Topps Big League baseball scratched an itch for collectors when it debuted its 2018 set. With a large base set and a kid-friendly product at a reasonable cost, the product apparently appealed to a decent share of the market. Those elements will remain in place when the 2019 edition hits the shelves the week of May 15, although Topps has made some design tweaks that are … [Read more...]
Over 4,000 Vintage Baseball Cards Offered in Big Set Break
Vintage card collectors will have a chance to put some serious dents in their want lists starting today when Memory Lane Inc. opens a special I Own it Now sale featuring over 4,000 PSA-graded cards from some of the hobby’s most iconic sets. It’s believed to be the largest private offering of such cards ever offered for sale. The cards span eight different decades—from the … [Read more...]
Say What? High School Stars Overloaded With Autograph Obligations
Some of the nation's best high school football players will compete in next Saturday afternoon's Army All-American game in San Antonio. Among the tasks on the docket before the big showcase? Autographs. Apparently, they were put to work signing not just a few things to trade with each other. Players were ushered into a room, handed a couple of Sharpies and told to sign a … [Read more...]
Meet Pawn Stars’ New Sports Memorabilia Confidant
In just two years, History Channel's Pawn Stars has become a runaway hit. The reality show set inside a family-owned Las Vegas store called Gold & Silver Pawn Shop is often the number one show on cable. Part educational and part entertainment, Pawn Stars offers an array of interesting items that people are attempting to sell or pawn (usually sell). The stories behind the … [Read more...]
2011 Bowman Sterling Packs 2 Autographs Per Pack
Topps made two big announcements Thursday, showing off the first images of its 2012 baseball cards while revealing a little more about its high-end 2011 Bowman Sterling Baseball product. Modern card collectors will be hoping to see a box or pack under their holiday tree. Sterling is set for release the week before Christmas. Boxes will cost dealers around $200 each with … [Read more...]
2011 Topps Gypsy Queen Review
by Rich Klein First, I would like to apologize for the delays in writing these reviews. On a personal note, I got nailed by a minor medical issue, far from life threatening, but one that was sufficient to delay my efforts. It's very difficult to write a review when you can not really see the cards or the computer screen. Although I'm not totally recovered, things … [Read more...]
2010-11 In The Game Between the Pipes Review
by Rich Klein Other than the few hockey players in each generation who seem to become breakout stars into all facets of collecting (Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Sidney Crosby and Bobby Hull are just a few of the cross-over stars) there is little doubt the goalies are often the biggest stars in the sport. Between the Pipes features nothing but goaltenders. It's a brand name … [Read more...]
Ohio State Gold Pants Show Up on Pawn Stars
Ohio State football has been the talk of the sports world for the first 13 weeks of 2011. Not the kind of attention you crave, though. While the NCAA probes the sale of memorabilia by players, the History Channel's popular Pawn Stars reality show got its own dose of the players-only memorabilia story when a man showed up with two pairs of "gold pants", the special award given … [Read more...]
Retired Stars Cash in on Memorabilia Market
While some athletes' memorabilia hits the auction block because of the "Three D's", death, divorce or drugs...for others it's simply a matter of choice. The decisions made by former players to sell their items is what helps keep auction houses busy--and often earns them the publicity that leads to even more business. Whether it's Kirk Gibson cleaning out a storage unit … [Read more...]
Pete Rose Autograph Biz Moving
It was an unexpected sight for thousands of tourists who happened to stop by the Forum Shops inside Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. There, amid the pricey merchandise in the Forum Shops, was Pete Rose, signing autographs for pay at the Field of Dreams store. About every three to four weeks, Rose would settle down and pen his name on baseballs, photos, jerseys and other … [Read more...]