By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

In The Game, Inc., and Sport Kings LP are merging as one company.

The companies owned by Dr. Brian Price were kept separate, but they will now be one, Price announced today.

“By making this acquisition, I will be able to continue the production of the Sport Kings brand as the consolidation of the brand into the ITG family makes it easier to move forward with future releases,” Price said on his blog. “In the past websites, marketing and sales were kept separately causing confusion in the marketplace, this acquisition removes that confusion.”

Price will move forward with the Sportking series releasing Series F this summer before the National Sports Collectors Convention in Chicago.

Price brought Sportkings into the marketplace in 2007 after obtaining the right for the old set. The original Sport Kings was released by the Goudey Gum Company in 1933 and 1934. It featured a range of athletes from all different sports.

Here are highlights from the upcoming Sportskings release:

Some of the athletes that will sign for Series F include Shaquille O’Neal, Bill Parcells, Tito Ortiz, Scottie Pippen, Fernando Valenzuela, Kerri Strugg and Frank Gifford.

Artist Jared Kelly will again be involved in creating art cards, including the Memorable Moments insert. Kelly will depict 20 significant moments in sports history and create four cards for each to fit like a puzzle.

In addition, jumbo patches will be included featuring a sketch of each player on the card.

Look for more information on Beckett.com as it becomes available.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook and Twitter.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

With Mother’s Day just passed and Father’s Day on the radar, we figured now might be the time for the latest Beckett 20 Questions.

Oh, and the upcoming Families Issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly had a bit to do with that, too, where we’ll explore the family ties that go along with sports and collecting and take a look at some of the notable fathers, sons, mothers and daughters who share cardboard with us all. (Need a player checklist or OPG? Click here for our new player directory to find it fast.)

Also, we’d like to know … who got you started into collecting? Tell us in the comments below — after you offer your take on the latest 20 Questions.

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See the rest of the questions … after the jump.

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Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

Update: A new prize is up for grabs … we want your entries!

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

If there’s one thing I’ve come to  appreciate more and more over the last few years at Beckett Media, it’s the tales of collectors — specifically, those of SuperCollectors who clearly are so focused on their niche that only one word applies.

Insanity.

And it’s a good thing. Imagine my thoughts today as I dipped into the SuperCollector mailbag and saw that we didn’t really have too many new and amazing entries piled up from the last few weeks.

I did the only sane thing I should do … I went and found this Larry Bird card and am randomly giving it away to one SuperCollector who submits all the necessary info between now and July 1.

The card is an impressive one — and we’ll make sure it’s in someone’s hands … as long as they submit their info about their collection.

How can it be yours? Read the instructions on submitting your SuperCollector info (any sport, any player, any niche)  … after the jump.

How can you be a SuperCollector? Your instructions …  read them carefully!

You don’t have to have the most-expensive collection on the block but it needs to be unique — downright crazy — in some way that it stands out.

Send in an email to Beckett editor Chris Olds at colds@beckett.com and readersrock@beckett.com the following information:

1. Name, age, your email address, your location (state) and who/what you collect.

2. Statistics about your collection (total cards, number of 1/1s, number of autographs, number of game-used cards or items, etc., as seen on the examples seen here).

3. Tell us why you should be selected. Sell us on what makes your collection the best — and how/why your collection started. Tell us what makes your collection special and unique.

4. Send us LINKS to images that we can examine or use with your item — including one showing you with your collection. (Bad images won’t help your case … and 900-MB attachments won’t either!) Warning: Any emails over 10 MB will NOT arrive and will not be seen.

5. Be complete — and be patient. We WILL be in touch if you are selected or we need more information. If you sent info in the past, it’s likely outdated by now — so update it and send it again.

6. Act fast … we want your info.

Check out the SuperCollectors below if you need to see more … we’re awaiting your email.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

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CLICK ON THE IMAGES TO READ THE PAGES!

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

UFC Finest is back for another season on cards.

The popular Topps brand will showcase fighters from the UFC and Strikeforce such as Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre and Benson Henderson.

Each mini box will have six packs. Mini boxes will contain one Jumbo Fighter Relic, one Jumbo Mat Relic and one autograph or autograph relic card. Each pack will hold four cards.

