Sports Locker

What Can You Do With $1,000? Buy Some Mets Cards!

2011-04-23T13:11:00.001-04:00

Twenty-six years of Mets team sets could cost you just under $1,000.

I found this eBay auction this week that is selling every Mets team set card from 1962 - 1988. The auction appears to include the Seaver and Ryan rookies... and Ed Kranepool!

The Easter Bunny Likes Baseball Cards in My House

2011-04-22T21:31:00.000-04:00

I'm not big on giving out tons of candy to the kids. I'm not raising a pair of Todd Marinovich's, but I just don't want pass out chocolate and sugar by the basket. A little is fine. I'm have a soft spot for Peanut M&Ms and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, but a basket filled with it? Not so much.

Instead, the Easter Bunny at our house gives out baseball cards and packs of them. The boys usually get a few packs of Topps, maybe an Upper Deck pack, t-shirts, and some chocolate candy.

I'm thinking of getting a few Jumbo Topps packs and maybe even some old-school wax packs this year!

WWYD What Would Yogi Do?

2011-04-15T06:28:00.000-04:00

Another series loss, a double-header sweep, and the season highlight so far is a series win against the Marlins on the road: What Would Yogi Do?

I really like this card with Yogi and his coaches. For me this card has three classic pieces:
1 - Yogi
2 - Any card with just the coaches is good for me
3 - The black/white coaches' heads on a yellow background is greatness!

Can We Have a National App for That?

2011-04-10T19:03:00.000-04:00

There should be a National App.

The road map to building apps has become easier. The programs are better and there are plenty of consultants ready to do the heavy lifting if you need it.

To take the National to the next step, they need an App for the National Sports Collectors Convention. Apps for conventions are almost common at this point. For comparison, I downloaded the StarWars Celebration V app to my iPhone. It's for last year's event, but the set-up for the National can be similar.

If I were designing the structure, I'd go this route:

Home Screen - Sign up for email newsletter option and countdown to the National
News - latest official information and tweets.
Guests - the National could use a Tri-Star autograph list
Schedule - Hours of the show and link to buy tickets.
Fan Photos - Anyone can upload tickets to a Flickr page
Exhibitors - List of dealers attending the show
Map - Map of convention space
Travel - Travel information, hotels, trains, etc.

Let's get this going.

Who is that Vendor at the National?

2011-03-29T22:05:00.000-04:00

When going to the National, it's nice to see some of the familiar faces and dealers that you've met at previous shows. But most of the time you have no idea who these guys are.

I've met some great people at the National Sports Collectors Convention just by talking to them at their booth and getting to know them. I had to take the initiave to get to the know them and meet them. I think the National should help with this. It would assist the buyer and the seller.

Promote Your Product
Most of us the people who attend the National are not buying a product made by the people at the National, they are buying products made by the vendors at the National. I'd like to see the National help their vendors provide the following mandatory information on a sign at their booth or via QR Code:

Vendor Name
Vendor website and phone number
Vendor location
Number of years in business

The National can provide them with a sign template to display outside their booth and assist in the creation of the QR Code. This should be part of the mandatory requirements that vendors must do and provide in order to set up at the show.

Tweet-up at the National

2011-03-22T17:34:00.000-04:00

I've been blogging recently about Opportunities for Improvement with the National Sports Collectors Convention.

Assuming the National organizers recognize twitter (no evidence to support this yet), I'd like to see them organize a tweet-up. Other than posting prices on their facebook fan page, I haven't seen the National do a lot to hear what their customers are saying.

A National Tweet-up would provide organizers of the National to hear from their buyes.

What do they love about the National?
What bothers them?
Where could areas be improved?

These are all great questions anyone selling a product or service would love to hear from potential buyers.

My message to the National:
Use twtvite.com to schedule a tweet-up. Listen to their concerns. Give some door prizes to thank people for their time and interact with your buyers.

Blogger Central at the National Sports Collectors Convention

2011-03-15T22:33:00.000-04:00

I'm continuing my blog posts on Opportunities for Improvement with the National Sports Collectors Convention. Last week I blogged about a Ron Santo charity, simple ticket prices and a free sneak peak.

These are all ways to improve partnerships, pricing, marketing and vendor opportunities with the National. Hitting those keys areas can make the National more than just a sports memorabilia show - it can become a premier conference standard.

My question to the National: Is this the media most influential to your buyers?
The answer: Probably not.

Most collectors and hobby enthusiasts are not referring to page 2 of the ESPN website for their hobby news. They are reading sites like this and this and forums like this. It's time the National made it easier for their most influential outlets to cover their event. They need to have a Blogger Central.

What is Blogger Central?
It's a conference room with tables, chairs, outlets, free wifi and a place for bloggers to collect their thoughts and report on the National Sports Collectors Convention while they are at the event. Bloggers who want to write about the National should have to request credentials so they can have access to an area to report on their experience. Credentials should include:

Access to Blogger Central room to report
Access to some of the National organizers for interviews
Access to behind the scenes of the National

Some of the blogs may not get the hits and media attention that some ESPN2 writers do, but in my opinion they are more influential to the buyers at the National.

Wednesday Night Should Be Free at the National Sports Collectors Convention

2011-03-10T23:06:00.000-05:00

Why should we pay $18 for a sneak peak? It makes no sense to me, but that's what the National Sports Collectors Convention keep doing.

The first night of the National (Wednesday) is their "sneak peak" night. I went to the 2009 Cleveland National and "sneak peak" was code for "there's hardly anyone there."

The vendors were not completely set-up and the ones who were, several were not ready for customers. The big name card companies weren't running any promotions and most didn't have their tables ready.

The hours for the "sneak peak" are 4pm - 8pm. Why should we pay $4.50 an hour to attend a half-empty card show?

The "sneak peak" should become a Red Carpet Kick-off.
Let's do this right and do the following:

Make the show free on Wednesday Night Only
Have Ozzie Guillen, Mike Ditka or a Chicago legend cut the ribbon to open the show
Offer special raffle prizes to the first 100 or so people who walk through the doors
Team up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation as I blogged about here.
Make it mandatory for booth owners to be set-up by 4:00.
Give collectors a cheerleader tunnel to run through as they enter the show.
Have a band rock out some music as people wait in line and enter the show.
Run some CCTV of the event with monitors placed in the show.

Change the opening of the show into an event instead of way to collect $4.50 an hour from every collector who shows up expecting every booth to be ready.

K.I.S.S. The National Sports Collectors Convention Prices

2011-03-09T16:53:00.001-05:00

I'm continuing my blog posts on Opportunities for Improvement with the National Sports Collectors Convention. On Tuesday, I blogged about partnership and the opportunity the National has to honor Ron Santo's legacy by teaming up with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

We've all heard of the K.I.S.S. method for products and processes (Keep It Simple Stup...). I think the pricing structure for the National needs some adjustments. Right now, just to walk in the door to the National you have to choose:

One Day Pass - $18
VIP Package - $129
Super VIP Package $129
All Access VIP Page - $229
All Access Super VIP Package $279

Anyone else confused and find this insane? Oh, and this doesn't include any autograph tickets of the big name autograph stars signing at the TriStar autograph pavilion. You have to go their website and purchase that.

I shouldn't have to create and Excel Spreadsheet to determine what admission ticket I need to attend a card show. It's the same show and the same dealers for everyone, can we cut the VIP, Super VIP, and Really Super Nice But Still Overpriced VIP packages?

Assuming you keep the $18 single day admission price, then offer a full weekend ticket plan for $50 and skip the rest of the items. I love autographs, but the Rick Reuschel complimentary autograph for a VIP ticket isn't worth the extra $100.

The National and Ron Santo's Legacy - Give to JDRF

2011-03-08T11:20:00.003-05:00

This summer, the National Sports Collectors Convention should partner with Ron Santo's favorite charity, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).

On Monday I blogged that I would dedicate the next several posts to ways the National can improve. Partnering with JDRF in honor of Ron Santo is a great first step.

