The Beckett Blog

Bryce Harper's latest baseball card a Rocky Mountain gem

chrisolds — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 18:00:32 +0000

Update: There has been a price change since this story was published. By CHRIS OLDS | Beckett Baseball The JUCO World Series began on Saturday with 10 NJCAA divisional championship-winning teams squaring off in a bracket-style tournament high in the Rocky Mountains. But one player, perhaps more than most, is known among those playing in Grand Junction, Colo., (population 53,662) this week. You might have heard of this member of the Region XVIII champion College of Southern Nevada Coyotes as he's expected to be the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft on Monday. He's 17-year-old Sports Illustrated and Beckett Baseball coverboy Bryce Harper. (How impressive has his play been this season? Click here...) And it's only in Grand Junction -- well, there's one other place, but we'll get to that -- where fans can find Harper's latest baseball card, one that will cost collectors a whopping $5 to obtain him and the rest of his teammates. Each of the Juco World Series teams appear on cards made for the event and sold at the event. The players arrived in town late last week and were photographed for their cards, which were built, printed, packaged and ready to sell when play began on Saturday. That's the kind of turnaround that would make even the big boys at Topps blush. The cards will be sold until the tournament ends this Saturday. Harper's team has advanced to the third round and will face Iowa Western Community College tonight at 7:30. This is the third year for the World Series cards program, which offers one of the earliest cardboard looks -- and perhaps only looks -- for the players on the field. However, don't think that these are players who won't move on to the NCAA ranks or get drafted. In fact, a bonus set for those who buy all 10 teams' sets includes cards of last year's World Series cards who were MLB draft picks. (Full disclosure: This writer picked up the full run of teams in the inaugural 2008 release ... I haven't checked the players' whereabouts these days but I should. That's some serious prospecting.) Of course, none of the players in the past sets are as high-profile as Harper, whose cards alone are pushing as much as $31 on eBay. Other auctions have the card available for $25 and $50 -- but keep reading. While these cards are perhaps more akin to minor league card sets, they are fully authorized by the NJCAA event, which doesn't have as intense guidelines as the NCAA. Card sets for NCAA teams must be tied to team giveaway nights or other promotions but can't be sold. Can't make it to Colorado this week? There's another option for collectors. You can buy team sets for $5 apiece, plus shipping, at www.jucocards.com. Those who order all 10 sets will receive a free 2009 draft picks set, but each school is available as supplies last. That means if all you want is five sets of the CSN Coyotes, then you can get just that. The sets will be produced while the teams are in play. Once a team is eliminated, then the sets are no longer made (as demand presumably dies down and teams' fans go home). Once the event is completed, the remaining sets will be sold and that's that. (The sets sold at the ballpark and online are identical.) With all the talk about Bryce Harper and all the money spent on his USA Baseball cards in the last year or so, this one might not be chalked up as the most expensive of the bunch. But it's definitely one of the more obscure fully legitimate cards that he appears on so far (unlike all of the unauthorized custom cards featuring Harper that have sold quite well). But if the Coyotes win it all -- and Harper is as key as he's been (he went 6-for-6 with four home runs in the division-clinching game) -- then this card will be one that will have even more added interest among baseball fans. And that's just in Grand Junction, Colo. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 21:18:23 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday has come and gone, getting cool stuff into collectors hands just for answering card-related trivia on Beckett.com. Were you one of this week's winners? Find out after the jump. If not, stop back by here again on Friday... 1. Tyler Nichelson and Richard McAdam 2. Matt Chin and Todd Shipler 3. Ruby Ho 4. Greg Viscovich 5. Ean Davis 6. Ray Chin 7. Paul Tjimis and Kellen Hansen

I can has Mariners Cheezburger bobblehead?

chrisolds — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 22:21:35 +0000

Just when you think you have seen it all, comes this in-game promotion from the Seattle Mariners set for Thursday at Safeco Field. It's "Cheezburger Night" as in the "I Can Haz Cheezburger" LOLCats image that started the entire online phenomenon of placing poor grammar in context with fuzzy little animals. What does it have to do with baseball? Who cares when the bobblehead of the cat comes wearing a Seattle Mariners cap... Get the full details straight from the Mariners after the jump. Cheezburger Night Twins vs. Mariners Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 7:10 p.m. It's Cheezburger Night with the Seattle Mariners on Thursday, June 3! Bring your family and friends to join in all the fun. We will have some awesome pre-game festivities, and if you buy your tickets through this special Cheezburger offer, you'll get a FREE Happy Cat Bobblehead (while supplies last)*. See you all there! * DEADLINE TO PURCHASE: Wednesday, June 2 at NOON. * Game Date: Thursday, June 3, 2010 - 7:10 p.m. * Pricing: o $16 View Reserved (normally $20) * Highlights o Join us pre-game for Happy Cat Hour in the Bullpen Landing (see map) with Chief Cheezburger, Ben Huh! o Receive a free bobblehead while supplies last with your special Cheezburger Night ticket! *Bobbleheads will be distributed at the event starting at 5:10 p.m --- Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Upper Deck selects Paul Meyer as new president

chrisolds — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 14:37:48 +0000

Upper Deck announced on Tuesday evening that it has hired Paul Meyer as its new president. “I’ve been following Upper Deck for years and I am confident I can provide the kind of senior leadership the company needs, given my background in consumer products and operations improvement,” said Meyer, who most recently served as President and Chief Operating Officer for Shuffle Master Inc., a gaming company. During his five years with Shuffle Master, Meyer helped grow the company’s revenue from $58 million to $200 million. He also helped expand the company’s international presence. Meyer previously served as president of the Integrated Solutions Division of Concurrent Computer Corporation. He has worked in several industries, including toy manufacturing, video game developing and publishing and turnaround/restructuring consulting. Meyer's track record made him a terrific candidate for Upper Deck owner and CEO Richard McWilliam. “Paul is a proven leader who possesses enormous experience in a broad range of businesses, which made it compelling for me to bring him on board as our new President,” said McWilliam. “As a company, we look forward to having Paul help lead us during 2010 and beyond.”

Cardboard icon Ken Griffey Jr. retires

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:22:36 +0000

We all know the card. And we probably all have one. But on Wednesday evening, just minutes ago, times officially changed ... an era ended. "The Kid" called it quits as Ken Griffey Jr. opted to retire in the midst of his 22nd big league season, ending a Hall of Fame career with 630 home runs. He ranks fifth on the career list in an era marred by steroid allegations but perhaps first as a player who never faced such scrutiny and as one who was a first in one more significant way in collectors' hearts. The poster boy for the modern era of baseball cards, the guy who despised the "kid" nickname as an adult and yet often was seen with his cap on backwards and with a childlike disposition on the field, the face of the first 1989 Upper Deck baseball card ... is no longer a part of the game. That, for many, should resonate loudly. (Makes you feel kind of old, too, right?) Griffey's youthful image was captured on that first card... the toothy smile, the slightly puffy 1980s hair, the hint of some bling. And it was only reinforced as he made his major league debut at age 19 that summer with the Seattle Mariners all those years ago and took the field alongside his father, a moment not only significant in baseball history but also one that tugs at the inner child heartstrings of those who remembered "having a catch" with pops. And yet it did even that one better. But that was just the starting point not only for a kid who would become a man and a legend before our own eyes summer after summer. He would become a 13-time All-Star, a 10-time Gold Glover and an American League MVP. It also was a start of something different in baseball cards, an era of more slickly made memories, ones with tamper-proof measures, holograms and technology instead of bubble gum and symbolically, he was the player leading the way. Have we seen the last of Griffey on cardboard? Definitely not, but his autographs were an exclusive find in Upper Deck baseball products ... something with an apparent similarly vanishing, perhaps similarly gone, presence this year. Could one of the game's most elegant and desirable (yet available) autographs be found in packs of Topps baseball cards down the line? One will have to wait and see but for the love of the game, let's hope he can find a place. Until then, though, there are 13,252 different cards -- 1,224 different autographs -- for us to chase. And while there are plenty of those memorable 1989 Upper Deck RCs out there -- and likely plenty more than we can imagine left to go around -- now is the time as the highlight reel moments and odes to Junior roll that fans, collectors and others dig out their treasures for another look. They seek them out for another reaffirming glance, to soak up and hold in their hands a relic of an era that is now officially over. Legends rarely get those exits that are truly worthy of their legacy -- at least not without help -- but there's comfort knowing that Griffey's better years, those youthful years where there was plenty more to come, can always be found and revisited. Those memories can be revisited at any time, after the highlight reels are no longer played and after the Twitter tags trend downward, on baseball cards. That goes for any player, but something tells me that this one, card No. 1 of a certain Star Rookie ... a kid who was that and so much more, will be remembered for a long, long time. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Panini reveals 2010 Prestige football short-prints

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 19:49:04 +0000

Panini America revealed on Thursday afternoon the short-print list for rookies in its 2010 Prestige football card set. See them all after the jump ... Standard SPs 201 Aaron Hernandez 208 Arrelious Benn 226 Dan LeFevour 233 Dexter McCluster 244 Gerald McCoy 264 Jordan Shipley 272 Mike Williams 284 Rolando McClain 285 Russell Okung 288 Sean Canfield 301 Ed Wang 302 Lamarr Houston 303 Jared Odrick 304 Dan Williams Short-printed variations 214b Bryan Bulaga 215b C.J. Spiller 230b Demaryius Thomas 231b Derrick Morgan 239b Eric Berry 244b Gerald McCoy 247b Jahvid Best 258b Joe Haden 277b Ndamukong Suh 283b Rob Gronkowski 285b Russell Okung 287b Sam Bradford 296b Tim Tebow 299b Trent Williams

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 1 — A nine-pack lot of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball hobby packs (two winners)

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:08:38 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 1 -- A nine-pack lot of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball hobby packs (two winners) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Mickey Mantle appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 2 — A five-pack lot of 2010 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR hobby packs (two winners)

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:18:50 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 2 -- A five-pack lot of 2010 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR hobby packs (two winners) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Dale Earnhardt Jr. appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 3 — A 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update set (unsealed but complete)

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:22:59 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 3 -- A 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update set (unsealed but complete) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does John Tavares appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 4 — A 2010 McFarlane Toys Playmakers figure (three winners)

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:27:04 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 4 -- A 2010 McFarlane Toys Playmakers figure (three winners) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Manny Ramirez appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? 3. What is your favorite team? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 5 — A 2010 Topps Series 2 hobby box

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:35:13 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 5 -- A 2010 Topps Series 2 hobby box 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Dustin Pedroia appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

What was it like to pull a Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card back in 1989? I don't know ... I never did

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 20:44:57 +0000

It's collecting confession time. I never pulled a 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card from a pack in 1989. In fact, I never pulled one until early last year. Why? Where I lived at the time of its release it was a two-hour drive to the closest card shop. And when I got there, the packs were an unheard of $3 apiece and I could only afford a few. While I own hundreds of thousands of cards today, I only own one Griffey -- what some are calling the most iconic baseball card ever made. (I'm close to agreeing -- it's in my top three for sure. And it's the only one of that three that I could ever afford) Above is an item torn from the pages of Beckett Baseball from last April, where I finally found one of those famed Star Rookies upon his return to Seattle. Read all about it after the jump ... Junior is home Perhaps it was a nostalgia-fueled blunder. That’s what I was thinking about halfway through opening a box of 1989 Upper Deck high number series recently. It was a journey that had some small ups, some small downs but a whole lot of consistency along the way. Believe me, way too much consistency. I picked up the box from a dealer in the Midwest for about half the price of its 2009 counterpart, knowing that the mission — landing a Ken Griffey Jr. Rookie Card — wasn’t a simple one. In fact, low boxes are twice as expensive as highs, as most figure it’s easier to find Junior there. But I trekked onward, buying the box just hours after Griffey signed with Seattle, the team he made his debut with on April 3, 1989. Why did I buy? The price was right. Buying these boxes should come with a warning — they weren’t released sealed, and, despite what its lid says about “random sequencing,” there are people who swear they can grab Griffey by opening packs in just a couple of spots (at least in low boxes). But I took the chance, knowing full well that some packs could land two copies of the same card inside. Of course, my luck in 1989 meant it was Juan Bell. Remember him? Twenty years ago, my first pack would have been strong because of one card. One of the two high-numbers was Todd Ziele, a can’t-miss St. Louis Cardinals rookie. But what I found in the next 35 packs was bewildering. Ten more included Ziele, and in most of those, the other high-number was Spike Owen. Later, the high-number mind-numbing turned to Todd Benzinger (12 times) and Jody Davis (15 times) along with one that was a good mistake — nine copies of a key Seattle rookie. A guy you might have heard of as he’s a guy who should end up in Cooperstown someday. A Mariner named Omar Vizquel. So in a box that should have 72 high-number cards, 64 were of two Todds, a Jody, a Spike, an Omar and another guy ... Walt Terrell. No football-throwing Nolan Ryan. No Ozzie Canseco. Just a Jim Abbott, a Bruce Hurst and two LaVel Freemans. While buying vintage wax is risky — unless you’re buying sealed cases — I have no reason to think the dealer did anything wrong. Collation chaos was more common then, which is one of the reasons cards have evolved into more high-end products today. Of course, there was a highlight I forgot to mention — one that took some of the high-number sting away with a smile staring back at me from the foil-paper wrapper. In pack No. 28, I found a pair of Star Rookies — a Mike Harkey and a 19-year-old smiling “Kid” with a famous dad. Junior came home once again. This time, to my collection. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) — Is it almost Friday again?

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 21:22:07 +0000

We're back with another batch of Free Stuff Friday contests where we get cool stuff into collectors' hands. How? All you have to do is answer a card-related trivia question on Beckett.com and leave a comment on the specific contest's page. It's that simple. Here's the rundown of our latest batch of goodness ... after the jump. No. 1 — A nine-pack lot of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball hobby packs (two winners) No. 2 — A five-pack lot of 2010 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR hobby packs (two winners) No. 3 — A 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update set (unsealed but complete) No. 4 — A 2010 McFarlane Toys Playmakers figure (three winners) No. 5 — A 2010 Topps Series 2 hobby box No. 6 — A 2008-09 The Cup Simon Gagne autographed game-used patch card (only 15 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 6 — A 2008-09 The Cup Simon Gagne autographed game-used patch card (only 15 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 22:58:38 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 6 -- A 2008-09 The Cup Simon Gagne autographed game-used patch card (only 15 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Simon Gagne appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What's your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

John Wooden leaves an immense legacy

chrisolds — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:14:26 +0000

John Wooden's basketball legacy speaks volumes. His victories, his championships, his proteges who share a place with him in the Hall of Fame where he was inducted twice -- as a player and as a coach -- pale in comparison to the other ways he found success in life. He was one of the world's greatest coaches -- if not the best -- but that's not how he saw himself. "What am I?" he once asked. "Just a teacher -- a member of one of the great professions in the world." The former UCLA Bruins coach died Friday evening at age 99. However, for all of his successes on the court -- among them 10 NCAA championships including seven in a row from 1967 to 1973 as well as a record 88 consecutive victories -- it was the life lessons that he instilled in players like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Sidney Wicks that many say makes his legacy much, much greater. For years after he retired, "The Wizard of Westwood" was a fixture at UCLA games. And for years he was as mighty with his pen as he was with his "Pyramid of Success," which was included on a signed fold-out business card of his (above) with every through-the-mail autograph request he received. (Click on the image at right to read his advice on life.) Wooden signed regularly through the mail for collectors and fans until his health and heavy volumes of requests forced him to curb the practice. He appears on just 186 basketball cards despite a career that spanned parts of six decades as a player and coach. He signed a total of 76 different certified autographs -- the most valuable being his $300 2006-07 Chronology Contemporaries dual autograph which he shares with Abdul-Jabbar -- and appears on just 15 memorabilia cards. Among his other memorable autograph cards are his 2006 Topps Allen & Ginter card (limited to just 200 copies) and his 2006 Press Pass Autographs card that he shares with Dean Smith. Wooden does not have a Rookie Card per standard hobby definitions, but his earliest card appears in the 1957-59 Union Oil Booklets set and can be found for approximately $40. My personal collecting experience includes a through-the-mail autograph obtained years ago. I sent him a 1993 Action Packed card, which shows him with a net around his neck after winning one of his national championships. When he signed the card in silver paint pen, the embossing of the card forced the pen to stumble across the card. Do what did he do? He signed the back of the card for me as well in a much smaller, narrower pen on a small open space as not to obscure any of the information on the card. That's much more than he had to do, but that wasn't all. He included another card as well. Both cards remain in my collection to this day along with one of his signed Pyramid of Success business cards, perhaps a more fitting item that shows how he went about shaping all of those players that he coached to greatness both on the college court, the NBA court and beyond. And beyond is precisely what his former players really focus on, with Walton calling his coach an "intergalactic treasure" in this clip recapping Wooden's time at UCLA. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1WOjpegGyA] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Bustin' some retail: 2010 Bowman baseball

chrisolds — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 02:41:29 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeH4WAUo0kE]

Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds busts some red-hot 2010 Bowman jumbos and even more retail Bowman packs on a weekend. How much? What might he find? Watch and see. (Part 1 above, Part 2 after the jump.) [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWUFNXfDTmU] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Rojo Johnson's baseball card arrives

chrisolds — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:01:46 +0000

While we teased you guys about Rojo Johnson's baseball card awhile back, there was nothing firm to indicate that the mysterious pitcher would, indeed, appear on cardboard. Now, he does. The first 2,500 fans who attend tonight's game against the Nashville Sounds receive a 2010 Express team set which features the card above showing Will Ferrell in his brief minor league baseball appearance. The promotion is sponsored by Equipment Depot -- no word on whether he's signed on as a spokesman or whether tickets are still available. (The game starts in five minutes so you might be out of luck.) Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies players unveil Signature Series apparel

chrisolds — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 01:10:07 +0000

By CHRIS OLDS | Beckett Baseball Five members of the World Series champion New York Yankees and five members of the runner-up Philadelphia Phillies have designed their own T-shirts, caps and jerseys as part of a new Major League Baseball clothing line unveiled last week. Players Choice Signature Series apparel brings a slightly different take to the baseball gear we're all pretty familiar with but with a player-centric twist on the apparel made by VF/Majestic and Twins/Banner 47 with the assistance of the MLB Players Association. That means the Swisher Salute, Nick Swisher's ritual acknowledgment of the Bleacher Creatures during their pre-game roll call, can appear on his jersey. That means Shane Victorino's status as "The Flyin' Hawaiian" can be celebrated and noted. That means that Jimmy Rollins, who is from Oakland, can have Athletics colors -- and more -- on his Phillies jersey. Oh, and Raul Ibanez can have a jersey with that more fan-friendly name on it ... "Rauuuuuul." (Yes, with six u's.) It's those touches that make the uniforms not so uniform, a move that MLB hopes can spark some sales of apparel with personality. "We're all different," said the Yanks' Mark Teixeira in an interview with MLB.com. "Everyone's hats are different, everyone's jerseys are different everyone's T-shirts are different. Hopefully, they're all going to sell and everyone's going to have fun showing off what we made." The other Phillies to have Signature Series clothing are Cole Hamels and Jayson Werth, while the Yankees' lineup is rounded out by Curtis Granderson, Andy Pettitte and CC Sabathia. The T-shirts cost $17.99 and up, while caps are $24.99. The jerseys are $119.99 -- and might make interesting autograph options beyond the typical jerseys as many of them feature images of the players as part of the designs. Some of the players' tastes might be quite different than the typical sports fan, but it's that same word -- different -- that might make these items appeal to more fans, too. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. (Click on the images for a closer look.) [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

It's official: Stephen Strasburg will appear in remainder of 2010 Topps baseball products

chrisolds — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 19:52:55 +0000

Once Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg throws his first pitch on Tuesday evening in Washington, he will be eligible for a Rookie Card. Topps couldn't wait even that long to announce that fact and its plans for the rest of the year. Will the much-heralded rookie be in Allen & Ginter? Could he be in Triple Threads? Or would the deadline crunch be too much? The last line of a company statement on its blog outlined the big news of Monday after detailing a program that will accelerate getting a Strasburg card into some collectors hands: "Strasburg Rookie Cards will appear in the remainder of Topps 2010 baseball products starting with the release of Topps Allen & Ginter baseball." Let that sink in a minute ... especially the Triple Threads part. First, though, Topps is making the first Strasburg available on toppsmillion.com, where collectors have been entering codes to win cards from the past. Now, they have a chance to find cards that are all about baseball's future. And they won't be easy finds. (And, because of their distribution, they technically won't be Rookie Cards, but I digress ... ) The card will feature a photo of Strasburg's first major league pitch and will be ready immediately after that moment, something one Topps official couldn't help but note on Monday. “Before Stephen even hits the showers, the very first Strasburg Rookie Card will likely be owned by at least one lucky collector,” said Warren Friss, Topps GM of Sports & Entertainment. We'll have more on this as it becomes available in the coming days. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:01:35 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday has come and gone so we have another batch of winners to announce. Were you one of them? Find out after the jump ... If you weren't, check back with us again at the end of the week for more cool stuff ... 1. Seth M Murphy and Justin Maddox 2. Mike Mason and Rick Stewart 3. Terry Bradford 4. Tom Shafer, Christopher Daigle and Marty Eskenzi 5. Adam Richards 6. Gianpiero Dalfonso

How can you win a box of 2010 Bowman baseball cards?

chrisolds — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:02:50 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94E9e6V7tfc] How can you win a box of 2010 Bowman baseball cards? Watch and find out ...

