By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

DALLAS | It was a Tuesday for everyone, but for Chadwick Boseman an evening screening of 42 was the third leg of a long jaunt around the country, one that began in Washington, D.C., and included a stop hours earlier at Wrigley Field.

After a VIP-only early viewing of the film telling the life’s story of Major League Baseball‘s social pioneer, Jackie Robinson, the 30-year-old unassumingly walked into Theater 5 of the Angelika Film Center wearing a red, white and blue plaid shirt and weathered blue jeans as the house lights slowly raised and the film’s credits rolled behind him.

He received a standing ovation. And then he did a 20-minute question-and-answer session with the assembled film devotees before a brief one-on-one exclusive with Beckett Media about the film and, of course, collecting.

Naturally, the first question … has it started to sink in yet how life-changing this role is?

“No, I mean it’s just now hitting I guess,” he said. “You’ve done the movie, you’ve sat on it editing it, you’ve seen it, they’ve set the release date and you’re fine-tuning it. But we’ve been doing this for a while and you’re releasing a baby for everybody else. It’s a weird feeling.”

So does he think he could have endured what Robinson went through?

“I don’t know,” he said, pausing to reflect. “I would say no. I would need God to tell me. I would need some sort of sign. Maybe Jackie had that. Maybe that is what helped him get through. Me, how I am right now, I’m not sure if I could do it. I’d be fighting back. I’d be in jail. I’d be dead.”

Boseman admitted in the Q&A session that he played more basketball than anything in high school, never testing his baseball skills past Little League. He said years ago his dad told him he should have tried being a baseball player — and his dad’s fandom is what helped fuel his.

“I followed teams, but didn’t necessarily really have any favorite players. I liked the Braves, I liked the Dodgers,” Boseman said. “My dad is an avid Braves fan who tapes games now. So when I go home I will end up watching whole games to spend time with him. I’m more of a watch the sixth-to-ninth innings and watch the highlights guy.”

Talking Movies
So, does he have any favorite sports movies?

“It’s funny when you say sports movies, people a lot of times don’t include boxing, but I would,” he said. “I love Rocky. The first Rocky is an Oscar-winning film. Obviously, I loved Remember the Titans. I love Major League — it’s funny. I love Bull Durham — telling him to hit the mascot — I love that whole thing. Sports movies are definitely some of my favorites.”

Now he’s going to be one of the guys seen on those Hollywood highlight reels, one of those moment-makers. So, has that sunk in yet?

“Wow. No. You’re the first person to say that to me,” he said, pausing to absorb the thought. “Thanks a lot, man.”

Collecting Cards
So, did he ever collect baseball cards as a kid?

“No, not at all,” he said. “I had friends that definitely collected and I would keep up with them that way, but I was never really into it like that.”

How about starting a Robinson card collection now?

“I probably would — you know what, I have one,” he said, interrupting himself. “I do have one. It was a gift.”

Then, I offered some stats about Robinson that he clearly hadn’t heard about. His reaction to Robinson’s Rookie Card only being $2,000?

“I should buy it,” he said, laughing.

How about all of his cards for about $59,000?

“That seems low. Is it going to go up because of this movie?” he asked. “So the card I have could go up?”

He seemed quietly proud of that possibility, inwardly emotive — just like his performance on the screen.

“I may be a little uncomfortable with that feeling,” he admitted, perhaps even squirming a bit.

Then, he was told his autographs have an asking price of around $200 a pop on eBay for baseballs and photos.

“My autograph?” he said, pausing for a few moments and looking across the room. “My autograph is on there now? Oh wow.”

Then, he perked up a bit and stopped to ask a question of his own, playing the role of a rookie to the whole autograph experience.

“Let me ask you a question. The more autographs I sign, does it diminish the value?”

After a quick lesson about supply-and-demand and, of course, timing, Boseman also brought up how he knows props can be a hot commodity, too.