Santo was a Chicago legend, a hero to many fans, and an inspiration to millions of Americans suffering from Diabetes.

I'd like to see the National partner with JDRF to raise money for the foundation. Some ideas to do this:

Turn the Preview Night (4 hours on Wednesday) to the JDRF night - all admission funds go to the foundation.
Host an auction of memorabilia donated by some of the vendors attending and friends of Santo.
Host a dinner after the Wednesday night show to benefit JDRF

There are several things that can be done to raise money for this charity. With the National in Chicago, you have a collection of fans who had a connection to Ron Santo, cheered for him when he played and cried when he lost his final battle. Let's give his fans another opportunity to think of Ron and the causes that were close his heart. The National can:

Provide focus on one cause for one person's legacy
Grab the attention by making it a one night event or proceeds from the entire weekend
Engage and focus collectors
Make it easy to take action by having an auction, a dinner or proceeds from the weekend donated.

There is plenty of time to make this happen.

What's the Problem with the National Sports Collectors Convention?

2011-03-07T19:40:00.000-05:00

Let's call them "opportunities for improvement."

The National Sports Collectors Convention has started their email marketing campaign, launched some prices and began spamming the facebook fan page. Does that sound familiar? Well, it should. It's the same process and product with problems we (collectors) have received for years.

My next blog posts are dedicated to identifying these opportunities and providing solutions for them.

I really want to see The National do well. I started the original facebook group for The National and along with VOTC, started the twitter hashtag #NSCC for use when discussing it. The next several posts will reveal:

Partnership Opportunities
Pricing Opportunities
Marketing Opportunities
Vendor Management Opportunities

I've thought a lot about these areas and how The National can take advantage in them.

Completing a Team Set - 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans

2011-03-02T09:35:00.001-05:00

Bill Miller completes m 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans team set.

I love the feeling of completing a page in the sports card binder - especially when it finishes the team set. I started building the '62 Fleer Texans team set a year or so ago. It didn't need to take that long, but I didn't want to over pay for cards on eBay or find some looked worn out.

The Bill Miller card looks very different than others in the set. Most of the cards have players with a odd face and different frozen actions. Miller's card actually looks like he was running a pattern to catch a pass.

Now it's on to the next team set to build. I'm one card a way from finishing my '52 Bowman Large Dallas Texans team set a few away from finishing my '87 Topps Mets set.

Here Comes Cotton Davidson

2011-03-01T19:23:00.000-05:00

Cotton Davidson, the quarterback of the 1962 Dallas Texans, nearly finishes my team set.

Cotton passed for 17 touchdowns in the 1961 season and is referred to on the back of the card as a "crackerjack short passer."

Duke Snider Autograph Memory

2011-02-28T22:47:00.000-05:00

They are living legends. We can't learn enough from them fast enough. It was sad to hear of Duke Snider's passing.

I briefly met Duke at an MAB show May 20, 2007. It was a Mets show and Duke was there signing autographs.

The picture here is Duke signing a nice Dodgers jersey. The jersey belonged to the person immediately in front of me in line. Duke's autograph four years ago wasn't the best and he didn't say much to people in line. He signed a baseball for me with the HOF '80 inscription. He looked at me, said thank you and that was plenty for me.

I'm not a Dodgers fan, but you don't have to be on to appreciate Duke Snider. RIP.

Pete Rose Leaving Field of Dreams Las Vegas

2011-02-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

Pete Rose's seven year run with Las Vegas Field of Dreams is over. The Las Vegas Journal reports that Rose is no longer signing autographs at the Caesar's Palace store.

The move seems to have taken place immediately. The StarsLive365 website, that holds the Field of Dreams autograph schedule, has Dick Butkus, Andre Dawson and Joe Montana listed for signings. I went to this store quite a few times to get Pete's autograph.

I thought everything in the store was over-priced and you had to get special permission from Pete to sign something you brought in, but the overall experience was great. You get to sit right next to him as he signs your item, you get a few minutes to talk to him and you get a photo taken.

A few years ago Pete did a pretty cool autographcast from Las Vegas, I blogged about it here. At the time, I thought it was awesome. I could talk to him on the phone, he signed my item and then had it on the camera. Of course today with facetime and Skype, it's not as big of a deal, but I haven't seen other companies try running with this yet.

Pete may not be done with Las Vegas. According to the LVJ, Rose could be on his way to Luxor - further down on the Las Vegas Strip. A year ago there were some rumors that Luxor would be getting into the memorabilia business, perhaps this is part of it.

Jerry Mays Key to eBay Combined Shipping

2011-02-22T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hello.... Jerry.

This 1962 Fleer Jerry Mays card is the latest add to my Dallas Texans team set.

I really lucked out with my last four cards of this set. I found one eBay seller listing the last four Texans cards that I needed and was combining the shipping. All four cards cost $3.00 to ship. Not a bad deal.

Oh That Shifty Abner Haynes

2011-02-21T19:40:00.000-05:00

I'm down to my final four for this completed team set.

Abner Haynes, 1962 Fleer, Dallas Texans is the latest addition. Haynes was the AFL Player-of-the-Year in 1960.

Once again, the back of the card has the great description. "Fleet, shifty Haynes sprinted 841 yards in 179 carries for an average of 4.7."

Oh that shifty Haynes.

Signings Hotline is on Twitter

2011-02-17T20:23:00.000-05:00

Signings Hotline has a twitter account. You can follow them at twitter.com/SigningsHotline.

I'd like to see their twitter feed used for:

Offer some free autograph listing tips
Twitter contests for free autographs - I'm sure some of their sponsors would participate
Twitter trivia contests for 30 day free trials or membership extensions
Re-tweets of autograph show recaps from bloggers
Signings news from autograph companies like CSA, Mounted Memories, and MAB

I think it's great to see SigningsHotline on twitter.

I hope it's used for making connections with collectors, listening and learning more about the collectors' needs instead of treating it like a megaphone.

#fingerscrossed

Collecting for Your Kids

2011-02-15T20:11:00.000-05:00

When my boys were born, I wanted to start collecting something for them. I wanted something I could get for them every year. The conditions:
- It couldn't cost much
- It would be easy to obtain
- It would be easy to store

I decided to go with World Series programs. Baseball is probably my favorite sport and the World Series programs only cost about $10-15 a piece. Tip: Buy them on eBay after the series is over.

The programs also give a recap of the season and can capture the era with all of the ads and other stories. Have you ever read an old program and see the "color TV" or "Yoo-hoo Sports Drink" ads?

I recently picked up the 2010 World Series programs. Of course this year MLB made two versions: one for the Rangers and one for the Giants. I ended up going with the winning team.

Of course, I go through all this work and some day they'll say, "Why the h--l did the old man get a Giants World Series program?"

1987 Topps Mets - New Team Set Project

2011-02-07T19:46:00.000-05:00

I have a head start on my new team set project. Jason from The Writer's Journey sent me about 15 cards from the '87 set - all Mets!

Thanks to Jason for the great start on my new project.

I decided to go with the '87 Topps Mets set because this was a team that I watched a lot during the '87 season. I was a big fan of the WWOR crew when I was growing up in south Jersey.

Of course the '87 season was disappointing. I still blame Roger McDowell for part a good part in that.

I had a lot of the '87 Topps set during that season. Unfortunately they lined the pennant on my wall instead of a occupying a page in my binder. This set will stay in the binder.

Marvin Miller Autograph Baseball Arrives

2011-02-04T07:14:00.000-05:00

Zap, Pow! That was fast. I received my Marvin Miller autograph baseball already.

The signing was on Saturday with Dick Gordon Sports and I had the autograph in my hand by Thursday. Great service. They even sent a picture of Marvin Miller signing the baseball. To me, this is better than a COA.

This is a great autograph to add to my collection and the first I've done through a memorabilia dealer.