Some New York newspaper -- and baseball card-related -- trivia

chrisolds — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:54:06 +0000

The Yankees' Mark Teixeira is struggling this season so the New York Daily News ran with this sports cover today. Here are two pieces of random trivia: 1. Topps liked it -- so much so they sent it out. 2. I once worked for one of the Daily News' rivals' chains (The New York Times) and had interest from another (The New York Post) but my path took me elsewhere (see below). Man, just think where I'd be if I could only hit .211 ... Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

USA Baseball records strong showing on first day of draft

chrisolds — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:20:50 +0000

USA Baseball cards. The dedicated prospectors who are fans of baseball -- moreso than just Chrome and dollar signs -- know their value, their place in the collecting game. But on Monday evening the USA Baseball devotees like me who have an affinity for a player's first baseball card -- period -- had something to point back at others who eschew the red, white and blue classics as being more minor-league material when it comes to cardboard. Eight of the top 10 picks in the 2010 MLB Draft were USA Baseball alumni. After that, there were seven more USA Baseball alums taken as first-round or first-round supplemental picks. And for the ninth year out of the last 10, the No. 1 pick has donned the red, white and blue with many having a baseball card well before making the bigs. Let's look at this year's early picks ... No. 1? Bryce Harper, who has appeared in USA Baseball sets the last two years. Maybe you've heard of him? No. 2? Texas high school pitcher Jameson Taillon, who appears in this year's set. No. 3? Florida high school shortstop Manny Machado. Yep, this year's USA set. No. 4? Christian Colon from Cal State Fullerton. Get out the DeLorean -- he appeared in the 2006-07 USA Baseball set. No. 5? Ole Miss pitcher Drew Pomeranz. Yep, another in this year's set. No. 7? North Carolina Tar Beels ace Matt Harvey. Dr. Emmitt Brown would be proud once again -- Harvey had cards in the 2006-07 set. No. 9? Florida high school pitcher Karsten Whitson. Yep. This year's set. No. 10? Texas-Arlington outfielder Michael Choice, yet another from this year's USA set. Now, I'm not blindly devoted enough to insist that any of these cards will trump a player's first card in an MLB uniform to come later on, but the lure of the USA Baseball boxed sets -- with upwards of 10 autographed or memorabilia cards in many years' editions -- should be obvious around draft time. Literally, USA Baseball cards are the only cards of these players for sometimes years before they have a new uniform and a new set of fans with hunting them. When it comes draft time, these are the only cards for their new teams' fans to chase. While they have been relatively plentiful in recent years -- and often pricey when it's one of those can't miss names and there's ink attached -- there are also countless bargains to be found as well as a shelf-life that really goes beyond that of some other prospect-laden products. The 24 Harper cards that aren't too rare for Beckett Baseball to price are worth a total of $5,032 -- or $209.67 apiece. Although Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg has a few non-USA cards in the mix, his total value of those that are priced is a mere $6,590 -- or $199.70 a card. These are the exceptions as the often-overlooked USA cards aren't typically as expensive -- and demand will undoubtedly falter some once those new MLB threads start showing up on players' backs on players' cards -- but it shows that the potential is there with these earliest cards. The collecting landscape has changed mightily since we remember the first USA Baseball set in 1985 Topps -- you know, the one with a hard-hitting USC star named Mark McGwire -- but the collecting intensity for early cards hasn't changed. In fact, some might argue that it's even more intense given the technological advances that make finding, buying and selling cards easier than ever before and the ways that we can follow the game at almost any level of play. There's a reason that Topps has turned its attention back to one of its 1980s staples, and there's a reason that USA Baseball players have a place in red-hot products like Bowman Chrome. It's not patriotism that they are tapping into -- it's more like the love of the game. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Topps launches Stephen Strasburg autographed memorabilia line

chrisolds — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 17:31:43 +0000

Just hours before Stephen Strasburg takes the hill for the Washington Nationals in his big-league debut, Topps has launched its line of autographed memorabilia featuring the budding young star and former No. 1 overall draft pick. Previously announced as part of his exclusive deal signed with Topps last fall, the line launched Tuesday currently includes three options: An autographed baseball, $275 An autographed mini batting helmet, $250 An autographed MLB cap, $275 Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. See more images after the jump. Click here to visit the Topps Store. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

Old Beckett Baseball cover aids in solving Pete Rose mystery

chrisolds — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:06:39 +0000

Have you heard the one where an old issue of Beckett Baseball Card Monthly (Issue No. 11 from September 1985) helps solve a mystery about corked bats reportedly used by Pete Rose? We hadn't -- until now. Check out the story by clicking here.

Stephen Strasburg proves his worth in MLB debut

chrisolds — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:26:23 +0000

There's been plenty written about the outrageousness of the baseball card values for Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg. But he showed precisely what he was made of Tuesday night -- enough to make one wonder what a 2010 Bowman SuperFractor might go for now. Strasburg set a Nationals team record with 14 strikeouts in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched seven innings, allowing two runs on a homer by Delwyn Young, while giving up just four hits and walking none. Strasburg also tied a team record with seven consecutive strikeouts. His performance came up one strikeout short of tying the MLB record for most K's in a debut. He was pulled at the start of the eighth inning after throwing 94 pitches in the game. Heading into Tuesday night's game, the average value of Strasburg's cards that aren't too rare to price in Beckett Baseball was $199.70. And obviously that doesn't include his newest 2010 Topps card (seen here), which was released exclusively on ToppsMillion.com during the game. Something tells this writer that the post-game "SportsCenter bump" after that first career victory will be interesting. Update: In addition, Topps has announced that Strasburg will have cards in the remainder of its 2010 product lineup, which includes the following: 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter 2010 Topps Complete Sets 2010 Topps Tribute 2010 Topps T-206 2010 Topps Triple Threads 2010 Topps Chrome 2010 Bowman Chrome 2010 Topps Update 2010 Topps Sterling 2010 Bowman Platinum 2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects 2010 Bowman Sterling Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Timberwolves star to sign at California card shop

chrisolds — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:54:22 +0000

Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Love will be signing autographs for free at a California card shop this Saturday. The former UCLA Bruin will sign at Extra Inning Sports Cards (13470 Washington Blvd.) in Culver City, Calif., beginning at 1 p.m. Love averaged 14 points and 11 rebounds a game this season for the 15-67 Timberwolves.

Game-used Stephen Strasburg memorabilia hits MLB.com auction block

chrisolds — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:51:55 +0000

Update: The ball sold for more than $20,000. Less than a day after his dazzling major league debut, game-used memorabilia from Stephen Strasburg's 14-strikeout night as well as items from his pro debut in the minor leagues in April have hit the auction block at MLB.com. Leading the way so far is a signed and inscribed "MLB Debut 14 K's 1st MLB win" game-used baseball. The ball, which was used against Garrett Jones in the second inning Tuesday night, has attracted 11 bids and is at $1,210 with a week or so remaining in the auction. Other items on the block include first base from the fourth to sixth innings -- $630 after three bids -- and several items from his debut on April 11. Among those items are a signed lineup card, a game-used rosin bag, a game-used ball, first base and even an MLB-certified authentic cleat cleaner, which is up to $80. (You know you need one of those...) A pair of non game-used autographed items also are on the block -- a signed baseball that's up to $215 after 13 bids, and a signed jersey, which is at $610 -- for now. See more images from the auctions after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Beckett Baseball: How artistic are you?

chrisolds — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 20:55:31 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNySQU_nUKc] Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds gives you the basics on a contest in the latest issue of the magazine -- one that will test the artistic skill of baseball collectors. Watch the video to find out more.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake is Topps' fourth Finest Rookie Redemption

chrisolds — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:39:28 +0000

Topps revealed its fourth 2010 Finest Rookie Redemption card on Thursday, and it's Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake. Topps' previous announcements include Cubs rookie Starlin Castro for rookie No. 3, while info on rookie No. 2 can be found here and rookie No. 1 can be found here. Leake, a former Arizona State star, has a 5-0 record with a 2.22 ERA this season. He has 50 strikeouts in 73 innings pitched. Through the rest of the season, Topps will announce the remainder of the players in the 10-card set. Each Finest Master Box includes one Rookie Redemption, which also can be found as Blue Refractors (199 copies) and Gold Refractors (limited to 50). Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 1 -- A Bryce Harper USA Baseball card

chrisolds — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:21:58 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 1 -- A Bryce Harper USA Baseball card 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Bryce Harper appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 2 -- A Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman baseball card

chrisolds — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:25:52 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 2 -- A Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman baseball card 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Stephen Strasburg appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 3 -- A 2010 Allen & Ginter box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com.

chrisolds — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 22:38:04 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday, which is our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia -- and this one's brought to you by GlobalSportsCards.com. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 3 -- A 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after product is released) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Ryan Howard appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. According to Beckett.com, who appeared on card No. 1 in the 2006 Allen & Ginter base set? 3. What 2010 NASCAR rookie was featured on a card in the 2006 set? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) -- A red hot and not-even-out-yet edition

chrisolds — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 18:46:37 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- and it's a small but strong offering for the baseball collectors who paid attention to the Washington Nationals this week. How can you win? Click on the links below and follow the directions... No. 1 — A Bryce Harper 2010 USA Baseball card No. 2 — A Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman baseball card No. 3 — A 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter box (courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com)

Stephen Strasburg baseball cards -- the hottest thing in the hobby

chrisolds — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 21:48:59 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Tv90BnMrLs] There's no question that Stephen Strasburg is the hottest thing in baseball -- and baseball cards -- right now. And as we head into the weekend with Strasburg's second big-league start scheduled for Sunday, we've whipped up some statistics about Strasburg's baseball cards. Check it out ...

Guest Commentary: Kane & Toews will be forever linked in hockey, hobby

chrisolds — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 22:38:25 +0000

By Russ Cohen They are sometimes linemates but always teammates and now the two young men had a chance to hoist Lord Stanley in Philadelphia. Then they basked in a parade in Chicago and if you thought you’ve seen a lot of combination cards of Patrick Kane and captain Jonathan Toews then think again - - expect a plethora of them in the coming sets by Upper Deck and hockey newcomer Panini. Recently UD Artifacts had a nice combo card of this dynamic duo on a patch card numbered to just 15. Before the Cup, that card probably would have sold for $100 to $150 but now a card like this has an asking price of $200. Is it worth it? I think so especially if you are a fan of either the players or the teams. There have been some great duos in the history of the sport like Mark Messier/Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin and Mario Lemieux/Jaromir Jagr, just to name a few and if you had purchased anything with those players on the card or photo or stick you would have been set. Both of these guys haven’t even reached their peak. Kane is 21 and Toews is 22. The Hawks are deep, so this team should be a contender for years to come while these two players will continue to put up impressive numbers. Toews won the Conn Smythe, which solidifies him in the history books, and now he can continue to add to add some more hardware to his trophy case. In 2008, Kane snagged the Calder Trophy and hockey players who have won rookie of the year honors seem to fare better than players in other sports who win the same type of award. So let’s review, I’m telling you to buy anything with these two players on the card, photo, or stick and the time to get it is now. Sure, it would have been better to have something before the Cup but now they will both be pictured with the Stanley Cup on cardboard and that will only add to the card’s allure. This is their first Cup together, and they just might get another one sometime in the future.

Topps unveils Avatar trading card set

chrisolds — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:51:39 +0000

How do you say certified autograph in Na'vi? Topps unveiled on Monday its plans for an Avatar 3D trading card set that will arrive in September to coincide with the release of the extended version of the movie on Blu-Ray. The set will consist of 48 widevision-sized cards -- three per pack -- with plans for certified autographs from select cast members as well as sketch cards, pending the approval of Twentieth Century Fox. The James Cameron film grossed more than $749 million in the United States and $2.7 billion world-wide. See more of the cards after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 17:54:31 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday -- has come and gone, but it was a small but strong offering for the baseball collectors who paid attention to the Washington Nationals this week. Were you one of the winners? Find out after the jump ... 1. Ricky Keim 2. David Patent 3. Chris (email noted)

Stephen Strasburg makes eTopps appearance

chrisolds — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 18:11:41 +0000

We know of a few reasons that this one won't last long -- two MLB victories and 22 strikeouts being just a couple. Topps announced on Monday that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is one of two eTopps IPOs this week. A maximum of 1,999 Strasburg cards will be made with an IPO price of $8 per card. Not everyone who puts in a claim for a card will receive one as the online, stock market-style program will undoubtedly have allocations for such a popular player's card. And you can bet, given eTopps' popularity in the short-term market and Strasburg's present status as baseball's latest phenom, that the card will be a hot one. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Tim Tebow Knows baseball?

chrisolds — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:40:01 +0000

Tim Tebow hits 12 home runs on 15 pitches during a batting practice session? One old 1990 Score Bo Jackson baseball card immediately came to mind. You know you thought it, too. I just wonder if Nike thought the same thing ... Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First look: 2010 Topps Chrome football cards

chrisolds — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:00:26 +0000

Topps released the basic preview images and product information for its 2010 Chrome football set on Monday, a rookie-laden product that will arrive in mid-October. Loaded with a Rookie Card in every pack and an autograph in every 24-pack hobby box, Chrome will consist of 275 cards in the base set with 110 of them being veterans and 110 of them being rookies. The familiar parallels return -- SuperFractor, Gold, Black and standard Refractors -- while rounding out the set there will be Rookie Autograph Patch cards as well as Rookie Autographs. Also among the inserts are Bowman Chrome Autograph Refractors and standard Bowman Chrome Rookies. Among the biggest highlights? A triple autograph of Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Jimmy Clausen. The Bowman Chrome rookies checklist will include just 30 players only found in Topps Chrome. There will be Refractors and autographed Refractors of these cards. Among the other inserts are Topps Reprints, Gridiron Lineage, Reprints Refractor autographs and Rookie Red Zone autographs. See more images after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Revisiting Billy Ripken & other memorable errors in next Beckett Baseball

chrisolds — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:09:40 +0000

We were all set to feature a montage of the most memorable error cards of the last 30 years or so on the cover of the next issue of Beckett Baseball (No. 54) coming your way soon. Revisiting Billy Ripken, the unraveling mystery of the 1990 Topps Frank Thomas and more are nestled inside its pages. But this guy named Stephen Strasburg arrived in the major leagues and forced his way into our lineup on a few pages -- and the cover of the magazine after his 14-strikeout, no-walk performance in his major league debut. As part of those adjustments, we sacrificed some stuff there so you can have it here -- one small part of that equation being a chat with a collector who is dedicated to discovering the story behind the famed Ripken error card (one of its many corrections seen here). His name is Donovan Ryan and he lives in Bakersfield, Calif., and he's the brains behind billripken.com, a repository for everything Ripken. Beckett acknowledges five versions of the card — the error, a whiteout version (rarest), white scribble, black scribble and the black box. However with the cards printed at more than one location there are very minor differences between some of the fixes. Ryan notes some of those “other” versions on his site, which we will also show to you in the magazine. (Realistically, since most collectors don't know there are differences, there's no substantial established value for the variations of, say, the black scribble ... yet.) We posed to Ryan a few questions -- one being what would he ask readers out there who might know more about the card. Perhaps one of those long-lost behind the scenes workers at Fleer finally would want to talk just like Ripken did awhile back and give the world the real story behind the card? Or maybe what's out there is all that's known ... Ryan, who has collected cards since 1987 but admits to taking a "nine-year vacation" away from the hobby, re-discovered the Ripken card in 2004. [caption id="attachment_21688" align="alignright" width="163" caption="Billy Ripken devotee Donovan Ryan & son, Jacob."][/caption] "I ran into a FF version on eBay in 2004 as I was still searching for the right niche," he said. " It was a printing flaw missing some ink. It was cheap enough, $40, so I grabbed it and set out to get all the versions. I then located all of the ones that the guides listed, then more. Then more. "That's where it got fun for me. Setting out to find all of them, articles, stories etc and learn to seperate the real from the fake. " While digging for new information about a 21-year-old baseball card isn't getting any easier, Ryan said he's enjoying the chase. "I'm not in any rush to find everything," he said, "because honestly once I did, I'm unsure if I could find another niche I enjoy as much as this one." So, what would Ryan want to know about the Ripken card at this stage? -- "If you sent Fleer a FF or a saw cut card, they would issue you a replacement along with a letter. I'm looking for a scan of that letter and which version you would receive." -- "I own a card that has all the traits of a counterfeit -- different cropping, thinner card stock, different print dot pattern, enlarged Orioles logo, most noticeable the bird and registration symbol, different font on some of the text on back and more. So this was not just a copy but a card that was made. I've owned numerous versions and network consistently with other E&V collectors and never have seen another. I'm wondering if others have a similar printed FF cards or other 1989 Fleer cards." -- The Whiteout. A rare version that can easily be replicated. I've heard stories of this card being pulled from two of the three packaging types. But no proof it was not just a back-doored version. I've never seen one top or bottom of a unopened pack. Someone has to have one right?" --- Perhaps our readers out there can help. Let us know if you have any firm information about these things. The Ripken error really wasn't the driving force behind us trying an issue focusing on something different -- the recent discoveries of other black-ink variations related to the 1990 Topps Thomas was one along with the seemingly constant flow of questions we get about errors and variations. We take a quick look at this collecting niche -- a large niche at that -- in the magazine. Look for it soon. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Florida Marlins OF Mike Stanton is Topps' 5th Finest Rookie Redemption

chrisolds — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 15:37:38 +0000

Topps revealed its fifth 2010 Finest Rookie Redemption card on Tuesday, and it's Florida Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton. Last week, Topps announced that No. 4 was Red pitcher Mike Leake. Topps' previous announcements include Cubs rookie Starlin Castro for rookie No. 3, while info on rookie No. 2 can be found here and rookie No. 1 can be found here. Stanton was promoted to the Marlins last week, making his MLB debut on Tuesday. He's hitting .368 (7-for-19) with four runs, four RBI and two stolen bases. He's homerless in the majors after hitting 21 this season for Double-A Jacksonville. Through the rest of the season, Topps will announce the remainder of the players in the 10-card set. Each Finest Master Box includes one Rookie Redemption, which also can be found as Blue Refractors (199 copies) and Gold Refractors (limited to 50). Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

EXCLUSIVE -- Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor buyer: "A card like this is just what the industry needs"

chrisolds — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 16:16:06 +0000

By CHRIS OLDS | Beckett Baseball Plenty has been written about the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman that sold for $16,403 recently, and plenty has been said about the hobby in the wake of the behemoth of a popular baseball card product that created it. And all of that was well before Strasburg's dominating MLB debut. We've heard from Leo Kim, the finder of the Strasburg, the lucky person who beat the one in 1,210,000 odds of finding the card. And, on Tuesday, Beckett Media learned a bit about the buyer of the card, Robert J. Power, a 37-year-old accountant from Michigan who purchased the card last month. "A card like this is just what the industry needs," said Power, who talked about his collecting past, his reasoning for buying the card -- and even his wife's reaction to making a pretty substantial purchase -- in this exclusive Q&A with Beckett.

Beckett: What’s your collecting background ... how long have you collected, who do you collect and so on? Power: Got started collected baseball cards as a kid in the early 1980s with my father, Jim, as my mentor. I remember getting a pack of cards from my father every now and then for a good report card or for helping out around the house. I collected cards throughout the 1980s -- Boggs, Ripken, Gwynn, Sandberg, Gooden, Strawberry, Mattingly. I think the 1984 Tigers really got me seriously collecting.

Always liked older cards from the 1960s and '70s -- I have all the cards of Rod Carew, including his Rookie, and all Roberto Clemente cards except his Rookie. I collected full sets here and there from the '70s -- favorite set owned 1975 Topps Mini cards, which has many nice Rookie Cards. I also have the 1973 full set with Mike Schmidt Rookie. I also accidentally bought one pack of hockey cards as a kid -- and as it turns out got a Wayne Gretzky Rookie Card. I stopped collecting cards in the 1990s when too many sets and makers came out. Plus, card values seemed to drop so dramatically. - Beckett: What made you focus on this card in particular? Power: I focused on this card because I believe Stephen Strasburg is truly the LeBron James of baseball. His pitching is compared to Nolan Ryan, probably the greatest pitcher ever. He is a player that comes around once every other decade. He is highly respected by Tony Gwynn (one of the game's greatest hitters), and I have never heard a bad story about him. It's nice to hear positive talk about athletes as opposed to drug stories, steroids, criminal activity, etc. This past presidential election, everyone wanted "change." Well, I think baseball and sports needs the same and players like Stephen Strasburg can provide that change while being positive role models for today's children. I highly doubt we'll see Strasburg strike someone out and then do a crazy dance on the mound to taunt the opposing team. He is married, has a great work ethic, has succeeded on all levels and even represented the United States at the Olympics. I also consider this card to be one-of-a-kind as this is the only copy, and I think there's something to be said about that. No mass production on this card, which I believe overproduction destroyed the industry in the 1990s. Plus, this is a beautiful card. - Beckett: How did you find out about the auction? Power: I saw the article on Yahoo about this "crazy auction." And it really piqued my interest. It actually made me go and look at some of my cards from way back when I was younger. So many good memories. It brought back the days of playing little league, and someone declaring "I'm Dwight Gooden" and another kid saying "Well, I'm Wade Boggs" or "I'm Darryl Strawberry." I can picture kids today yelling "I'm Stephen Strasburg." So I thought I'd take a stab at winning the auction. I have read online that some people think a card like this will bring some attention to the card-collecting industry -- and that is overall good for the industry. Although I've read some negative articles, too. One guy referred to me as "Mr. $16,403" and how morally corrupt I must be. Ridiculous! I just shook my head, even though I wanted to have a couple of my elderly tax clients call him and tell him how I did their returns at no charge. But why bother. - Beckett: How focused were you on owning the card… did it go for more or less than you expected? Would you have gone higher? Power: Once I started watching the auction, it was addictive. I called the seller, Leonard Kim, to get pre-approved for bidding. I wanted to verify he was legit, and also wanted to let him know that I was a "real bidder," not a "bad eBayer." Leonard was a nice guy to talk with. He seems to really have a passion for cards. Sure, he's making a profit, but there's nothing wrong with that. I think he is one of the good guys in the industry. So I would look the price up every hour or so. I actually put the winning bid in over my iPhone at a Memorial Day get together with a group of friends while playing a board game. I was expecting the last minute bidding to go crazy, but luckily for me it didn't. I thought the winning bid would be around $22,000. My max would have been $20,000 -- so I guess technically I didn't think I'd win the auction. So once I won at $16,403, I was very excited. - Beckett: Have you made any other card/memorabilia purchase like this one? Power: I haven't purchased any baseball cards or memorabilia in many years. I bought a couple of cards here and there a few years back to fill some of my sets, but nothing like this purchase. I think there has been a lot of negativity recently in sports, so someone like Strasburg coming along is just what sports needs. And a card like this is just what the industry needs to attract both the young collectors, and hopefully to bring back some collectors who have been absent for awhile, like myself. - Beckett: Did you have any thoughts of trying to re-sell the card after Strasburg's first start? Or is this purchase a long-term one? Power: His first start was amazing. My wife, Michele, and I went to a sports bar to watch it, and it was amazing how everyone was cheering and clapping for every pitch. I actually hadn't received the card as of his first start, so I got nervous something would go wrong with the transaction. I was glad the auction was over before his first start, otherwise the sales price would have been much higher in my opinion. I didn't think of selling the card. I was just anxious to actually receive it. As for this being a long-term purchase or not, it's difficult to say. Luckily, my wife is very supportive, even though her first response was "Are you crazy? That is a lot of money for one baseball card." But I think after his first start, she was even more supportive. I would like to keep it displayed at my office, but I suppose everything has its price. I do consider it to be an investment, hopefully in the best pitcher of all time. But with Strasburg-mania running so high, I have thought about posting it on eBay just to gauge the interest. I guess we'll see. - Beckett: What other types of cards or items might you be looking to add to a collection? Power: Being originally from Ohio, I have been looking at purchasing some autographed college jerseys of some of the Ohio State Buckeyes to decorate my office. My buddy and I have had some debates on which five jerseys would be the best to have. I always say Eddie George, Troy Smith, Orlando Pace, Craig Krenzel and Chris Spielman. But now living in the Detroit area, I've also been thinking of adding some autographed Red Wings jerseys. I suppose I could add a combination of Buckeyes and Red Wings, along with a Stephen Strasburg jersey, since they are all the color red. - Beckett: Now that you have what many say is a dream card, what is one dream item you'd want to add to your collection? Power: Actually this card is my dream, especially if its purchase can help an industry that was once great ... although a Clemente Rookie Card would be nice, too. --- While it wasn't part of the formal Q&A, we couldn't help but bring up the 1/1 Strasburg Red Bowman autograph -- the one card in 2010 Bowman that might trump the SuperFractor in its significance -- a card that's presently listed on eBay with a $50,000 Buy It Now pricetag. Power didn't commit to being interested in that card, but offered this thought: "I'm happy to see the final 1/1 card has been found," he said. "Not sure I agree with the $50,000 price tag, but I suppose if it sells for that, then I will be a happy man with my card at $16,403." Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Goodwin Entomology Cards bugging out on secondary market

chrisolds — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:46:08 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TGAUJTq6Ck] The long-awaited Goodwin Champions Entomology Cards have finally arrived and they've got collectors buzzing now that they've finally seen those creepy crawlies inside cardboard. Sales of the critter cards have been brisk with most of the cards topping $100 and even a couple of $200 sales. The cards were the winner of the Best Gimmick Set award in Beckett Baseball's Best of 2009 Awards. Check out the video above featuring Upper Deck's Grant Sandground, who helped bring the set to life. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

THREE OF A KIND: Random memorabilia in the office

chrisolds — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:54:35 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTVJXacwtAU] Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds brings to you a quick story about three random pieces of memorabilia he keeps in his office -- probably because he doesn't know where else to put them. What are they? Watch and find out in this first "Three of a Kind" video ...

Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana is the first 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie

chrisolds — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 16:17:26 +0000

Topps announced the first 2010 Red Hot Rookie redemption subject of the season on Wednesday, and it's Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana. Santana was called up by the Tribe late last week and he's hitting .214 with a homer and three RBI in his first four games. Topps will announce the remainder of the Red Hot Rookies, which are found one per hobby box in 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball cards, throughout the season. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First look: 2010 Bowman Chrome baseball cards

chrisolds — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:17:48 +0000

Topps released the basic set information and preview images for 2010 Bowman Chrome baseball cards on Wednesday, a set that will include a Chrome autograph of Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg. And, yes, it will include an autographed SuperFractor. It will arrive in mid-October packing one autograph per 18-pack hobby box. (Each pack will include two prospect cards and two veterans.) The autograph checklist will consist of 24 prospects who did not appear in 2010 Bowman. The standard set inclusions will be 110 Chrome prospect cards -- with the typical Refractor, Blue, Gold, Orange, Red and Supers -- while there also will be 20 members of the USA Baseball 18U team with signed cards. Those will be found one in five boxes (roughly two per case) as a bonus autograph, while there also will be 10 dual-signed USA autograph cards as well. The Topps 100 Prospects set will return in Chrome with Super, Gold, and standard Refractors. Refractor quantities vary from set to set, though Reds are numbered to five, Orange to 25, Gold to 50 in most sets. Odds were not announced, but there will be approximately four USA Baseball cards per box, three Topps 100 cards per box and seven total Refractor cards per box. The 220-card Chrome set will consist of 180 veterans and 40 rookies all with the rainbow of Refractors. Among the rookies in the set are Strasburg, Ian Desmond, Austin Jackson, Jason Heyward, Drew Storen, Ike Davis, Drew Stubbs, Starlin Castro and Tyler Colvin. Read more and see images after the jump. The lone rookie autograph announced so far is Strasburg, according to the preliminary checklist, while those slated to appear on autographed prospects cards includes Aroldis Chapman, Dee Gordon, Brett Wallace, Tim Beckham, Yonder Alonso and at least three players still to be determined. The USA autographs are all TBD because the teams have not yet been selected. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

THREE OF A KIND: A Coach & A Catcher

chrisolds — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:01:16 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxNNO74Uh_4] Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds brings to you a quick story about three pieces of memorabilia he keeps in his office in yet another "Three of a Kind" video. Not sure what "Three of a Kind" is? Click here to see the first one posted yesterday.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-18) -- Guess Strasburg's strikeout total to win a 2010 Allen & Ginter box from GlobalSportsCards.com

chrisolds — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:52:34 +0000

*** NOW CLOSED*** NO entries time-stamped AFTER 6:05 p.m. will be accepted. We're doing a slightly different contest this week -- you must enter before the Washington Nationals game starts at 6:05 p.m. Central time on Friday. We're back with another Free Stuff Friday, which is our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia -- and this one's brought to you by GlobalSportsCards.com. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. We WILL accept multiple guesses in this contest. (Only one strikeout total guess per entry. Enter multiple times if you want to guess more than one number -- i.e. more than one comment.) Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-18) Contest -- Guess Stephen Strasburg's strikeout total and win a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after it is released) 1. Predict how many strikeouts Stephen Strasburg will have in Friday night's game against the White Sox. 2. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Stephen Strasburg appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize to one of the people who correctly guesses the correct total and answers all of the other questions correctly. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest -- and, again, this one closes at 6:05 p.m. Central time on Friday, June 18. Any entries received after that time will not be accepted. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is red hot ... but are his baseball cards?

chrisolds — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 17:54:22 +0000

There's an adage that performance on the field means performance on cardboard. There are times when it happens and times when it doesn't. Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is in the midst of a season for the ages, sporting a 13-1 record with a 1.15 ERA for the year -- made all the more impressive when you consider that he pitches in Denver's Coors Field, the launching pad of all launching pads in MLB. But has it translated into cardboard sales? Yes and no, which is a surprising answer as his pace for victories is the best since Roger Clemens started 14-0 in 1986. And even more surprising since he could be in contention for winning 30 games -- not done since Denny McLain in 1968 -- and he could challenge Bob Gibson's record for the lowest ERA in a season (1.12) also set in, yep, 1968. Earlier this month, Jimenez's 2005 Leaf Certified Materials Mirror Autograph Black card, a 1/1, sold for $2,247 on eBay -- a buy that pales in comparison to the record-setting (on cardboard) $16,403 arrival of Stephen Strasburg. Of course, Jimenez also became a bit higher-profile pitcher earlier this season when he pitched the first no-hitter in Rockies history, but not many would have expected the kind of season he has had so far -- especially with the Coors Field albatross around his neck. (Colorado isn't exactly considered a hobby hotbed, either, unless there's some blue and orange as well as a guy named Elway or Tebow running around... ) But now he's chasing history -- but it's a long haul from here to the end of the season and ERAs can change faster than the weather in Colorado. And you can bet that's in the back of many a collector's minds, where a completed auctions search shows many more unsold Ubaldos with high price tags than those that have sold. Or are sellers seeking too much for his cards since he's been on a torrid pace, resulting in non-sales? That's not to say there hasn't been an increase on some cards, either. Jimenez's most expensive Rookie Cards (not an insert like the 1/1) are his 2005 SP Authentic autograph (No. 177), a card that presently books for $250 but was just $50 back in December, and his 2005 Ultimate Signature autograph (No. 186), a card that was $40 last winter. At the time of his no-hitter in April, his most-expensive RC was his 2005 Donruss Signature set (No. 159), a $100 quad autograph card likely priced there because he shares it with Jeff Niemann, Tony (Ramon) Pena and Justin Verlander. In all, just from Jimenez's Rookie Cards alone, there are six cards that regularly fetch more than $100 -- and that doesn't include any of his "rookie cards" from 2007 that bear the RC logo. (Perhaps dollars are being spent there moreso than on his 2005 rookies from before the MLBPA's RC logo program was launched? His 2007 SuperFractor (unsigned) is presently on eBay for $6,000 or best offer... ) Jimenez (88 Ks) isn't a strikeout machine like Strasburg (22 in two games) -- and we all know that chicks dig the longball ... but maybe strikeouts now? -- so perhaps that's also holding back some of his hobby appeal. One thing is for certain, though, with Jimenez ... we haven't seen the ceiling just yet and we probably won't until the wheels fall off or until the season is over. Is it worth the gamble? Let us know... Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Stephen Strasburg sells out Uncirculateds, too

chrisolds — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 20:26:24 +0000

It's been about a year since Beckett Grading Services launched its SI Uncirculated program with Sports Illustrated, which takes a limited quantity of the long-collected magazine and slabs the copies in a permanent holder in their condition as found directly from the printing plant. And, about a year after the program's first sold-out issue (Bryce Harper's debut cover), another member of the Washington Nationals has had his debut SI cover sell out, too. You might know him ... he's Stephen Strasburg. The Uncirculated concept is simple -- it's one modeled after mint set coins with a touch of the professional grading feel commonly used for baseball cards and comic books. The magazines aren't graded but they are shipped directly from the printer and placed into the slabs with an Uncirculated notation. Once a limited number of copies are encased, there are no more produced. Only 35 copies of the Strasburg issue were encased -- and all were gone less than two hours after arrival at $24.99 a pop. Other sold-out issues include the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup championship issue, a pair of University of Alabama covers featuring Heisman winner Mark Ingram, Derek Jeter's Sportsman of the Year cover, the New Orleans Saints' Super Bowl championship, Sidney Crosby's Winter Olympics goal and a Matt Ryan NFL preview issue. It's reflective of a trend that should be obvious to magazine collectors and memorabilia collectors as well. Debut issues and key moments like championships are often the issues that are the most-coveted. To see what other issues remain available click the link above or click here. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Win a Goodwin Champions Entomology card & more ...

chrisolds — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 21:18:28 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA2qVwE1J-A] Beckett Media's Chris Olds gives you a sneak peek at three cards from Upper Deck that can be yours by reading us online here at The Beckett Blog and on Beckett.com as well as in a future issue of Beckett Baseball. Check it out ...

Stephen Strasburg keeps on racking up the strikeouts ...

chrisolds — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 01:12:01 +0000

The 1990s Nike commercial that insisted that "chicks dig the long ball" featured Atlanta's Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine obsessing about Mark McGwire's mammoth home runs. But none of those stars did what Stephen Strasburg did on Friday night against Chicago. He set a new MLB record for the most strikeouts in his first three games. With his 10 strikeouts against the White Sox, the already highly touted right-hander upped his total to 32 for the season. He left after seven innings, trailing 1-0 but ultimately only defeated by a conservative pitch count. He walked zero in the start. The mark surpassed the previous high of 29 set by J.R. Richard of the Houston Astros in 1971. Strasburg's 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects card typically has sold for $60, while his Bowman Prospects card has been selling for $30. Both pale in comparison to his autographed cards in the set, which are going for $600 ... and up. And that leaves one big question as Strasburg continues to dazzle and draw more and more viewers into baseball ... Do they all dig the strikeout yet? Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. MORE STRASBURG COVERAGE Want to read more about Strasburg? Here are some links ... Stephen Strasburg sells out Uncirculateds, too ***NOW CLOSED *** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-18) — Guess Strasburg’s strikeout total to win a 2010 Allen & Ginter box from GlobalSportsCards.com First look: 2010 Bowman Chrome baseball cards EXCLUSIVE — Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor buyer: “A card like this is just what the industry needs” Revisiting Billy Ripken & other memorable errors in next Beckett Baseball Stephen Strasburg makes eTopps appearance Stephen Strasburg baseball cards — the hottest thing in the hobby Game-used Stephen Strasburg memorabilia hits MLB.com auction block Stephen Strasburg proves his worth in MLB debut Topps launches Stephen Strasburg autographed memorabilia line USA Baseball records strong showing on first day of draft It’s official: Stephen Strasburg will appear in remainder of 2010 Topps baseball products Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor auction ends at $16,403 Stephen Strasburg will grace cover of next Beckett Baseball Could Stephen Strasburg be included in 2010 Topps Triple Threads? Paging Alex Gordon! Stephen Strasburg not in Topps 206 set … yet Beckett Media joins forces with ESPN’s Page 2 First look: 2010 Bowman baseball cards Topps lands exclusive memorabilia deal with Stephen Strasburg

It's deja vu all over again: Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman Red 1/1 autograph surpasses $100,000

chrisolds — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 01:50:15 +0000

Update: As of 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 22, the bidding sat at $26,845 (80 bids). By Wednesday, it had topped $100,000 -- most likely because of bad bids. By June 27, the auction had been canceled. Yogi Berra would be proud. It's deja vu all over again as another one-of-a-kind baseball card of Washington Nationals sensation Stephen Strasburg has been re-listed on eBay and is already in brand-new-car territory. Previously posted on the auction site with a Buy It Now price of $50,000, the 2010 Bowman Strasburg Red autograph card -- only one copy made printed and signed with that color border -- is sitting at $16,000 after 47 bids after the BIN option was eliminated. And there is more than a week remaining in the auction of the card discovered by a collector in Melbourne, Fla. It's the lone card in the product that could trump the already famous $16,403 SuperFractor purchased by accountant Robert J. Power late last month. The SuperFractor had previously been listed on eBay with a $20,000 Buy It Now pricetag but it did not sell at that price in mid-May.The SuperFractor sale set a record for that type of card. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Like many past NBA players, Manute Bol is easy to collect -- because he has so few basketball cards

chrisolds — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:25:07 +0000

Manute Bol -- the only player in NBA history to record more blocked shots than points in his career -- died on Saturday at age 47, leaving behind a legacy of trying to help people in his native Sudan. His legacy on cardboard, despite playing 10 seasons in the NBA? Not so lengthy. The 7-foot-7 center played for four NBA teams but appears on just 98 cards, his lone Rookie Card coming in the landmark 1986-87 Fleer set -- it's worth just $2. He has just 15 certified autographs. His most plentiful signed card -- so far -- is his 2009-10 Rookies & Stars Retired NBA Team Patches Signatures set from Panini America, which is limited to just 199 copies. Bol's most expensive autograph card is found in the 2006-07 Topps Full Court Co-Signers set, a release that he shares with Golden State Warriors legend and Hall of Famer Rick Barry. Five of Bol's autographed cards are 1/1s, so there are really only 10 signed cards one will reasonably find when hunting for his memorabilia. And of those cards, all but two have known print runs -- and there are fewer than 300 autographs to be had. Bol is indicative of a trend that Panini is starting to change as it's now the exclusive manufacturer of NBA cards -- players who are under-represented on cardboard, despite having a memorable place in the game. Several products this year have included autograph and memorabilia cards from players that collectors haven't seen in some time. They're not always necessarily superstars -- like Manute Bol -- but there just might be collectors out there who would want their cards since they have so few. For example, former Alabama star Robert Horry went his entire NBA career without signing a certified autograph. His lone signed cards can be found in the 1992 Star Pics Autographs set, which shows him in a Crimson Tide uniform. In contrast, LeBron James appears on 930 different autographed cards, while Michael Jordan appears on 1,152 -- and that's not including his 13 autographed baseball cards, either. Would there be interest in his autographed cards? Perhaps, considering he played for a few memorable championship teams -- the Rockets, Lakers and Spurs -- winning a total of seven rings. He's tied for fourth-highest in league history -- ahead of guys like Bob Cousy, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. (Sounds like he would be a logical inclusion in a championship-themed set despite not having the Hall of Fame credentials of these guys, right?) Bol (and Horry) are not alone in being under-represented on cardboard -- there are many other players who have too few card appearances considering their successes. However sometimes you don't realize it until it's too late. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you the winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:03:36 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday has come and gone -- this week we awarded a box of the not-even-out-yet 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com. Were you the winner? Find out after the jump. If not, check back on Friday for a chance to win more cool stuff. The winner is ... Stephen Bellhorn.

Once the game is over, we will randomly select a winner from all of those entries who have the correct prediction. The answer to No. 2 is both 110 and 111 as there was a database update overnight.

Strasburg SuperFractor buyer talks about card on ESPN's First Take

chrisolds — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:22:25 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KYcqzEfllI&feature=player_embedded] Robert J. Power appeared on ESPN's "First Take" show to talk about buying the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor not long after talking about the card with Beckett Media. Check it out ...

Strasburg SuperFractor owner tries for "Hail Mary" in wake of Red 1/1 auction

chrisolds — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:46:25 +0000

Update: The reserve has been met, so the card will likely sell a second time unless he cancels the auction.

Robert J. Power, the owner of the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman, confirmed to Beckett Media on Tuesday morning that it is, indeed, his card and his auction legitimately on eBay.

While it may appear that he's working on a quick flip of the card that has gotten him national attention, including an interview on ESPN's "First Take," Power said his intention wasn't that at all. He said the attention that the Strasburg 1/1 Red autograph auction is getting (after 103 bids, it's presently at $36,100) prompted his decision.

"That is my auction," he said Tuesday of the SuperFractor offering. "I saw what the Red auto 1/1 is going for, so I thought I'd throw up a Hail Mary.

"My reserve price most likely won't be met, so it won't sell. I am actually hoping to keep the card, it will be worth more in the future, but $35,000 for the Red Auto kind of blew me away."

The SuperFractor sat at $15,800 after 41 bids Tuesday morning.

It's worth noting that the Red auction does not require pre-approved bidders, which, in the case of a high-profile card such as this, can increase the likelihood of a non-sale.

Strasburg's next start is Wednesday against the Kansas City Royals (29-42).

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Pirates OF Jose Tabata is the second 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie

chrisolds — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:10:06 +0000

Topps unveiled the second of its 2010 Red Hot Rookies on Tuesday morning and this one's Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata. Tabata is hitting .225 with a homer and two RBI after 10 games. The Red Hot Rookie redemptions are found one per hobby box of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball cards. The remainder of the 10-card set will be announced throughout the remainder of the season. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: 2009-10 SP Authentic hockey cards

chrisolds — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:56:03 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ2zOaQ8vKk] Beckett Media's Tracy Hackler and Tim Trout rip into a box of 2009-10 SP Authentic hockey cards in this latest episode of Box Busters. Which New York Islanders rookie autograph will they find? Watch and find out ...

Guest Commentary: What might Topps have in store for Bryce Harper and Bowman?

chrisolds — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:02:53 +0000

By Steven Judd | For Beckett Baseball I feel like I just spent a weekend in Las Vegas -- you know the kind of trip where you sleep three hours over a span of 72. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been a great experience ... the excitement ... the rush ... the thrills ... the non-stop buzz ... crazy good like IHOP at 3:30 in the morning. Just when I thought the trip was over, one recent Wednesday night it peaked over the top, again with the first major league start of the one, the only Stephen Strasburg. It all came rushing back like a frenzy of piranhas at a Labor Day cookout at the local lake. I had meant to write about some general, not-as-riveting subject, but I just cannot resist. I am once again drawn into the spectacle that 2010 Bowman. My mind is racing as we continue to see secondary prices rise on hobby and HTA jumbo boxes, due partly to the perceived lack of product available in retail channels. It is the perfect storm of hype, supply-demand and an iconic hobby brand. When this kind of product reaches this level of insanity everyone pays attention. Everyone. This particular release has reached well beyond the circle of the prospectors. It is hobby-wide and global in its magnetic effect. At this point, I am pondering the tactical checklist planning for all Bowman releases through the end of 2011. We know at this point there will be a Strasburg Chrome autograph card in 2010 Bowman Chrome, which could be enough to send that product to the stratosphere. The real big question will be how Topps handles Bryce Harper as far as when he will go into other Bowman checklists and how (regular card, autograph card, Relic card in Sterling). I wonder how far they will go to fully leverage the potential value his name can bring any Bowman-branded product. Before I get into my proposed breakdown, I need to make two important assumptions that have timing implications. No. 1, Harper will sign a contract with the Nationals before the end of October. No. 2, Harper will get called up to the Nationals expanded roster in September 2011. I realize that last one could be a lofty assumption, but humor me for the sake of this exercise. With good planning and some luck with Harper’s progression, Topps can use his name value to enhance at least four different Bowman-branded products. One of the key parts of this plan is to be patience and not overuse him to boost a checklist that is perceived to be soft or weak during the time frame in which sales material is released for products mentioned below. 2010 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects – Base card in Nationals uniform. That is all. This would be his first official non-USA Bowman and Bowman Chrome card. If he signs and is able to show anything in 2010, this will be enough to fuel the fire for this product. 2010 Bowman Sterling – Relic card, jersey or bat. Either Relic type will suffice, although a jersey card with a refractor patch parallel would be insane. Again, if he signs and can show something in 2010, this card would serve as the next step in his cardboard value progression. 2011 Bowman – Autograph Chrome Prospect card. This is the monster. With Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects and Bowman Sterling both being released within six weeks (or less) of each other and eating into each others sales, it stands to reason that this would be the right time to launch his biggest autograph card into the secondary market. Can you imagine the hype of Harper combined with a 2011 Bowman product with his autograph on Chrome? After what we have seen this year, it is scary and captivating at the same time. 2011 Bowman Draft Picks and Prospects – Autograph Chrome Rookie card. This one is the aftershock. Some might argue that it would be overkill and not as relevant as his first autograph card, but I would point to the 2010 Bowman Chrome Rookie Autograph card of Jason Heyward as proof that it would be meaningful and important to the secondary market. With a player of this caliber and hype, it is crucial to properly harness all of the benefits that he can for not only one release, but multiple releases. I purposefully left 2011 Bowman Chrome out of this plan because of the production expense associated with producing that product, i.e. Topps should have a higher profit margin on 2011 Bowman. I also left it out because the retail distribution of 2011 Bowman would be further-reaching than that of 2011 Bowman Chrome. That point cannot be over looked when analyzing this type of decision. Steven Judd has worked for Topps, Donruss/Playoff and Upper Deck.

