Long before he became a household name as a head coach, Knute Rockne was a Notre Dame student, a kid from Chicago and spent several years saving up enough money to go to college. Now, a “rookie card” from early in his career as a Fighting Irish football player—one that came from his estate-- is up for auction. The real photo postcard shows Rockne as an underclassman at Notre … [Read more...]
Huge Notre Dame Collection Consigned to Lelands
One of the best known collections of Notre Dame football memorabilia is coming to auction. Lelands says it has secured hundreds of items from the private accumulation of Fighting Irish material and will offer them in its Spring Classic Auction. The collection includes several Knute Rockne autographed items including a rare contract signed by the legendary coach, who lost … [Read more...]
Panini Lands Notre Dame for Trading Card Deal
Four years ago, Panini America announced a series of deals that essentially gave it a monopoly on the licensing of college-themed trading cards. The lone holdout among major schools was Notre Dame, which had signed a contract with Upper Deck just months before. Now you can put the Irish in Panini’s stable, too. The school has signed an exclusive multi-year trading … [Read more...]
Big Lineup of Super Bowl Champs to Sign Autographs at Philly Show
You’ve watched the game. You may have seen the parade and celebration. Now, collectors and fans will get a chance to meet the Super Bowl champions in person. Twenty-six current members of the Philadelphia Eagles headline the autograph guest list at the latest edition of The Philly Show, set to take place at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia, PA, March … [Read more...]
Upper Deck Creates 1988 Notre Dame Championship Set via ePack
Panini America may have exclusive deals with most of the major college athletic programs during a sweeping acquisition a couple of years ago. The one school they didn’t snare was Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish remain the property of Upper Deck and now, the California company has produced a new trading card set that salutes the 1988 championship football … [Read more...]
Notes: 1908 Game Ball; Mantle Rookie Soars; HBO Segment
Notre Dame beat Miami (OH) on Saturday, 52-17. It was the first time the two schools had met since 1908. You might think the odds of anything still around from that first meeting—let alone any “game used” items—would be astronomical. WNDU-TV discovered the actual game ball from that meeting. It wasn’t in some trophy case on campus, though. Watch … [Read more...]
Rudy’s Jersey, Helmet Sell for Over $240,000
The helmet and jersey worn by Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger, the former Notre Dame student who made the most of his one chance to play football for the Fighting Irish in 1975,sold for $241,500 Saturday at the Super Bowl Auction in Houston. There was no immediate word on who bought the two items. Ruettiger had been in Houston throughout the week, talking with media members … [Read more...]
Notre Dame Creates Trading Cards; Sends Them to 2017 Recruits
Licensed collegiate trading cards aren't all that uncommon to find these days. However, the University of Notre Dame recently used cards as a small way to help lure prospective football players to their program. The school has a long history with trading cards. Back in 1990, they gave a license to produce the unpopular Collegiate Collection cards, which can be found by the … [Read more...]
Notes: Media Flocks to Laws of Baseball; ’52 Mantle Auction, More
The auction for the 1857 Laws of Baseball documents has garnered some international attention. The ancient etchings from Doc Adams helped establish the rules of the game we would all come to know. It turns out Adams might be a much more important figure than anyone ever realized. The auction is underway with a current high bid of over $190,000 if you include the buyer’s … [Read more...]
College Football Preservation Project’s Massive Library Now for Sale
In an increasingly digital world, one collector has been quietly working to preserve the history of college football. The collection, which started some 50 years ago, has grown to compile the near complete publication history of the game. While the methods of acquisition have evolved from sports collecting shows and phone book research to eBay, Abebooks.com and the … [Read more...]