It's a pretty good autograph considering Miller is almost 100 years old!

Marvin Miller Autograph Picture

2011-02-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

When I paid for the Marvin Miller autograph I requested a photo of Miller signing one of the baseballs. Dick Gordon Sports said they would try, but couldn't guarantee it.

I've never picked up an autograph I didn't get in person until this one, and all my other autographs have a picture of the person signing the item. It's my own COA. I thought it would be helpful for my kids one day when I'm long gone and they are trying to make money for the iPad 15 or whatever!

As you can see in scan, Dick Gordon Sports came through. He emailed this photo to me yesterday. My baseball is on the way!

One Card from Finishing a 1952 Team Set

2011-02-01T07:57:00.000-05:00

James Phelan, card #122, nearly finishes my '52 Bowman Large Texans team set.

I used some eBay bucks to get this card for free. I'm a big fan of the eBay bucks now.

I really like the '52 Bowman style and the back of the card says, "He captained the 1917 Fighting Irish . . . " How many cards reference a player from the 1917 Notre Dame team?!

Now I just need to capture the elusive Jim Lansford to complete the set.

Super Bowl XLV Autographs? There's an App For That!

2011-01-31T19:47:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl XLV has it's own app.

I downloaded the iPhone version today (I can't test the android version) and it's great for local fans, collectors and fans coming to watch the game.

The Super Bowl Events section list the events by date and selecting one of the events will bring you a list of the details and where the event is located. This listing includes autograph opportunities and memorabilia information.

NFL Experience Autographs at Super Bowl XLV

2011-01-29T07:19:00.000-05:00

Super Bowl week is hitting Dallas. I've been to two Super Bowl weeks (only to the game once) and the NFL Experience is awesome.

The card shows are cool and so is the NFL Experience. If you're in the Dallas area, definitely check it out and bring the following in your backpack:

Mini Helmet with the Super Bowl logo
Sharpie
Camera

I say a mini helmet with the Super Bowl logo because you don't know who you're going to see. If you can fit mini helmet of your favorite team in the same backpack, then go for that, but if you have room for one, choose the Super Bowl logo helmet. I've picked up Larry Johnson and Todd McFarlane on a Super Bowl mini helmet.

NFL Experience schedule
Thursday: 5 to 10 p.m.
Friday: 3 to 10 p.m.
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Monday: NFL Experience closed, NFL Shop open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday: NFL Experience closed, NFL Shop open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday: 3 to 10 p.m.
Feb. 3: 3 to 9 p.m.
Feb. 4: 3 to 10 p.m.
Feb. 5: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Feb. 6: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Yankees GM to Appear at MAB Autograph Show

2011-01-28T07:23:00.000-05:00

Brian Cashman is making a rare appearance at an autograph show this weekend.

MAB's Pinstripe Passion Show is scheduled (snow permitting) for Jan. 29 -30. New York Yankees' General Manager Brian Cashman will be selling his autograph for $49 plus a $10 inscription.

This is the first time I remember seeing a front office executive sitting at an autograph show table to sell their signature.

The Rabbit - Jimmy Saxton

2011-01-22T11:59:00.000-05:00

I had a good eBay mail day this week - Jimmy Saxton!

This one goes with my '62 Fleer Dallas Texans team set I'm building. Where did they take this picture? It looks like a river bank in the background.

I have no idea why Saxton was nicknamed the "The Rabbit" when he played for Texas before jumping to the Texans. Wouldn't Jackelope be a little more fun?

A Card so Nice, I Had to Buy it Twice

2011-01-18T18:52:00.000-05:00

Actually, this card helped me with my 2011 New Year's Resolution: Check the spreadsheet before bidding!

I already have this '52 Bowman Large card of James Hammond. The eBay auction bid was $4 so I placed the bid. After I won it for $4, I checked my spreadsheet and had my duh moment.

Oh well, it's $4, it's a cool card... I "won" auctions far worse than this I suppose.

Miles Austin Twitters His Party Location

2011-01-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

Fans wanting a Miles Austin autograph need to start following him on twitter.

To promote a pre-Super Bowl party, Miles tweeted clues about the location and where he would be. Four hundred or so fans solved the riddles and were able to meet Miles Austin and get a few autographs.

Like it or not, twitter is bringing us closer to the athletes we cheer. If you're in a town with your favorite team (sadly I am not), I definitely recommend following some of the players on twitter. Now is the time to sign up with Super Bowl parties and athlete appearances becoming more common.

Marvin Miller Autograph Signing Through Dick Gordon Sports

2011-01-14T19:47:00.000-05:00

Baseball would not be where it is now without Marvin Miller. It's a crime that he is not in the Baseball Hall of Fame. I think Red Barber said it best, "Marvin Miller, along with Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson, is one of the two or three most important men in baseball history."

That said, I'm making my first through the mail autograph order. Dick Gordon Sports is representing Marvin Miller at the MAB autograph show on Jan. 30.

Dick Gordon Sports has a good reputation and solid reviews on SigningsHotline.com and MAB has always been solid. I ordered an MLB baseball for autograph.

I can't wait to get this one in Feb!

New Signings Hotline Forum Format

2011-01-13T21:06:00.000-05:00

Signings hotline has a new format and honestly, I'm not a fan so far. I'm all for change and trying things new, but this isn't working:

Best Practice & Maintenance should not be the first forum working - I go to signings hotline for signings information, not maintenance.
I have to click about 3 or 4 more times to get the same information than before the upgrade.
Before the upgrade I could see what threads had been updated, now I can only see the most recent.

I've belonged to Signings Hotline for years. I like the service, but this upgrade to the forums isn't working. Instead of spending times on redesigns, I'd rather see time spent on:

RSS Technology for getting updates
Mobile App Development

Tucson Tragedy Hits Baseball World

2011-01-10T09:17:00.000-05:00

The tragedy in Tucson, AZ over the weekend is also affecting the baseball world.

The 9-year old killed in the weekend's shooting is the granddaughter of former Mets Manager Dallas Green. Christina Taylor Green is also the daughter of current Dodgers scout John Green. Christina was born on 9-11-01.

Super Bowl Tours in Dallas

2011-01-08T15:41:00.000-05:00

I've been to one Super Bowl and to the Super Bowl week activities for two, but I've never been able to tour the Super Bowl locker rooms.

Super Bowl 45 will have tours of the locker rooms and other areas of the Cowboys stadium.

If you're going to be in the Dallas area during Super Bowl week, this is a must see! The events in the days before the Super Bowl are a ton of fun. There are a lot of autograph opportunities and chances to see current and former players. I wish I was going to be at this one!

More about the tours here.

Is a New Beckett Media Site Scheduled for 2011?

2010-12-28T13:57:00.000-05:00

Beckett Media introducted new president, Brian Gulledge, on July 7, 2010. Part of Brian's opening remarks focused on the customer service issues of the Becket Media website and the plan to launch a new site in December, 2010.

At the time, I blogged that this was a pretty aggressive plan. Honestly, I don't visit the website much (I RSS the blog though), but I checked in on today and it looks the same to me.

Is there going to be a new website? Will it be in the last days of 2010? Will there be one in 2011?

Try to Smack that Smile off Gino Marchetti's Face

2010-12-27T15:41:00.000-05:00

Hey Rookie - What are you smiling at?

This is Gino Marchetti's 1952 Bowman Large rookie card (#23). I picked up this card on eBay for a fraction of the book value. Yes, add your own book value comment here.

I met Gino at an autograph show a few years ago. He didn't say much (unlike his HOF teammate Art Donovan), but he signed my item, and said thank you.

This is card almost finishes my 52 Bowman Large Texans team set. Two more to go!

You Say Weiner, I Say Weiner

2010-12-23T19:36:00.000-05:00

Now this is a cool vintage card. I've noticed some of the 1952 Bowman cards are landscape instead of portrait - not all, but a handful are designed this way.