“Somebody asked me for my uniform from the movie,” Boseman said. “Obviously, I don’t have that anyway, Warner Bros. has it, but people have called me and asked about that.”

According to Warner Bros., there won’t be any prop auctions from 42, but one of his jerseys used in the film will be donated to the Negro League Hall of Fame and Museum on April 11.

With the release of the film about a month away, Boseman also was interested to hear that some posters for the film were in high demand on the auction block. A 4×6-foot “moments” bus shelter poster showing Robinson and teammate Pee Wee Reese sold for $100 on eBay earlier this week. Surprising?

“You are surprising me as we speak, man,” he said. “That’s crazy.”

Autograph Hunting
So, if there was one autograph of a baseball player Boseman would want, who would it be?

“For baseball players, I would love to get Josh Hamilton‘s autograph — that would be cool. I would love to meet him,” he said. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to meet some of the Dodgers, so Matt Kemp would be a real cool autograph. And Ken Griffey Jr. of course.”

Then he jumped right into another thought, almost as if he were kicking himself thinking back about his experiences while making the film.

“You know, what I can’t believe is I didn’t get Hank Aaron‘s autograph,” he said. “I met him a couple of times. I have to remember to get him — what am I thinking? The next time I see him, I’ll get him to sign my 42 hat.”

Those hats, by the way, have been selling for about $50 a pop on eBay — without the Aaron signature.

Considering Cardboard & Collecting …
So, if he could appear on a baseball card with someone else who would it be? A Boseman-as-Jackie card along with …

“Wow, that’s a tough one,” he said, stopping to think. “Honestly, I would go with Hank Aaron. That would be amazing to be on there. I loved when he came to set as he was a consultant. He just has a good heart. I think it would be cool to be on a card — the guy who played Jackie Robinson with the real Hank Aaron.”

After finishing up the questions, a few lingering VIPs and a couple of kids were armed with promotional mini posters hoping to get an autograph outside the Angelika’s office door. Boseman obliged, signing and personalizing at least three and one for a small boy much like the Ed Charles character seen in the film.

As Boseman signed the last two posters with a black Sharpie, the stack of a few remaining posters fell to the floor from atop a photocopying machine that had made for an impromptu writing surface. As someone bent down to pick one up and the group moved toward the door, where a couple more fans had posters handy as well, Boseman offered another thought. It was one that perhaps shows that he’s more of a collector than he let on after all — or at least that he might be collecting a bit sometime soon — once he’s not doing three cities in a single day, of course.

“I don’t even have one of those,” he said. “I need one.”

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.

–

Look for more on 42 and other sports-related entertainment collectibles in the upcoming Sports Movies Issue of Beckett Sports Card Monthly, which begins shipping to hobby shops on April 3.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Once the holidays wind down, there will be one thing atop the to-do list for those of us involved with Beckett Baseball.

Our annual Awards Issue.

But before we get to The Best of 2012 — even with more 2012-branded baseball products apparently still to come — we opted for one extra fan vote that previews the collector portion of those awards. (You can see that later this week.)

We want you to pick our best cover for 2012 … after the jump.

Below you will find all of the 2012 covers — and also the December 2011 issue which featured some big news for 2012 with Panini America entering the baseball field with an MLBPA license. (Pick that one if you think it holds up as the best.)

Review them and let us know which one is your favorite via the poll above. Feel free to leave a comment below if you want to rant and rave about the year in cardboard, too.

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

In a season with plenty of breakout stars and newcomers, one constant is atop the list of MLB’s best-selling jerseys.

It’s the good ol’ No. 2 of the New York Yankees, the jersey of shortstop Derek Jeter.

The MLBPA released its list of best-sellers since the All-Star break this week and it’s a list that includes 12 teams represented among the top 20 players. The Yankees check in with three players in the top 10 — including newcomer Ichiro Suzuki at No. 3 — while four rookies can be found on the list.

While it’s not a perfect barometer, jerseys sales — in essence a reflection of player popularity or interest in certain markets — is another way to gauge a player’s cardboard potential as well.

