By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

Basketball fans waiting for the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick won’t have to wait long.

Leaf Trading Cards has signed an agreement with former Baylor star and future Phoenix Mercury center Brittney Griner to produce her first basketball cards and certified autographs.

Rather than wait for the company’s next draft picks product, the cards will be sold direct to the public via the Leaf eBay account. Click here for the link.

The auctions will launch next week, while the new WNBA season arrives on Wednesday.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball 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 Basketball Editor

Aiming to fill an apparent void in the “under-served basketball market,” Leaf Trading Cards unveiled 2012-13 Leaf Metal on Tuesday, and it’s a product it says has features which “all companies are sure to imitate once unveiled.”

The product will include one autograph and one insert card per pack and five packs per box when it arrives in May, featuring on-card autographs of stars from the past as well as a few from the present.

Among the signers will be Patrick Ewing (click here for OPG & checklist), the former Knicks star and Hall of Famer who simply doesn’t like signing. He has signed jumbo patch cards for this one. Ewing has just 18 certified autographs made in the past with the most-recent cards coming in 2003-04 Upper Deck products.

Also among the signers are Magic Johnson, Pat Riley, John Stockton, Bob Cousy, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and NBA Rookie of the Year Contender Damian Lillard.

Other features in this one will include Hoop Matrix cards and Valiant inserts among the offerings.

A preliminary checklist for this one was not released. Each case of this non-NBA licensed product (no logos) will have eight boxes inside.

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

PARALLEL BREAKDOWN

Autographed Inserts: Base Auto, Faces of the Game, Inductions, Nicknames, & Unsung Heroes