This is another one for my Dallas Texans team set. This is card #114, Art Weiner from the 1952 Bowman Large series.

Nine Years Later - Hockey Player Epsen Knutsen Closes a Chapter

2010-12-20T08:50:00.000-05:00

The hockey nets that cascade around the hockey rink from arena ceilings didn't alway exist. A stray puck from ex-Columbus Blue Jacket Epsen Knutsen changed the safety guidelines in all arenas.

Nearly nine years ago, a puck hit by Knutsen hit and killed 13-year-old Brittanie Cecil. On Friday, Knutsen finally met the mother of that little girl.

The story is here in the Columbus Dispatch.

1952 Bowman Large Design Fail

2010-12-19T19:12:00.000-05:00

For the most part, the 1952 Bowman football series (large and small) looks outstanding. I've been working on a '52 Texans set for both.

There are some great action shots like Zollie Toth and Art Weiner.

And then the series has the John Wozniak card here.

Brett Favre Autographing 297 Streak Footballs

2010-12-15T06:58:00.000-05:00

It didn't take Brett Favre long to capitalize on his 297 consecutive games streak.

Favre is selling footballs with a 297 game inscription on his official website. If he can't put his socks on, I'm not sure how he can sign a football?

Interesting note from Pete King on Favre's streak ending in Detroit:

Lou Gehrig's streak also ended in Detroit.
Wally Pipp's streak also ended in Detroit.

Dallas Cowboy Gets Michael Vick's Autograph After the Game

2010-12-13T11:01:00.000-05:00

"Wow, you guys just officially ended our season, can you sign this glove for me?"

Was that the conversation Tashard Choice had with Michael Vick following Sunday night's game in Dallas?

The Eagles just officially eliminated the Cowboys from the playoff picture (unofficially that was done by Tashard Choice's fumble agains Washington in Week 1), when Choice asked for Vick's autograph on the football field! According to Vick, "that's probably the first time that's ever happened to me." You think?

Do you think Emmitt Smith would have asked for Steve Young's autograph on the field? Would Tony Dorsett had ever asked for Terry Bradshaw's autograph after the game? How do you think the Dallas defense felt about Choice obtaining post-game autographs on the field for the player that beat them?

According the Choice, the glove was for a family member. What if that glove was now for sale on eBay?

The ESPN is story here.

Does this Dallas Texan Look "Sneaky Fast?"

2010-12-10T11:37:00.001-05:00

The back of this card describes Chris Burford as "Sneaky Fast!"

In 1961, Burford averaged 16.7 yards per reception and 51 catches for 850 yards and 5 touchdowns.

This 1962 Fleer is the latest Dallas Texans card I've picked up on eBay. I only have five more before completing the team set.

Great Action Shots from Dallas Texan E.J. Holub

2010-12-09T11:28:00.001-05:00

The 1962 Fleer set I'm collecting is entertaining if nothing else.

I'm focusing on the Dallas Texans and some of these cards are pretty hilarious. This is E.J. Holub, a linebacker from Texas Tech.

As David commented on my previous blog post about the 1962 Texans, "Part of the reason for so many local collegiate guys was to help create an interest in the team by having the fans recognize the players. They were referred to as "Territorial Picks."

Great comment and thanks for the contribution.

Breaking News: I Haven't Blogged Much Lately

2010-12-08T11:26:00.000-05:00

This just in . . . there haven't been too many October and November blog posts from me.

About a year or so ago, I decided to start living more. What does that mean? To me, it meant doing instead of watching.

I tackled my fear of heights by skydiving last year and this year I did my first polar bear plunge and started running. If you follow me on twitter, you know I've just completed my first 1/2 marathon - The Rock and Roll Marathon series in Las Vegas (pictured with my medal here).

Do I still love sports cards and marketing? Of course and I'll continue to blog and tweet about both.

I've picked up some nice '62 Fleers and '52 Bowman Larges recently. I'll start blogging about them shortly.

Dallas Texans 1962 - Hometown Signings

2010-11-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

This is another 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans card I picked up. Once again, the posed action shot of Sherrill Headrick is classic.

The stats on the back indicate that Headrick is from TCU. So far, 3 of the 4 '62 Texans that I've put on the blog came from Texas or Louisiana colleges.

Did they get local players due to easier scouting, public relations, lack of scouting budgets, or all of the above?

Spikes! Put Two Hands on that Football

2010-11-21T18:59:00.000-05:00

The faux action shots of this 1962 Fleer set are pretty cool. This is full-back Jack Spikes demonstrating the proper technique to have two hands on the football.

If only I had this picture to show the football team I coached this fall!

GTSM Pricing Announced for April 2011 NJ Show

2010-11-20T19:29:00.000-05:00

Will someone please bring Emmitt Smith back to Earth? Once again the Dancing with the Stars winner has pricing out of this world.

Full size helmet autograph: $350
HOF inscription: $175

http://gtsportsmarketing.com/nj2011/

Mel Branch 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans

2010-11-18T07:26:00.000-05:00

My latest 1962 Fleer Dallas Texan is Mel Branch. It's another card from this fun set that looks Mel is dancing instead of playing football.

Branch was a defensive end for the Texans.

The Texans logo in the bottom right corner is pretty awesome too.

Dancing with the Dallas Texans Stars

2010-11-15T19:20:00.000-05:00

I started a new team set this week. In addition to the '52 Dallas Texans, I'm now collecting the 1962 Fleer Dallas Texans. This is the Texans team that ended up moving to Kansas City.

I think the Fleer cards pretty hilarious. They have coloration issues, centering is always a struggle, but you an find some cheap, nice ones on eBay.

This is Paul Rochester doing his best Dancing with the Stars. Is he doing the cha-cha?

1952 Bowman Large George Taliaferro

2010-11-11T19:32:00.000-05:00

I've really enjoyed collecting this Bowman Large 1952 Dallas Texans set. It's been a great way to learn about the history of the league and get some great vintage cards for excellent prices.

This is my latest eBay deal - George Taliaferro, #89. The scan doesn't do this card justice. It's pretty well centered, one soft corner and a very minor crease in top left corner. Total eBay price: $8.00.

Philadelphia Spectrum Memorabilia for $25

2010-11-07T08:37:00.000-05:00

I always find out about these things a day late!

For $25, fans could enter the Spectrum and take whatever they wanted. It sounds like an awesome deal to get stadium used items like folding chairs, signs, bar stools. My first basketball and hockey games were at the Spectrum, including my first failed autograph attempt (thanks Moses Malone).

More on the last chance for Spectrum memorabilia here.

Peter Yarrow Book Signing and Concert

2010-11-06T19:33:00.000-04:00

Some musicians have songs that can span generations. Peter Yarrow may be unmatched in this category.

We caught up with Peter at a book store signing last month. Peter signed copies of his "Puff the Magic Dragon" book and a few others. Then treated the 100-200 people in the store to a small concert.

The audience consisted of grandparents, parents and toddlers. He entertained all of us with his song and his great sense of humor.

My boys brought a Puff CD for Peter to sign. The picture here is taken during the small concert and the video I captured from my phone.

Win the Ron Artest Championship Ring

2010-11-01T19:58:00.001-04:00

Athletes spend their entire careers chasing them. Ron Artest will spend Christmas auctioning his ring away. . . for charity.

On December 25, Ron Artest will raffle his LA Lakers championship ring to benefit his charity, Xcel University.

To purchase raffle tickets go to: ronartest.com.

Looking For a Reason to Visit a Card Store

2010-10-27T00:05:00.000-04:00

As a kid, I loved going to a card store. I went to several and never really had a favorite, but I had a choice depending on where the parents were driving around that day.

You'd beg to stop at one so you could get a pack of cards, look for a few singles and get back in the car before your mom's Buick started embarrassing you with that annoying car horn.

Fast forward too many years to count and what reason does a kid have to visit a hobby card store?

What can you get a hobby store that you can't at Target, Walmart, eBay, Freedom Cardboard, Sports Card Forum and Beckett.