Topps offers Stephen Strasburg MCG holders chance for an autograph -- for $350

chrisolds — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:49:18 +0000

Topps' Million Card Giveaway exclusive Stephen Strasburg card has been a strong seller. The card, which is a 2010 Topps card showing his first MLB pitch, is different than the one that will appear in factory sets arriving later this year and was unveiled on the night of his big-league debut. And now, the day of Strasburg's fourth big-league start, Topps is allowing the first 300 holders of that card to have it personally signed -- for $350. "We are thrilled to offer baseball fans yet another opportunity to memorialize Stephen’s spectacular MLB debut. This very limited autograph card will be an incredible collectible for years to come," said Warren Friss, Topps' GM, in a release. "This is another way we can use our successful online million card giveaway program and get MLB fans even closer to the game." To have the card signed, collectors must have the card in their account on toppsmillion.com. The 2010 Bowman Strasburg autograph has been a strong seller at $600, while the more limited versions have fetched as much as $900 and more for the rarest versions. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Bustin' a Box: 2010 Donruss Elite football cards

chrisolds — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:00:21 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsDnZDVpUNc] You've probably already seen the Box Busters video, so you're familiar with this brand already. He's not the football guy -- and he's not a big Tim Tebow fan like Tracy Hackler -- but that's not going to stop Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds from busting a box of 2010 Donruss Elite football cards for you to check out. What will he find inside? Watch and find out ...

Beckett Grading Services discusses Strasburg SuperFractor

chrisolds — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:38:55 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-sx6-i_WkA] Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds discusses the $16,400 Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor along with Beckett Grading Service Director Mark Anderson and BGS Senior Grader David Poole. Want a closer look at the card, which was examined and graded a 9.5? Want to know more about what to look for when examining Bowman cards for grading? Watch and find out ...

Congrats to this year's Allen & Ginter code winner, Nick Jacoby

chrisolds — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:42:32 +0000

One of the more obscure, but interesting inclusions in the Allen & Ginter baseball card set from Topps the last couple of years has been "The Ginter Code" where Topps has hidden a message within its baseball card set. Last year, collector Jason Wong, appeared in the set for breaking the previous code. We've busted our first boxes of this year's version of Allen & Ginter and we found the latest winner immediately, Nick Jacoby of Louisville, Ky. We'll have more from him in the next week or so, but until then we'll let you -- and Jacoby -- soak up his card for the first time. He said he hasn't seen his card yet -- so you will see it for the first time just like he is. Congrats. We'll have more from 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter right here later this evening. And, yes, the code-breaking challenge is back for 2010 as well. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: 2010 Allen & Ginter baseball (with gallery)

chrisolds — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 04:01:29 +0000

We've busted the world's first two boxes of 2010 Allen & Ginter baseball cards from Topps about a week before its official release and, as always, they were absolutely loaded with eccentric inclusions in the style of the 1880s tobacco set of "World's Champions." How eccentric and unusual? Well, enough we broke our Box Busters video into two parts so you can soak it all up as Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds and Brian Fleischer do the same. And, because we know Allen & Ginter is a big, big deal to many of you, we have added a gallery of more than 40 cards found in the boxes so you can get a good look. We'll have more about the set later in the week. See all of it after the jump. PART ONE [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnF7TfeyNGs] PART TWO [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp5g0Qy17YA] CARD GALLERY BELOW (Click for a closer look.) [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Get a closer look at the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor

chrisolds — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 21:01:24 +0000

While it left Beckett Grading Services not long after filming on Wednesday, the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman did make one other stop. A flatbed scanner. Here's a closer look at the $16,400 card -- front and back -- as it rests inside a BGS slab. This is the highest-resolution image available of the well talked-about card. (Click on the images for a closer look -- the back is after the jump.)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-25) Contest -- Win a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after it is released)

chrisolds — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:37:43 +0000

***NOW CLOSED *** We're back with another Free Stuff Friday, which is our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia -- and this one's brought to you by GlobalSportsCards.com. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. We WILL accept multiple guesses in this contest because it is more difficult than in weeks past. (Our promised soccer card contests will be next week.) Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-25) Contest -- Win a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after it is released) 1. Guess how many sales of the 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects Stephen Strasburg card have been tracked by Beckett Baseball in the last month. (Hint: It's a number between 1 and 5,000.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll award the prize to whomever comes closest to the number -- without going over -- and answers the second question. If more than one person guess the number exactly, the person who guessed it first wins. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Multiple entries ARE accepted for this contest, which will close at 10 a.m. Central time on Monday. --- Note: The winner of the contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Rojo Johnson gets another baseball card; Will Ferrell autographs coming, too

chrisolds — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 19:47:19 +0000

Rojo Johnson made a memorable debut for the Round Rock Express not long ago here in Texas, which meant he also would likely appear on a baseball card. Now, he's a Pacific Coast League Top Prospect. The league unveiled its 36-card set with Johnson mixed in with names like Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Brett Wallace, Logan Morrison and Jason Castro. Will Ferrell, aka Rojo Johnson, authorized the card appearance as a way to further lend his support for Cancer for College, a charitable foundation that grants college scholarships to cancer survivors. Later this year, 500 special Rojo Johnson cards -- as well as 100 numbered cards signed by Ferrell -- will be available for a donation on the foundation's site. Ferrell does not appear on a certified autograph card but has appeared on a sports card -- a promo card of Jackie Moon made for his basketball movie, Semi-Pro. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Hobby Q&A: The latest Allen & Ginter codebreaker, Nick Jacoby

chrisolds — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 20:36:19 +0000

This year's edition of Allen & Ginter is trickling into the marketplace in advance of its Wednesday release and 28-year-old Nick Jacoby is already at work examining the nuances of every card he can find, trying to discover the next big thing on cardboard. And it's got nothing to do with Stephen Strasburg. He's looking for clues on this year's Ginter Code as he seeks to become the first repeat champion in the deciphering competition. Last year, he found the hidden messages on Ginter's cards in less than a week after the popular baseball card set's release and, as a result, appears on card No. 165 in this year's set. Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds caught up with him for this Q&A ... Q: Tell us a little bit about you. Where you are from, who you collect, etc.? A: I'm from Louisville, Ky. I mostly collect vintage Topps sets as I'm trying to complete all the base sets from 1960 to 1990. Other than that, I'm a huge Reds fan and collect a lot of Barry Larkin. Q: What's your background in puzzles/code-breaking? Is it something you have always done? A: I don't have any background in puzzles or code-breaking. I just like a good challenge, and I'm a smart guy. So when I heard about the code I figured I had as good a chance as anyone. Q: How long did it take you to unravel the code? What were your strategies for trying to figure it all out? A: The code was cracked just a few days after I got my hands on my first boxes. I didn't have any strategy going into it, but I was looking online for other collectors who were trying to crack the code as well. That's when I was able to get in touch with Mike Gellner, who was also wanting to crack the code. We both figured two heads are always better than one! Q: We noticed on your card that you had help ... how did you decide who was going to be on the card? A: I was the person who submitted the correct and final answer to Topps and that is how Topps determined the winner. We tried to get Mike on the card as well but there just wasn't enough room. Q: According to the back of your card, his son's name is Jacoby ... there has to be a story there. (Any Brook Jacoby fans?) A: No story there, other than it is crazily ironic. By the way, I'm definitely a Brook Jacoby fan as he is the hitting coach for my first place Cincinnati Reds! Q: Was it that difficult of a code? A: The code was extremely difficult and Topps didn't expect anyone to crack it for a few months. I submitted the final answer within the first week the product was released. There is a solution site out there that we put together that walks through all the steps. Q: When did you submit your information to Topps - and how long did you wait until you heard back that you were first? A: [Last year's] product was released Wednesday, July 8, and my email to Topps with the final answer was sent on Monday, July 13. I didn't hear back from them until the 17th that I was the first and only person to submit the answer, and that was only in a short email. I didn't hear another word from them after that until this past January. Q: How's it feel to appear on a card that will be found in packs? A: Having my own card in the set is amazing ... I believe there are 12 different versions of my card and I'm going to work hard to track down each of them. Who wants a card of me anyway?

Q: What was your prize from Topps this year besides being on a card? Any plans for those cards? A: The other prize from Topps was a complete set of all the framed autographs from the 2009 set in a special 1/1 codebreaker set. Mike and I split the cards based on a draft format, and I may end up using some of them as tradebait to track down my cards.

Q: Are you eligible for this year's contest as far as you know? Are you going to see if you can figure it out again? A: I asked the Topps brand manager if I am eligible this year and he said yes, so I'm definitely going to go for it again. As a matter of fact, I already have some good leads! Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 15:31:48 +0000

This past week's Free Stuff Friday took a slightly different twist as we had you guys guess exactly how many sales of Stephen Strasburg's 2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects card had been tracked in the last month or so by Beckett Baseball. We gave you a hint -- it was a number between 1 and 5,000 -- and if you guessed that number first (and answered a simple second question), the box, courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com, is yours. Who won? Find out after the jump. Richie Sliwinski is the winner. He guessed the number exactly — 3,273. Congrats. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Some specifics on 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards

chrisolds — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 17:17:48 +0000

We're a couple days away from the official Allen & Ginter release date, but here are some basics about the set... Yes, Stephen Strasburg appears in the set -- as a mini card only (card No. 401; presumed to be an SP) and as an autograph redemption. The SPs in the set are card Nos. 301-350. There are no autograph or Relic "groups" noted on boxes or packs this year. Autographs are found one in every 40 packs, while Relics are 1:11. With no groups you can still presume that signed cards like Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard will be tougher pulls than the likes of Ross Ohlendorf and Clayton Kershaw. It's simple economics based on the athletes' costs for Topps to obtain their autographs. Among the interesting inclusions on the autograph and Relic lists are Marvin Miller, who does not appear in the base set. Others of note on the autograph list include Jason Heyward, Evan Longoria, Alexei Ramirez, Tommy Hanson, David Blaine, Jordin Sparks, Regis Philbin, Sig Hansen, Shawn Johnson, Summer Sanders, Tony Hawk, Anne Donovan and Stuart Scott. It's interesting to note that David Wright has two mini framed Relics in Ginter -- no other subject does. See more after the jump ... Other odds include: SP: 1:2 Highlight sketches: 1:10 Mini SP: 1:13 Mini A&G back: 1:5 Mini A&G back SP: 1:65 Black-bordered mini: 1:10 Black-bordered mini SP: 1:130 Mini no-number: 1:140 Mini Bazooka: 1:280 Mini Wood: 1:3,542 The toughest of the other mini insert cards are the Creatures of Legend, Myth and Joy at 1:288 Rip Cards are 1:285 Printing plates: 1:799 Framed cloth: 1:365 Cut autographs: 1:110,000 Monsters of the Mseozoic redemptions are 1:174,000, while Framed DNA Relics are 1:200,000 and the book cards are 1:127,825 The Rip Mini cards are Nos. 351-400 and include: Cole Hamels Billy Butler Daisuke Matsuzaka Stephen Drew Ryan Braun Mark Teixeira Chipper Jones Justin Morneau Adrian Gonzalez Dustin Pedroia Miguel Cabrera Carlos Beltran Lance Berkman Kevin Kouzmanoff A.J. Burnett Tim Lincecum Francisco Rodriguez Zack Greinke Andre Ethier Hideki Matsui Alexei Ramirez Grady Sizemore Joe Mauer Adam Lind Kurt Suzuki Rick Porcello Felix Hernandez Albert Pujols Adam Dunn Brandon Webb Pablo Sandoval Chris Young Tommy Hanson Adam Jones Joe Nathan Andy Pettitte Gordon Beckham Alfonso Soriano Hanley Ramirez Torii Hunter Matt Garza Johnny Cueto Prince Fielder Andrew McCutchen Ken Griffey Jr. Ryan Howard Todd Helton Kosuke Fukudome Roy Halladay Matt Kemp The box-toppers also have some steep odds for autographed and Relic versions. The N43 autographs are 1:355 boxes, while the Relics are 1:213. The M43 autos are 1:2,130 boxes, while the Cabinet Relics are 1:5,326 boxes. The final cut autograph checklist includes: Barack Obama Martin Luther King Jr. John Sherman Thomas Jefferson Gerald R. Ford James Madison Franklin Pierce Warren G. Harding James Garfield Ronald Reagan Hillary Rodham Clinton Henry Morgenthau Jr. Benjamin Franklin Tilley James Earle Fraser Hamilton Fish William Mahone John Kingman Joseph Mauborgne Murray Maxwell Sherman Miles That's all for now. Have more questions? Leave a comment or send an email. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor re-sells for $25,000

chrisolds — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 02:35:23 +0000

The Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman has set yet another sales record. The card sold for $25,000 after 75 bids on eBay Monday evening as Robert J. Power, opted to sell the card in the wake of the publicity that the since-removed 1/1 Red autograph generated on the auction block. (The Red autograph, the only card that can presently top the SuperFractor in significance, neared $1 million in bad bids before it the auction was ended this past weekend.) Power's auction ended Monday, topping the previous mark of $16,304 he paid for the card before Strasburg made his MLB debut earlier this month. The new sale sets a record for a SuperFractor. Power said a quick flip of the card wasn't necessarily in his plans, though the card landed him an interview on ESPN's "First Take." He said the 1/1 autograph and the fact that he bought the card before Strasburg's MLB debut prompted his "Hail Mary" attempt at cashing in short-term instead of waiting for the long haul with the highly touted Washington Nationals pitcher. "I saw what the Red auto 1/1 is going for," he previously told Beckett Media. "So I thought I'd throw up a Hail Mary." When pressed to name a price during his ESPN interview, Power said he'd sell the card for $30,000. His reserve on the auction was much lower -- closer to $20,000 territory. After five big-league starts, Strasburg holds a 2-2 record with a 2.27 ERA. However, he has struck out 48 and walked seven in approximately 30 innings of work. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First look: Stephen Strasburg's 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter card

chrisolds — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 19:10:45 +0000

This year's rendition of Allen & Ginter baseball cards from Topps arrives on Wednesday and this will be the card that everyone is seeking. It's Stephen Strasburg's first packed-out MLB Rookie Card, though it won't carry an RC designation because it's only available as a mini insert card. (Inserts, even parallels of RCs, don't get RC tags.) Strasburg does not have a standard card in the set because of his late addition to the product. Read more about Allen & Ginter by clicking here and clicking here for the Box Busters video. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Ubaldo Jimenez's 2007 SuperFractor sells for $4,200

chrisolds — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 20:05:07 +0000

Another day, another big SuperFractor sale. One day after the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman re-sold for $25,000, another 1/1 of a successful pitcher has sold. This time, it's a $4,200 copy of Ubaldo Jimenez's card from 2007. "I bought it 2 1/2 years ago for much less," said Tal Blanchard, who is from Colorado Springs, Colo. "I thought it deserved slightly more. I had $5,000 in mind, but I honestly have gotten a little disillusioned with collectibles lately. I am thinking about liquidating my entire collection in the next few months in favor of more outdoor/exercise pursuits. Just shifting my focus to different things. Still love baseball." Blanchard said that he has followed the pitcher since long before his current run at the history books. He is presently at 14-1 with a 1.83 ERA this season and has been on the upsurge in the hobby. "I have always loved him since they brought him up at the end of '07," he said. "And I'm glad he finally has his control issues in check." And, like other collectors and those who own SuperFractors, he said he marveled at the Strasburg sales. "Can't believe the Strasburg card sold for that much more the second time around," he said. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 3D

chrisolds — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 21:58:31 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPwUflD_Jjw] Beckett Media's Keith Hower, Brian Fleischer and Bryan Hornbeck rip into a box of the latest Star Wars product from Topps in this rather Forceful edition of Box Busters. What will they find? Watch and find out ...

So, have you landed an Allen & Ginter Strasburg card yet?

chrisolds — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:30:07 +0000

Update: At least one copy of the card has been found -- a collector pulled one from a box at Odyssey Cards & Comics in Katy, Texas. By 2:45 p.m., there were just three on eBay. -- By CHRIS OLDS | Beckett Baseball | COMMENTARY There's no question which cards would be hottest out of the gates as the fifth installment of Topps' popular Allen & Ginter baseball card set officially arrives today. It's the last-second addition of a Stephen Strasburg mini card -- and a redemption card for an autograph. Both were expected to be short-printed cards, at least the autograph, with the mini card being at least as tough to find as any of the other 350-plus one-per-pack inserts are. (Ever try building that set out of packs? It takes work.) But, as it turns out, the mini is proving to be a much tougher find. How tough? We asked Brent Williams, an Arkansas-based dealer who specializes in breaking cases in bulk and selling sets, lots and other cards that he finds. "Strasburg is NOT in Ginter," he insisted early Wednesday morning. "I have done 25 cases -- another guy 13, and another 15. Zero Strasburgs. "This is just stupid. No autograph redemptions, either." That's more than 7,000 packs opened by Williams alone -- not one Strasburg. Some Topps officials have stated to customers that the mini was not a Rip Card inclusion, nor was it a super short-print. However, by later Wednesday morning Williams said he had talked to even more dealers and collectors with a total surpassing 100 cases opened -- that's pushing 30,000 packs -- and still no Strasburgs. So, is it a collation problem? Or are the cards much, much more limited than previously believed? Could they be in retail packs still to come? We'll find out as once as a collector finds one. A message to Topps concerning the relative scarcity of the Strasburg was not returned earlier this week -- before the hubbub on this card ignited as the empty mylar wrappers mounted Tuesday evening. The unfortunate part of this whole equation is that for many collectors -- particularly those not part of the prospecting crowd -- this card would have been an easy buying/selling point for the product without being immensely rare or any tougher than any other mini card. Like 2010 Bowman showed, the interest and demand for Strasburg cards right now isn't limited to the rarest of the rare or just the autographed cards. The reasonable possibility of landing a standard Strasburg card has had plenty of collectors buying more packs and boxes than they typically would -- and it has created a healthy secondary market for unopened retail boxes. Allen & Ginter has its own pre-made collecting base -- one with different buying and selling habits (typically a long-term hold instead of a sale) -- one that hasn't perhaps tapped into Strasburg-mania just yet. The madness wouldn't die down if the card in this product were easily attainable -- not yet. While it's compelling to consider the possibilities if Strasburg is a retail-only inclusion in Ginter, I'd think it to be less likely among the potential scenarios. But, again, Topps isn't talking -- perhaps you guys, the collectors, will have something to say? Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Signed Stephen Strasburg 1/1 baseball card heads to Auction House

chrisolds — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:27:17 +0000

The Red 1/1 autograph of Stephen Strasburg from 2010 Bowman struck out on eBay and is now headed to an auction house. Huggins & Scott Auctions, which is based in Silver Spring, Md., is working out a deal with the owner of the rare card to sell it in an upcoming auction, according to a story on NBCWashington.com. The card neared the $1 million mark on eBay but the auction was halted during the weekend as the owner realized that bogus bids were piling up. Once the deal to sell is signed, the bidding will start at $9,000 and run through the latter half of July. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Card Gallery: 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter Relics and Autographs

chrisolds — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:16:36 +0000

The empty wrappers are piling up around the country -- and beyond -- as Topps' always-popular Allen & Ginter baseball card set has arrived. Here's a look at some of the autograph and memorabilia cards that collectors have found so far ... after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

Stephen Strasburg is Topps' sixth Finest Rookie Redemption

chrisolds — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 21:07:30 +0000

Topps revealed its sixth 2010 Finest Rookie Redemption card on Wednesday, and it's Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg. Topps previously announced Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton as No. 5, and that No. 4 was Reds pitcher Mike Leake. Topps' other releases for the set include Cubs rookie Starlin Castro for rookie No. 3, while info on rookie No. 2 can be found here and rookie No. 1 can be found here. After five big-league starts, Strasburg holds a 2-2 record with a 2.27 ERA. However, he has struck out 48 and walked seven in approximately 30 innings of work. Through the rest of the season, Topps will announce the remainder of the players in the 10-card set. Each Finest Master Box includes one Rookie Redemption, which also can be found as Blue Refractors (199 copies) and Gold Refractors (limited to 50). Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Topps: Stephen Strasburg Allen & Ginter mini is not short-printed, after all

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 14:39:46 +0000

Despite a few dealers' large volume of cases opened without finding one, Topps announced on Thursday that the Stephen Strasburg mini card in this year's Allen & Ginter baseball card set is not a short-print. "Stephen Strasburg’s Allen & Ginter base mini card (No. 401) falls at the same rate as any one base mini card in the product," read a company statement. " The difference between Strasburg and the other subjects in the base mini set is that Strasburg’s card does not have any parallels (Allen & Ginter Back, Black Bordered, No Number, Bazooka Back, Silk, Wood and Printing Plate)." Topps also confirmed that, unlike 2010 Bowman, Strasburg's autographed cards can be found in retail packs. Because of Strasburg's late inclusion, his autographed card is a redemption. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Unusual inclusions in Allen & Ginter just keep coming ...