Holo – #’d to 50

Holo Blue – #’d to 25

Holo Green – #’d to 10

Holo Red – #’d to 5

Gold – 1/1

Patrick Ewing Autographed Game Worn Patch Cards

Blue – #’to 99

Orange – #’d to 20

Red – #’d to 5

Gold – 1/1

Un- Autographed Hoop Matrix

Green – #’d to 99

Pink – #’d to 25

Orange  - 1/1

Un-Autographed 1960 Style Common

Green  #’d to 25

Blue #’d to 10

Red #’d to 5

Purple 1/1

CHECKLIST

BA-AD2 Adrian Dantley Base Auto

BA-AM3 Ann Meyers Base Auto

BA-AD3 Anne Donovan Base Auto

BA-AG1 Artis Gilmore Base Auto

BA-BA1 B.J. Armstrong Base Auto

BA-BH1 Bailey Howell Base Auto

BA-BR1 Bill Russell Base Auto

BA-BW1 Bill Walton Base Auto

BA-BM1 Billie Moore Base Auto

BA-BC1 Bob Cousy Base Auto

BA-BH2 Bob Houbregs Base Auto

BA-BM1 Bob McAdoo Base Auto

BA-BK1 Bobby Knight Base Auto

BA-CB1 Carol Blazejowski Base Auto

BA-CO1 Charles Oakley Base Auto

BA-CW2 Charlie Ward Base Auto

BA-CW1 Chet Walker Base Auto

BA-CM1 Chris Mullin Base Auto

BA-CH1 Cliff Hagan Base Auto

BA-CL2 Clyde Lovellette Base Auto

BA-DL1 Damian Lillard Base Auto

BA-DI1 Dan Issel Base Auto

BA-DD1 Darryl Dawkins Base Auto

BA-DB1 Dave Bing Base Auto

BA-DR3 David Robinson Base Auto

BA-DR2 Dennis Rodman Base Auto

BA-DC1 Denny Crum Base Auto

BA-DS1 Dolph Schayes Base Auto

BA-DW1 Dominique Wilkins Base Auto

BA-DN1 Don Nelson Base Auto

BA-EL1 Earl Lloyd Base Auto

BA-EH1 Elvin Hayes Base Auto

BA-GG2 Gail Goodrich Base Auto

BA-GA1 Geno Auriemma Base Auto

BA-GG1 George Gervin Base Auto

BA-HG1 Hal Greer Base Auto

BA-HG3 Horace Grant Base Auto

BA-JW2 Jamaal Wilkes Base Auto

BA-JW1 James Worthy Base Auto

BA-JC2 Joan Crawford Base Auto

BA-JC3 Jody Conradt Base Auto

BA-JC4 John Chaney Base Auto

BA-JH2 John Havlicek Base Auto

BA-JS2 John Salley Base Auto

BA-JS4 John Stockton Base Auto

BA-KM1 Karl Malone Base Auto

BA-KA1 Kenny Anderson Base Auto

BA-LB1 Larry Bird Base Auto

BA-LJ1 Larry Johnson Base Auto

BA-LW1 Lenny Wilkens Base Auto

BA-LB2 Leon Barmore Base Auto

BA-LC1 Lou Carnesecca Base Auto

BA-LO1 Lute Olson Base Auto

BA-LW1 Lynette Woodard Base Auto

BA-MJ1 Magic Johnson Base Auto

BA-MH1 Marques Haynes Base Auto

BA-MD3 Mel Daniels Base Auto

BA-NA1 Nate Archibald Base Auto

BA-OB1 Otis Birdsong Base Auto

BA-PR1 Pat Riley Base Auto

BA-PK1 Phil Knight Base Auto

BA-RB1 Rick Barry Base Auto

BA-RR1 Ricky Rubio Base Auto

BA-RH1 Robert Horry Base Auto

BA-RP1 Robert Parish Base Auto

BA-RW2 Roy Williams Base Auto

BA-SJ1 Sam Jones Base Auto

BA-SS3 Satch Sanders Base Auto

BA-SP1 Scottie Pippen Base Auto

BA-SO1 Shaquille O’Neal Base Auto

BA-SK1 Shawn Kemp Base Auto

BA-SS1 Sheryl Swoopes Base Auto

BA-SW1 Spud Webb Base Auto

BA-TH2 Tom Heinsohn Base Auto

BA-TK1 Toni Kukoc Base Auto

BA-VC1 Van Chancellor Base Auto

BA-XM1 Xavier McDaniel Base Auto

80 FG-BR1 Bill Russell Faces of the Game

81 FG-CM1 Chris Mullin Faces of the Game

82 FG-DL1 Damian Lillard Faces of the Game

83 FG-DR1 David Robinson Faces of the Game

84 FG-DR2 Dennis Rodman Faces of the Game

85 FG-GG1 George Gervin Faces of the Game

86 FG-JS4 John Stockton Faces of the Game

87 FG-KM1 Karl Malone Faces of the Game

88 FG-LB1 Larry Bird Faces of the Game

89 FG-MJ1 Magic Johnson Faces of the Game

90 FG-RR1 Ricky Rubio Faces of the Game

91 FG-SJ1 Sam Jones Faces of the Game

92 FG-SP1 Scottie Pippen Faces of the Game

93 FG-SO1 Shaquille O’Neal Faces of the Game

94 FG-SK1 Shawn Kemp Faces of the Game

95 FG-SS1 Sheryl Swoopes Faces of the Game

96

97 I-BH1 Bailey Howell Inductions

98 I-BR1 Bill Russell Inductions

99 I-BW1 Bill Walton Inductions

100 I-CM1 Chris Mullin Inductions

101 I-DI1 Dan Issel Inductions

102 I-DR1 David Robinson Inductions

103 I-DW1 Dominique Wilkins Inductions

104 I-GG2 Gail Goodrich Inductions

105 I-JW1 James Worthy Inductions

106 I-KM1 Karl Malone Inductions

107 I-LB1 Larry Bird Inductions

108 I-MJ1 Magic Johnson Inductions

109 I-MH1 Marques Haynes Inductions

110 I-RB1 Rick Barry Inductions

111 I-SJ1 Sam Jones Inductions

112 I-SP1 Scottie Pippen Inductions

113

114 NN-DR1 David Robinson Nicknames