I've blogged several times here, here, here, and here about ways for card shops to capture the passion of card collectors.

Unfortunately, I'm not seeing a change.

When Will Sports Cards Have QR Codes?

2010-10-17T20:16:00.000-04:00

You've seen this in magazines, Best Buy advertisements, and even in the windows of some businesses.

It's a QR Code. If you scan it with your smart phone camera via a QR Scanner app, it opens a video or URL.

It sounds complicated, but it's not.
For example, I downloaded a QR scanner from the iPhone app store. There are a ton of free ones out there. I use the AT&T Scanner and QR Scanner.

A few weeks ago there was a code to scan in the Sunday Best Buy ad. When I scanned it, the code launched a 5 minute YouTube video of the highlighted band recording their song - very cool behind the scenes video.

I'm writing a blog post at work about us doing this on business cards to either our corporate home page or to our personal LinkedIn page. The QR Code pictured here goes to my LinkedIn public profile.

When will sports cards have QR codes on the back?
I think this is another way to give the collector extra content and make cards more digital. Some types that I'd like to see the QR code linking to:
- A video of a current player talking about the upcoming season.
- A video of a player talking about a career highlight. A 500 home run series having a member of the club talking about hitting #500.
- Upper Deck or Topps running giveaways with some of the codes for free cards and boxes.
- A video of a historic moment.
- A video link of the player signing the card you have.

There are a lot of possibilities and it would add some life to the industry.

Remember the Blue Road Uniforms

2010-10-12T07:21:00.000-04:00

At the time I wasn't a big fan of them, but looking back, I really like the blue road uniforms some teams had.

This Paul Molitor, '84 Topps card has Paul in his blues. I like the Brewers blue, the Blue Jays blue and the Phillies blue . . . the grays that teams wear now, just seem a little boring compared to these.

Favre Texting Scandal Is the Seinfeld Tractor Story

2010-10-11T23:08:00.001-04:00

I think nearly everything in life can be related to a Seinfeld or Brady Bunch episode.

All we heard about during the NFL off-season was Brett Favre and his Mississippi tractor riding. Now, all we hear about his Brett Favre and his texting issues.

I'm waiting for the Jennifer Sterger to say: "My boyfriend said I got gonorrhea from a tractor."

And you call that the tractor story?!

We Can't Have Bullets and Colt .45s, but Redskins are OK?

2010-10-11T07:28:00.000-04:00

One of my Topps Million Card give-away is this 1962 Joe Amalfitano card of the Houston Colt .45s. After looking at the wiki page and some of their cool logos the story of the .45s seems really interesting to me.

In today's politically correct world, we could never have another Colt .45s team, just as we can't have a Washington Bullets team name. I get it, I'm not here to argue the name change, but I don't understand what appears to be a double-standard.

We can't have:
- Colt .45s
- Washington Bullets
- Eastern Michigan Hurons
- Miami (OH) Redskins

Why can we have the Washington Redskins and Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians? Why are these images and stereotypes OK?

Signs Your Baseball Career is Going in the Wrong Direction

2010-10-07T07:19:00.000-04:00

There are several key signs to alert a player that his baseball career is trending in the right direction. A player's bat speed could slow down, velocity on his pitches may drop or getting injured more frequently are all signs that the career is in the wrong direction.

Former NY Mets pitcher Dennis Ribant could also see this by reading the back of his 1966 Topps card!

This is a '66 card, but the highlight listed in the top right corner is, "Dennis led the midwest league in ERA in 1961."

So his career highlight is 5 years ago . . . and it's a minor league accomplishment. Dennis ended up having a decent 1966 season in New York, but was out of baseball a few years later.

October CSA Autograph Show Line Up

2010-10-03T22:44:00.000-04:00

CSA Shows has another unique and collector friendly show this month.

The October 15-17 show has more '72 Dolphin reunion guests and is heavy on the basketball guests. Some of the basketball autograph guests include:
- Magic Johnson
- Jerry West
- George Gervin

There's also a '77-78 Washington Bullets reunion (pictured here) with: Phil Chenier, Bob Dandridge, Kevin Grevey, Elvin Hayes, Tom Henderson, Dick Motta, Joe Pace, Wes Unseld, and Larry Wright.

My favorite part of CSA Shows is the free admission on Fridays. This is perfect for the card collector who doesn't want to fight the autograph crowds.

Willie Mays Tells Mets - Let Me Sign Autographs

2010-09-29T07:23:00.000-04:00

Willie Mays is so concerned about lack of attendance at Citi Field that he wants to have an autograph session (for him) on the field.

According to the NY Daily News, Mays said, "I'd like to come back and do a show there, 'like an autograph session, help myself, help the Mets."

Thanks to Willie for "offering" his services for a price at Citi Field. I think this could be a good idea if:
- Willie's autograph prices come down to reality
- Fans get a tour of the ballpark including, dugout, locker room, around the outfield, bullpen, etc.
- Add some other Mets greats to the line up.

But let's be honest. Is really Mays really going to sit in the October chill at Citi Field to sign autographs? I think we're looking at next season.

PBS Baseball Tenth Inning By Ken Burns - 9/28

2010-09-27T07:28:00.000-04:00

Ken Burns unveils the Tenth Inning on PBS Tuesday, 9/28. This is a two-part follow-up to his baseball documentary.

I really enjoyed the original baseball documentary he did 20 years ago and I'm looking forward to seeing how he documents events following the '94 strike and the steroid era.

You can follow the Tenth Inning here and on facebook, twitter, and foursquare.

I would have liked a promotion baseball card set to come out with this.

When Football Players Had Off-Season Jobs

2010-09-24T07:15:00.000-04:00

The backs of vintage cards bring more than the stats.

I picked up this 1952 Bowman Large card of Dallas Texan Brad "Whitie" Ecklund. The best part of his card was the listing of his four years in the Marines seeing action at Okinawa.

I really thought it the last two sentences of the card were interesting:
"Works as a salesman during the off-season. Plans career in coaching and selling."

Sounds like the first steps to product endorsements?

My Vince Coleman Autograph Request

2010-09-22T19:49:00.000-04:00

Former Met and friend of firecrackers, Vince Coleman, is signing autographs.

Vince is signing at the Mounted Memories November 21 show in Chicago, IL.

What are the chances Vince signs a firecracker for me?

If you don't remember Vince's little problem . . .

eBay Auction for Dana White to Tweet You

2010-09-21T21:29:00.000-04:00

Twitchange is a celebrity twitter auction that is raising money for aHomeinHaiti.org.

You can bid to have Eva Longoria, Dana White, Jim Rome, Pierre Garcon, and others follow you on twitter for at least 90 days and retweet one of your tweets.

The auction raises money to build the Miriam Center, a home for children with cerebral palsy, severe autism and other disabilities.

How long until TriStar, Mounted Memories and others start selling tweets and followers at card and memorabilia shows?

2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame List

2010-09-20T07:21:00.000-04:00

The Hall of Fame announced it's preliminary list for the 2011 Class. Some of the first time notables include:
- Deion Sanders
- Jerome Bettis
- Marshall Faulk
- Curtis Martin
- Jimmy Smith,
- Willie Roaf
- Dick Vermeil

Out of that group, I see Deion and Marshall being first ballot HOFers. I think Bettis and Roaf will eventually get in, but it may not be on the first ballot.

More...

Reds Missed an Opportunity

2010-09-16T19:54:00.000-04:00

The Reds could take a page from the Toronto Blue Jays marketing department.

Last week I blogged about #twittertuesdays at a Blue Jays game. It was a great experience for my family. We were able to meet people, get involved in the game and I could have conversations with other fans cheering for the Blue Jays. (I'm still a Mets fan, but I like to cheer for the home team when I'm at a new stadium.)

September 11 was Pete Rose #4192 celebration day at the Reds game. For the first time in over 20 years, Pete was allowed on the home field of the Cincinnati Reds. It was a great video tribute and it was amazing to see Pete on the field.

