in the history of the … [Read more...] about Pacific Trading Cards Founder Mike Cramer Set to Release Book