Monthly Archives: January 2013

Autograph Collecting

Collecting Autographs Is Fun And Part Of A Great Hobby

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autographs

So you want to collect autographs? It is a cool hobby, but most people are weary about where they purchase autographs from. I sincerely cannot blame them. I have over 500 piece of autographs in my collections and they span from actors, to rock stars, to sports athletes, politicians and more. I was turned on to the autograph collecting world some 38 years ago by an old English teacher in elementary school in Brooklyn NY. This teacher was a creative teacher and in order to get student’s to write, he did something that changed the way I viewed autographs for the rest of my life.

Where To Get Autographs From?

The teacher taught us that if we wrote a well written letter to a Hollywood star or starlet, in return for our admiration and for being fans, they would return to us a photo autographed by the actor him or herself. It was a neat way to get these students to write and learn how to write appropriately. Not to mention fill out an envelope properly as well. Over the years, the autograph world has evolved into something phenomenal. In my opinion, these autographs have become easy to obtain, and like everything else the more in demand an autograph is, the more it can cost the collector.

Very recently Stan Musial and Earl Weaver passed on. Their respective autographs took a hike in price, that is to be expected. Most of the times, people raise the demand for an autograph of the deceased at the very time of their passing. But then most of the time, the autographs drop in prices soon there after. There is always something to be said about the experience of gathering autographs in person as opposed to getting them through other venues. Like collectible stores, and places like eBay. Of the most impressive autograph collections that I have seen, the most impressive belonged to a friend of mine that compiled some 1000 autographs of baseball players during 8 spring training season. It was very impressive, and also a very unique collection. Something that most people want as part of your collection.

Why We Needed Barry Bonds Hit 73 Homeruns In 2001!

2000 Upper Deck E Cards/ Baseball card price/ Rookie Baseball Cards

Why We Needed Barry Bonds Hit 73 Homeruns In 2001!

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Baseball Cards Reminding Us Of Good And Bad

For all the stigma attached to the steroid era that baseball has endured. For all the negative talk about substance abuse and how it changed the game of baseball. The truth was we needed heroes like Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Mark McGwire just to list a few and just about anyone else that helped us get through 2001 as a grieving nation from the 911 terrorist attacks. That year we as Americans endured the toughest year in the history of this country, and it became even tougher to focus on sports a large part of our heritage. But Major League Baseball was there to help heal the wound, as much as it could. That is true, and I will never forget the end of that Summer, as most people that were around would agree they won’t. A wound that I must admit has not yet healed almost 12 years later, just the thought takes us to a dark place.

In lieu of all that happened that year, all the loss, the heartache, even though we were numb America’s favorite past time helped out with the slow healing process. I can remember rooting for Barry Bonds, and who can forget the Mike Piazza Home-run for America in NY. Looking both back and ahead there had to be something of value to the steroid use in baseball in healing this nation, I agree a twisted thought, but as Americans we have made a living turning something ugly into something pretty. Although it is quite funny to think that in the last few years, no other mammoth home-run hitting baseball player like Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Josh Hamilton, Alex Rodriguez, and a few continue to fail to reach 50 home-runs, something that was the measuring stick back in the early turn of the century years. Now that baseball lost its juice, no pun intended, the game has lost some the monsters of the diamond too.

I guess the steroid use good for about 20 or so home-runs? Maybe more. I mean to further my point, we just had a triple crown winner in Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers) and the fanfare just was not there. Maybe because he played for the Tigers and not the Yankees, but it just was not there. I believe the proof is in the pudding as far as the productivity of baseball players and substance abuse. But in lieu of the greatest American tragedy ever, and we shall never forget the memory of the lost, those baseball years sure were crazy fun.

bondsnew

Autograph Collecting/ Specialty Cards

Baseball Loses Two Legends This Weekend

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Stan “The Man” Musial And Earl Weaver

Baseball lost two legends this weekend. Stan “The Man” Musial and Earl Weaver. As a serious baseball card and memorabilia collector, these are two pieces that would most certainly be the centerpiece of any collection. During the last 15 years, I have been lucky enough as a collector to have met both.

Obtaining autographs in person is a treat and an experience that every sports card and memorabilia collector should try to have. I know that some cities have slowed down the baseball card shows and memorabilia sales over the last years that have been riddled by our country’s recession. But if you enjoy collecting and want to have a collection that satisfies you, the collector, you have to try to get some of these in person, and have a brush with sports greatness.

Pictured here in this post is my very own American League baseball, back when the umpires and baseball used things like the baseball to separate the leagues. Something they no longer do. I met Earl Weaver at a Miami sports show about 11 years ago. I was on a roll back then, and the Miami Marlins who were the Florida Marlins, were still fresh off a World Series championship and the memorabilia and sports cards show were still thriving. They have dwindled since then, and shows in this area have become all but extinct.