But the Reds really missed out on an opportunity to socialize with their customers. They didn't have a hashtag for the event. I twittered from touring the Reds Hall of Fame, from my seats, the concessions and after the ceremony. Using the tweet-see app, I could see hundreds of other people doing the same thing.

Instead of promoting a hashtag, like #4192, and following the conversation. The Reds marketing arm did they same thing they always do at a game: Send their pretty spokesperson to the vending areas to talk about great hotdogs for $10 and a 10% discount on hats at the gift shop. Really? Yes, really.

What they should have done:

Promote and follow a hashtag - #4192 is just an example.
Get stories from people who came to see Pete on the field. I sat next to someone who drove to the game from Iowa to see Pete.
Use twitpics of people in their Rose jerseys on the jumbo screen.
Create an online petition to send to Bud Selig for Pete to be reinstated.
Even talk about the cool Pete Rose print give-away at the Reds HOF.

They missed an opportunity to connect, engage and turn their customers into evangelists.

Pete Rose 25 Year Anniversary - Free Print

2010-09-15T21:17:00.000-04:00

I attended the Pete Rose 4192 celebration on Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010. Everyone who went through the Reds Hall of Fame received a free print.

The picture has Pete's swing from Sept. 11, 1985. I have the picture of Pete on first base with Steve Garvey, but I didn't have one with the swing. It's a pretty nice print I'll get signed some day. One in ten given-away at the Reds Hall of Fame were already signed - I wasn't lucky enough to win one of those.

Twitter Tuesdays Experience with the Toronto Blue Jays

2010-09-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

Twitter, baseball, and watching a game with your kids - it doesn't get much better than that for me.

My family and I recently experienced a Toronto Blue Jays game and their promotion for using the hashtag #twittertuesdays on a Tuesday home game. By following a simple playbook, the Blue Jays entered marketing nirvana by turning their customers into evangelists.

First - the Blue Jays promoted their #twittertuesdays hashtag on their website, with their own twitter account @bluejays, and throughout the stadium.

Second - They offered a contest. The "Most Valuable Tweeter" as decided upon by fan voting, won a free luxury box suite to one of their September home games.

Third - The Blue Jays were social. Social media isn't about finding another channel to broadcast your message. It's about interacting, listening, answering . . . being social.

Before the game, #twittertuesdays announcements were on the screens and throughout the stadium. Using my iPhone (although any smartphone would work) I began tweeting about the experience, mentioned it was my kids' first time in Toronoto, and I even sent a few twitpics (pictures sent via twitter) about the good time we were having. Using the #twittertuesdays hashtag with my tweets, other fans at the game were able to see my updates and interact. The Toronto Blue Jays marketing representative even stopped by our seats to talk to us. She gave us a t-shirt, took our picture and just welcomed us to the game.

During the game the contest began and 100s of people were twittering with the #twittertuesdays hashtag. The @bluejays would respond to some tweets and continued to interact with all of the fans. During the 7th inning, the Blue Jays posted a twitpic of my kids (with ice cream all over their faces) on the giant video screen for 20,000 fans to see!

At the end of the game, the Most Valuable Tweeter was announced. It wasn't me, but I had such a good time talking baseball (over twitter), sitting with my family at a baseball game, winning a t-shirt and getting my kids picture on the giant screen that it didn't really matter. The Blue Jays didn't even win the game, but the experience was great.
The Blue Jays are scoring with #twittertuesdays. They are getting 100s of people at every Tuesday home game to promote their products. These are customers who already paid the Blue Jays for a product and are now sharing their positive experiences with the 100s or 1,000s of people who follow them on twitter.
The cost for this promotion is minimal. The Blue Jays give out a few t-shirts, talk to their customers, and award one person with their best product, the luxury box suite to another game. The marketing effort doesn't stop with the announcement of the winner. What will the Most Valuable Tweeter probably do? That person will continue to give positive comments on twitter about the Blue Jays and their most expensive/best product.
Twitter and Non Twitter Users
To search for twitter conversations and information about #twittertuesdays, go to www.twitter.com and type #twittertuesdays. This will bring a list of tweets using the #twittertuesdays hashtag. Another search is hashtags.org/tag/twittertuesdays. You can RSS any of the searches and add it to your RSS reader as another way to keep track of this hashtag or any other.

TweetDeck users can click the search icon in tweetdeck and type #twittertuesdays. This open another column (if you have less than 10 columns) and continually refreshes as long as you keep it.

I recommend using twitter hashtags for marketing all of your events. You may not be on twitter, but chances are, some of your customers are.

Pete Rose 25 Year Anniversary - I Will Be There

2010-09-09T23:28:00.000-04:00

The Reds are celebrating Pete Rose's 25th anniversary of hit #4192. Before the game on Sept. 11, Pete will be allowed on the field for the celebration and I'm taking the family to the game.

According to the Reds website, there will be a video tribute and the appearance by the Hit King.

I grew up in New Jersey and my first memories of Pete Rose was seeing him in a Phillies uniform. I started to follow him then and I'm still a huge fan of his on-the-field baseball accomplishments.

I remember when he broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record. I was in grade school at the time and that night I was probably doing homework or something while my mom was cleaning and listening to the radio. During a song, the DJ interrupted (Pete was still very popular in Philly) to give the "Ladies and Gentleman, Pete Rose just broke Ty Cobb's all-time hit record" announcement.

My mom and I immediately turned off the radio and turned on the TV. We only had the 3 major channels in our townhouse at the time and all three channels were carrying the live video from Riverfront Stadium. It's one of those memories as a kid that you'll never forget. I still have the Philadelphia Daily News and Philadelphia Enquirer from Sept. 12 that has all the coverage.

This Saturday, 25 years later, I'm taking my family to almost the same spot where Pete broke one of baseball's biggest records for the celebration. It's a pretty big deal for me.

I don't know if it'll be one of those memories my kids will remember 25 years from now, but I know I will.

We're going to the Reds Hall of Fame before the game and I'll tweet and send some twitpics throughout the evening on twitter: @JamesRyanJ.

My Super Bowl XLV Prediction

2010-09-09T12:29:00.001-04:00

I'm not going with the Jets, Mark Sanchez's playoff numbers were good, his regular seasion numbers were good for a rookie.

I'm not going with Dallas. I'm a big Cowboys fan, but I'm not sold on Tony Romo being able to win a tough one in the playoffs. His performance and happy feet in Minn. last season were ugly.

I'm not going with Green Bay. Has their defense improved that much to shut other teams down if the offense struggles?

I'm not going with San Diego or Baltimore either.

I think it's going to be: Atlanta over New England. I belive the Patriots have another run left in them and the 3rd year for Matt Ryan is going to be huge.

One of One Million from Topps - Pete Rose 1986

2010-09-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

I ordered a few of the cards I received from the Topps Million Card Giveaway. This is the 1986 Pete Rose card that I previously blogged about.

Once I placed the order, it took less than a week to get here, the order process was easy, and the card is in very good condition. I'm pretty happy with this one, the giveaway and the service Topps provided.

Now I'm really looking forward to Saturday, 9/11, Reds game. They are honoring the 25th anniversary of hit #4192.

Wally Backman's Brooklyn Impact

2010-09-06T09:02:00.000-04:00

The hire of Wally Backman as the Brooklyn Cyclone's manager is already paying off. The Cyclones are in the playoffs.

Backman's Cyclones won the McNamara division and have the best record in the league.

Sunday's Record has an article by Steve Popper about the Mets needing to decide what to do with Backman and he clearly has eyes for the big league level.

Topps Tribute 2010 - Cards from Cardboard Connection

2010-09-02T19:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sucker for the old school cards and modern cards that reflect and old design and showcase players from a previous era.

Unfortunately, Topps Tribute 2010 didn't do it for me. I received some cards from Cardboard Connection for their "Three I'd Like to See" promotion. I didn't win the contest, but it was really cool of them to throw some cards my way.