115 NN-DR2 Dennis Rodman Nicknames

116 NN-DW1 Dominique Wilkins Nicknames

117 NN-KM1 Karl Malone Nicknames

118 NN-LB1 Larry Bird Nicknames

119 NN-LJ1 Larry Johnson Nicknames

120

121 UH-BA1 B.J. Armstrong Unsung Heroes

122 UH-DD1 Darryl Dawkins Unsung Heroes

123 UH-KA1 Kenny Anderson Unsung Heroes

124 UH-LJ1 Larry Johnson Unsung Heroes

125 UH-RH1 Robert Horry Unsung Heroes

126 UH-SK1 Shawn Kemp Unsung Heroes

127 UH-TK1 Toni Kukoc Unsung Heroes

128

129 PE-2 Patrick Ewing Patch Auto

130

131 HM-BR1 Bill Russell Hoop Matrix

132 HM-BC1 Bob Cousy Hoop Matrix

133 HM-BB1 Bradley Beal Hoop Matrix

134 HM-DL1 Damian Lillard Hoop Matrix

135 HM-DL2 Damian Lillard Hoop Matrix

136 HM-DL3 Damian Lillard Hoop Matrix

137 HM-DR1 David Robinson Hoop Matrix

138 HM-DR2 Dennis Rodman Hoop Matrix

139 HM-DW1 Dion Waiters Hoop Matrix

140 HM-GP1 Gary Payton Hoop Matrix

141 HM-JL1 Jeremy Lamb Hoop Matrix

142 HM-JH1 John Havlicek Hoop Matrix

143 HM-JS1 John Stockton Hoop Matrix

144 HM-KM1 Karl Malone Hoop Matrix

145 HM-KM2 Kendall Marshall Hoop Matrix

146 HM-LB1 Larry Bird Hoop Matrix

147 HM-MJ1 Magic Johnson Hoop Matrix

148 HM-MH1 Moe Harkless Hoop Matrix

149 HM-PR1 Pat Riley Hoop Matrix

150 HM-RR1 Ricky Rubio Hoop Matrix

151 HM-SP1 Scottie Pippen Hoop Matrix

152 HM-SO1 Shaquille O’Neal Hoop Matrix

153 HM-SK1 Shawn Kemp Hoop Matrix

154 HM-TR1 Terrence Ross Hoop Matrix

155 HM-TZ1 Tyler Zeller Hoop Matrix

156

157 1 Bill Russell Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

158 2 Bradley Beal Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

159 4 Damian Lillard Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

160 5 Dion Waiters Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

161 6 Gary Payton Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

162 7 Larry Bird Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

163 8 Magic Johnson Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

164 9 Moe Harkless Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

165 10 Ricky Rubio Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

166 11 Shaquille O’Neal Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

167 12 Tyler Zeller Base Common – 1960 Leaf Design

By Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

Leaf will bring its first tennis-only product to the market at the end of the month.

The company acquired Ace Authentic’s trading card line in December and less than six months later, 2013 Ace Authentic Signature Series Tennis will be here.

The base autographs will feature 150 cards with multiple parallels including those numbered to 10 and 1-of-1s. These cards feature many of the top tennis stars includingRafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Victoria Asarenko.

Collectors can expect to find one pack with six autographs in every box.

There are several subsets of autographs:

-Perfect Partners: Dual-signed cards with multiple parallels such as Asarenko paired with Caroline Wozniacki. Up to 60 subjects will be featured.

-Top 40: Only the best tennis players in the world will be showcased in this set such as Federer and Wozniacki.

-Grand Slam Champs Autographs: Features players with Grand Slam titles.

-Hall of Fame Legends Autographs: Tennis icons in the Hall of Fame such as Jim Courier and Billie Jean King.

Pre-sales boxes cost about $80. The autographs on the cards are just mock-ups.

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 Susan Lulgjuraj | Beckett Sports Card Monthly Editor

LAS VEGAS – Leaf’s Brian Gray didn’t hold back during his corporate address at the Industry Summit in Las Vegas on Monday.

Gray talked about the company’s mission for 2013 but also tried to empower dealers in attendance. He implored them to take charge and tell card companies about what they will and will not accept.

“You need to tell other companies you’re not happy,” Gray told the crowd about 300. “And if you don’t stick up for your customers, you don’t deserve a (patch) database, a better redemption process. … The other card companies can suck it or change.”

