10.31
By Chris Olds | Editor
You’ve probably all seen the MLB-authenticated dirt, champagne bottles, stadium bunting, bats, balls and so on adorned with the MLB hologram and code so you know it’s real.
But this item is one that just might make New York Yankees haters cheer — and Nick Swisher fans wince.
The cool part about the MLB Authentication Program is that you can go to its website and enter the code seen on the item to get an exact description of where and when the item was used, who it was authenticated by and any other pertinent details.
What’s so special about this baseball?
You can enter the code for yourself — or find out after the jump.
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10.30
By Chris Olds | Editor | Commentary
I’ve always felt that there is a disconnect in the hobby with championship-winning players who aren’t home-grown.
In other words, when a player like Cliff Lee or Josh Hamilton lights things up for a team like the American League champion Rangers — but have Rookie Cards from several years ago picturing them with the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays — they just don’t carry the kind of maximized appeal when it comes championship time.
With Game 3 of the World Series under way as I write this, it’s a battle of largely home-grown Giants (at least among the players who should be of most interest with San Francisco collectors) vs. the Rangers, a more liberal mix of home-grown and acquired players among their hobby stars.
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10.30
Join Beckett Baseball‘s Chris Olds as he busts an HTA Jumbo box of 2010 Topps Update that he picked up at Nick’s Sports Cards in Dallas in advance of our Box Busters episode coming soon.
What will he find inside? Pie cards, variations, Relics, autos and more?
Yep.
Watch and find out … he promises it will be a good one.
Part 1 is above and Part 2 — a must-see segment — is after the jump along with a poll.
Tell us what you think of the box.
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10.30
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
In the Game seems to have a hit on its hands with its 10th anniversary edition of Ultimate Memorabilia just based on preliminary pictures.
However, the checklists are now out letting you know exactly what game-used autograph and base cards will be available once it comes out on Nov. 11.
Each pack contains one base card, one autograph and one game-used memorabilia card. In addition, each card is slabbed and numbered.
View checklist after the jump.
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10.30
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Considering the Toronto Maple Leafs’ NHL tenure, the historical franchise from the league’s “original six” deserves a little pampering here and there. With a limited commemorative promo pack distributed exclusively in the Toronto area, Upper Deck is offering local Leafs collectors a little extra somethin’, somethin’ in early November.
The 15-card be assembled by ripping open the three-card commemorative packs, free with the purchase of one box of 2010-11 Upper Deck Series One Hockey cards at participating shops. Featuring “must mention” Maple Leaf players like Frank Maholvich, Johnny Bower, Jean-Sebastian Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson, this offering is a black and white tribute to the past and present. Read More »
10.30
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
Panini America announced its plans for the 2010 Toronto Sportcard and Memorabilia Fall Expo, which starts Nov. 12.
Canada may be known as hockey country and Panini is doing what they can with the sport, but the company is not forgetting basketball or football.
Collectors will get a two-card Expo-exclusive pack for every five packs they open from Panini’s multisport roster of products or a full box of 2010-11 Score Hockey. The packs and boxes must be opened at the company’s booth.
See what you can get after the jump.
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10.29
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Before the Halloween hullabaloo is over and done with, I wanted to get in one last hobby-related (it’s a stretch) treat. Over the past week, I managed to stumble across a few cards in which players could easily be re-contextualized in any given zombie flick.
In the heat of battle, many professional athletes aren’t exactly poised for flattering photo snapping. With scrunched brows and intense gazes, athletes in action offer some of the most accessible forms of human expression. Other players just aren’t photogenic. The 2000-01 Bowman Best Expressions series, for one, featured this face oriented phenomenon.
While this serious analysis is all well and good, Halloween hijinks are upon us.
ln the spirit of Oct. 31, I put together this short tribute to a few sports cards that could compete with the undead. Without further ado, I present to you, “The Attack of the Carboard Zombies.”
10.28
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Despite the sardonic nature of the Garbage Pail Kids, the title to this entry does not carry the double entendre that one might expect. Instead, Topps is firing up the flux capacitor once again and taking us back to visit the paradoxically adored unlovables from the ’80s.
Loaded with classic favorites and a slew of new additions, Series 2 of the Garbage Pail Kids Flashback is sure to tickle dark humor funny bones when it hits stores in February of next year. Expanding on their standard cast of characters, Series 2 will include five never-before-published “Lost Garbage Pail Kids” and we’ll get an update in the “Where Are They Now?” subset. The GPK crew will be escorted into 2011 with the premiere of their 3-D insert cards, Adam Mania stickers, 1/1 hand-drawn sketch cards and a plethora of parallels. Read More »
10.28
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Back in the early 90s, the NFL and Coca-Cola did the Monster Mash, and promptly smashed it in the graveyard.
In the spirit of spookiness this week, I dusted off my trusty collecting trowel and dug up the 31-card Coke Monsters of the Gridiron set. Featuring players like Emmitt Smith and Marshall Faulk dressed in respectively designed monster attire, the Coca-Cola sponsored set was primarily distributed at the 1995 Super Bowl Card show in Miami. Posing as the “Lone Star Sheriff,” Smith’s robot cowboy (a la “Westworld”) costume card fetches the highest current day coin at $12 on the high end.
Other players who (possibly, regretfully) sported elaborate ghoulish gear include Junior “Stealth” Seau, Derrick “Attack Cat” Thomas, Steve “The Bandit” Atwater, Ronnie “The Rattler” Lott, Randall “Rocket Man” Cunningham and Marshall “The Missle” Faulk to name a few. Read More »
10.28
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
More than a year after Blake Griffin was the 2009 top overall draft pick by the Los Angeles Clippers, he finally made his NBA debut.
The Oklahoma graduate, who spent last year shelved after knee surgery, had 20 points and 14 rebounds (nine offensive) in Wednesday night’s 98-88 loss to the Portland Trailblazers.
Griffin’s play gave Clippers fans something to finally cheer about.
The game didn’t start easily for Griffin. He took two fouls early in the first quarter and needed a break. But Griffin, who finished with four fouls, also didn’t play with a man worried about making contact. He was aggressive and visibly disappointed with himself when he missed a shot or made a mistake.
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