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:34:49 +0000

The annual mystery that is the Allen & Ginter baseball set keeps evolving on the day after the popular Topps product's arrival. From Topps employee autographs to the Jack and the Beanstalk bean Relic card, there seems to be more unusual inclusions than ever. Among them? Fire-eater Hubertus Wawra's torch wicks, champion stacker Max Poser's dominoes, illusionist David Blaine's playing cards, Preston Pittman's turkey caller, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson's leotard, Tony Hawk's skateboard, Rory the flying dog's Frisbees, and juggler Anthony Gatto's pins. And we're sure this is just the start of some of the unusual inclusions ... See them all after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] See even more autograph and base cards from Allen & Ginter by clicking here (autographs) and here (base cards). Below are a few other items related to Ginter, too: Congrats to this year’s Allen & Ginter code winner, Nick Jacoby Hobby Q&A: The latest Allen & Ginter codebreaker, Nick Jacoby Some specifics on 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards First look: Stephen Strasburg’s 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter card So, have you landed an Allen & Ginter Strasburg card yet? Topps: Stephen Strasburg Allen & Ginter mini is not short-printed, after all Texas collector finds first Stephen Strasburg Allen & Ginter autograph redemption Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Texas collector finds first Stephen Strasburg Allen & Ginter autograph redemption

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:28:03 +0000

We all know which player's cards are the "golden ticket" in 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball this year, and one lucky collector from McKinney, Texas, was the first to land the biggest card of them all. Craig Parker discovered a redemption card for a Stephen Strasburg autograph -- a card that has already topped the $1,000 mark on eBay less than 24 hours after he discovered it in a pack at Triple Cards in Plano, Texas. "As I opened my two boxes that I bought last night, I received a light blue redemption card," Parker said. "I really thought it was going to be a game-used jersey or bat card of an obscure player. I look at it closely and could not believe it – a framed auto redemption card of Stephen Strasburg! The guys were giving me high fives and were really happy for me. It was a thrill for me and one I will never forget." The group break was part of the regular "tradition" there at Triple Cards -- evenings where the case-busters gather and help each other complete their sets. "There were a lot of guys there opening boxes and boxes of 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter," Parker said. "When I got there, I asked the group what was the best card anyone has pulled. The best card was a mini No. 401 Strasburg. It was a sweet looking card. I asked if there was a better card and someone replied that an autographed Strasburg was rumored to be in the product." The rest, of course, is history. Parker just wished he had brought a camera. “I have always enjoyed reading your editorials on Beckett and the famous Box Busters videos," he said, "[But] I wanted to share with you my most amazing pull from a pack that I wish I had on video!" Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Rhode Island bartender wins Upper Deck's "Hunt for the Ultimate Man Cave"

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:20:28 +0000

One man cave stood above all the rest -- and it belonged to Roy Lautieri. The 29-year-old bartender from Coventry, R.I., has collected autographs for the last 20 years with an eye on items from Upper Deck Authenticated -- and now he can add a hand-paintedand autographed Michael Jordan jersey to his memorabilia trove as he was the winner of the "Hunt for the Ultimate Man Cave" contest from Upper Deck. “People can debate what the true definition of someone’s ‘man cave’ is,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s sports marketing manager, “but there is no doubt Roy’s ‘man cave’ featured a personal collection that impressed everybody. "He did a terrific job of not only decorating his designated room with valuable sports memorabilia, some of which consists of highly rare 1-of-1’s, but he also submitted a very interesting video entry that kept everybody’s attention with his informative voice-over narration. We had some terrific entries, but nobody else’s came close to the enormity and outstanding player lineup of Roy’s. Plus, his collection is comprised almost entirely of UDA items from the past and present, which was one of the most important parts of our judging criteria.” Click here to watch his video, which was one of more than 50 entries Upper Deck received in the contest. Lautieri focuses on basketball, particularly the Boston Celtics -- a collection that includes autographs and memorabilia from not only Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, John Havlicek, Kevin McHale, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, but also opponents like Dwight Howard, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson and Lamar Odom. “My wife loves the fact that my hobby makes me so happy and she even has a couple of favorites herself including the [Kevin] Garnett Breaking Through,” he said. “On the other hand, she says ‘Babe, don’t you think you have enough autographs? When will it ever end?’ But that is true love for you because she knows it will never end and she’s okay with that. So, I always get her opinion on what I should buy next.” His prized possession is UDA’s “Legends of Sport” lithograph signed by Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan, which retails for $6,000. “Other than my family, Upper Deck is what I live for. It is my passion," he said. "And to be appreciated for my loyalty to you guys means the world to me. It makes me feel that every dollar I’ve ever spent on UDA products was worth it.”

First look: 2010 Topps Update baseball cards

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 21:45:44 +0000

The baseball season isn't even at its half-way point, but that's not stopping the end-of-the-year baseball card product announcements. Topps released the basic product information and preview images for its 2010 Topps Update set on Thursday, a product that will recap the year with all of the latest rookies, traded players and season highlights. The set will include 55 rookies -- including Stephen Strasburg on card No. 661 (a different photo from his Million Card Giveaway card) -- along with Bat Barrel cards, Sketch Cards drawn by the players themselves, Relics from the 2010 All-Star Game and more when it arrives in mid-October. The third and final portion of the 2010 Topps flagship line will include one autograph or Relic per 36-pack hobby box and one autograph and two Relics in every 10-pack HTA Jumbo box. Oh, and there will be a redempion card for a 1/1 Strasburg autograph as well. Back for a third go-round this year will be thee Million Card Giveaway, while the basic set will consist of 330 cards -- 187 veterans, 45 rookies, 10 rookie debuts, 60 All-Stars, eight Home Run Derby cards and 10 Classic Combos. The familiar parallels -- Silk, Platinum, Black, Gold and press plates -- also return along with the insert lines that were found in the previous two series. The Midsummer Classic will have a heavy presence in this product with All-Star Stitches memorabilia and autograph cards as well as All-Star jumbo patches, jumbo patch autographs as well as dual and triple Relics. The Bat Barrel cards are manufactured memorabilia cards but will include a pair of parallels -- black bats (numbered to 25) and pink bats, a nice inclusion given baseball's Mother's Day cancer awareness programs. Those cards are 1/1s. The box-toppers for this product will be Rookie Refractors, which should include Strasburg. For the first time, there will be Sketch Cards made by the players themselves, while the first wave of the You Sketch It sketches from collectors themselves (blank cards were placed in Series 2) will be found in this product as well. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 1 -- An Upper Deck Ice Ilya Kovalchuk, Eric Staal, Martin St. Louis and Shane Doan autographed game-used memorabilia card (only five exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:11:23 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 1 -- An Upper Deck Ice Ilya Kovalchuk, Eric Staal, Martin St. Louis and Shane Doan autographed game-used memorabilia card (only five exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Shane Doan appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 2 -- A pair of multi-player game-used memorabilia cards from 2010 Upper Deck Soccer (players: Fredy Montero, Wilman Conde, Juan Pablo Angel, Luis Miguel Landin and Brian Ching)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:16:21 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 2 -- A pair of multi-player game-used memorabilia cards from 2010 Upper Deck Soccer (players: Fredy Montero, Wilman Conde, Juan Pablo Angel, Luis Miguel Landin and Brian Ching) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does David Beckham appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 3 -- Three racing sets -- 1994 Action Packed Series 1, All World Racing and 2006 Press Pass Premium (with SPs and some inserts)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:20:01 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 3 -- Three racing sets -- 1994 Action Packed Series 1, All World Racing and 2006 Press Pass Premium (with SPs and some inserts) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Richard Petty appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 4 -- A 2008 Topps Football Factory Set (Dallas Cowboys version)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:22:12 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 4 -- A 2008 Topps Football Factory Set (Dallas Cowboys version) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Tony Romo appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 5 -- A Panini Tyler Hansbrough autographed North Carolina promo card

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:25:13 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 5 -- A Panini Tyler Hansbrough autographed North Carolina promo card 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Tyler Hansbrough appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 6 -- A 2010 Allen & Ginter Tommy Bahama World Series shirt memorabilia card (promo)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:27:37 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 6 -- A 2010 Allen & Ginter Tommy Bahama World Series shirt memorabilia card (promo) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards do the New York Yankees appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 7 -- A Tim Lincecum & Andrew Miller 2007 Exquisite Rookie Signatures Draft Duals autograph (only 25 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:31:55 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Contest No. 7 -- A Tim Lincecum & Andrew Miller 2007 Exquisite Rookie Signatures Draft Duals autograph (only 25 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Tim Lincecum appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Tuesday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) -- A holiday weekend's worth of contests for several sports

chrisolds — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 23:39:49 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday where we get cool stiff into collectors' hands just for answering some cardboard trivia on Beckett.com and answering in a comment at the links below. Check out what's up for grabs -- and enter -- on the links found after the jump. It's that simple. No. 1 — An Upper Deck Ice Ilya Kovalchuk, Eric Staal, Martin St. Louis and Shane Doan autographed game-used memorabilia card (only five exist) No. 2 — A pair of multi-player game-used memorabilia cards from 2010 Upper Deck Soccer (players: Fredy Montero, Wilman Conde, Juan Pablo Angel, Luis Miguel Landin and Brian Ching) No. 3 — Three racing sets — 1994 Action Packed Series 1, All World Racing and 2006 Press Pass Premium (with SPs and some inserts) No. 4 — A 2008 Topps Football Factory Set (Dallas Cowboys version) No. 5 — A Panini Tyler Hansbrough autographed North Carolina promo card No. 6 — A 2010 Allen & Ginter Tommy Bahama World Series shirt memorabilia card (promo) No. 7 — A Tim Lincecum & Andrew Miller 2007 Exquisite Rookie Signatures Draft Duals autograph (only 25 exist) Bonus Contest — Win a Brock Lesnar Press Pass Fusion autograph (only 75 exist) CLOSES AT 9 p.m. SATURDAY

Box Busters: 2009-10 Panini Court Kings basketball cards

chrisolds — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:36:57 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXNVbZUOrdA] Beckett Media's Keith Hower and Tracy Hackler rip into a pair of the new 2009-10 Court Kings boxes from Panini America in this episode of Box Busters. What will they find? Watch and find out ...

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Bonus Contest -- Win a Brock Lesnar Press Pass Fusion autograph (only 75 exist)

chrisolds — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:00:54 +0000

***NOW CLOSED*** We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. We will allow multiple entries for this contest, which closes at 9 .m. Central time on Saturday, July 3. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Bonus Contest-- Win a Brock Lesnar Press Pass Fusion autograph (only 75 exist) Note: We'll only award this if Lesnar wins his fight at UFC 116 on Saturday night. If not, the card will live to fight another day (and contest). If his opponent Shane Carwin wins, we will randomly select one of those who entered below (regardless of answer), an autograph of Carwin -- courtesy of Blowoutcards.com. 1. Predict which round Brock Lesnar wins -- and in what fashion. (Example: First round, Submission) To guess more than once, you must enter with a separate post. 2. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Brock Lesnar appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received before 9 p.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First Look: Topps WWE Slam Attax Mayhem

chrisolds — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 19:26:18 +0000

Topps unveiled the latest in its line of Attax trading card games on Friday in WWE Slam Attax Mayhem. The new offering will arrive in late September with a 24 packs per box or starter decks that include 18 cards, one Power card, one Finishing Move or Champions card and a bonus card. The set appears to be similar to the last Attax offering in its lineup -- cards from Raw and Smackdown along with NXT wrestlers as well. (But no Daniel Bryan for the conspiracy theorists.) Also back are Legends, Tag Teams, Championship Belts, Match and Prop cards along with a few other subsets. But there's also a new twist -- General Manager cards -- that "change how the game is played." See more images after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First Look: 2010 Topps Pro Debut Series 2 Minor League Baseball Cards

chrisolds — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:06:15 +0000

Topps released the first look at the second series of its Pro Debut cards for Minor League Baseball on Friday afternoon. The hobby-only product that will arrive in late September packing two autographs and one memorabilia card per 24-pack box as well as eight parallels. The base set will consist of 220 cards with the same parallels -- Red, Gold and Blue as well as printing plates -- while there will be 15 prospect autographs and 20 Debut Cuts (players TBD). The base set also will mark the debut for several 2010 draft picks who will have their first cards as pros in this set. (The preliminary checklist includes more than 60 players TBD.) The autographs will have Red, Gold and Blue parallels as well as printing plates, too. Among the signers on the preliminary checklist are Jesus Montero, Slade Heathcott, Brett Jackson and Christian Friedrich. The Relic selection is deep as there will be 50 All-Star Futures Game jersey cards -- with parallels -- along with book patches, flag patches and red-bordered patch cards. Among the players on the Relic checklist are Tanner Scheppers, Tony Sanchez, Logan Morrison, Eric Hosmer, Lonnie Chisenhall, Mike Moustakas, Grant Green, Domonic Brown, Desmond Jennings, Mike Trout, Yonder Alonso and many others. Insert cards will include Future Foundations (25 players) and Baseball America's Tools of the Trade, a 50-card set. See images after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

What does the future hold for the Bryce Harper SuperFractor?

chrisolds — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:20:19 +0000

The Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman seems to be getting all of the attention these days -- and rightly so when it has generated sales of $16,400 and $25,000 -- but there's one other SuperFractor in the product that could give it a run for its prospecting money. That's the Bryce Harper card. While Strasburg is the talk of the town in Washington, D.C., the 17-year-old Harper is the player who might be doing the same in a year or two. And his SuperFractor was found by Ernest Clinton, a long-time collector from Hopewell Junction, N.Y. He recently received replacement cards for a different SuperFractor redemption, a move he wasn't happy about. So he turned to some Bowman boxes and ripped away. Finding the Harper, of course, made that misery subside. "I was like i cant believe it and it made my day," he said. "That's the reason why I opened the boxes of 2010 Bowman. I was going to sell the packs at a local flea market." While he's already had offers between $4,000 and $5,000, Clinton said he is considering selling the card on eBay -- that's a trendy thing these days considering SuperFractors seem to be getting plenty of attention these days. And it's not just SuperFractors selling well, either. A Red Refractor of Harper's card (five copies exist) graded a BGS 10 recently sold for $13,000 on eBay. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:12:57 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday has come and gone -- and although we're late getting you the results, we hope that for a few of you the result was worth the wait. Were you one of this week's winners? Find out after the jump. If not, be back here on Friday for more chances to win some cool stuff. 1. Wes Malchow 2. Ben Kraft 3. Shannon Hintenach 4. Teresa Wiser 5. Paul Teufer 6. Aaron Hynum 7. Madeline Bagley 8. Jay Mccolister

jay mccolister

EXCLUSIVE: Second sale of Strasburg SuperFractor takes twist

chrisolds — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:44:56 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hZzAVMQtZE] Accountant Robert J. Power's sale of the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor took a twist after his $25,000 eBay auction went bad. His whirlwind month since buying the card for $16,403 led him to Dallas on Tuesday afternoon where he discussed the sale in person with Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds. Who purchased the card? Why? Watch the video. --- Why did Power choose to sell the card -- one that he called a "dream card" less than a month ago? Click here for Part 2 of our interview. --- Click here for Chris Olds' commentary on the Strasburg card.

EXCLUSIVE: Accountant says harassment, negativity prompted sale of Strasburg SuperFractor

chrisolds — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:47:22 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=juT7T_mpItg] Robert J. Power discusses his decision to sell the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor with Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds Tuesday afternoon in Dallas after he completed the transaction. --- See the previous video about the sale by clicking here. --- Click here for Chris Olds' commentary on the Strasburg card.

Strasburg SuperFractor buyer: “Negativity has driven me out”

chrisolds — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 00:49:26 +0000

See two previous interviews with Robert J. Power here (the card's sale) and here (discussing why he sold). --- By Chris Olds | COMMENTARY Stephen Strasburg probably never intended to be a polarizing figure in sports. By nearly all accounts, he’s a confident, quiet superstar in the making – and the results of his first five big-league games reinforce that. Although the 21-year-old Washington Nationals pitcher sports just a 2-2 record, he’s got a 2.27 ERA and 48 strikeouts in his first 30 or so innings of work – good for second place in the history books for the start of an MLB career. By all accounts, this is Major League Baseball’s dream story – a highly successful college power pitcher arrives in a big-market baseball town that’s had little success on the field and becomes the talk of a nation; a “national treasure” as Sports Illustrated screamed from its cover. But among the collecting community, where many have watched thousands of dollars in Strasburg cards sold – and even more money spent on boxes and packs of 2010 Bowman baseball cards -- where Strasburg made his big-league cardboard debut -- the story of the year resonates quite differently, particularly online. Strasburg’s cards have generated resentment, hatred and vast conspiracy theories. As well as harassment. Perhaps its human emotion showing us the best of itself at its worst – anger, greed, envy and maybe a few others – but it’s been fascinating and immensely disappointing to see how something that truly has been the biggest positive story in the hobby, and one of the biggest in baseball since now-disgraced legends were setting slugging records, devolve into hatred, mud-slinging, mock outrage and grandstanding on many a site’s message boards, on blogs and elsewhere. While the negative sentiment is undoubtedly not shared by all collectors, it should be mentioned for posterity that baseball cards are a hobby of the 10-year-old down the street as well as the multi-millionaire -- with the great equalizer being the unknown of what’s inside a wax pack. The millionaire can’t control what the kid may get – and it just might be a one-of-a-kind card the millionaire can’t live without. What costs “too much” for one person may be next-to-nothing for another and that possibility of a market is reflective of just one reason why there are price guides – to show the range of what cards typically command across all types, all collectors in all locations regardless of some individuals’ preferences or stances on a player. Strasburg’s arrival is perhaps the start of a re-birth of sorts for baseball cards, an industry that has been on the decline since dream seasons became tainted realities and those rarities of the boom years of the 1980s have been shown to be more commonplace than thought with the advantages of seeking out cards on the Internet. Despite those struggles for the hobby, it’s apparent that people are latching onto Strasburg’s cards unlike those from previous years. That’s readily apparent when a standard Chrome card of his fetches as much as $60 and when prices of wax boxes are fetching twice – or even three times -- as much as they should. Strasburg’s card is perhaps symbolic of its time, a changing of directions for the hobby itself – perhaps slowly moving away from the gambling and “hits” per box mentality, though the $600 Strasburg autographs show us that aspect of the hobby is alive as ever. No Strasburg card from 2010 Bowman is more symbolic of that than the SuperFractor, which was purchased for $16,403 on May 29 by Michigan-based accountant Robert J. Power. Critics balked at the buying price, citing hype or sheer stupidity, as the mark toppled records for previous SuperFractor sales ($7,000 and change for a signed card, $4,000 and change for one unsigned). However, Power was captivated by the story of baseball’s “Next Big Thing” and has been fortunate enough with his profession that luxuries such as that card are a possibility. “I haven’t purchased any baseball cards or memorabilia in many years,” Power said in a previous interview with Beckett Baseball. “I bought a couple of cards here and there a few years back to fill some of my sets, but nothing like this purchase. I think there has been a lot of negativity recently in sports, so someone like Strasburg coming along is just what sports needs. And a card like this is just what the industry needs to attract both the young collectors, and hopefully to bring back some collectors who have been absent for awhile, like myself.” While Power admitted that a 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente Rookie Card had always been on his wish list, the Strasburg captured his imagination, calling it his dream card – as it would be for anyone who found it in a pack, even the nay-sayers. However, that “dream card” for himself as well as an industry became a personal nightmare. He got a dose of intensified negativity – and brutal reality -- not long after he identified himself as the Strasburg buyer in an interview with Beckett Media, which later led to an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take” morning show. The attention got to the point where he turned down interviews to about the card – the news value being an outrageous sum of money paid for a piece of cardboard; the ultimate novelty story for chatter-starved outlets – and it was after the television interview when the harassment intensified. It started with threatening and negative emails and messages sent through eBay. It escalated into hate-fueled borderline-violent voicemail messages. “I think the ESPN interview really capped it off,” said Power in Dallas Tuesday to complete the second sale of the card. “I think that put it out there to a few more people and people got ahold of my home number, my email and some of the messages were quite shocking. “That’s very unfortunate when we’ve got soldiers dying in Afghanistan and people are throwing profanity at me for a baseball card? It was a letdown, we’ll just say that.” Where does such sentiment from others come from? Are card collectors that negative these days – or that starved for amusement – that it comes to this? The negativity didn’t stop there. Power opted to have his card graded by Beckett Grading Services, a division of Beckett Media’s business operations separate from its publishing and sports data-gathering operations. BGS examines the card under magnification and places the card with a numeric grade between 1 and 10 inside a tamper-proof case. While Power initially contacted Beckett to inquire about grading the card on June 14, he didn’t have the card in his possession when he was interviewed by ESPN on June 18 – the card was en route to BGS, which examined the card on June 22 and gave it a 9.5 grade. (The card’s obvious flaw being its centering.) This, too, inspired more turmoil online as grading "experts" balked at the grade, saying it was too generous and a grade ultimately attributed to being a publicity stunt because it’s a high-profile card – complaints BGS often hears as it is the reputation as being the most strict of any grading service. It also didn’t help the undercurrent of bitterness that plagued Power. Meanwhile, on June 21, the card had been re-listed on eBay with a reserve in the ballpark of $20,000 – a move that sparked even more conspiracy theories and negative reactions, most directed at BGS. (Meanwhile, common sense says most collectors looking to capitalize on mainstream media hype in relation to a sale would wait until after a card is graded to put it on the auction block.) The attempted re-sale of the card surprised me, given the fact that Power seemed quite sold on Strasburg in our previous discussions. However, Power wasn’t going to wait given the ugly messages and threats he had received. Was it the money, the negativity or the stigma that led him to sell what he had said was his dream card? “It was a combination of both,” he said. “Collectors should help each other. I dunno if it’s jealousy but it was just a lot of hatred. That shocked me.” Power’s return to the hobby came close to an end nearly a month after it began with an auction on eBay that closed for $25,000 on June 28. However, even that sale went bad and ultimately the card was sold on Tuesday for $21,403 to Razor Entertainment’s Brian Gray, who will place the card into a forthcoming buyback product. “I still do have high expectations for Stephen Strasburg,” Power said. I think that card is a beautiful card … my intent was not to originally sell it. I wanted to keep it for a number of years.” Power readily admits that he had returned to the hobby, that the Strasburg card and the pitcher’s potential took him back to past years -- ones he fondly remembers growing up collecting cards. “Some of the negativity in the industry now has kind of driven me out, thus changing my opinion to sell the card.” Initially, though, Power was fine with the purchase. “I viewed [the purchase] as a good thing initially,” he said. “I don’t think everyone else did. A lot of negativity kind of affected my decision. I wish I could have owned it longer but it didn’t pan out that way.” And obviously the irony here is that Power is allowed to do whatever he wants with his money – just like anyone else can. Rather than buy a lavish car or something else, he opted for a key card of a baseball player that captured his imagination. “That’s how I viewed it,” he said. “People purchase new cars everyday and once they drive it off the lot they lose $10,000. “I got compared to Bernie Madoff and Ponzi schemes with being an accountant,” he said of messages sent to him and things written about him. “It’s ridiculous. One email, fine. Two, three, four and you just start really thinking ‘This is sad.’” Getting rid of the Strasburg card is bittersweet for him, though he made $5,000 for his month of misery – a month that should really have never happened given the fact that all he did was ... buy ... a ... baseball ... card. “It’s bittersweet," he said. "Anyone can send an email or leave a voicemail. I do believe people overall are still positive. The industry is stronger now [with Strasburg]. I wish I still owned the card but I don’t.” For the most part, Power said his whirlwind affair with the hobby as a result of the Strasburg card has come to an end – with one exception being a card from decades ago that he has always wanted, the Clemente Rookie Card. “I've got all of his cards except that Rookie Card, so now I can take some of these funds, purchase my dream card and maybe leave the industry for another 20 years. When the next Stephen Strasburg comes by, I’ll come back.” Personally, I’m hoping that finally landing his Clemente will change his mind. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. --- ROBERT J. POWER'S TIME WITH STRASBURG May 29 -- Purchases card for $16,403 June 8 -- Strasburg's first start (Power hadn't yet received card) June 15 -- Power becomes publicly known as the buyer and is interviewed by Beckett Media June 16 -- Story on the card hits ESPN's Page 2 June 18 -- Power appears on ESPN's "First Take" (after sending the card to BGS) June 21 -- The card is re-listed on eBay June 22 -- The card is graded by BGS June 28 -- eBay auction ends at $25,000, but top bidder backs out July 6 -- The card is sold for $21,403 to Razor Entertainment for placement in a buy-back product; Power sits down with Beckett Media to discuss it all

Hey everybody... Tonight is Rojo Johnson Bobblehead Night!