Gray has been vocal about his opinions in the hobby since he entered the market. He grabs attention by saying what’s on his mind and bringing special autograph guests to the Industry Summit. This year, Leaf brought in Frank Thomas.

However, that was not the point of Gray’s address.

Here are the highlights from Leaf’s session:

1. Gray said Leaf will be a different company in 2013. The company’s name has a long history and Leaf intends to use that name to its advantage. “Ask people what they want. Listen to what they tell you and give them what they want,” Gray said was the company’s mission statement.

2. One of the focuses on 2013 products will include pre-draft items, which are popular in football. However, Leaf is expanding into other sports such as baseball. These products will seek out younger athletes and give collectors the first cards of potential future stars.

Leaf has a tennis coming with 2013 Ace Signature Series. It’s one of the last tennis products with the Ace name and after it will be branded Leaf.

3. New product: Trinity Football. Product will include jumbo patch autographs, inscription autographs and cards made out of glass.

Along with card products, Leaf will continue with packaged memorabilia. Autographed baseballs are coming out this year. Gray says some of the baseballs will be worth thousands. “It’s going to be a gamble,” he said.

4. Leaf addressed redemptions. Gray said that as of Monday, there shouldn’t be a redemption card that is not immediately available to receive from his company.

5. Gray talked about issues with other card companies and redemptions. He used the analogy that if you went to McDonald’s and ordered fries, you wouldn’t take it if you were told you wouldn’t get them for three to four weeks. “I don’t put up with that and I don’t think you guys should either,” Gray said.

6. Leaf acquired a license to The Mortal Instruments, a series of young adult novels being created into movies. Gray says this should be the next Twilight.

7. Leaf used Johnny Manziel cut autographs and artwork as redemptions in recent football products. Gray said they pushed the envelope and plan on doing more of the same. Gray said his company is protected by first amendment rights in this scenario: “Someday there will be no license and I will change that. I don’t live in fear. I’m more concerned about delivering value.”

8. One dealer was concerned about Leaf’s exclusive with NBA rookie Damian Lillard and the inability to push Panini America basketball products without Lillard’s autographs. Gray said Leaf has just one basketball exclusive where Panini has 12. Gray said he tried to call Panini to say he didn’t want to do exclusives, but no one would take his call. He also promised not to do any future exclusives if Panini promised to do the same.

9. While the “Best of” series has been popular for Leaf, he recognized that the last football wasn’t as good as it could have been. Gray bought many of the cards about eight months before the product came out and the market change so much in that time on certain players. “Hate to say collecting is gambling sometimes, but it is,” Gray said.

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.

Join Beckett Football‘s Dan Hitt and Chris Olds as they rip into boxes of 2013 Leaf Metal Draft in this latest edition of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? Watch and find out …

Click here to see the latest Leaf Metal Draft auctions on eBay.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Basketball Editor

After Jerry Buss‘ death Monday at age 80, the tributes came flowing in looking back at the life of the Los Angeles Lakers owner, who helped shape the franchise into what it is today.

As one New York Times writer puts it, it’s a Hollywood story that’s too Hollywood even for Hollywood (read it to see).

But for all of the unbelievable that was the life of Buss, who was born in Kemmerer, Wyo. — a little town of less than 3,000 people today — and went all the way to the Hall of Fame with a handful of NBA titles, there’s one other striking thing about him.

He never appeared on a substantial number of basketball cards — just one licensed NBA card. Meanwhile, his certified autograph cards have skyrocketed in demand.

How?

 He has a number of trading cards showing him as a professional poker player.

Buss has 37 cards as a poker player in the Beckett.com database (click here for a checklist and Online Price Guide) with 35 of those featuring certified autographs. Some of the cards have sold briskly in online auctions for much more than before the news of his death. Before the news, most autographed cards sold for $30 or less while most have fetched $50 or more and some have sold for as much as $100.

Buss’ lone basketball card cataloged in the Beckett database is a 1985-86 Star Lakers Champs checklist card, which shows him along with legendary Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It typically has sold for $12 or less.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Panini America, which announced a renewal with the Hall of Fame for its card license last week, did not make a card of Buss in its 2009-10 Hall of Fame set — the year of Buss’ induction (watch his speech above). His inclusion — his first NBA-licensed basketball card of his own — could be a possibility with the extended deal.

Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Basketball 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 Baseball Editor

She’s been on television since the 1960s, brought A League of Their Own to the big screen and has a very notable collection of sports memorabilia.

But now she has her own baseball card.

Penny Marshall makes her trading card — and certified autograph — debut in 2012 Leaf Legends of Sport, the latest multi-sport offering from Leaf Trading Cards which arrives in hobby shops on Wednesday.

Although known for her role in the long-running TV show Laverne and Shirley, Marshall was the first female director to have a film gross more than $100 million with Big (1988) and League (1992), which brought the story of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League into homes and into the national consciousness.

She’s also a noted collector of sports memorabilia with her collection profiled in the 2007 book titled Smithsonian Baseball by Stephen Wong — a collection that includes everything from baseball antiquities to vintage game-used memorabilia to modern-day autographs and game-used items.

Check out a video interview about her collection below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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

Leaf Trading Cards announced on Thursday that it has signed Portland Trail Blazers rookie Damian Lillard to an exclusive multi-year autograph and memorabilia deal that will cover both trading cards and memorabilia.

Through 22 games, the Weber State product is averaging 18.9 points, 6.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds a game for the Blazers, who are last in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.

“There was no question that Damian Lillard was the right guy,” said Leaf CEO Brian Gray, noting that the rookie is Leaf’s first exclusive for basketball. “From Day 1, he showed a command of the court and exuberance for the game. This makes Damian the perfect ambassador to represent the excitement that Leaf brings to the trading card market.”

The Carrollton, Texas-based company will include Lillard in future multi-sport and basketball releases.

By Andrew Tolentino | Football Editor

Moving beyond the Super Bowl and toward the draft, football cards are coming full circle again.

Early season manufacturer Leaf Trading Cards recently unveiled more details about its forthcoming 2012 Leaf Metal Draft release — complete with Andrew Luck allure and a number of eye-catching upgrades. According to a company press release, the late-March arrival will hit shelves with substantial aesthetic changes and a lower price point.

First things first, projected No. 1 draft pick, Luck, should spark an immediate  interest in this set as his presence in the hobby is still very limited. Luck will appear throughout 2012 Leaf Metal Draft, perhaps most prominently featured as a high school player on U.S. Army All-American cards and in multiple prismatic parallels. This release will mark a key opportunity to collect one of the hottest 2012 rookies before NFL-licensed card makers begin anew with their early season sets.

As for aesthetic upgrades, Metal Draft will showcase the likes of Robert Griffin III, Trent Richardson, Ryan Tannehill and other anticipated newcomers on full-bleed  card canvases. Once again, the checklist promises to be a potent one, exclusively filled with skill-position players from highly collectable alma maters. With varying levels of prismatic parallels and the announcement of Purple Prismatic Hot Boxes containing three numbered-to-25 purple autographs, these early autographs could be key indicators for hobby hype in the coming year.

The forthcoming brand will also include randomly inserted Metal U.S. Army autographs from some of the nation’s top high school prospects. Barry Sanders Jr. (as in, the son of Barry freaking Sanders) and Gunner Kiel headline the list of young talent showcased in the subset.

The numbers game in  2012 Leaf  Metal Draft boasts three on-card autographs per box and 12 boxes per case. Stay tuned to Beckett.com for more details on pricing and the per-pack breakdown.

By Andrew Tolentino | Football Editor

Fresh from the Box Busters studio and hot off the scanner, the cards below should convey the weight of Leaf‘s latest draft brand.

Yielding four on-card autographs per four-card box, 2011 Leaf Metal Draft is an exceptional unlicensed looker. The product bears a resemblance to other familiar shimmering cards, but the low-quantity rip seems to deliver concentrated quality with inserts and parallels — all presented in toploaders.

The forthcoming Box Busters video — with a cameo by Leaf’s own Brian Gray — features all eight cards from two breaks, but this six-hit sampler should do the trick, for now.

Keep in mind that most refractive cards, especially when in toploaders, don’t normally do well on the flat scanner, but we just wanted to present the cards as they land in the break.