06.26
Posted on June 26, 2012 – 12:15 pm | Author: chrisolds
Basketball | 2012 NBA Draft, Andre Drummond, Austin Rivers, college basketball, Doc Rivers, Harrison Barnes, Jared Sullinger, John Henson, Kansas Jayhawks, Kentucky Wildcats, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, NBA, NBA draft, North Carolina, Panini America, Thomas Robinson | Comments (3)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor
Panini America has seven new members on its basketball team.
The exclusive licensee of NBA trading cards announced on Tuesday that it has signed exclusive trading card deals with seven projected top first-round picks in Thursday’s draft, meaning that Panini products will be the only places to find cards of Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Thomas Robinson, Harrison Barnes, Andre Drummond, Austin Rivers, Jared Sullinger and John Henson.
Kidd-Gilchrist was a member of the national champion Kentucky Wildcats, while Robinson was the Big 12 Player of the Year at Kansas and Barnes was an All-ACC honoree at North Carolina.
“We’re genuinely excited to add these gentlemen – the next generation of NBA superstars – to the Panini America family, and we can’t wait to get their first trading cards into the hands of fans and collectors,” said Panini America CEO Mark Warsop in a prepared statement. “The presence of these players in our complete line of 2012-13 products, in concert with the best rookies from the 2011-12 season, will create an unprecedented opportunity for fans and collectors to pursue a Double Rookie Card class in Panini America’s official NBA products throughout the entire season.”
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06.26
By Susan Lulgjuraj | Contributing Editor
Upper Deck Fleer Retro has been pushed back to September, but for good reason as the company wants to get as many live autographs in the product as it can and limit the amount of redemptions collectors have to deal with.
The 2011-12 version will bring back some more old-school inserts that basketball fans once loved.
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06.25
Posted on June 25, 2012 – 11:38 am | Author: chrisolds
Baseball | 1975 Topps Mini, 2012 Topps Mini, autographs, Bryce Harper, featured, Josh Hamilton, Matt Kemp, mini, MLB, Prince Fielder, Relics, Roy Halladay, ShopTopps.com, Topps, Yu Darvish | Comments (28)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
Topps offered the latest glimpses into its upcoming surprise product on Monday as it offered additional information about its 2012 Topps Mini baseball set exclusively to Beckett Media.
The product will be issued in pack form with mini versions of all base cards found in the Series 1 and Series 2 (as the case with this year’s factory sets). It also will include autographs and memorabilia cards, too — all in the smaller size a la the 1975 Topps Mini set, which was a test issue only released in Michigan and California.
“This should be a great product,” said Topps’ Mike Jaspersen. “[It's] 1975 all over again.”
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06.24
Posted on June 24, 2012 – 7:06 pm | Author: chrisolds
Box Busters & Ripping Retail, Non-Sports | 2004 Alias Season Three, Alias, FOX, Hollywood memorabilia, Inkworks, Jennifer Garner, Michael Vartan, Sydney Bristow, TV memorabilia | Comments (2)
Join Beckett Media’s Chris Olds as he rips a box of 2004 Alias Season 3 cards from Inkworks in this retro edition of Box Busters.
What will he find inside? Watch and find out …
(Need a checklist or OPG for this one? Click here.)
06.22
Posted on June 22, 2012 – 1:56 pm | Author: chrisolds
Baseball | 1997 Bowman, 1997 Bowman Chrome, 2004 USA Baseball 25th anniversary, featured, New York Mets, R.A. Dickey, Texas Rangers, Topps, Upper Deck, USA Baseball | Comments (7)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary
One of the most-interesting stories in baseball this year might be the emergence of New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey, a guy who has the best record in MLB and some of the hottest cards around.
And he’s perhaps languishing in your commons boxes.
Dickey has an 11-1 record with a 2.00 ERA with 103 strikeouts in 99 innings, and he’s got just two Rookie Cards and a total of just three certified autographs despite making his cardboard debut way back in 1997.
Now, the guy with a 52-51 career record and a 4.09 ERA just might end up starting the All-Star Game.
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06.22
Posted on June 22, 2012 – 1:53 pm | Author: chrisolds
Baseball | Babe Ruth, featured, Jackie Robinson, Joplin Miners, Mickey Mantle, milb, National Sports Collectors Convention, NSCC, Topps, Willie Mays | Comments (3)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
This year’s National Sports Collectors Convention is little more than a month away and the latest teaser of show-exclusive cards has arrived.
It’s from Topps and it’s the company’s VIP set, an offering of cards modeled in the famed 1952 design but with a twist.
It’s showing some legendary names in earlier uniforms than most of us remember seeing before on cardboard — Mickey Mantle with the Class C Joplin Miners for example.
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06.22
By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor
Some might say that NASCAR’s colorful firesuits and sheet metal means it easy to provide impressive memorabilia cards, but Press Pass‘ latest effort just might blow the engines of the most-hardened collectors.
And that’s exactly what the intent is with 2012 Press Pass Red Line as there are two autographs and two memorabilia cards in every single box of the high-end product that arrives on July 5.
As previously reported here, these tins will include at least one autographed memorabilia card, and we’ve got an extensive preview gallery of cards that will be found in the product that you can see here … after the jump.
(Need a checklist or OPG for a 2012 Press Pass racing brand? Click here.)
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06.21
Posted on June 21, 2012 – 10:47 pm | Author: chrisolds
Basketball | Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade, featured, LeBron James, LeBron James NBA champion, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA champions, Panini America, Upper Deck | Comments (1)
By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor | Commentary
He’s been the chosen one since well before Day 1 in the NBA, and he’s been anointed for greatness ever since.
After nine years and 713 games, The Chosen One finally has his ring.
In other words, LeBron James … NBA champion.
The questions now, though, are … is he worth it? Is he worth even more now? They’re valid questions as countless dollars — likely millions — have been spent on his sports cards and memorabilia (signed and unsigned) and he’s now considered to be closer to complete with a ring. (Expectations will likely dictate more is necessary out of the Miami Heat guard, of course.)
So, again, is he worth it? What’s next for his basketball cards? Well, part of that is in the eye of the beholder — but the basketball card-buying masses apparently say “yes” as long as their pockets are deep in some instances.
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06.21
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
Topps‘ latest creation might make you feel like it’s 1975 again … if you’re old enough to remember it.
For those who aren’t? Well, it might be something old that’s something new.
What is it? Well, according to a teaser banner on ShopTopps.com, it appears that the company is planning a line of mini baseball cards.
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