chrisolds — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:16:57 +0000

The Round Rock Express can't get enough of their one-pitch wonder. Tonight, the first 2,500 fans who enter the gates for the Houston Astros' Triple-A affiliate's game against the Memphis Redbirds get a free bobblehead doll of the pitcher who made quite an impact earlier this year, Rojo Johnson. Also known as Will Ferrell, Johnson also now appears on at least two fully authorized minor league baseball cards and he will have certified autographs coming later this year for charity. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Preview Gallery: 2010 Topps Sterling

chrisolds — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:47:48 +0000

Topps released the following preview images for its forthcoming 2010 Topps Sterling baseball card set. We'll have more on the product when it's available, but until then check out the images after the jump ... [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Topps will release Strasburg redemption card at All-Star Fanfest

chrisolds — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 00:34:02 +0000

Do you have all of Stephen Strasburg's baseball cards yet? Topps will have a wrapper redemption program beginning at the All-Star Fanfest on Friday in Anaheim, Calif. -- and the star rookie was a last-minute addition to the program's lineup, according to Jim Tripodi, a Pennsylvania-based dealer. Topps has not formally announced the card. Collectors who open three packs of Topps cards at the booth can get the Strasburg as well as cards of Kendry Morales, Hideki Matsui, Torii Hunter, Rod Carew and Nolan Ryan. There will be just 300 of each card given out during each day of the five-day event. To download and view a list of the autograph guests for the event, click the link below. 2010_Legends_Appearances Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

How much of LeBron's polished legacy is now gone?

chrisolds — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 15:05:58 +0000

By CHRIS OLDS | COMMENTARY We all know how "The Decision" played out on Thursday night from Greenwich, Conn. But have we really thought about how "The Decision" has played out on our sports cards and memorabilia? While some (rightfully so) believe it will spark a frenzy of interest in LeBron James' future sports cards and memorabilia, I couldn't help but wonder if the backlash of "The Decision" will counter that. And it didn't take long for me to see an example of that Friday morning when I turned on my Twitter account and saw that one of my newspaper Tweeps had passed along a link to today's cover of The Plain Dealer, the Cleveland newspaper. There's no need for the childish burning of jerseys -- the damage is already done. Cleveland's icon is gone -- perhaps as is many a fan's interest in James (and the Cavs) in that area. But the simple pair of headlines -- "Gone." and a smaller, more subtle shot, "7 years, $62 million, no rings." -- makes you wonder if more is, indeed, gone from the aura that was King James. If he wins with his new crafted "Dream Team," then the backlash won't last long -- it would probably only linger in The Heartland. But if he doesn't? It might not be fixable. Of course, it might be trendy to paint James as Public Enemy No. 1 for his "leaving home" for the gloss of South Beach -- a franchise with but one title and a good bit of past mediocrity and underachievement in its past -- but at the same time he did something that just doesn't happen much in sports. He took less money to play elsewhere. (Granted, he gets some of that money back with Florida not having state income taxes.) He left and joined some pals -- who will do the same -- to try and build a winner. For all of the vitriol that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert spewed in his now-infamous letter, LeBron took dramatic steps toward doing something that, ultimately, Gilbert never did. Building a winner may or may not happen in Miami, either -- Dan Marino played there, too, you know -- but the trio signed there certainly trumps anything Gilbert might have tried. (And it's worth noting that a letter like that certainly keeps angry fans off Gilbert's back for James' departure.) However it was the owner's comments that James quit on his team during the playoffs that will leave a bitter taste in a few fans' (and collectors') mouths as well -- unless James & Co. win it all. Could there be more to come out about the goings-on behind "The Decision" as well? Gilbert's comments led me to believe it could be coming. There's no doubt that trading Cleveland for a bigger-market team like Miami should spark interest in James' cards and memorabilia -- more attention from a big market often means more money spent. A high-profile player's first cards with a new team always command more attention than similar cards from the past, too. (We've seen it countless times in many sports.) However, "The Decision" and the dirty laundry that it has spawned just might make those Cavs items less-appealing than ever. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

What's up for grabs at The National Sports Collectors Convention?

chrisolds — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:27:25 +0000

Topps has unveiled its limited edition cards for the National Sports Collectors Convention, which will take place about a month from now in Baltimore, Md. For the last few years, the longest-running manufacturer of baseball cards — and the lone MLB licensee — did not have a presence at the show, but this year the company will be there. And, the first portion of that presence is being in the $119 VIP goody bag. Topps will produce a five -card set for the show in the style of 1960 Topps -- two Mickey Mantle cards (only one version per bag), a Nolan Ryan, a Yogi Berra and a Cal Ripken Jr. While there will undoubtedly be more promotions, wrapper redemptions and other specially made cards for the event, here's a rundown (and a gallery of images) of the other VIP freebies and other show-exclusive cards after the jump. Press Pass will produce a six-card NASCAR set, which will include Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Danica Patrick. All but Patrick will be in the gift bags. Her card will be available at the Press Pass booth. Upper Deck will have a six-card set for VIP “Sneak Peek” Day (Wednesday, Aug, 4). The set will include LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky among others. During the show, UD will hold its wrapper redemption program where collectors will receive one of four show-exclusive five-card sets. There will be different sets each day. Among the players will be Jordan, Julius Erving, James, Gordie Howe, Sidney Crosby, Tiger Woods, Gretzky and David Robinson. Howe, James and Jordan autographs will be randomly inserted into the sets. Upper Deck also will have a 10-card “Million Pack March for the Troops” set at The National. The cards will include Jordan (only available during VIP “Sneak Peek” Day), Robinson, James, Mike Modano and more. FCB will have a four-card set free for show attendees, which includes Pedro Alvarez, Matt Wieters, Casey Kelley and Brett Lawrie. The set will have rarer parallel versions as well. FCB also will have a few autograph guests who will sign free for attendees. They include Blue Jays relief pitcher Dirk Hayhurst, Red Sox prospect Junichi Tazawa and Orioles prospect Josh Bell. PSA will have a copy of the Collecting Sports Legends: The Ultimate Hobby Guide hardback book ($35 cover price) in each VIP bag as well as a copy of its Sportscard Market Report, which will be given to the first 5,000 attendees. Panini America has not yet announced its National exclusives, but as the only company licensed to produce NFL, NHL and NBA cards, you can expect a healthy presence. TRISTAR has not yet announced any show-exclusives, but the company is in charge of all of the autograph guests. Here's a rundown of guests signing at the show. Blowout Cards announced earlier this summer that as part of the “Sneak Peek” it is giving that night's attendees a ticket to a Baltimore Orioles game. SuperVIP package buyers will receive two Orioles tickets good for Wednesday-Saturday nights. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

Preview Gallery: 2009-10 National Treasures Basketball

chrisolds — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 20:50:32 +0000

Panini America's first National Treasures basketball set is ready to arrive in just under a month and the high-end product is chock-full of autographs and autographed patch cards. Treasures will include eight cards in each $400 pack when it arrives on Aug. 4 with each box including six autographs and memorabilia cards along with just one base card numbered to 99. Get a look at some of what's in store after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

Bustin' Wax: 1979 O-Pee-Chee baseball cards

chrisolds — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 21:22:12 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kS5-_eeHAjk]

Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds opens a 31-year-old pack of 1979 O-Pee-Chee cards -- so you don't have to -- in what we hope will be the first in an occasional series of vintage pack breaks called Bustin' Wax. What will he find inside? Watch and find out ... While he didn't admit it in the video, this is the oldest pack that Olds has ever opened. (That's excusable since he started collecting in 1987, we guess...) His previous-oldest was a pack of 1982 Topps. We want to know -- when did you start collecting and what's your oldest ripped pack? Tell us below.

George Steinbrenner's legacy of winning with New York Yankees is not reflected on baseball cards

chrisolds — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:03:03 +0000

George Steinbrenner -- one of the most polarizing but successful owners in Major League Baseball history -- died at age 80 Tuesday morning. Steinbrenner bought the New York Yankees in 1973 and amassed seven World Series titles and 11 pennants in his time at the helm. Despite that success and his status as the highest-profile owner in the game, Steinbrenner never appeared on a standard-issue baseball card made by a major manufacturer. In fact, Steinbrenner appears on just 15 items in the Beckett.com database -- the lone highlights being four 1/1 cut autograph cards made by SportKings and Upper Deck in 2008 and 2009. Three of those cut autographs come in the Yankee Stadium Legacy Moments in Time Dual Cut Signatures set, pairing him with others who are tied to memorable moments in the stadium's history. The card above features Steinbrenner's signature along with Nelson Mandela, who made one of his first stops after 27 years in prison at an appearance in the stadium. The other two cuts from the set include Steinbrenner with actor Jason Alexander (an obvious Seinfeld reference) and a card with former Yankees owner Jacob Ruppert. Steinbrenner's autographed items are already proving to be volatile on the auction block with signed jerseys, baseballs and documents being the priciest items. (Whether those items sell remains to be seen.) While his signature may be plentiful, his status in the game should command some strong prices -- so buyers should exercise caution and buy only certified signatures or items from trusted dealers. Other memorable items -- such as his Sports Illustrated cover appearances -- should make for of-interest lower-end items for collectors hoping to pick something up. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Strasburg 1/1 Red autograph set to hit auction block with Huggins and Scott

chrisolds — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:31:22 +0000

The premiere Stephen Strasburg card from 2010 Bowman -- his 1/1 Red autograph -- will hit the auction block on Wednesday as part of Huggins and Scott's worldwide sports memorabilia catalog auction that runs through July 28. Also on the block is an uncut sheet of 1954 Topps baseball cards -- which includes a Hank Aaron Rookie Card -- but the most talked-about card in the Silver Spring, Md.-based company's auction of more than 800 lots is the Strasburg, which was found by a collector in Florida who initially opted for an eBay auction that ended with plenty of bad bids. That card will start with an opening bid of $9,000. Huggins and Scott cited rapid growth in the last year, which has prompted he company to double the frequency of its catalog auctions. It is now offering up to six auctions a year -- the next to come in September. "Our upcoming July auction will produce an industry stir as the company offers unique and rare items such as the Strasburg 1-of-1 and the 1954 Topps uncut sheet," said the company's head writer, Kevin Heffner. "But the company has many great items slated for our September sale, with many items to be displayed at The National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore this August." The Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman has been sold twice since it was discovered -- on eBay for $16,403 and to Razor Entertainment's Brian Gray for $21,403.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner is the seventh Finest Rookie Redemption

chrisolds — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:29:34 +0000

Topps revealed its seventh 2010 Finest Rookie Redemption card on Tuesday, and it's Chicago Cubs pitcher Andrew Cashner -- and it's autographed. Topps previously announced Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg as No. 6, Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton as No. 5, and that No. 4 was Reds pitcher Mike Leake. Topps' other releases for the set include Cubs rookie Starlin Castro for rookie No. 3, while info on rookie No. 2 can be found here and rookie No. 1 can be found here. Cashner is 0-3 with a2.41 ERA for the Cubs this season. He has 15 strikeouts in 18-plus innings of work. Through the rest of the season, Topps will announce the remainder of the players in the 10-card set. Each Finest Master Box includes one Rookie Redemption, which also can be found as Blue Refractors (199 copies) and Gold Refractors (limited to 50). Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Detroit Tigers OF Brennan Boesch is third Topps Red Hot Rookie

chrisolds — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 14:54:25 +0000

Topps unveiled the third of its 2010 Red Hot Rookies on Wednesday morning and this one's Detroit Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch. Boesch is hitting .342 with 12 homers and 49 RBI in 65 games this season. The Red Hot Rookie redemptions are found one per hobby box of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball cards. The remainder of the 10-card set will be announced throughout the remainder of the season. Previous RHRs include Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata (No. 2) and Indians catcher Carlos Santana (No. 1.) Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: 2009-10 Panini Crown Royale basketball cards

chrisolds — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 15:36:00 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQovvumFxs0] Join Beckett Media's Keith Hower and Tracy Hackler as they bust into a pair of 2009-10 Panini Crown Royale basketball cards from Panini America in this latest edition of Box Busters. What will they find in their boxes of this not-even-out-yet product? Watch and find out.

If you've got a big head, New Era just might have a surprise for you, too

chrisolds — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:44:01 +0000

I sit in a pretty good seat in the ol' hobby these days, but it's one that also includes a flame-filled one-liner or two sent my way from time to time. I've been told a few things -- and called a few others -- on occasion. And I've been told I have a big head. Don't I know that. I know that every time I see the latest cool cap from New Era, the official manufacturer of on-field MLB caps. You know those off-color or all-white or all-black versions of your favorite MLB team's cap? Every time I see them, I know they're not for me. Every time I see the phrase "one size fits all," I know better. Every time I see "adjustable," I know it only works for me if I add a panel -- or maybe some duct tape or a bungee cord. You see, I have a noggin (one so full of baseball card knowledge, I'm sure) that makes Kevin Mench blush. The former Texas Ranger -- not Barry Bonds -- was known for having the biggest head in baseball. (I know, it's also hard to believe it's not Alex Rodriguez.) Mench was known for his size-8 cap -- not a size that most stores stock, at least not these days where a full array of fitted caps for every MLB team is often a rarity. A decade ago? Maybe. Big hair can make a difference at times, too, when it comes to a cap fitting well. But the caps seen above aren't reflective of the before and after needed to rein in Tracy Hackler's now-missing HackFro™ -- nor are they my cap and that of a normal noggin. It's my latest cap and one of the size 4 1/4 mini caps that New Era makes and sells as a novelty. A novelty. I'd laugh at that cap more often if it wasn't so hard to find. (No joke; I've never seen any minis except for the one I own. Despite that, I think they're great autograph items if you're looking for a new niche.) Every cap seems like a mini when you can't wear it, though, and on a whim recently I checked New Era's website. While there, I just happened to notice that the Buffalo, N.Y.-based company carried caps that were more-than Mench-sized for my Oakland A's -- not for many other teams. (Go figure.) There were six sizes available above a size 8 -- which I can technically wear (uncomfortably) if I break it in ... a lot. It's been a few years since I had bought a cap on the site as even New Era had seemed to cut back on its selection -- at least when it came to size. But not now. Not for Oakland. After such a discovery, though, I couldn't help but pick one up and it arrived today. The irony? This one might be a little too big. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

And you wonder why players don't like signing: Example No. 3,772,695

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:18:42 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrEQlSdCceA&feature=player_embedded] This YouTube video from All-Star FanFest is making the rounds where a pushy adult insults Hall of Famer Gary Carter for not signing a pair of photos for kids. (He was instead signing All-Star FanFest autograph sheets and cards.) While a player has the right to sign (or not sign) whatever he wants, the spectacle was made and the adult should look like a fool of much larger proportion than what he tried to make out Carter to be. Obviously "the fans" in the video never saw Carter play -- they weren't old enough to be alive back in 1992, his last season. The sad thing? The photos were signed for "the fans" after the stunt, anyway. And $50 says they're on eBay right now. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Florida Marlins OF Mike Stanton is Topps' Fourth Red Hot Rookie

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 15:33:39 +0000

Topps unveiled the fourth of its 2010 Red Hot Rookies on Thursday morning and this one's Florida Marlins outfielder Mike Stanton. Stanton is hitting .231with five homers and 20 RBI in 28 games this season. The Red Hot Rookie redemptions are found one per hobby box of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball cards. The remainder of the 10-card set will be announced throughout the remainder of the season. Previous RHRs include Tigers outfielder Brennan Boesch (No. 3), Pirates outfielder Jose Tabata (No. 2) and Indians catcher Carlos Santana (No. 1). Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Hobby-minded journalist John Leptich dies at 60

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 19:54:39 +0000

By Mike Sakal John Leptich, a former contributor of stories for Beckett Media during its early years who was a longtime Chicago and Arizona journalist that covered a story about the great debacle of the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie card when an Illinois card shop clerk mistakenly sold it to a 12-year-old boy for $12 instead of $1,200 what it was worth then, has died. Leptich, 60, of Glendale, Arizona, whose stories in the Chicago Tribune in 1992 also were instrumental in persuading the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., to put Willie Mays’ glove on permanent display that he wore when he made “The Catch” in Game 1 of the 1954 World Series, lost his long and hard-fought battle with bone marrow cancer on July 6 with his family by his side at Banner Thunderbird Hospital in Glendale, Ariz. Leptich, an avid Chicago Cubs and sports fan with a penchant for pizza and chasing autographs of professional athletes for decades, worked for the East Valley and Scottsdale Tribune in Arizona from 1997 to late 2008, when he joined Freeport McMoRan Copper and Gold (formerly Phelps Dodge) in Phoenix as an internal communications specialist. A native of Chicago who frequented Wrigley Field where he met his wife-to-be in 1975, Leptich had relocated to Arizona in 1995 after working 16 years for the Chicago Tribune as a sports writer and sports copy editor. While there in 1984, he co-authored a book, This Date in St. Louis Cardinals History. Described by his family or colleagues as “personable,” “tenacious” or “old-school” when it came to collecting and his profession, Leptich gained national notoriety for the 1990 story about Bryan Wrzesinski, the 12-year-old boy who bought the Ryan rookie card for $12 at Joe Irmen’s Ball-Mart, a Chicago suburb card shop when a store clerk mistakenly sold it to the middle schooler for the bargain-basement price. Irmen later sued Wrzenski in small claims court to get the card or the difference of $1,188, but the dispute was later settled when the card resurfaced and was sold at an auction with the proceeds going to charity. The card fetched a whopping $24,500. The story landed Leptich an appearance on the late-night news television show “Nightline” and the story in the Tribune was selected in 1991 by the Associated Press Sports Editors as one of the Top 10 Sports Stories in the United States. Leptich was as equally as proud about his 1992 stories connected to “The Catch,” the one Mays made in the eighth-inning of Game 1 in the 1954 World Series for the New York Giants enroute to beating the Cleveland Indians, 5-2, on Dusty Rhodes’ three-run homer in the 10th inning. Craig Liddle, a sixth-grade schoolteacher and the son of former Giants pitcher Don Liddle, who threw the pitch to Wertz that he hit to deep right-center field, had the glove tucked away for years in a safety deposit box. Mays gave Liddle the glove in 1955. Liddle was six years old then, and when the Liddle family was sitting behind Mays and Ruben Gomez on a flight to St. Louis when the Liddle family was talking about Craig was getting ready to start playing Little League. Mays went up to Liddle with the glove and said, “I heard you’re going to start playing ball,” Mays said. “You’re going to need a glove.” Mays reached out - and handed Liddle his Rawlings HH model glove – and Liddle used it throughout Little League. In the early 1990s, Liddle expressed interest in loaning the glove to the Hall of Fame. However, Hall of Fame officials told Liddle they would love to have the glove, but they could not guarantee that it would be on permanent display. After Leptich got wind of that story, he interviewed the Liddles about their request and the story ran. When Craig Liddle was flooded with offers from people wanting to buy the glove for large sums of money, the Hall of Fame quickly reconsidered what it initially told him and said they could find a permanent place for the glove, so Liddle donated it. Leptich’s career had many other highlights and he helped friends pull off good work. In 2004, when pitcher Greg Maddux won his 300th game against the San Francisco Giants as a member of the Chicago Cubs, Allen Cone, a former sports copy editor and page designer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, sought Leptich’s advice for a four-page special section about the Las Vegas native’s career published on Aug., 8, 2004. Leptich and Cone had worked together at the East Valley Tribune in the late 1990s. “He was a great help,” Cone said, who still stayed in touch with Leptich. “Because of him, he put me in touch with the right people at Topps, who e-mailed me jpeg files of all of Maddux’s cards beginning with his rookie card. We placed the cards at the top and bottom of one of the pages in the section. It was a pretty cool page. When people saw that page, they always commented on it. It was a nice thing. John knew a lot of people in the collectibles business.” While at the East Valley Tribune, Leptich worked in various capacities, including managing editor of Scottsdale Views, and later writing the popular community columns "Our Scottsdale" and "Everyday People,” a column he enjoyed writing and included interviews with former Cubs third baseman and WGN Cubs broadcaster Ron Santo being placed on the ballot for the Hall of Fame and former catcher and Hall of Fame broadcaster Joe Garagiola when he released his latest book, “Just Play Ball.” While interviewing Garagiola at his home, Leptich discovered another aspect about the famous picture of “The Catch” not known to many – In full-view, panoramic views of the picture, the face of a bald-headed guy can be seen looking out of the upper level team clubhouse window above the fence down on Mays as he made the catch – the face in the window is Garagiola, who was on the Giants’ roster then. The picture was signed, “To Joe: You had the best seat in the house.” Garagiola said of Mays making “The Catch”: “I could see his eyes.” As a teenager, Leptich was the president of the Fergie Jenkins Fan Club, the Hall of Fame pitcher who played for the Chicago Cubs early in his career and retired as an active player from the team in 1983. Leptich, who lived in Glendale, and Jenkins, who lives in Anthem, remained in touch through the years and often spoke during the various Old-Timer benefit games held during spring training. Leptich also wrote the story about Jenkins’ retirement from baseball for the Chicago Tribune in 1983. Jenkins said he first met Leptich when he was a teenager in 1966 soon after Jenkins was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Cubs. Leptich, who also was a big Chicago Blackhawks hockey fan, had asked Jenkins for some autographs and came to Cubs games. Soon after, Leptich invited Jenkins and his first wife, Kathy, to his home for dinner with his parents, and Jenkins accepted. “He was a good man,” Jenkins said. “He was hard-working, and when he worked for the Tribune, he wanted to write good stories. Sports was his life. Unfortunately, he fought cancer for several years, and battled it as long as he could until it took his life. He was a happy individual who enjoyed working and he loved his kids and family. He was a good friend.” While Leptich was out of the newspaper business for two years in Arizona, he worked for Evening Star Productions (now LiveNation), a concert promotion firm owned by Danny Zelisko, a childhood friend, whom he met at Wrigley Field in 1963. Even back then, Leptich had enthusiasm for the hobby and offered Zelisko some advice. Zelisko said he showed up at Wrigley and had a stack of baseball cards he hoped to get autographed. “John said, “Can I see those?,” Zelisko said. “When John was looking at them, he says, ‘You’re not going to get these signed are you?’ Well, I hope to!, Zelisko said. Leptich then told him, “You’ll mess them up if you get them signed. You want to leave them exactly the way they are. Get them to sign an index card. But if you’re going to get your cards signed, make sure to get a second one.” Leptich, also was described as an “expert” of sports memorabilia, and was registered as an expert witness to testify in hearings dealing with sports memorabilia when authenticity or if other issues arose. Leptich’s cousin, Mike Leptich, of Chandler, Arizona, was quick to point out that if there was a piece of sports memorabilia or something commemorating a Cubs event or if it had to do with one of his favorite team’s, said, “John had to have it. Whether it was s shirt or a cap, he would go out and get it right away. He didn’t mess around.” Diagnosed with cancer in 2005, Leptich remained positive and upbeat. "Besides being a genuinely positive force in the newsroom, a talented writer and energetic reporter, the thing that always struck me about John was how much he loved his family," said former Scottsdale Tribune City Editor Bill Bertolino. "He often spoke about his wife and daughters, and how family was the most important thing in his life." Bertolino said Leptich underwent regular medical treatments while working at the newspaper. "But if you didn't know him, you'd never know it," Bertolino said. "He never complained, and he always kept a positive attitude - and a repertoire of one-liners and jokes to keep the vibe in the newsroom upbeat and loose." Last year, Leptich won first place in the Arizona Press Club's writing contest, breaking news category, for a story about a woman who saved her six children from a burning house trailer. The story also won first place in the best news story category of the Associated Press Managing Editors/Arizona Newspaper Association's writing contest. Leptich is survived by his wife, Rosa Leptich; daughter Arielle Leptich; and daughter Amanda Blagg and her husband Marc. He also is survived by one grandson, Jameson Edward Blagg. Services have been held and the Leptich family is requesting that donations be made to the Myeloma Research Foundation.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 1 — A BGS Uncirculated New York Yankees World Series Commemorative Sports Illustrated issue (only 50 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:50:31 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 1 -- A BGS Uncirculated New York Yankees World Series Commemorative Sports Illustrated issue (only 50 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com/SI, what date was this issue published -- and how much does it cost for an Uncirculated issue? 2. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Derek Jeter appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 2 — A BGS Uncirculated U.S. World Cup Sports Illustrated issue (only 35 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:53:34 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 2 -- A BGS Uncirculated U.S. World Cup Sports Illustrated issue (only 35 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com/SI, what date was this issue published -- and how much does it cost for an Uncirculated issue? 2. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Landon Donovan appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 — A Casey McGehee 2009 Bowman Sterling Autograph (only 199 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:56:31 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 -- A Casey McGehee 2009 Bowman Sterling Autograph (only 199 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Casey McGehee appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 — A pair of Dez Bryant and Jordan Shipley 2010 Donruss Elite cards (only 999 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:01:52 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 -- A pair of Dez Bryant and Jordan Shipley 2010 Donruss Elite cards (only 999 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Dez Bryant appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 — A TRISTAR TNA The New Era Mick Foley & Abyss dual autograph (only 25 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:04:47 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 -- A TRISTAR TNA The New Era Mick Foley & Abyss dual autograph (only 25 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total cards does Mick Foley appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 6 — A Ryan Grant 2010 Donruss Elite Prime Targets game-used patch card (only 50 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:07:21 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 6 -- A Ryan Grant 2010 Donruss Elite Prime Targets game-used patch card (only 50 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many memorabilia cards does Ryan Grant appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 7 — A Tony Parker 2009-10 Crown Royale autograph card (only 99 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:09:55 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 7 -- A Tony Parker 2009-10 Crown Royale autograph card (only 99 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Tony Parker appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) — Seven chances to win big this week