The 2010 Topps Tribute cards I received:
- Rogers Hornsby 50/51
- Walter Johnson
- Johnny Bench

I'm all for the sepia background, but in my opinion, the card is a little bland, it's hard to read the script font they use on the shiny front. I like the thickness of the card and having the player stand-out, but it's just missing something for me.

Let me know if you're collecting the set and are interested in the cards.

Thanks again to Cardboard Connection for the schwag.

The National Facebook Group Being Decommissioned

2010-08-31T07:26:00.000-04:00

I started The National facebook group page about 2 years ago. I emailed and called the people running the National Sports Collectors Convention several times about a facebook page, but no one ever returned my call. I wanted to see if they already had one.

When no one returned my messages asking them about a facebook page, I decided to create my own.

I only had one goal for the group page: Create an open forum to discuss the National. A few months after I created the group page, the people running the National finally created a facebook fan page for the event and began spamming our group page. When asked why they were spamming our group page, the answer I received was, "your page is our competition."

Really? How can my group page be your competition? I don't have a product to sell - I'm talking about your product.

We finally came to an understanding that the group page wasn't competition. They also finally realized that I wasn't competing with them, I and everyone in the group were more than customers, we were evangelists for their product.

Their fan page has made good improvements. It also has a long way to go, but this is their first toe dipping into the deep end of social media marketing. In the past two years it has provided a lot of good information, but their needs to be more discussion - more "social" interaction. The fan page is more than a channel to post links to websites. I think a fan page should be about the fans of the product, not just the product.

I'd like to see the National really embrace the social market by providing specials to facebook fans, use twitter and the hashtag #NSCC, and bring in a mobile marketing effort like foursquare or gowalla.

This week I will decommission the group page called "The National." I had a lot of fun running it, posting links and talking about the National, but I think we've hit a redundant stage with the two pages. Thanks to all of those who joined the group and participated in the discussions.

Minor Leauge Manager Ejected and Signs 1st Base for Fan

2010-08-29T09:29:00.000-04:00

This brings game-used memorabilia to a whole new level.

Minor league manager, Gary Robinson, of the State College Spikes was thrown out of a game after arguing if a player was hit by a pitch. During his exchange with the umpire, Robinson was tossed out of the game.

Robinson eventually rips first base out of the ground, signs it and gives it to a fan sitting 2 rows behind the dugout.

The Answer: Stephen Strasburg

2010-08-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

The Question:
Why should collectors avoid the temptation to overspend on rookie cards and buy into the hype of the yearly "greatest player ever?"

That's my weak attempt at Jeopardy.

I hate to see Strasburg have this injury. It hurts the game and the hobby. I kept quiet on all the people talking about buying his latest card and spending thousands of dollars on an autograph card. Everyone has their own taste and interests, but this is why I resist going all in.

Let's hope Bryce Harper isn't next.

Pete Rose Returns to Cincinnati to Celebrate 4192

2010-08-24T15:39:00.000-04:00

An update to my previous post, Baseball's all-time Hit King, Pete Rose will be on the field at the Great American Ballpark to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of his 4,192nd career hit.

Source - Cincinnati Reds Blog.

Ironic and Sad: 25 Year Anniversary of Pete Rose Hit 4192

2010-08-22T16:52:00.000-04:00

The Cincinnati Reds have permission to celebrate the 25 year anniversary of Pete Rose breaking Ty Cobb's hit record and Pete's finally allowed on the field with them to celebrate.

This is great news, except Pete can't make the actual Sept. 11th anniversary date. Why? He has a previous commitmment with a casino! Are you kidding me?

Pete will be at the Hollywood Casino in Lawrenceburg, IN for a roast. Tickets are $200 a piece for the event.

The Reds may have the on-field celebration Sept. 10 or Sept 12.

Dmitri Young to be a Card Corner Club Radio Regular

2010-08-21T22:10:00.001-04:00

Former All-Star and current hobby enthusianst, Dimitri Young is going to be a regular on Card Corner Club Radio.

Voice of the Collector announced this week that Young, a previous guest on the show, will soon be a regular contributor.

How cool is that?! Dimitri is more than a former major league player, he has a huge card collection and really gets into the hobby.

If the live show doesn't fit your schedule (Friday nights), then definitely subscribe via RSS. It's a great weekly recap of the week's hobby news.

Like a Beacon of Hope - Sports Cards Vending Machine

2010-08-20T10:15:00.000-04:00

I went to my first Blue Jays at the Rogers Centre last week. It was "Twitter Tuesday," which I'll write more about later, but this vending machine jumped out at me.

A vending machine for baseball cards! I love it.

Maybe this is common at every stadium and I haven't noticed before that game. Personally, I'd like for my work place to get one of these. Instead of walking way from my desk to get a cup of coffee, I'd much rather walk away to buy a pack of cards.

I think I can make a case for productivity increase in the workplace by having a 5 minute distraction each day to open a pack of cards.

A New Card Can Make it All Good

2010-08-18T23:32:00.000-04:00

It's been a long week at work. It's going to be a long month actually, but there's something about getting a new card in the mail that just helps you get through it all.

Today I added to my '52 Bowman Large Dallas Texans team set with this Buddy Young card. I have the '52 Bowman Small set, and now I'm going large.

Buddy was a 5'4" running back for the Texans and Yanks prior to that. I paid around $8 for this card on eBay.

Now, back to work.

33 Years Since the King Died

2010-08-16T09:18:00.000-04:00

Elvis died on Aug. 16, 1977. (Or is he living in Kalamazoo, MI?)

Long live the King. I need to get some of these Donruss cards.

Vintage Football Card - New eBay Purchase

2010-08-14T21:29:00.001-04:00

I was lucky enough to win this Art Donovan, 1952 Bowman Large card.

Were most buyers at the National when this card auction ended? It has a slight crease, but I paid less than $40 for this. I don't think I overpaid, but either way, I'm happy with the card.

My scanner is pretty horrible which is why the bottom and right borders are missing.

Rare Magic Johnson Public Autograph Session

2010-08-12T21:35:00.000-04:00

I was a New York Knicks basketball fan growing up, but I wouldn't miss a Magic Johnson basketball game on TV. It didn't matter who the Lakers were playing, if Magic was in the game I wanted to watch him play. And when he played the Knicks, it was tough to route against him.

CSA Shows in Chantilly, VA sent an email today announcing that Magic Johnson will be signing autographs at their October 15-17 show. Magic's prices are:
- $125 for flats
- $150 for premium items
- $50 for inscriptions

Looking for a 2010 National Sports Collectors Convention Recap?

2010-08-12T21:20:00.000-04:00

A lot of card blogs have a recap post and trip reports from the National, but I think twitter offers the best review. Do a twitter search on the hashtag #NSCC and you'll get more than the recaps. You'll get the reactions of everyone in the moment including the links to the recaps.

Check out: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23nscc

Here's my previous article on what a hashtag can do for your sports card show.

What Would You Pay for Tom Brady's Autograph?

2010-08-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

We're headed to a double-dip recession, unemployment is still around 10% and the stock market is going in the wrong direction. But why not spend $899 on an autographed Tom Brady helmet.

What?

TriStar announced details of a rare Tom Brady private autograph session. For $899 you can get your full size helmet signed by Tom. Inscriptions? That will cost an extra $149.

Does that seem a little high to you? And to think I was complaining about Emmitt Smith's HOF prices.

Day 2 of the 2010 National - Blogger Kiosk

2010-08-06T07:13:00.000-04:00

Here's a blogger recap of Day 2 of the 2010 National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore, MD:

Please let me know if there are other Day 2 Reports.

Twitter Follow Friday: #NSCC

2010-08-06T00:48:00.000-04:00

Slap a hashtag on that tweet! My Follow Friday shout goes to #NSCC. Last year there were a few of us tweeting from the National - this year is another story!

