11.19
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Thanks to the present day prevalence of personal video cameras, YouTube is packed with hobby-related clips, ranging from box breaks to glorious (and crummy) maildays. In a world full of webcams, we’d love to see even more collectors sharing their cardboard with the electronic universe.
As demonstrated by the video below, there are plenty of hobbyists, young and old, posting clips of Beckett Grading Services results. Capturing the essence of excitement of a “10″ and the agony of a “5,” these short documentaries feed the hobby with information and voice. That being said, we also want to see what happens before the grade.
For your chance at viral fame (and maybe more), post a video of you talking about the card(s) you’re about to send out to Beckett Grading Services on YouTube and send the link to readersrock@beckett.com. Alternatively, you can tweet your link @tolentinotweets for review.
Whether you’re making a plea for a “Pristine 10″ or you just want to justify what you’re getting graded, film it, post it and send it and you might find yourself featured on this piece of internet real estate. Read More »
11.18
By Chris Olds | Editor
Every week, there are boxes addressed to me here at Beckett Media and sealed inside are all kinds of treasures — sealed boxes from Panini America and Topps that include our Box Busters boxes and an occasional prize or two for the collectors out there.
And even though ripping open those boxes often feels like Christmas Day (or something), they’re all items I never get to keep.
But as I checked my email today — after a couple less-frazzled days off — I found a message asking for my address so I can have a mailday of my own.
It was from Nathan Sprenkle, one of the artists who took blank You Sketch It! cards from 2010 Topps Series 2 and created what are now rare You Sketched It! insert cards in 2010 Topps Update.
Here’s what he wrote:
Read More »
11.17
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
For regular collectors, getting a tin of 2009-2010 Upper Deck’s The Cup might give you a thrilling rush to open. Each box, which contains one pack, costs about $400.
For a man making a little more than $9 million a year, that surge is a little tempered.
Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin ripped a pack of Upper Deck’s 2009-2010 The Cup (Ovechkin signed a 13-year $124 million contract extension in 2008) at a private party recently and there’s video proof.
He also ripped a $100 box of 2009-2010 Ultimate Hockey.
See the autographs and patches he gets.
Spoiler: He didn’t get any of his own cards.
Read More »
11.17
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
In case you missed it, NBA superstar and hobby highlight Kobe Bryant appears in a potentially controversial commercial for “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” Woven into a montage of everyday people in a war scene, Bryant and Jimmy Kimmel dodge explosions and fire serious military weapons at unidentified (to the audience) targets.
Celebrity endorsements are key in our pop-culture-crazed society, and, yes, this is an advertisement for a “Mature” video game. However, at the risk of opening Pandora’s box I ask the collecting community, should stars stray away from appearances that could be interpreted as promotion of violence? What would you think if your next pull featured Bryant brandishing an assault rifle, or Jordan dual-wielding Glocks?
The hobby definitely doesn’t exist in a vacuum, so we’re curious to hear the collector’s take on Kobe’s armed answer to the “Call of Duty.” Chime in with your thoughts and see what others are saying on the Beckett.com thread.
11.17
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Knee deep in non-sport research, Beckett analyst Bryan Hornbeck discovered a baffling eBay listing this morning. Although the $1,000,000 listing did not sell, the most puzzling part of the eBayer-described “9 Card Collection of the Greatest in Baseball” is the eighth player selection.
Granted, every fan is entitled to a few outlying picks, and this seller even does a decent job of justifying the oddball. However, l have a feeling that hobbyists will be saying “Huh?” after seeing this audacious addition to Baseball’s best of the best.
Who did this eBay seller select? Click here to see for yourself.
11.16
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
Carefully avoiding a Gap-esque logo change fiasco, the folks over at Panini America are keepin’ it real by using the iconic Donruss “D” in a few future releases. Soon to reappear in 2010-11 Donruss Hockey and 2010-11 Donruss Basketball, the beloved letter will also land on the recently trumpeted 2010 Donruss Football Rated Rookie Boxed Set.
Comprised of 100 Rated Rookies (Tim Tebow, Dez Bryant, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy, to name a few), each box completes the set and offers an autograph, to boot. At $19.99, it’s an affordable, enjoyable set to collect. However, with a January release date, the latest box with the Donruss “D” will have to do as a belated stocking stuffer, or a bargain-priced personal indulgence.
While enjoying the following preview provided by Panini, you might notice that the “D” is a lowercase version of the crucial consonant, which is an upside-down, mirrored version of a “P.” Just sayin’.
11.16
Join Beckett Baseball‘s Chris Olds as he rips into a repack box of 2010 World’s Greatest Card Chase baseball in this latest Rippin’ Retail video.
What will he find inside? Watch and find out …
11.16
By Andrew Tolentino | Assistant Editor
After last night’s stunning six-touchdown performance in the face of a $78 million Donovan McNabb, Michael Vick is becoming a serious comeback case. Reaffirming fortitude on the field, he might be on the verge of rebuilding his hobby following.
If Martha Stewart can do it, then Vick could very well bury his time behind bars with a wealth of air-cleansing appearances. Then again, comparing Michael Vick to Martha Stewart is like…well, comparing Michael Vick to Martha Stewart. Arguably the more grievous offender, No. 7 isn’t likely to be seen baking apple pies on daytime television, but record-breaking NFL play can be a decent substitute for positive public relations.
As one would assume, Vick’s card values tanked in 2007 due to criminal charges, prosecution and prison sentence. Numerous collectors and fans turned the quarterback’s memorabilia into canine kennel lining and chew toys. In a matter of months, the former Falcon’s total card value (Beckett Hi Price) fell from $109,847.46 to $75,335.30, ultimately bottoming out early this October at $70,557.10. Then, fall football happened. Read More »
11.16
By Chris Olds | Editor
You might not have noticed them buried deep in the sea of odds on wrappers of 2010 Topps Update baseball cards, but the set includes the first collector-created Sketch Cards ever released into a pack.
A limited number of those blank sketch cards found in packs of 2010 Topps Series 2 have been returned with added ink, pencil or other media and are framed as 1/1s and found in packs. (We’ll not bother telling you the odds in Update. It’s a bit depressing.)
Topps recently teased a few of the cards that are found in Update packs.
See a gallery of the images after the jump.
Read More »
11.16
Join Beckett Media’s Chris Olds as he rips into a repackage box of random basketball card packs as found at a retail store in this Rippin’ Retail video.
What will he find inside? Watch and find out …
