If you are a football junkie – for me that term would be an understatement – 2023 will go down as the year where the offseason last only five days. The XFL kicked off Saturday with four games over the first weekend. The football fan in me was completely stoked to turn on the games and check out the new league. The collector in me made me do a deep dive into the league and … [Read more...] about XFL: Why I Still Love He Hate Me
pacific trading cards
Remembering Don West: The Ultimate Hobby Pitch Man
The world of sports collectibles has lost a true icon and a larger-than-life personality. Don West, the longtime pitchman of sports card packages on Shop at Home TV, passed away Dec. 30 at the age of 59. He had been battling brain lymphoma for about a year and a half. Perhaps Don is more well known as the commentator for TNA Impact Wrestling. If it was humanly possible … [Read more...] about Remembering Don West: The Ultimate Hobby Pitch Man
When Pinnacle Imploded At The NHL Draft
The NHL Draft is a big day on the calendar for the hockey collector. Montreal will be buzzing with fans and collectors this weekend as Upper Deck once again plays a major role as title sponsor. When I look back on my time in the industry, probably the best thing I was responsible for was the annual card and collectibles show at the draft. It’s nothing to gloat about, though, … [Read more...] about When Pinnacle Imploded At The NHL Draft
How 9/11 Brought the Hobby to a Temporary Standstill
I still remember that day minute-by-minute. If you were alive at the time, chances you do, too. How could 20 years go by so quickly? I was living near Seattle at the time, and my job at Pacific Trading Cards required me to travel about once or twice a month. When I had to go to New York, I always stayed at the World Trade Center Marriott. If you had ever been to the twin … [Read more...] about How 9/11 Brought the Hobby to a Temporary Standstill
NHL Hobby Draft Busts of the Last 20 Years
The NHL Draft is always a date that hockey collectors circle on the calendar. Pundits and analysts will try to grade the draft – who were the winners, who were the losers, and who graded a B-minus or a C. Of course, there is no way of knowing how any draft plays out for at least a few years. The NHL Draft is not like the NFL or NBA Drafts. In those leagues, players go … [Read more...] about NHL Hobby Draft Busts of the Last 20 Years
Music Loses an Icon, Hobby Loses a Celebrity Collector
Music may have lost a legend recently, but the hobby lost one of its most passionate celebrity collectors. B.J. Thomas passed away on May 29, 2021, less than a week after publicly announcing that he had Stage 4 lung cancer. Thomas was a musical icon of the last half century. His career really took off with his 1966 million-selling cover of Hank Williams’ “I’m So … [Read more...] about Music Loses an Icon, Hobby Loses a Celebrity Collector
Panini Channels 1990s for Revolution Basketball
If your collecting habits run old school but not that old school, an upcoming basketball card product might catch your eyes. It’ll certainly keep them busy. With a release date of March 23, 2015-16 Panini Revolution Basketball is a throwback to the same brand issued across multiple sports by Pacific Trading Cards back in the 1990s. Panini now owns the rights to the various … [Read more...] about Panini Channels 1990s for Revolution Basketball
Rich Klein: Support for Base Cards, a Thief, Show Update, APB
Some quick hits for this edition of Ramblings… On the Sports Collectors Daily Facebook page, there has been a lot of great feedback from my recent Base Card Conundrum post. It turns out that base cards have a lot of fans. As I have suspected, there are many collectors who build sets, send them out for autographs or give them away to youngsters. We even heard from teachers … [Read more...] about Rich Klein: Support for Base Cards, a Thief, Show Update, APB
Rich Klein: Mike Cramer Was Collector, Dealer, Card Maker
When I was growing up, football rosters had only 40 players and thus the specialization term was not as prevalent as it is today. Many football players were termed “triple-threat” players meaning they could run, throw and kick. There was nothing unusual about a position player staying on the field to kick the ball on fourth down. Donny Anderson of the Green Bay Packers and … [Read more...] about Rich Klein: Mike Cramer Was Collector, Dealer, Card Maker
Ornstein Claims No Fake Jerseys Made it Into Collectors’ Hands
NFL insider and marketing agent Mike Ornstein has told a federal judge that the dozens of jerseys he obtained and fraudulently sold as game-worn several years ago were never distributed to collectors in any form. The Sports Business Journal reported Monday that Ornstein has been cooperating with federal investigators looking into the sale of the jerseys and numerous Super … [Read more...] about Ornstein Claims No Fake Jerseys Made it Into Collectors’ Hands