Follow the hashtag and it's as close as you can get to being there. The pictures, recaps and streaming video is fantastic.

Day 1 of the 2010 National - Blogger Kiosk

2010-08-05T07:28:00.000-04:00

Here's a collection of some of the Day 1 National Sports Collectors Convention Reports:

A Cardboard Problem
Stale Gum - Video
Field Level View - Redemptions
Voice of the Collector - Media Coverage
Sports Cards Uncensored - Not in attendance, but a cool guide

Let me know if there are other Day 1 Reports.

Follow the 2010 National on Twitter

2010-08-04T14:03:00.000-04:00

It's not the same as being there, but if you can't get to the National, follow the play-by-play on twitter. The hashtag #NSCC is being used for the 2010 National in Baltimore.

The best and most comprehensive way to follow the National action is by following the hashtag: #NSCC. Here are some pretty easy steps to see the tweets if you are on twitter or not.

Some of the twitter users sending updates are:
- Twitter.com/VOTC
- Twitter.com/stalegum
- Twitter.com/WesYee
- Twitter.com/FCBSportscards
- Twitter.com/TracyHackler
- Twitter.com/chrisolds2009
- Twitter.com/GrandCards
- Twitter.com/witmer
- Twitter.com/StevenTormollan
- Twitter.com/PeteIncaviglia

Add a comment if you have someone to include in the list above.

Joe DiMaggio's Military Service Secrets Revealed

2010-08-03T15:31:00.000-04:00

Joltin' Joe had a "defective attitude toward the service." According to records revealed on TheSmokingGun.com, DiMaggio didn't really have glowing reviews in the military.

Reports from Major Emile Stoloff and Major William Barrett say Joe D's "personal problems appeared to be more of consequence to him than his obligations to adjust to the demands of the service." Stoloff added that the Yankee Clipper had a "conscious attitude of hostility and resistance." Ouch!

Years ago, Hunt Auctions did a big DiMaggio military records auction.

More at TheSmokingGun website.

Great Emmitt Smith Autograph Story

2010-08-03T09:25:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure the keywords "great, Emmitt Smith, and autograph" will put this story #1 on the google search list because unfortunately stories like this are about as rare as riding a unicorn.

I'm a big Dallas Cowboys fan and I've been to several autograph shows that feature plenty of former Cowboys players (Aikman, Irvin, Dorsett, Daryl Johnston, Ed Jones, Bob Lilly, Mel Renfro, Drew Pearson, and the list goes on). In all of the events I've been to, I have never heard one collector tell a good story about getting Emmitt Smith's autograph. Never.

Then I read this article about a long-time Dallas fan who has his own Emmitt Smith museum and finally caught up with Emmitt to get his scrapbook signed.

2010 Topps Tribute - Three I'd Like to See

2010-08-01T10:52:00.002-04:00

Our friends at Cardboard Connection have a cool contest going on. They are giving away a box of 2010 Topps Tribute baseball. Send them an email with the top 3 moments/events in baseball history that you'd like to see on a card.

For my Top 3, I'm going with a series of two autographs and a stadium piece on the card.

Branch Rickey/Jackie Robinson Autograph card with a piece of Ebbets Field.
Fred Merkle/Johnny Evers Autograph card with a piece of the Polo Grounds
Babe Ruth/Harry Frazee card with a piece of Yankee Stadium or playbill from "No, No, Nanette"

Entries are due to the Cardboard Connect by Aug. 13.

Go to the National or the National Pastime?

2010-07-31T22:13:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged as much about the National this year because I was on the fence about the whole thing.

While I think the National has added some features to the help justify the $17 ticket price (raffle for Cal Ripken autograph jersey for VIP, O's tickets for Wednesday purchasers, etc), it's still $17 to walk in the door.

Last year I paid the $17 (a few times) and the parking fees to walk around the Cleveland IX Center see some dealers leaving early on Saturday or not showing up on Wednesday.

To go this year, I'd have to drive 9+ hours, stay at least 2 nights in a hotel ($200+), pay for parking ($20 per day at least), probably 2 days at the show ($34) and that's before I even look at a table or pay for a TriStar autograph. When you add the food and gas money, it becomes a pricey trip for me to search for some vintage football or baseball cards. For me, I can't justify it. I've seen the TriStar autograph guests (too many times) and I'm not one to collect the newest released cards.

When trying to decide if I should do the 9+ hour drive to the National, I decided to see what else (for the entire family) was in the 9+ hour drive radius - I found Cooperstown, NY.

This year, instead of going to the National. We're going to do the family vacation to Cooperstown, NY and swing around to Niagara Falls. The Baseball HOF is cheaper than the National, the drive is about the same, and adding the Niagara Falls trip to it should keep the Momma happy. With any luck, the Blue Jays will be home when we're in Canada and we can catch a game up there.

I wish my fellow bloggers and tweeters good luck and safe travels to Baltimore. I'll follow the #NSCC tag on twitter to see the updates and twitpics. I'll also tweet some updates from Cooperstown, Niagara Falls and Blue Jays game: twitter.com/JamesRyanJ.

Autograph Collecting Reaches a New Level

2010-07-29T20:20:00.000-04:00

It's unique. It's different. It's a little gross too.

A Dallas Cowboys fan at the Alamodome in San Antonio, TX had such an autograph request. At the end of the practice session, a fan asked David Beuhler to sign his prosthetic leg!

Beuhler is a kicker for the Cowboys. More.

Free Panini Football Hall of Fame Cards

2010-07-26T11:14:00.000-04:00

The pro-football Hall of Fame is giving away their 2010 HOF Panini set for any online purchase.

I think these are some of the better looking HOF trading cards that have been offered. I'd like to have that Emmitt Smith card.

To get the free cards, place your online order and enter the code: FREECARD10.

Dan Edwards Could Be the Old Spice Guy

2010-07-23T07:26:00.000-04:00

This 1952 Bowman Large Dallas Texans card is my latest eBay purchase. I'm pretty happy with the condition for the price I paid.

At first, I thought Dan Edwards looked a lot like former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum.

Then I noticed the tilted head, the smile, the football in one hand and the other hand on his hip. There's something senior picture-like about this card.

But the best comparison is to the Old Spice Guy. Can't your hear Dan Edwards, "look at your man, now look at me, now look at your man, now look at me . . . . I play for the Dallas Texans." -Add whistle jingle.

Pete Rose is Back in Cincinnati to Watch Stephen Strasburg Pitch

2010-07-22T11:32:00.000-04:00

Pete Rose is back! Well, for one night anyway he was at the Reds/Nationals game to see Stephen Strasburg pitch.

I didn't think Pete was allowed anywhere near a baseball field. I wonder if he signed autographs for people saying, "I'm sorry I bet on baseball" at the Reds game.

Jimmy Johnson Survivor - And He Thought Valley Ranch Was Tough

2010-07-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

Jimmy Johnson may have survived the Dallas Cowboys, but can he survive Nicaragua? Jimmy is on the CBS "reality" show Survivor: Nicaragua.

The show began taping in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua in June.

Jimmy joins former Cowboys quarterback Gary Hogeboom as the only other ex-Dallas player to appear on the Survivor series. At least Jimmy isn't going on Dancing with the Stars like Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin.

I'd like to see the following people on the show with Jimmy Johnson:
- Jerry Jones
- Buddy Ryan
- Barry Switzer

Win the Autograph Jersey from Cal Ripken Jr's Back at the National

2010-07-21T13:40:00.000-04:00

The National Sports Collectors Convention has done a much better job offering incentives and promotions to get people to attend the show. Their latest efforts is from DACardWorld.com.

"The Luckiest Kid in Town" contest is giving away a few moments with Cal Ripken Jr. and an autograph jersey of the Iron Man. The winner will also receive 4 VIP passes and packages. Two runner-ups will receive autograph Cal Ripken Jr. bats.

More information here.