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Monthly Archives: December 2009
Preview & Checklist: 2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition baseball cards
12.17
Panini America released the checklist for its forthcoming 2009 Donruss Elite Extra Edition baseball card set on Thursday, a product-laden entry into baseball for the company.
While the checklist does not include No. 1 overall draft pick Stephen Strasburg, the company did note one impressive signature will appear in the product after a signing was completed Thursday — though we’ll warn you, he’s not a rookie.
St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols.
The NL MVP is shown on a card as a junior in high school — a shortstop at Fort Osage High School in Independence, Mo. He signed 20 copies of his card.
While Strasburg is not included, several top picks are on the checklist — Dustin Ackley, Donavan Tate and Matt Hobgood among others. Also among the notable first-time signers is Aroldis Chapman, a 22-year-old Cuban defector who is expected to sign with an MLB club soon. He is seen wearing his Holguin uniform played in the Cuban National Series last year.
And among the other noteworthy additions? Hot Boxes.
Read more and get a full product checklist after the jump.
Is your New York Yankees collection in the black?
12.17
While many collectors often buy items that might make their back accounts — and, in turn, their collections — in the red, there’s a recent addition to the Yankee Stadium memorabilia lineup from Steiner Sports that’s all about being in the black.
What is it?
It’s a piece of “The Black” — the center field area behind the pitcher in the old stadium that allowed for hitters to be able to see the ball coming from the pitcher. In many stadiums, a tarp will often block any seats that may be in that area, but not in New York.
Collectors — diehards who must have everything Yankees — can get a piece of The Black for $99.99 which comes in an engraved display case.
The chunks are MLB-authenticated, however Steiner does note that the size and shape of the game-used Black piece will vary.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Graded Card Investor. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.
ITG Honors Hockey's War Heroes
12.17
Hockey historians will recall that some of the game’s best players went to war for their country, letting the sport pale in comparison to what was truly important.
To honor those men, In the Game is including a special Real Heroes non-memorabilia insert set in 2009-10 ITG Heroes and Prospects, which releases in late January.
“We felt it was important to take time to recognize some of the hockey players that sacrificed their own professional ambitions in order to fight for their country in World War I and World War II,” said Dr. Brian Price, ITG President. “The reaction from collectors to this set thus far has been overwhelmingly positive as most are able to relate to the significance of what these players did.”
Upper Deck's Role in the 2010 NHL Winter Classic
12.16
This just in from Upper Deck’s Terry Melia:
The Upper Deck Company is pleased to announce that it will be sponsoring several elements of the fast-approaching 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic, which is set to take place on January 1, 2010, at Boston’s Fenway Park. The League’s annual outdoor game, now in its third year, will feature the host Boston Bruins taking on the Philadelphia Flyers in a battle of two of the league’s perennial contenders. As the NHL’s exclusive hockey card manufacturer, Upper Deck will have a major presence surrounding the event.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of this annual event,” said Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s hockey brand manager. “We’ve got some fun, interactive elements to share with hockey fans this time around as well as a personalized-card station where hockey buffs can get their pictures taken on a unique, event-branded Upper Deck trading card.”
Brock Lesnar Signs for 2010 Topps UFC Uncaged
12.16
One sure sign that current UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar is feeling better following a prolonged illness? He’s been signing autographs for trading card manufacturers lately.
Last month he made quick work of fulfilling his on-card commitments for Press Pass’ Fusion multisport product. Today, Topps officials released images of Lesnar signing autographs for the upcoming 2010 UFC Uncaged product. They also took advantage of the in-person encounter to secure a pair of what appear to be fight-worn trunks no doubt heading to an in-demand Relic and Autographed Relic card near you.
It’s no secret that the UFC and its card collecting hobby need a healthy Lesnar in the mix. The fact that he’s in the signing mood is a good sign that he’ll back sooner than most people expected.
Bengals WR Chris Henry dies after auto accident (updated)
12.16
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry suffered “very serious injuries” Wednesday afternoon following a traffic accident in North Carolina and died on Thursday. He was 26.
The former West Virginia star was drafted by the Bengals in 2005 and had 119 receptions for 1,826 yards and 21 touchdowns in his career — his 2008 season being his most productive with nine TDs. His career was marred by several off-the-field incidents and this accident is believed to be tied to a domestic dispute.
Henry appears on 363 football cards, including 86 autographs and just 13 memorabilia cards. His most valuable autograph in the Beckett.com database is his 2005 Finest Black Xfractors (No. 165) card, which is valued at $60, while his most valuable Rookie Card is his 2005 Exquisite Collection autograph (No. 46) at $40.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball and Beckett Graded Card Investor. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.
Box Busters preview: 2009 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects (updated)
12.16
We’ve busted the first box of 2009 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects in advance of a Box Busters episode to be filmed Thursday morning.
Although this box did include a Gold Refractor, we couldn’t help but notice the again-abundant presence of World Baseball Classic cards in the packs — some cards of players who already had Bowman cards this year — and that the back design had slightly changed for one of the sets found inside the mylar wrappers.
We’ve included scans of the checklist (front and back) where you can discover who made the final cut among the 21 Chrome Prospect Autographs and the 10 Prospect Autographs. (Click on the checklists for a closer look.)
For those wanting to know some odds, the Aflac autographs are 1:238, while Autographed Refractors are 1:71 followed by Xfractors (1:159), Blue (1:241), Gold (1:736), Orange (1:1,545), Red (1:6,378) and Autographed Superfractors are 1:31,900. Autographed printing plates are 1: 7,973.
For Refractors, the odds are: 1:11 for standard, 1:24 for Xfractor, 1:49 for Blue, 1:96 for Gold, 1:192 for Orange, 1:955 for Red and 1:4,266 for Superfractor.
Until then, feast on these highlights from the first box…
First look: 2010 Press Pass Eclipse … The Art of Speed
12.16
Press Pass unveiled basic information and preview images for what it is touting as “the first artistic NASCAR trading card set” — its 2010 version of Eclipse – which will arrive in hobby shops in February.
Sales materials for the product are printed on flat matte paper — a likely aesthetic choice for the set, which will consist of 90 cards that “elegantly match various artistic techniques with the excitement of NASCAR.”
Each hobby box will include one autograph and three memorabilia cards, while the product also promises a code-cracking program to win prizes from the Press Pass Vault as well as the next selection of NASCAR Hall of Fame cards.
See more images after the jump.
Preview Gallery: Famous Fabrics First Edition
12.16
Famous Fabrics First Edition is set to arrive on Feb. 24., while a few other products from Creative Cardboard Concepts are scheduled to arrive later in the year including Ringside boxing, Scoop and Famous Faces.
For more information on the product, visit the company’s website. See more images of cards from all three products after the jump.
Upper Deck Stands By Tiger Woods
12.15
Upper Deck officials on Tuesday morning announced that the company stands in full support of the embattled Tiger Woods and will continue fulfilling an exclusive relationship with the golfing superstar that’s been in place since 2001.
“Upper Deck will maintain its exclusive agreement with Tiger in both our sports cards and memorabilia categories and we look forward to his eventual return to the PGA Tour,” said Richard McWilliam, Upper Deck’s CEO and Founder. “Tiger and his family have our full support.”
Woods alone helped Upper Deck launch the mainstream golf trading card category in 2001 and his signed memorabilia has been integral to the success of Upper Deck Authenticated in recent years.
For more on Tiger Woods, click here, here and here.
Stay tuned to Beckett.com for updates to this story.