chrisolds — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:16:38 +0000

Free Stuff Friday -- our tradition that gets cool stuff into readers' hands just for answering card-related trivia from Beckett.com -- is back. Here's the lineup of contests for this week, which includes some New York Yankees, MLB, World Cup soccer and much more. Enter the contests at the links below. No. 1 — A BGS Uncirculated New York Yankees World Series Commemorative Sports Illustrated issue (only 50 exist) No. 2 — A BGS Uncirculated U.S. World Cup Sports Illustrated issue (only 35 exist) No. 3 — A Casey McGehee 2009 Bowman Sterling Autograph (only 199 exist) No. 4 — A pair of Dez Bryant and Jordan Shipley 2010 Donruss Elite cards (only 999 exist) No. 5 — A TRISTAR TNA The New Era Mick Foley & Abyss dual autograph (only 25 exist) No. 6 — A Ryan Grant 2010 Donruss Elite Prime Targets game-used patch card (only 50 exist) No. 7 — A Tony Parker 2009-10 Crown Royale autograph card (only 99 exist)

Bustin' wax: 2009 Topps American Heritage

chrisolds — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:40:34 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbaDGkbEyy8] Join Beckett Media's Chris Olds as he rips into a blaster box of 2009 Topps American Heritage -- a throwback box break just for fun. What will he find inside this history-laden Blaster Box? Watch and find out.

Bustin' Wax: WWE Heritage III Chrome (2008)

chrisolds — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:23:06 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5BTVLLrumY] Join Beckett Media's Chris Olds as he rips into a hobby box of 2008 WWE Heritage III Chrome wrestling cards from Topps in yet another throwback box break. What will he find? Watch Part 1 and find out above. Find Part 2 after the jump... PART 2 [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7bgGJXKycA]

Panini to make CLC-approved Elite Extra Edition baseball set

chrisolds — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:34:08 +0000

Panini announced on Friday that it will return to the baseball card market with 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition, a fully licensed release approved by the Collegiate Licensing Company. The set will include 200 players, 100 of those autographed, with each hobby box including six autographs when it arrives in September. Each 20-box case will include four Hot Boxes, which will include 10 autographs. We'll have more on this product when it becomes available. Upper Deck had signed an exclusive with the CLC earlier this year, but it appears that deal has been modified with the announcement of this product.

Guest commentary: Sports Art For Less Than $100,000

chrisolds — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 13:29:32 +0000

by Russ Cohen There is an eBay auction that caught my eye specifically because it had some “vintage” New York Rangers included in it. This 1968 Leroy Neiman oil painted masterpiece is valued at around $200,000 but the 89-year-old painter will let it go for $89,000. The players involved are pretty special. That “No. 1” for the Rangers was Eddie Giacomin and his number has been hanging from the rafters from Madison Square Garden since 1989. It was the second number retired by the franchise. I love the way he’s playing so deep in the net (without a mask), very few goalies do that these days. No. 15 “The Chief” Jim Neilson was a steady blueliner for the Blueshirts for a dozen seasons. No doubt he was keeping the crease clear for Giacomin. Now No. 26 is a mystery because the Rangers didn’t have a player with that number on the roster that season. What probably happened was the artist misread the player’s number and that’s how you get 26. After further review I believe that’s No. 16, another defenseman, Rod Seiling. A very solid player and that player in the painting looks to be six feet tall. No. 4 on St. Louis was Noel Picard (later in his career his famous trip of Bobby Orr gave him flight on that famous game-winner in the 1970 Stanley Cup) and No. 7 Gordon “Red” Berenson, who went on to be a famous NCAA coach for the University of Michigan. He has led that team to 10 Frozen Four Championships and two National Championships. During that ’68 season Berenson potted six goals against the Philadelphia Flyers. If one has the cash, they shouldn't let this one get away ...

Topps readies 2010 Topps Sterling baseball cards -- with Stephen Strasburg autographed Relics

chrisolds — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 18:16:02 +0000

Topps Sterling baseball returns for yet another season, arriving in early November with one autographed Relic or Relic limited to 10 or fewer copies along with a second Relic numbered to 25 in each and every box. The company released the basic preview information -- product checklist, images and breakdown -- on Saturday. Last year, the product introduced theme boxes, rather than player-focused assortments, and this year Topps has two new themes to be found among the various mixes -- one for the first Hall of Fame Class, one for "The Five Ring Club" and one for "Rookie Phenoms." That last one includes a teaser ... "you know who" ... in the sales materials. Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg is listed on three autographed Relic cards in the preliminary checklist -- 0ne three-piece autograph, one four-piece autograph and one five-piece autograph -- all in the Touched By Greatness set. He and Jason Heyward are the only active rookies on those higher-end card checklists. Strasburg also can be found on the Relic and autographed Relic checklists. Besides those two hot rookies and a small selection of active players, the product appears to be laden with Hall of Fame-caliber names from the past -- and a whole lot of memorabilia cards. There are 20 Sterling Cut Signature Relics cards, a lineup that includes Honus Wagner, Yaz, Frank Robinson, Mike Piazza, Bo Jackson, Bobby Doerr, Stan Musial, Yogi Berra, Willie McCovey, Mariano Rivera and more. The Sterling Pairs Cut Signatures preliminary checklist includes Roy Campanella and Thurman Munson, Ty Cobb andTris Speaker, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, Jackie Robinson and Larry Doby, Mickey Mantle and Mel Ott, Eddie Mathews and Roger Maris as well as several other combos. That set includes 10 cards. The autograph and Relic checklist is where things loosen up with more active players -- everyone from the likes of Andre Ethier to Ulbaldo Jimenez can be found along with Hall of Famers and other memorable players from the past. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

TRISTAR will launch latest TNA Wrestling set -- TNA Icons -- with appearances at National Sports Collectors Convention

chrisolds — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:14:17 +0000

TRISTAR unveiled its latest TNA Wrestling card set -- TNA Icons -- on Saturday and it will launch the latest product with appearances from several wrestlers at the National Sports Collectors Convention early next month in Baltimore, Md. Among TRISTAR's guests will be Mick Foley, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Velvet Sky, Madison Rayne and Lacey Von Erich. Each of the TNA stars will appear on Saturday, Aug. 7, and will meet and greet fans at the event while also working autograph sessions. TRISTAR has a Championship Package available for fans, which includes one of 400 limited edition TNA Icons boxes. Also included in the $129 package are two autographs on any items from all six wrestlers, four photo opportunities with the stars, and a show special TNA grab bag that will include show-exclusive cards. The limited edition boxes will include a National-exclusive autograph card of one of the guests -- or Hulk Hogan. Single autograph tickets for each of the TNA stars are also available. See more images and learn more about the product after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] The TNA Icons set will include 100 cards that focus on TNA's finest and there will be just 100 cases of the product made. It will launch at The National before being officially released the following week on Aug. 11. There will be two autograph cards, one memorabilia card and one parallel card numbered to 25 or less in every 20-pack box. Among the highlights are cards with six autographs -- one with Hogan, Ric Flair, Sting, Foley, Kevin Nash and Jeff Jarrett -- while there will be three- and two-autograph cards to be found as well. There are multi-piece memorabilia cards for several stars along with Iconigraph autograph cards that include inscriptions. For Hogan, there are two additional sets -- Hogangraphs, which are 1/1 autographs (30 cards made) and Hogan Bandanna cards, which can spell his name via the die-cut openings for the memorabilia pieces. (They, of course, come in red, yellow and black to suit the moods/eras of all Hulkamaniacs.) The base set will consist of several subsets, including Icons, Signature Moves, Red Yellow Write, Icons: The Next Generation, By The Numbers, Sugar & Spice, Sounds off and Countdown to Lockdown. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

TRISTAR's Obak returns at The National

chrisolds — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:59:31 +0000

Obak is back once again. TRISTAR's tobacco card-styled Obak baseball set, which arrived last year about a century after its namesake, will return for 2010 with a debut at the National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore, Md. , early next month. This year's Obak set marks the 100th anniversary of the originals and each and every card will be printed on old-style recycled cardboard to give the throwback cards an even more distinct look and feel. Each 20-pack hobby box will include four autographs (numbered to 125 or less), two parallels, one T212 mini parallel card, three short-prints and one T4 Cabinet Card. Each 24-box case will include one Hot Box that will have 10 autographs and a mix of 25 other "hit-type" cards. See more -- with a gallery of images -- after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Among the younger stars included in this unlicensed set are Jason Heyward, Austin Jackson and Carlos Santana, while some of the legends include Cal Ripken Jr., Johnny Bench and Roger Clemens. Other autograph inclusions are Nolan Ryan, who signed on-card, Dale Murphy, Jose Canseco, Drew Storen and Desmond Jennings. There also is a Stephen Strasburg presence in this set as he appears on a T4 card that uses a drawing of the star rookie like the Obak card from last year. Among the new inclusions this year are T212 mini autographs -- which will have the autographs on the back of the card, while another one-per-case card will be cut autographs. This set, which was highlighted by an Allen & Ginter-type approach by including historical figures, does that set one better by making sure that those legends are tied to the game itself. This year, there will be a game-changers subset that will include some notable non-players. There are image variation cards to be found along with slogan variations and color parallels -- all things that play off the old-time tobacco-card aesthetic. Purples will be 1/1s, while Reds are limited to five, Greens to 25 and Blacks to 50. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Collegiate Licensing Company official clarifies contract details

chrisolds — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:54:44 +0000

A Collegiate Licensing Company official has clarified the details of the company's deal with Upper Deck in the wake of Panini America's announcement of a CLC-approved baseball card set arriving in September. Panini unveiled plans for its 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition set on Friday, which seemed to fly against the previously announced CLC exclusive signed with Upper Deck last year. Despite the deal, the Panini set is fully authorized by the CLC. Why? The CLC's Dave Kirkpatrick told Beckett Media that it's as simple as there being two deadlines for the expiration of Panini's licensing deal. "Panini's football agreement expired March 30, 2010," he said. "Their contract that covered other sports expires Sept. 30, 2010. "Upper Deck exclusive is in place and we are very pleased with the program. Panini understands that their rights expire Sept. 30, 2010." Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Panini America unveils plans for this year's National Sports Collectors Convention

chrisolds — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:41:25 +0000

Panini America announced its plans for next month's National Sports Collectors Convention in Baltimore on Monday evening with the highlight being a 50-card multi-sport set featuring NFL, NBA, NHL and college stars. Collectors who open five packs of current NFL or NBA product at the company's booth will receive a pack of cards from the set, which will include LeBron James (in new uni?), Brandon Jennings, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Tyreke Evans (and others) from the NBA. From the NFL, there will be cards of Adrian Peterson, Brett Favre, C.J. Spiller, Colt McCoy, Dez Bryant, Drew Brees, Joe Flacco, Peyton Manning, Ray Rice, Ryan Matthews, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow, Tony Romo and Tom Brady -- while the NHL will be represented by Sidney Crosby, Ryan Miller, Jonathan Toews, Henrik Sedin, Alex Ovechkin and Jose Theodore. Also to be found in the packs are green parallels (numbered to 50), blue parallels (numbered to 25) as well as black parallels that will feature autographs. There also will be instant win cards for signed 8x10 Prestige Rookie Cards during the show. Panini's VIP gift bag set will consist of six cards from the Crown Royale NBA release. It will include Kobe Bryant, Brandon Jennings, Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, Wesley Johnson and Evan Turner. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"]

LeBron James' first Miami Heat card arrives at The National Sports Collectors Convention

chrisolds — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 15:01:45 +0000

The Heat is on -- LeBron James' back and now cardboard, too. Panini America, the only officially licensed manufacturer of NBA trading cards has unveiled the first card of James in his new uniform, a card that will only be found at the National Sports Collectors Convention next month in Baltimore, Md. Collectors who open five packs of current Panini NBA or NFL cards at the company's booth during the show will receive a pack of cards specially made for the event that runs Aug. 4-8 at the Baltimore Convention Center. James is one of 50 athletes from the NFL, NBA, NHL and college baseball ranks who will appear in the company's National set. There will be rarer Green and Blue parallels (rarer versions numbered to 50 and 25 respectively) of the card to be found as well. Also to be found in the set? Chris Bosh's first Heat card, too. Historically, a high-profile player's first few cards showing him with his new team command serious attention. For example, Michael Jordan's first standard-issue (not limited) Washington Wizards cards routinely sold for $25 apiece around the time of his arrival in Washington, said Beckett Basketball Senior Market Analyst Keith Hower. "It will probably be the most popular card on the market," Hower said of the first James Heat card. "And most likely the most expensive base card of the year." Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

CopOut DVDs coming to Free Stuff Friday this week

chrisolds — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 17:07:26 +0000

If you have seen the latest issues of Beckett Sports Card Monthly or Beckett Baseball, you probably have seen our contests where we're giving away copies of the Bruce Willis-Tracy Morgan buddy cop movie CopOut that arrives in stores today on Blue-ray and standard DVD. The Kevin Smith-directed Warner Bros. movie features a 1952 Topps baseball card as a key point to the R-rated comedy and because of that we're getting a few more copies into readers' hands online during Free Stuff Friday. FSF is our weekly series of contests where we get cool stuff into collectors' hands just for answering trivia questions on Beckett.com. Be back on Friday for your chance at a copy of the DVD. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Panini America releases additional details for 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition

chrisolds — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 22:30:40 +0000

Panini America released additional information on its forthcoming 2010 Donruss Elite Extra Edition Baseball set on Tuesday, the most notable nugget being that the product will include Elite Legacy buyback autographs from the last decade of releases. Scheduled to arrive on Sept. 29, Elite will include six autographs in each 20-pack box with five-card packs carrying a suggested retail price of $5 a pack. In addition, each box will include one Elite Series insert and one School Colors insert card. There will be four Hot Boxes per 20-box case with each of those including 10 autographs per box. This year's set will include 100 standard cards and 100 autographed prospects. It will include more than 30 players with on-card autographs, while a Draft Hits Autographs set will include 20 MLB legends. Other insert sets include Elite Series and School Colors autographs as well as College Ties Autographs, Collegiate Patches and Private Signings autographs. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Topps will release Heritage Stephen Strasburg card at National Sports Collectors Convention

chrisolds — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 18:12:20 +0000

Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be at this year's National Sports Collectors Convention next month in Baltimore, Md. On cardboard, that is. Topps revealed on Wednesday that collectors who open 10 packs of 2010 Topps or Bowman packs (except Attax, Opening Day and 99-cent cello packs) at the company's booth during the show will receive a Strasburg 2010 Topps Heritage card (No. NCC1). The card will be limited to just 999 copies and will be available in limited quantities at certain times during the show, which runs from Aug. 4-8. Collectors will be limited to one card per person per day.

First look: 2010-11 Panini Prestige basketball cards

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:04:46 +0000

Panini America revealed its first basketball set for 2010-11 -- its sophomore season as the NBA's lone trading card licensee -- and it's Prestige leading the way. Set to arrive on Sept. 29, Prestige will include a rookie in every pack and each 24-pack hobby box will include one autograph, one NBA Auto Draft Class card (limited to 499 or less) and two memorabilia cards. Oh, and perhaps Panini's biggest selling point? There are more than 20,000 on-card autographs to be found in this product. Eight-card packs will carry a $4 suggested retail price. The set will mark the first cards of No. 1 overall pick John Wall as well as autographs from Panini-exclusives Evan Turner and Wesley Johnson. It also will include the first Knicks autographs of Amar’e Stoudemire as well as debut autographs of Chris Bosh and Carlos Boozer in their new uniforms. Among the autograph checklist are Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Shaquille O’Neal, Derrick Rose, Steve Nash, Tyreke Evans, Rajon Rondo, Magic Johnson, Gary Payton, Elgin Baylor and Alonzo Mourning. See more images from the set after the jump. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 1 — An Uncirculated copy of the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — Brooklyn Decker on cover (only 40 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:01:32 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 1 -- An Uncirculated copy of the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue with Brooklyn Decker on cover (only 40 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com/SI, how much does an Uncirculated issue cost? 2. Who is Decker married to? 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 2 — An Uncirculated Derek Jeter Sports Illustrated issue (only 40 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:10:42 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 2 -- An Uncirculated Derek Jeter Sports Illustrated issue (only 40 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com/SI, on what date was this issue released and how much does an Uncirculated issue cost? 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 — A 2010 Upper Deck Major League Lacrosse set

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:23:58 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 -- A 2010 Upper Deck Lacrosse set 1. According to Beckett.com, how many athletes appear on trading cards with the last name Lacrosse? (Give us the number.) 2. Who appears on card No. 1 in the 2010 Upper Deck Lacrosse set? 3. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 — A “CopOut” DVD (three winners)

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:30:58 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 -- A "CopOut" DVD (three winners) 1. A Topps baseball card plays a key part in this R-rated buddy cop movie starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan. What year's Topps set is the card from? 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 — An Amar’e Stoudemire Leaf Limited game-used patch card (only 10 exist) & a Javale McGee autographed jersey card (only 99 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:45:01 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 -- An Amar'e Stoudemire Leaf Limited game-used patch card (only 10 exist) and a Javale McGee autographed jersey card (only 99 exist) Note: Stoudemire card went unclaimed in previous Free Stuff Friday contest. 1. According to Beckett.com, how many autograph cards does Javale McGee appear on? (HINT: Look for the box below on his player page -- and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received byMonday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) -- Win Cop Out and more in this week's contests

chrisolds — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:51:16 +0000

Free Stuff Friday -- our tradition that gets cool stuff into readers' hands just for answering card-related trivia from Beckett.com -- is back. Here's the lineup of contests for this week, which includes Brooklyn Decker, Sports Illustrated, Derek Jeter, Major League Lacrosse, some NBA talent and even some Bruce Willis DVDs. Enter the contests at the links below. No. 1 — An Uncirculated copy of the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — Brooklyn Decker on cover (only 40 exist) No. 2 — An Uncirculated Derek Jeter Sports Illustrated issue (only 40 exist) No. 3 — A 2010 Upper Deck Major League Lacrosse set No. 4 — An Amar’e Stoudemire Leaf Limited game-used patch card (only 10 exist) & a Javale McGee autographed jersey card (only 99 exist) No. 5 — A “CopOut” DVD (three winners)

Bustin' Blasters: 2010 Allen & Ginter baseball cards

chrisolds — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:23:33 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm523anKJrc Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds rips into some 2010 Allen & Ginter boxes in search of the elusive white whale ... err, the Stephen Strasburg mini. What will he find inside? Watch and find out. Part 1 is above... Part 2 is after the jump. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dZx1u37sZc Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

chrisolds — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:48:51 +0000

Another Free Stuff Friday has come and gone... were you one of the winners? Find out after the jump. If you weren't, be back here on Friday for another chance. 1. Martin Rebello 2. Ben Langford 3. Charles Temp 4. Josh Spence 5. Jason Ballew Mike Barnette Kent Chisler

PSA 8.5 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card sells for $130K

chrisolds — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:07:14 +0000

Aug. 16 Update: The pack sold for $21,404, while the PSA 8.5 Mickey Mantle card sold for $130,000 --- "Let's play two" is an understatement of how exciting this one is. Ernie Banks' memorable phrase comes to mind when two of the biggest PSA-graded gems from 1952 Topps hit the bloclk-- even though Mr. Cub wasn't around to be found in those packs. Up for grabs as part of Memory Lane's Summer Treasures auction, found now at MemoryLaneInc.com, are a PSA 8.5 Mickey Mantle 1952 Topps card and a PSA 8 wax pack from the famed set. Only 10 Mantles have graded higher from PSA. The card had been a PSA 8 but was re-examined after PSA added half-grades to its 10-point grading scale. What might this card fetch? Well, in 2007, Memory Lane sold two PSA 9s for $375,000 apiece. The pack is something special, too, as it is the highest-graded specimen available. “This is the highest known graded 1952 Topps pack,” said Memory Lane's J.P. Cohen. “We’ve put the pre-sale estimate at between $20,000-$30,000.” In December 2009, Memory Lane sold an unopened 1952 Topps 5-cent wax pack for $15,406. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Matt Garza throws first no-hitter in Tampa Bay Rays history

chrisolds — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 01:47:52 +0000

Matt Garza's no-hitter against the Detroit Tigers Monday night in St. Petersburg was the first in Tampa Bay Rays history -- and the fifth this season, The Year of the Pitcher. Garza was one of nine pitchers we spotlighted recently in Beckett Baseball No. 53. At that time, Garza's 420 baseball cards carried a total value of $2,023.75 -- an average of $9.64 per card for all of those that are not too rare to establish a reliable price range. Garza, one of many former Minnesota Twins pitching prospects, carried a 10-5 record and a 4.36 ERA into Monday night's game. His Rookie Cards from 2005 include Bowman Sterling, Bowman Chrome Draft, Topps Chrome Update and Topps Update among others. His most desirable RC would be his 2005 Bowman Chrome Draft, which is autographed and typically fetches around $30. Garza's win Monday night, a 5-0 victory in which he struck out six and walked just one, was the 38th of his career. Despite his strong 2010 season, he carries a 38-39 career record. He is in this third season with the Rays after playing parts of two seasons with the Twins. Three of the pitchers profiled in the issue -- Garza, Ubaldo Jimenez and Roy Halladay -- have thrown no-hitters this season Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

First Strasburg National Topps Heritage card sells for $869 in charity fund-raiser

chrisolds — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 02:26:59 +0000

Update: The card sold for $869.