The base set for 2013 UFC Finest consists of 100 base cards with five types of parallels. Parallels are inserted one per pack.

Each mini box will also have a couple of different inserts. Finest Moments an UFC Valor show off 25 tops fighters.

The relic cards feature mats, event-worn gear and mouth guards. There will be about 30 fighters featured in each subset.

Beyond the basic autograph card, Topps included Finest Moment and UFC Valor autographs. In addition, there will be dual autographs with UFC’s Dana White and Finest Fans Autographs highlighting notable celebrities and personalities who are fans of UFC.

Some lucky collectors could also one of 25 redemptions for full-sized glove signed by one of the fighters.

UFC Finest is scheduled to release in August.

Check out a full gallery below.

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here. Follow Beckett Media on Facebook.

Join Beckett Sports Card Monthly‘s Bryan Hornbeck and Chris Olds as they rip into a box of 2012 Topps UFC Bloodlines in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

It’s time for another version of the $10 Card Shop Challenge …  Are you ready? The deadline is Friday, Jan. 25 …

Here is the back story — and the instructions are after the jump.

An after-work card shop visit long ago prompted a challenge to one of my Twitter followers, so I sent another message to the masses curious few who enjoy hearing not much from me 140 characters a time on my Twitter feed. I issued a collecting challenge. It’s time to do it again.

A few replied seeking details, but this time I’m taking it a step further as I want to see what many of you can come up with by hitting your local card shop. (If you don’t have an LCS, hit a retail store.) Call it the $10 Card Shop Challenge.

Should you choose to accept this mission, you will add something new to your collection — and maybe something more as I’m going to cough something up for the entry that you guys find to be the most interesting or impressive entry of the bunch.

The Mission: Spend $10 or less on something you like but try to land something that will impress the masses. It could be anything cards — but no wax (unless you’re a retail-only person). Are you a vintage fan? A prospector? A non-sport collector? A buyer in bulk? Was it just a good deal you couldn’t refuse?

It’s all game — as long as it only cost you $10 (or less). You can go over with taxes.

In a  previous challenge, I landed a 1909 T206 common for a mere $9.50. Another time, I found a relatively high-grade copy of a 1974 Topps card I have been meaning to pick up for some time — Hank Aaron‘s  home run king commemorative — for just $5.50.

I’m headed to the card shop later today. I’ll post my entry in the comments below along with you guys.

Leave the following info in a comment below and include a link to an image of what you picked up:

1. Name & location (include your email so you can be contacted)

2. Shop/store you visited

3. What you bought

4. Why it’s the winner

5. Include a photo!

After the deadline, we’ll set up a poll for you to decide the winner right here.

Are you ready to take the challenge?

Remember, our winner will win something cool … and it’ll cost more than $10, 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.

Voting closes on March 1.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

With Beckett Sports Card Monthly, we intentionally take a step back away from the obvious — we leave that for the single-sport magazines — and instead delve into bigger topics that we feel are timed best to what’s going on, what’s coming up or what’s on the minds of collectors.

In short, it’s where we give readers a little more to read about your hobby each and every month.

Here’s a look back at its offerings of 2012 via its covers.

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Tell us which one you like best by voting below — and tell us what you might remember fondly, if you like, from 2012 in general and its issues in the comments.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

We all know that the collecting world has changed immensely in the last 20 years with explosive growth and massive shrinkage for the mainstay types of sports — baseball, football, basketball and hockey — at varying times as card companies came and went and as labor strife took its toll on fans’ heartstrings.

But, at the same time, one could argue that the “other” sports out there have seen plenty of growth, too, as more and more sports — and some sort-of sports — have made their appearances on cards. You may not find them in every shop or every card aisle at retail every day, but they are out there and they have their passionate collecting bases that keep those products coming back year after year.

In the next issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, we’ll take a look at those sports that don’t normally get as much attention — racing, MMA, soccer, boxing, Olympic sports, wrestling, tennis, rodeo and more. Here are 20 questions that we hope you’ll take the time to answer to appear in this next issue.

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See the rest of the questions … after the jump. 

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By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

UFC made headlines last week by naming its first female champion.

