by Rich Klein This is the time of year where everyone, including me, writes these trite columns about what occurred in the previous year and what we'd like to see for the next year. When I was sitting in services the other night, our Rabbi asked me why he had not seen me for more than a month. After I responded about the litany of issues which began with the little car … [Read more...]
2011 Topps UFC Moment of Truth Box Break
by Rich Klein One of my favorite names I like to call myself is a hobby dinosaur. I grew up in the era of no cable, where you had anywhere from three to ten television stations to watch and a seemingly similar number of radio stations. That was also an era when boxing was still an important sport and the concept of what is now called UFC or mixed-martial arts was something … [Read more...]
Variety, Quantity Make 1922 Attractive Target Year for Card Collectors
If you had been an aggressive baseball card collector in 1922, you had plenty of options. More than two dozen sets issued exclusively that year are listed in the Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards. Eighty-nine years ago, they were little more than a novelty; something to help sell candy more than anything. Now, the variety and volume of cards, attractive pricing and the … [Read more...]
Panini Giving Away Stanley Cup
Thank goodness they didn't cut it up. Panini America takes redemption cards to a different level today when 2010-11 Dominion Hockey is released across North America. Inside one box is a redemption card good for a unique prize. Not another 1/1 autograph. It's a miniature Stanley Cup originally presented to a member of the 1978-79 Montreal Canadiens. Panini America … [Read more...]
Happy 4th of July!
Sunday may have felt more like the actual holiday, but as the nation celebrates its birthday today, we take our usual holiday break. What were your favorite stories last week? Here they are, in order: New Twist in 1988 Kirk Gibson Home Run Ball Fate Fan Fest Auction Includes Schilling Collection, Ruth Bat Kyrie Irving Signs With Panini Mistaken Identity: Memory … [Read more...]
Unopened Baseball Cards: True Test of Willpower, Patience
by Diane Carter To most baseball card collectors, nothing is more exciting than an unopened pack of cards. The mystery of what is inside can be overwhelming. Will you draw a card worth a good amount of money or a particular rare insert to add to your collection? Unopened baseball cards generate excitement and anticipation. On the fun scale, opening a pack of cards is a … [Read more...]
Cuddyer: Harmon Taught Me How to Sign Autographs
Pull an autograph card out of a pack today and if it's a current player, the chances you can actually read it are 50-50 at best. You'll get a hurried scribble in most cases as players try to get through the stack of cards as quickly as possible and move on to something more fun. The fact that they're getting paid to do it doesn't seem to matter. It's not the way things … [Read more...]
Collector Chronicles Championship Jewelry
Small families could live in some of today's championship rings. Multiple diamonds, engraved slogans and records adorn the Super Bowl and World Series rings gifted to players, front office types and others associated with winning teams. They're worth a pretty penny in the open market, thanks to a growing group of collectors who chase after these rarely offered pieces of … [Read more...]
Exquisite Basketball Cards Carved Niche
Upper Deck gambled big when they introduced the first set of Exquisite Basketball cards in 2003-04. Slick graphics and photos, autographs, game-used jersey cards, and an incredibly limited supply helped to make 2003/04 Exquisite Basketball the cards collectors simply had to have. If they could afford them. The time was right both for some rookies to change the face of … [Read more...]
Fleer Baseball Came on Strong in 80s, Then Left
The history of sports cards in America would take on an entirely different look were it not for the presence of Fleer. At its height, Fleer sold approximately $300 million a year in various sports and entertainment cards. Its most productive years were from 1981 to 1995. Many still believe that collectors today are shortchanged by not having the additional choice Fleer gave … [Read more...]