The full list …

1.        Derek Jeter, New York Yankees
2.        Josh Hamilton, Texas Rangers
3.        Ichiro Suzuki, New York Yankees
4.        Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
5.        Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
6.        Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
7.        Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
8.        Chipper Jones, Atlanta Braves
9.        Justin Verlander, Detroit Tigers
10.        Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
11.        Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers
12.        David Freese, St. Louis Cardinals
13.        Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
14.        Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
15.        Prince Fielder, Detroit Tigers
16.        Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
17.        Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
18.        Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
19.        Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
20.        Brett Lawrie, Toronto Blue Jays

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Topps announced even more that it has planned for the National Sports Collectors Convention set for Aug. 1-5 in Baltimore.

The biggest news on Friday? Small cards.

Topps’ forthcoming 2012 Topps Mini product will be sold at the show with a five-card mini promo set available for everyone who buys a box. Boxes will be $50 (free shipping if purchased online). Its previously announced wrapper redemptions can be found here.

The mini set will include Yu Darvish, Bryce Harper, Matt Kemp, Stephen Strasburg and Roy Halladay and the show will be the only place to get boxes of the product direct from Topps besides ShopTopps.com, which will be the home for the limited-run product. There will be a limit of 10 boxes per person/credit card at the show.

In addition, the company announced on Friday that, as part of its Bowman Platinum redemption it will be giving away a trip to the Under Armour All-America game in Chicago. For every box of Platinum opened, a collector will be entered into a drawing for a trip for two that will include a tour of Wrigley Field, admission to the event’s banquet, a chance to meet Cal Ripken Jr. and Billy Ripken at the team workout and attend the game among other events. The winner will be announced on Aug. 5

Lastly, the company also announced that it will have a Q&A session with 150 collectors at the NSCC on Aug. 2 from 5-7 p.m. Those who want to attend should sign up for the session at the company’s booth.

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

Topps has set up shop at the MLB All-Star FanFest in Kansas City and that means it has some show-exclusive cards for collectors at the event.

First, for anyone who buys a 2012 Topps All-Star version of its factory set, they will receive one of four All-Star patch cards like the Yu Darvish seen above. Four players are available — Darvish, Bryce Harper, Matt Kemp and Josh Hamilton. These cards are serial-numbered out of 150.

Secondly, there is a wrapper redemption program at the show — collectors who open three packs of Topps cards at the booth will receive one of six standard cards made for the event.

That lineup includes Darvish, Harper, Hamilton, Darvish and three Kansas City Royals – Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas.

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.

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

A favorite from the Donruss stable is back in baseball for the first time in more than a decade.

Panini America unveiled plans for 2012 Panini Signature Series, an autograph-driven product that will include three autographs in every six-card pack and include few prospects compared to its previous baseball releases this year when it arrives in late August.

Oh, and it includes a heavy on-card autograph presence,  too.

Base cards will be limited to 499 with autographs in the product from the likes of Ken Griffey Jr., Greg Maddux, Carl Yastrzemski, Nolan Ryan, Pete Rose, Randy Johnson, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson and Cal Ripken Jr. to name a few.

Among the autograph inclusions will be Rated Rookies Patches limited to 299  — autographed manupatches of top guys such as Oakland A’s outfielder Yoenis Cespedes — while Hitters Ink autos will include a mix of the past and present.

The on-card autograph element in this one will include the Signatures insert (limited to 99) and will include present-day MLBPA players such as Josh Hamilton, Matt Kemp, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Braun, Dustin Pedroia and Mariano Rivera to name a few.

Rounding out the autograph lineup in this one will be Lumber Cuts (trapped signed wood pieces), Game Ball Signatures (sweet spot leather autos), Signature Stats, Diamond Cuts cut autographs numbered to 25 or fewer copies.

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.

Join Beckett Baseball‘s Chris Olds and Brian Fleischer as they rip into 2012 Topps Tier One in this latest episode of Box Busters.