The first copy of the 2010 Topps Heritage National Sports Collectors Convention card of Washington Nationals rookie Stephen Strasburg has hit the auction block benefitting the Juvenile Diabetes foundation. The card, No. 1/999, is available on eBay right now. The other 998 copies of the card will be available during limited times at the Topps booth during the NSCC, which starts next week in Baltimore, Md. There is a limit of one card per person per day if they open packs of cards at the company's booth during the show. The winner also will receive a VIP Pass to the National, which includes 12 free VIP celebrity star autographs, all promotional cards given to VIPs as well as entrance into the private VIP Party among other benefits. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: 2010 Classics football cards

chrisolds — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:03:42 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwjTPQXKyoQ] Join Beckett Media's Tracy Hackler and Dan Hitt as they rip into a box of 2010 Classics football cards from Panini America in this latest edition of Box Busters. What will they find? Watch and find out.

Collect Call: Talking with a serious Michael Jordan collector

chrisolds — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:51:02 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEBCjPf4Fk8] Join Beckett Media's Tracy Hackler as he talks to Lou Costabile, a serious collector of rare Michael Jordan basketball cards in this edition of Collect Call.

Box Busters: 2010 Topps Tribute baseball cards

chrisolds — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:21:13 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Zqkn28Rrow] Join Beckett Baseball's Chris Olds and Brian Fleischer as they rip into boxes of the high-end 2010 Topps Tribute baseball card set in this latest edition of Box Busters. What will they find inside these boxes? Watch and find out ... and you can find out how to win the sweetest cards from these boxes in future issues of Beckett Baseball.

Upper Deck unveils signed LeBron Heat memorabilia

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:30:30 +0000

Upper Deck released the first glimpses of its new LeBron James autographed Miami Heat memorabilia on Wednesday, a small assortment of items marking The King's decision to take his talents to South Beach. The initial assortment from Upper Deck Authenticated includes the autographed photo seen above, limited to 100 pieces, an NBA basketball branded with the Heat logo and, of course, the autographed jersey. Prices for the items was not announced, but the company pointed interested fans toward UpperDeckStore.com for details to come soon. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Stephen Strasburg 1/1 Red autograph card sells for $17,000

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:29:56 +0000

The premiere Stephen Strasburg card from 2010 Bowman -- his 1/1 Red autograph -- sold for $17,000 (not including any additional fees) after 10 bids Wednesday evening in an auction that ran for a good portion of this month with Huggins and Scott. The Silver Spring, Md.-based company's auction of the card opened at $9,000 after it was found by a collector in Florida who initially opted for an eBay auction that ended with plenty of bad bids. The card jumped from $12,000 to $17,000 on its final day, prompting overtime in the auction. It had been set to end at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time but ended at 11:30 p.m. Eastern as interested bidders were allowed extra time if they remained interested if a bid was placed late. The card came up short of the highest price paid for a Strasburg card from 2010 Bowman, though this card's status as a 1/1 autograph clearly trumps the other card. The Strasburg SuperFractor from 2010 Bowman has been sold twice since it was discovered -- on eBay for $16,403 and to Razor Entertainment's Brian Gray for $21,403. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Ever wonder how many 1/1 cards have been made?

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:57:59 +0000

I personally love it when a 1/1 is found in a Beckett Box Busters box and "outrage" erupts from a seemingly always agitated few. Why? Because the 1/1 is nowhere close to being what it used to be. Ever wonder how many 1/1s have been made? Well, I looked up last year's total -- just for baseball. It will surprise you. Find out how many were made after the jump ... How many of those were found in Box Busters videos? Fewer than five. How many were found by you, personally? (If you even bother to open wax.) 'Nuff said. Even better, after doing more digging, it seems that there are nearly 340,000 1/1 cards listed in the Beckett database -- just for baseball. Frankly, I've seen many more impressive cards found by others -- cards rarer, cards more expensive -- out of many a collectors' boxes. (Even boxes provided to other outlets free by card companies, too, but we'll not dwell on that.) Oh, and the card above? As always, the notable pulls will go into collectors' hands. Look for details on how you can win that card in Beckett Baseball No. 56 ... coming soon. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Box Busters: 2009-10 National Treasures basketball cards

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:05:52 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez1n7yhCdz0] Join Beckett Media's Tracy Hackler and Keith Hower as they rip into a pair of 2009-10 National Treasures boxes from Panini America in this latest episode of Box Busters. What will they find inside each $400 box? Watch and find out ...

Box Busters: 2010 Press Pass Showcase racing cards

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:19:58 +0000

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jEyNlE2EfI] Join Beckett Media's Tim Trout and Tracy Hackler as they rip into a box of 2010 Press Pass Showcase racing cards in this latest episode of Box Busters. What will they find inside the highest of high-end racing sets? Watch and find out ...

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Contest No. 1 -- A "CopOut" DVD (two winners)

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:44:56 +0000

***NOW CLOSED*** winners to be selected on Tuesday. We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Contest No. 1 -- A "CopOut" DVD (two winners) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total baseball cards does Andy Pafko appear on? (Hint: Look for the box below and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Contest No. 2 -- A National Sports Collectors Convention VIP package (courtesy of Blowoutcards)

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:52:04 +0000

***NOW CLOSED*** winner to be selected on Tuesday. We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Contest No. 2 -- A National Sports Collectors Convention VIP package (courtesy of Blowoutcards) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total baseball cards does Cal Ripken Jr. appear on? (Hint: Look for the box below and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by Monday at 10 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Weeklong Contest -- A 2010 Topps Tribute Babe Ruth memorabilia card (only 99 exist)

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:00:16 +0000

We're back with another Free Stuff Friday -- our weekly ritual where we try and get some cool stuff into the hands of our readers just for answering some simple card-related trivia. How can you win? Follow the directions below and answer the questions below in a comment right here … it’s that simple. Tips: Don’t try stuffing the comments box — it's one try per person per contest and we’ll check IP addresses — and make sure to include your name and email address so you can be contacted if you win. Get the question(s) after the jump ... FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) Weeklong Contest-- A 2010 Topps Tribute Babe Ruth memorabilia card (only 99 exist) 1. According to Beckett.com, how many total baseball cards does Babe Ruth appear on? (Hint: Look for the box below and give us that number only.) 2. What is your name? --- We'll randomly award the prize(s) to a person with the correct answer(s) out of all entries received by next Friday (Aug. 6) at 12:01 a.m. Central time. Remember to include your name and email address with your entry… or you will be disqualified. Also note that it's one entry per person per contest. --- Note: The winner of each contest will be notified via email. — Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-30) -- Three chances to win big this week

chrisolds — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 23:08:06 +0000

We're back with another batch of Free Stuff Friday contests where we get cool stuff into collectors' hands just for answering trivia questions with answers found on Beckett.com. Here are the latest ... check 'em out ... No. 1 — A “CopOut” DVD (two winners) No. 2 — A National Sports Collectors Convention VIP package (courtesy of Blowoutcards) Weeklong Contest — A 2010 Topps Tribute Babe Ruth memorabilia card (only 99 exist)

First look: 2010 Bowman Platinum baseball cards

chrisolds — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 20:15:34 +0000

Topps released the basic product information and preview images for its newest prospect-laden line, Bowman Platinum, on Friday, a product that carries some high-end possible hits at a lesser price point. Set to arrive in mid-November, the new line will include two on-card autographed Refractors and one autographed patch card per 24-pack box. Each pack will include three Platinum cards and two Chrome prospect cards. The Platinum Chrome autographs will all be signed on-card and the checklist includes 48 minor league stars, all with SuperFractors and Printing Plates as well as Red, Blue and Green Refractor parallels. (The most plentiful cards are numbered to 199, while Reds are limited to 10.) The Platinum Chrome base card set includes 50 players, a mix of minor leaguers and USA Baseball players. These cards will have Red, Green, Blue and and standard Refractors as well as SuperFractors and Printing Plates. The autograph Relic checklist includes 41 cards, comprised of stars, rookies and USA Baseball players -- all of which can be found with Red, Blue and Green parallels as well. While there will be dual autographed Relics to be found there are also multi-autograph lineup includes duals and triples while there also will be Hexagraphs -- booklet cards with six autographs. The most notable? The Stephen Strasburg-Jason Heyward-Carlos Santana-Mike Stanton-Starlin Castro-Buster Posey card. The base set will consist of 100 cards (veterans and rookies), while parallels to the set will include Platinum and Platinum Gold cards. Among those on the autograph checklist include Jesus Montero, Jonathan Singleton, Ryan Howard, Heyward, Prince Fielder, Strasburg, Ike Davis, Castro, Matt Garza, Santana, Josh Hamilton, Logan Morrison and others. Besides the rookie-laden Hexagraph, the other three cards of that type include a Ryan Howard-Albert Pujols-Alex Rodriguez-David Wright-Robinson Cano-Prince Fielder card as well as a Arodys Vizcaino-Aroldis Chapman-Adeiny Hechavarria-Miguel Sano-Jesus Montero-Jose Iglesias card. The final card? A six-signature USA Baseball card. Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here. [gallery order="DESC" columns="2"] Prospects PP1 Jerry Sands PP2 Desmond Jennings PP3 Jeremy Hellickson PP4 Jesus Montero PP5 Mike Trout PP6 Dustin Ackley PP7 Zach Britton PP8 Adeinis Hechavarria PP9 Mike Moustakas PP10 Aroldis Chapman PP11 Mike Montgomery PP12 Freddie Freeman PP13 Kyle Drabek PP14 Grant Green PP15 Brett Jackson PP16 Mike Minor PP17 Austine Romine PP18 Kyle Gibson PP19 Chris Withrow PP20 J.D. Martinez PP21 Donovan Tate PP22 Shelby Miller PP23 Jose Iglesias PP24 Hak-Ju Lee PP25 Miguel Sano PP26 Tyler Matzek PP27 Wilmer Flores PP28 Robbie Erlin PP29 Tyler Anderson PP30 Matt Barnes PP31 Jackie Bradley Jr. PP32 Gerrit Cole PP33 Alex Dickerson PP34 Jason Esposito PP35 Nolan Fontana PP36 Sean Gilmartin PP37 Sonny Gray PP38 Brian Johnson PP39 Andrew Maggi PP40 Mikie Mahtook PP41 Scott McGough PP42 Brad Miller PP43 Brett Mooneyham PP44 Peter O'Brien PP45 Nick Ramirez PP46 Noe Ramirez PP47 Steve Rodriguez PP48 George Springer PP49 Kyle Winkler PP50 Ryan Wright Autograph Relics PAR-RH Ryan Howard PAR-PF Prince Fielder PAR-RC Robinson Cano PAR-JH Jason Heyward PAR-JT Jose Tabata PAR-ID Ike Davis PAR-BL Brad Lincoln PAR-SS Stephen Strasburg PAR-CC Chris Coghlan PAR-SC Starlin Castro PAR-NC Nelson Cruz PAR-CY Chris Young PAR-AJ Austin Jackson PAR-MG Matt Garza PAR-CP Carlos Pena PAR-AC Andrew Cashner PAR-CS Carlos Santana PAR-JH Josh Hamilton USA Baseball National Collegiate Team PAR-TA Tyler Anderson PAR-MB Matt Barnes PAR-JB Jackie Bradley Jr. PAR-GC Gerrit Cole PAR-AD Alex Dickerson PAR-JE Jason Esposito PAR-NF Nolan Fontana PAR-SG Sean Gilmartin PAR-SGR Sonny Gray PAR-BJ Brian Johnson PAR-AM Andrew Maggi PAR-MM Mikie Mahtook PAR-SM Scott McGough PAR-BM Brad Miller PAR-BMO Brett Mooneyham PAR-PO Peter O'Brien PAR-NR Nick Ramirez PAR-NRA Noe Ramirez PAR-SR Steve Rodriguez PAR-GS George Springer PAR-KW Kyle Winkler PAR-RW Ryan Wright Triple Autographs BPTA-CVM Lonnie Chisenhall Josh Vitters Michael Moustakas BPTA-TRU Chris Tillman Nolan Reimold Koji Uehara BPTA-BHM Michael Burgess Jason Heyward Jared Mitchell BPTA-SPM Carlos Santana Buster Posey Jesus Montero BPTA-CMM Chris Carter Logan Morrison Chris Marrero USA Baseball National Collegiate Team AUTOGRAPH MINOR LEAGUE STARS BPA-SC Simon Castro BPA-AC Alexander Colome BPA-JM Jesus Montero BPA-SH Steven Hensley BPA-AH Adeiny Hechavarria BPA-NM Nathan Moreau BPA-ACH Aroldis Chapman BPA-JR Javier Rodriguez BPA-MM Mike Minor BPA-JP Jarrod Parker BPA-JV Josh Vitters BPA-JMI Jiovanni Mier BPA-FF Freddie Freeman BPA-JS Jonathan Singleton BPA-TM T.J. McFarland BPA-JDM J.D. Martinez BPA-TS Tony Sanchez BPA-RC Ryan Chaffee BPA-CD Chase D'Arnaud BPA-CF Christian Friedrich BPA-GH Gorkys Hernandez BPA-GHI Graham Hicks BPA-JJ Jake Jefferies BPA-JMC Jake McGee BPA-LS Logan Schafer BPA-AHE Anthony Hewitt BPA-LC Lonnie Chisenhall BPA-SG Steve Garrison BPA-MS Miguel Sano BPA-JSA Jerry Sands BPA-MR Matt Rizzotti BPA-JK Joe Kelly BPA-RP Rich Poythress BPA-CO Chris Owings BPA-NT Nate Tenbrink BPA-AW Alex Wilson BPA-IK Ian Kroll BPA-PG Paul Goldschmidt BPA-PC Pat Corbin BPA-NN Nick Noonan BPA-KS Keyvius Sampson BPA-MRO Mauricio Robles BPA-JMA Justin Marks BPA-JH Jordan Henry

The Beckett Blog

Bryce Harper's latest baseball card a Rocky Mountain gem

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

I can has Mariners Cheezburger bobblehead?

Upper Deck selects Paul Meyer as new president

Cardboard icon Ken Griffey Jr. retires

Panini reveals 2010 Prestige football short-prints

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 1 — A nine-pack lot of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball hobby packs (two winners)

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 2 — A five-pack lot of 2010 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR hobby packs (two winners)

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 3 — A 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update set (unsealed but complete)

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 4 — A 2010 McFarlane Toys Playmakers figure (three winners)

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 5 — A 2010 Topps Series 2 hobby box

What was it like to pull a Ken Griffey Jr. Upper Deck rookie card back in 1989? I don't know ... I never did

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) — Is it almost Friday again?

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 6 — A 2008-09 The Cup Simon Gagne autographed game-used patch card (only 15 exist)

John Wooden leaves an immense legacy

Bustin' some retail: 2010 Bowman baseball

Rojo Johnson's baseball card arrives

New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies players unveil Signature Series apparel

It's official: Stephen Strasburg will appear in remainder of 2010 Topps baseball products

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

How can you win a box of 2010 Bowman baseball cards?

Some New York newspaper -- and baseball card-related -- trivia

USA Baseball records strong showing on first day of draft

Topps launches Stephen Strasburg autographed memorabilia line

Old Beckett Baseball cover aids in solving Pete Rose mystery

Stephen Strasburg proves his worth in MLB debut

Timberwolves star to sign at California card shop

Game-used Stephen Strasburg memorabilia hits MLB.com auction block

Beckett Baseball: How artistic are you?

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Mike Leake is Topps' fourth Finest Rookie Redemption

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 1 -- A Bryce Harper USA Baseball card

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 2 -- A Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman baseball card

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 3 -- A 2010 Allen & Ginter box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com.

FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) -- A red hot and not-even-out-yet edition

Stephen Strasburg baseball cards -- the hottest thing in the hobby

Guest Commentary: Kane & Toews will be forever linked in hockey, hobby

Topps unveils Avatar trading card set

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

Stephen Strasburg makes eTopps appearance

Tim Tebow Knows baseball?

First look: 2010 Topps Chrome football cards

Revisiting Billy Ripken & other memorable errors in next Beckett Baseball

Florida Marlins OF Mike Stanton is Topps' 5th Finest Rookie Redemption

EXCLUSIVE -- Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor buyer: "A card like this is just what the industry needs"

Goodwin Entomology Cards bugging out on secondary market

THREE OF A KIND: Random memorabilia in the office

Cleveland Indians catcher Carlos Santana is the first 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie

First look: 2010 Bowman Chrome baseball cards

THREE OF A KIND: A Coach & A Catcher

***NOW CLOSED *** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-18) -- Guess Strasburg's strikeout total to win a 2010 Allen & Ginter box from GlobalSportsCards.com

Colorado Rockies pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez is red hot ... but are his baseball cards?

Stephen Strasburg sells out Uncirculateds, too

Win a Goodwin Champions Entomology card & more ...

Stephen Strasburg keeps on racking up the strikeouts ...

It's deja vu all over again: Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman Red 1/1 autograph surpasses $100,000

Like many past NBA players, Manute Bol is easy to collect -- because he has so few basketball cards

Were you the winner on Free Stuff Friday?

Strasburg SuperFractor buyer talks about card on ESPN's First Take

Strasburg SuperFractor owner tries for "Hail Mary" in wake of Red 1/1 auction

Pirates OF Jose Tabata is the second 2010 Topps Red Hot Rookie

Box Busters: 2009-10 SP Authentic hockey cards

Guest Commentary: What might Topps have in store for Bryce Harper and Bowman?

Topps offers Stephen Strasburg MCG holders chance for an autograph -- for $350

Bustin' a Box: 2010 Donruss Elite football cards

Beckett Grading Services discusses Strasburg SuperFractor

Congrats to this year's Allen & Ginter code winner, Nick Jacoby

Box Busters: 2010 Allen & Ginter baseball (with gallery)

Get a closer look at the Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor

***NOW CLOSED*** FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-25) Contest -- Win a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after it is released)

Rojo Johnson gets another baseball card; Will Ferrell autographs coming, too

Hobby Q&A: The latest Allen & Ginter codebreaker, Nick Jacoby

Were you a winner on Free Stuff Friday?

Some specifics on 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball cards

Stephen Strasburg SuperFractor re-sells for $25,000

First look: Stephen Strasburg's 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter card

Ubaldo Jimenez's 2007 SuperFractor sells for $4,200

Box Busters: Star Wars Empire Strikes Back 3D

So, have you landed an Allen & Ginter Strasburg card yet?

Signed Stephen Strasburg 1/1 baseball card heads to Auction House

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 1 — A nine-pack lot of 2010 Topps Series 2 baseball hobby packs (two winners)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 2 — A five-pack lot of 2010 Press Pass Stealth NASCAR hobby packs (two winners)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 3 — A 2009-10 O-Pee-Chee Update set (unsealed but complete)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 4 — A 2010 McFarlane Toys Playmakers figure (three winners)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 5 — A 2010 Topps Series 2 hobby box

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) — Is it almost Friday again?

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-4) Contest No. 6 — A 2008-09 The Cup Simon Gagne autographed game-used patch card (only 15 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 1 -- A Bryce Harper USA Baseball card

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 2 -- A Stephen Strasburg 2010 Bowman baseball card

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-11) Contest No. 3 -- A 2010 Allen & Ginter box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com.

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-18) -- Guess Strasburg's strikeout total to win a 2010 Allen & Ginter box from GlobalSportsCards.com

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (6-25) Contest -- Win a 2010 Topps Allen & Ginter baseball hobby box courtesy of GlobalSportsCards.com (will be delivered after it is released)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-2) Bonus Contest -- Win a Brock Lesnar Press Pass Fusion autograph (only 75 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 1 — A BGS Uncirculated New York Yankees World Series Commemorative Sports Illustrated issue (only 50 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 2 — A BGS Uncirculated U.S. World Cup Sports Illustrated issue (only 35 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 — A Casey McGehee 2009 Bowman Sterling Autograph (only 199 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 — A pair of Dez Bryant and Jordan Shipley 2010 Donruss Elite cards (only 999 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 — A TRISTAR TNA The New Era Mick Foley & Abyss dual autograph (only 25 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 6 — A Ryan Grant 2010 Donruss Elite Prime Targets game-used patch card (only 50 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 7 — A Tony Parker 2009-10 Crown Royale autograph card (only 99 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) — Seven chances to win big this week

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 1 — An Uncirculated copy of the 2010 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue — Brooklyn Decker on cover (only 40 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-23) Contest No. 2 — An Uncirculated Derek Jeter Sports Illustrated issue (only 40 exist)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 3 — A 2010 Upper Deck Major League Lacrosse set

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 5 — A “CopOut” DVD (three winners)

NOW CLOSED FREE STUFF FRIDAY (7-16) Contest No. 4 — An Amar’e Stoudemire Leaf Limited game-used patch card (only 10 exist) & a Javale McGee autographed jersey card (only 99 exist)