BC Sports Collectibles

One of the biggest companies serving up autograph signings, and sports cards sales was BC Sports and Collectibles, and this recession reduced this company to the original store in Philadelphia. This was one of the one stop shops for me. Sports cards, jerseys, and memorabilia. You can still use them if you have access to the Internet. I signed up for their newsletters which include specials and great information on upcoming autograph sessions.

Although there is no substitute for autographs obtained in person. This is always a good option, plus they have a large supply of autographs. Everything from mini helmets, baseballs, footballs, photos. Earl Weaver was just what you saw on TV a feisty person, but also a kind and loving person. It was a great joy to have met him, and get his autograph in person. Something I recommend every autograph seeker do. A brush with greatness adds something extra to the autograph and story.

Specialty Cards

1966 Topps Superman Alternative Set

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PSA Registry Sets

You won’t have to “leap tall buildings in a single bound” to complete the 1966 Topps Superman set. An affordable alternative to the 1940 Gum, Inc. Man of Steel issue, this 66-card offering showcases black and white photos from the ’50s TV show. The fronts – exhibiting vertical or horizontal designs – also boast captions, while the backs of cards #1 through 44 can be uncovered in three different formats.

“The white backs are the rarest. They’re the ones that are commonly called ‘proofs’ because of the absence of color on the back. They never made the final stage of printing,” explained Steve Lucas, whose 1966 Topps Superman set is tied for fourth on the PSA Set Registry.

Superman

PSA Set Registry Hall of Famer, Bill Bengen, who owns three sets, agrees. “I’ve been collecting the white back variety for 10 years and I’ve got all of one card to show for it,” he said. “The white backs are incredibly rare.” An orange border is present on the second back incarnation that also includes copyright information along the card bottom. The final variation boasts an orange border, but showcases “WATCH SUPERMAN ON T.V.” in black print across the bottom. These two versions are more common than the white backs.

The back variations don’t apply to cards #45 to 66 which showcase puzzle pieces. Bengen notes that these pieces can be merged into two puzzles. Cards #45 to 56 form a cartoon picture of Superman, while singles #57 to 66 depict George Reeves. Superman – The vast majority of these cards were distributed in five-cent wax packs without gum. However, in issue #176 of The Wrapper, non-sports card pioneers, Bob and Jeff Marks, unveiled a Superman wrapper indicating on it that gum was included. Wax packs with gum are extremely rare. “I’ve had several boxes and opened a lot of wax packs, and there has never been gum in any of the packs I’ve opened,” said Steve Lam, who owns the registry’s top set. Bengen has had a similar experience. “I really don’t know what went on at Topps at that time. Gum really was Topps’ primary business, so I don’t know what they were trying to do. This set is a real puzzle,” he said.

But mysteries like this are part of this set’s appeal, as are the memories it evokes. “I’m a big Superman fan. I used to watch the show when I was a kid. The cards bring back memories for me,” said Brian Karl, who owns the No. 2 registry set. “I’m such a fan that I own the episodes on DVD now.” Lam shares similar recollections.

Read the rest of this article from PSA…..

2000 Upper Deck E Cards/ Specialty Cards

Mike Piazza New Book “The Long Shot”

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Baseball card prices of legendary stars have always held their own. But the steroid business has just about broke the value of many sports cards, for instance Barry Bonds. Without accusing anyone of any wrong doing, the proof in the declining prices is just cause for many sports card investors and collectors to dump these cards, at any reasonable price.

With plenty of graded 1987 Fleer Glossy Barry Bonds baseball cards, you can expect to pay in the area of $150.00 for a BGS 9.5 (Gem Mint) or a PSA 10. The eBay listings are plenty.

Other Future Hall of Fame players like Mike Piazza, also hold some type of decent price for his respective baseball cards. But all of this Hall Of Shame business has clouded the future of many of this years class and their path to the eventual entry into the Hall of Fame.

Mike Piazza has a new tell all book that is coming out called “Long Shot” The co-author of Mike Piazza’s autobiography said Thursday that the former Dodgers and Mets catcher will address the questions and rumors of steroid use in the soon-to-be-released book. After reading the book, they believe that many people will believe that Mike never used any performance enhancing drugs.

Recently on ESPN, one of the largest baseball card collectors of Mike Piazza sports cards in a Florida Marlins uniform around. With over 100 pieces in this collection, it is truly an impressive collection of Mike Piazza, given that he spent all of four days as a Marlin in 1998.

Collecting sports cards is something that should be done, not as a business but more as loyalty to sports figures worldwide. Unfortunately cheating has killed fans in every aspect of the sports world, collecting included.