Ronda Rousey was handed her belt on Dec. 6, and given her first UFC opponent. She will fight Liz Carmouche in UFC 157 this February in the first female fight for the country’s most top MMA league.

With Rousey’s success in Strikeforce and the Olympics (first American woman to medal in judo), it’s no surprise her cards are among the most popular in 2012 UFC Bloodlines.

UFC Bloodlines came out last week and MMA fans flocked to Rousey’s cards.

Rousey’s cards are limited based on the small amount of products she is in. She has just 49 cards, according to the Beckett database (click here to see a checklist and OPG), and 23 of those are autographs.

She has just one base card after being in two sets – 2012 UFC Finest and 2012 UFC Bloodlines.

Her UFC Finest Gold Refractor Autograph numbered to 25 was her hottest card until Bloodlines came out. Finest had her first autograph, but Bloodlines has everything else: mat cards, relics and printing plates.

Chase cards
- 2012 UFC Bloodlines Ronda Rousey auto /75
- 2012 UFC Bloodlines Ronda Rousey Fight Mat Relic
- 2012 UFC Bloodlines Ronda Rousey Fighter-Worn Relic
- 2012 UFC Bloodlines Ronda Rousey Strikeforce Red Relic Auto /8

Susan Lulgjuraj is an editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly. You can email her here with questions, comments or ideas. Follow her on Twitter here.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

It’s one part competition, one part promotion, one part entertainment.

It’s Black Friday.

The biggest shopping day of the year in the hobby — and the rest of the retail world, too — is roughly two weeks away and several online dealers are already working to prepare for the event that aims to entice collectors with promos and prices that aim to draw their dollars and, ideally, in turn bolster their collections.

One of those dealers is Blowout Cards‘ Thomas Fish, who has perhaps made the day a bit of an art form on his Virginia-based company’s various platforms the last few years.

“Black Friday and the promotions that surround this event afford us the opportunity to give back to our customers,” Fish said. “It’s a day where we know there will be tremendous number of eyeballs on our website and our forum. Customers want to see some crazy prices, they want to be entertained and they want to feel rewarded for spending that valuable time on our website.

“We plan to deliver on all fronts.”

Fish’s fronts include its website, a storefront in Chantilly, Va., deals found via the company’s “BlowoutTV” channel via BlogTV as well as networking via Twitter and Facebook.

“This will be the first Black Friday for Blowoutcards-The Fantastic Store,” he said of his retail store. “We’ve already had numerous collectors asking about details. [It] will be hosting its own Black Friday event with in-store specials and BlowoutTV deals.”

While that’s new, the biggest push compared to past years just might come via social media.

“With almost 7,000 Twitter followers and friends on Facebook, we will be utilizing both venues,” Fish said. “[Our] Forums also offer a tremendous venue to relay deals directly to our customers. Collectors can also utilize the forums to discuss specials/deals, monitor sellouts and throw opinions off each other.  In the past, we’ve used social media and the forums in many creative ways and expect the unexpected this year.”

Fish said besides all the logistics and tech work that goes into such a day and such an operation, one big task is to simply try and top what his company has done in previous years.

“[It's] a challenge each year to exceed our customers’ expectations,” he said. “The bar is set pretty high, but we feel like we have some amazing and entertaining ideas forthcoming this year. Our quote each year is ‘Blowout Cards, be there – 6 a.m. Eastern.’”

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Adam Martin of Dave & Adam’s Card World  in Tonawanda, N.Y., said his team has been planning packages for options at multiple price ranges, and, as something different for the sports crowd, recently made a large apparel closeout purchase with sports-related gear for collectors to wear — or maybe get signed.

But that’s not the core of their strategy — that’s just what’s new.

“With Black Friday, we aim for the wow factor,” Martin said. “With online companies, everybody has core customers who are fanatically loyal … but Black Friday is when everybody looks at what everybody else is doing.”

As part of its preparations for the event, DACW recently revamped and redesigned its website – 25-times faster, according to Martin – and the company also added its 70^th employee.

“Half of them will probably be pulling orders at some point,” he said.