What will they find inside? What can you win? Watch and find out …

Answer the two questions in a comment below — and include your name and email address — or you won’t be eligible.

We’ll pick as many as five of the most-creative answers — and let you guys vote for a winner of the big card next week.

(Need a checklist or OPG for this one? Click here.)

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.”

This product, which will only be available at ShopTopps.com (the company’s webstore), was teased online there last week. The mini set will be officially unveiled on Aug. 1 at the National Sports Collectors Convention with 10 cards per pack and one autograph or Relic card in every 24-pack box.

For those who looked closely at the mocked wax box, it notes that there are 661 cards in this one. Presuming it’s a direct parallel to the 2012 Topps set, that means Washington Nationals rookie Bryce Harper will be found in the product. He appears on the wrapper along with another notable rookie this season, Rangers pitcher Yu Darvish, along with Matt Kemp, Josh Hamilton, Prince Fielder and Roy Halladay.

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.

—

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor | Commentary

I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again — nothing is perhaps more perfectly symbolic of a home run hitter than a game-used baseball bat.

And, unlike cards, jerseys and other pieces of memorabilia, the more beaten and worn out a bat is, the more impressive it is — as long as it remains complete.

For card collectors and game-used cards, bats are not always as impressive. It’s not always a love-love relationship. But Topps is intending to change that with its upcoming Tier One release arriving later this month. While bats can yield hundreds, if not thousands, of anonymous-looking wood chips to be placed into cards, the most-special pieces of chopped up gamers are the nameplates — the spot on the barrel where the player’s name is burned into the bat — and the bat knob where a player’s perhaps most-personalized touches can be seen via numbers, initials or sayings.

In Tier One, there will be a 100-card set of 1/1 knob cards for collectors to chase, including some of the biggest names in the history of the game. It’s not an accident, said Topps Vice President Mark Sapir.

“The goal was to add special content, over-deliver value on this release,” Sapir said Tuesday night. “To create buzz and excitement in hobby, provide a special chase.”

Bat knob cards are not a common thing in the hobby today — even as game-used memorabilia cards are much more commonplace than they were even a decade ago. Today, there are just 629 total bat knob cards in the Beckett.com database. (Click here for a complete checklist and to get an OPG) Many of them are 1/1 cards that few of us ever see.

Topps previously billed this release as “one of the most significant memorabilia inserts ever offered in a product” and the company already is the runaway leader in bat knob cards made previously. There are 491 different Topps knob cards in existence, while the old Donruss/Playoff made the second-highest total with just 92. The remaining companies all have made fewer than 20 knob cards.

Among the legendary bat knobs to be inserted into Tier One will be Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks, Frank Robinson, Roberto Clemente, Ty Cobb, Joe DiMaggio, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and many more. Oh, and you can find new sluggers, too, such as Albert Pujols, Alex Rodriguez, Jose Bautista, Josh Hamilton, Matt Kemp, Jay Bruce, Carlos Gonzalez and others.

It’s an impressive array — largely retired greats — and it will be a pricey one, too. In the cases of some modern sluggers the knob card might outpace the price of a complete game-used bat. (I’m expecting that as I’ll fight — and lose — to deep-pocketed Yankees fans online for what will be just the third Nick Swisher bat knob card to ever be released. It will likely surpass what I paid for even the most-expensive of my 10 or so complete game-used bats.)

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.

Feast on a massive gallery of the actual Tier One bat knobs below and then take our poll.

—

—

By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor

From Ryan Braun and Rally Squirrel cards to Matt Kemp, Yu Darvish and the arrival of Bryce Harper, there’s been plenty to talk about with the beginning of the 2012 MLB season.

We want to know who or what stands out to you.

Maybe it’s a new Topps brand. Maybe it’s one of Panini America‘s baseball products. We simply want to know what has impressed you — tell us in the comments below.

Please include your name and location with your comment. We’ll run a selection of the best answers in the next issue of Beckett Baseball.

—

—

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.