Specialty Cards

Dale Murphy Entrance Into The Hall Appears To Be A Reverse Negative

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I recently read the warranted gripes by Craig Biggio that cry out and beg for him not to be associated with people, players that cheated on baseball or at the very least, since almost none are proven, the allegation of cheating. I have to wonder if he will ever be vindicated, here is why. Please take a look at the numbers between Craig Biggio and one of my favorite all time players, Dale Murphy.

While I won’t go deep into the stats, Craig Biggio was a lifetime .281 hitter, he hit 291 home-runs, 1175 RBI’s and had 414 stolen bases.  He played 20 seasons and those are pretty impressive numbers. Are they Hall of Fame worthy though? While Craig Biggio was but a noteworthy player for the Houston Astros, he was little else in the rest of the baseball world, right? I mean after all he was not a hobby favorite outside of Houston, any collector knows that. But does that make him unworthy of a Hall of Fame induction?

My contender, and the reason I do not believe that Craig Biggio was singled out because he happens to be in this group of accused cheaters. Dale Murphy. Here are some of his comparable stats, and let me make this noteworthy notation, he has sat on this list of non-Hall of Fame nod players for 15 years. Dale Murphy was a .265 lifetime hitter, with 398 home-runs, and 1266 RBI’s and 161 stolen bases, and he did this with 2 less years of service with three National League baseball teams. The Atlanta Braves, Philadelphia Phillies, and the Colorado Rockies.

All I am saying is that I do not think in the case of Biggio, the class he keeps this year hurt him, but rather the way the writers vote for the Hall of Fame. This years class has brought shame to the sport of baseball, while some noteworthy players were on this list many of those that were snubbed in my opinion scarred baseball forever. As I look at this list of baseball players 19 on this list in total, and Dale Murphy is the one man on this list that I felt should have already landed a bust at the Hall. For 15 years Dale Murphy has been on the ballot attempting to get into the Hall of Fame. Dale Murphy was a player that played the game clean, hard and by the time his career was over ended up playing over 7 positions much like Baseball Hall of Fame defunct Pete Rose.

Now even though Pete Rose has special circumstances that have not allowed him into Baseball Hall of Fame we all know what those were and we don’t need to rehash them here. I want to concentrate on Dale Murphy a baseball player who played hard, clean and played baseball for one of the worst teams in the 1970’s. It would be hard to dispute that anyone baseball player meant more to their baseball team that Dale Murphy meant to the Atlanta Braves during those non winning years. Yet for 15 years he has not been able to get the amount of votes needed to get into Baseball Hall of Fame, I have to ask those that vote, why? Many say that his numbers are not worthy of the Hall of Fame to some degree I will agree with them, so why is Craig Biggio gripping? But the same way that steroids have stained this year’s ballot we have to look back on players that held pride, family, and a dedication to the game they loved first and center and reward them and enshrine them for however long forever means. Let Dale Murphy into the Hall!!! Bring back pride, hard work and family into the game we so love.

Specialty Cards

Mickey Mantle Post Playing Era Sports Cards

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I am not ashamed to tell the story on how I was robbed of about $424.00 from a Yahoo Sports card auction, and how they refused to help me with the issue. The bottom line here is that it has almost come to the point where you have to pick and choose where you will get your sports cards from. Oh yeah, I have been burned at sports card shows as well. Don’t be afraid to claim that you have been scammed, if you collect sports cards sooner or later it will happen to you. If you wish to collect sports cards of your favorite yesteryear sports stars, then don’t be afraid to collect reprints so long as those are also from trusted sorts, like these pictured here from Topps. Most of these (pictured above) are from their 1996 Topps tribute to Mickey Mantle. These were inserted into packs of Topps regular, Topps Chrome, and Topps Finest. There were regular issues and refractors as well.

Back to my rip-off transaction which was slated right at Yahoo sports cards auctions. It has been about 8 years now since that happened and I never blogged about it before, because they stopped that fragile practice of auctions. But they were not very helpful at all. I cannot even state that my auction was too good to be true. It was not until I submitted my Mickey Mantle (1959) card to PSA that I was aware that is was a fraud. The card looked just like they described the card, and the price was right around the right amount for a card in that condition, as well as compared to ebay and other auction houses at the time.

I think nothing hurt more than that all alone on an island feeling, that was given to me by Yahoo auctions. You gotta love that old “try to work it out between you and the seller first routine!!!” Yeah right, the seller was a crook. So there were negatives and one after the other, more and more people were getting stiffed with these auctions. Yahoo wiped their hands clean of this and I along with about 15 other buyers were all out our respective monies. Needless to say, I never used Yahoo auctions again and eventually they seized to co-exist in the auction business. Now for me it’s ebay and only ebay. I am not a huge market purchaser so the need never arises for me to use some of the other very reputable auction houses. They are out there and your money is safe with them. If you have a horrible auction story with purchases to sports cards, please right me and tell me. I will also be placing it on my facebook fan pages with your permission of course. Thanks for reading.