Interestingly, Martin said there’s actually a lull in Black Friday week as people wait out the specials. To help offset that to a degree, the company is launching a teaser sale for some high-end Black Friday preview items starting this Friday (Nov. 9) with some of the products including high-end heaters Fleer Retro and Exquisite Collection along with the prospecting favorite, Bowman Chrome. The company also rolled down its free-shipping minimum and is offering three upgrades so all deliveries arrive within three days in the contiguous United States.

“Our holiday sales begin right about now because of how it’s been in the past,” he said. “That weekend is without a doubt our best four-day stretch of the year, though. Insane weekend. Black Friday is going to be gigantic. It’s just madness. It’s all hands on deck.”

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With a more specialized vintage and retro stock, Reed Kasaoka of Baseball Card Exchange in Lynwood, Ill., said the company has a slightly different strategy and he also put Black Friday into more of a cardboard-specific perspective.

“The Black Friday weekend, Wednesday through Sunday, is second only to the week of The National,” he said. “However, while The National is mainly higher-end items, during the Black Friday weekend we sell just about everything.”

And with those big, old boxes and cases full of older cards there’s a lot more to mail compared to the new stuff, which has far fewer cards inside. It can make a big difference in one area — shipping fees.

“In previous years, it’s been all about the small-price discount — and it’s really the only time of the year we offer free shipping,” Kasaoka said. “While we never know what we’ll have in stock for that weekend, the free shipping brings all sorts of customers to our website.”

Anybody who’s ever ordered a vending case of, say, 1987 Topps knows all about that part of the ballgame. [They're roughly 57 pounds if I remember right -- Editor.]

Kasaoka said BBCE will use Facebook and word-of-mouth of collectors and forums for some of its Black Friday specials.

“We have yet to finalize our promotions, but we plan to incorporate new ideas this year,” he said. “Also, we are doing a 12 Days of Christmas promotion from Dec. 5-16, where we have specials each day.”

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Sean Bennett of Pittsburgh Sports in McKeesport, Pa., said he believes the key to Black Friday is the mix of selection, promotion and prices.

“I think it’s a combo of all three,” he said. “Running a Black Friday promotion with a large selection of crazy attention-grabbing prices always gets the consumers’ attention.

“Online, it’s definitely in the top five [days for us], and each year the numbers have gotten bigger.”

Meanwhile, like others mentioned here, Bennett also has a retail store to work.

“Our storefront promotions are similar to the online promotions with timed sales (6 a.m. to 10 a.m.),” he said,  “or limited-quantity — first 100 customers through the door — promotions.”

Like others, Bennett said the company will utilize social media as well as other advertising platforms such as Beckett magazines to get word out about specials. However, he also added one more nugget — just for readers right here on Beckett.com/news.

“Can’t let out any early secrets,” he said, “but anyone that emails us orders@pittsburghsportscards.com after reading this will be emailed a gift code for a free gift with any order placed on Black Friday. Limit one per customer.”

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Dominic Santillo of DCS Sportscards in Wantaugh, N.Y., also works both sides of the Black Friday aisle — retail and online.

“Black Friday is one of if not the busiest day of the year for us,” Santillo said. “And it kicks off the strongest three to four weeks of business for us online and in our retail store.”

His secret to success?

“Promotion and the great prices and extra discounts we offer.”

Like others, he said DCS will be using social media as part of its push along with traditional means.

“We’ll send out an email to our store mailing list to let them know about the great promotions we offer at the store and online,” he said. “We will let our Twitter and Facebook followers know to  be on our site come 12:01 a.m. on Black Friday to take advantage of our promotions and discounts.”

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Just like the Internet has transformed collecting via auctions and specialized sites, Martin said it has even transformed his company’s approach for Black Friday online during the last decade or so. While DACW’s online push will be more card-focused, he said the company’s retail stores will have promotions that could rival the big-box Walmarts and Targets of the world with cards as well as apparel deals to be had when they open at 3 a.m. in and around the Buffalo, N.Y., area.

So, how does it compare to the past?

“It’s so much more sophisticated now,” Martin said. “We’ll have 50,000 wax boxes up for sale during the weekend. I would challenge anyone to top that.”

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Sports Card Monthly magazine. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.