Card Collectors Do Some Dumb Things

Is hoping Upper Deck will redeem your redemption card a stupid thing collectors do?
Have you ever thought about some of the stupid things we do as card collectors? I was recently thinking about after reviewing an article for Sports Card Forum and decided to make a list of the dumbest things collectors do:

-Spend entire weekends organizing our collections
-Pay 10 times or more book value for the last common we need for a set
-Pay more for an autographed card numbered to 10 than one numbered to 500 even though we're getting the same autograph
-Take $100+ risks on boxes on a regular basis
-Get into ridiculous bidding wars with strangers when there is less than a minute left on auctions on eBay
-Memorize cards we need for that vintage set, but forget when our anniversary is
-Drive hours sometimes to go a mall show when gas is $4 a gallon
-Scour the flea market for hours in hopes of finding a good deal when they usually aren't any to be found
-Invest heavily into unproven players
-Try to explain collections or purchases to non-collectors
-Leave thousands of unsorted cards sitting in stacks rather than putting them in a box and then complain when we accidently knock them over later
-Watch cards on eBay that we know we never win or bid on
-Send in Upper Deck redemption cards
-Buy several copies of our favorie player's cards when we really only need one (I'm guilty here)
-Get more of a rush from opening a box of cards than whatever gives normal people rushes

I'm sure there are several more than could be included on this list. Have any? Leave a comment.

Beckett Icon Leaves Company

The third ever employee of Beckett Media has left the company after almost 22 years of service.

Pepper Hastings has done most everything for Beckett over his time there including pricing, grading, marketing, editing and more.

Hastings started the company in 1986 when the entire company was run by Dr. Jim Beckett and his sister Cludia Beckett.

Tracy Hackler, who was hired by Hastings as an intern and a full-time staffer, did an interview with Hastings to discuss his departure into a non-collectibles endeavour. You can see the video here.

Card of the Day: 2007-08 Ultimate Collection Ultimate Match Ups Magic Johnson/Larry Bird

It's like Upper Deck knew that the Boston Celtics would meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.

With an 89-81 win last night against the Detroit Pistons, the Boston Celtics ensured the NBA would see something it hadn't, but desperately wanted to see, since 1987: A Lakers/Celtics final.

In the 1980s, it was Magic Johnson and company pitted against Larry Bird and company. Today, it is Kobe Bryant and company versus Kevin Garnett and company.

However, the make-up of the current Boston team is far different that the old teams as Boston simply traded for their team outside of Paul Pierce. The Lakers also added Pau Gasol in the middle of the season.

But it is details like this that will be ignored because this rivalry is being renewed starting Thursday.

Expect cards of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to all see a spike in value during the series, especially if it goes seven games. Also be on the look out for lower name role players like Eddie House, Rajon Rondo, P.J. Daniels, San Cassell, Derek Fisher and Vladimir Radmanovic to become desired by collectors across the country.

My suggestion: look through your common boxes and your cheap game-used and autos and see if you have any of these guys. I did this and found an Eddie House auto and a P.J. Daniels auto so you never know what you may find.

Presidential Predictors Double Take

Just like we had in March when the first mysterious and controversial Hillary Clinton Upper Deck Presidential Predictor card emerged.

Now, with the release of Upper Deck Series Two, we are having some deja-vu.

Naturally, Upper Deck produced both cards of Barack Obama as the Democratic winner and Hillary Clinton as the Democratic winner. However, you would think they could figure out which one had the best shot at winning before packaging up Series Two packs and boxes.

Well, it appears they wanted a little extra publicity and PR.

An unknown amount of the Clinton card have been released into packs of Upper Deck Series Two after most were removed during a hand-removal.

“We had the version of Obama lifting Clinton pulled as it became clear Barack would be the victor,” said Jason Masherah, Baseball Brand manager for Upper Deck in a statement. “Pulling these cards is a process done by hand so it is very possible some of these cards may make their way into packs. Those cards are considered an error version.”

I will be tracking these cards as they appear on eBay when they first hit the auction site.

For my opinion about the Obama winner card, please visit Sports Card Forum Articles.

Press Pass Autograph Variations Announced

Despite the typo on Beckett's website, Press Pass has released the first set of variations for its 2008 autograph cards.

The variations include red ink and player inscriptions.

You can see the full first part (not part two like Beckett says) here.

Card of the Day: 2007 Bowman Sterling Refractors Autograph Joba Chamberlain

The wait is over for Joba Chamberlain.

The Yankees announced today that he will get his first career start next Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. Talk about pressure.

Chamberlain has been slated as the starter of the future for the Yankees ever since he was drafted in 2006. Phil Hughes, Ian Kennedy and Chamberlain were supposed to take over the reigns after Andy Pettitte and Mike Mussina became too old to carry the grind.

However, the first two on the prospect list are looking more like Mark Prior and Kerry Wood suffering injuries early in the 2008 season.

The move to the rotation will certainly affect Chamberlain's card. He was already arguably the most popular hobby baseball star of this year, and if he finds success in the rotation, his cards will reach new highs for a starting pitcher.

Already listed as the highest price in 2008 base sets, Chamberlain can reach heights even Derek Jeter couldn't reach in his hobby heydays earlier this decade.

If you haven't already gotten your hands on some Chamberlain cards, it may just be too late. His autos are easily selling for $50+ and even his 2007 base rookies are seeing some action.

Card of the Day: 2008 Finest Rookie Redemption 2 Jay Bruce Autograph

After a Cincinnati Red's rookie picther started the season off strong, Topps announced that the first rookie redemption in Finest would be Johnny Ceuto.

However, he has gone downhill since his first couple of starts making the selection look a little weaker now considering the great performances of rookies like Geovany Soto, Evan Longoria and Kosuke Fukudome.

Nevertheless, those stars have been ignored for the time being as another fantastic debut of a Reds player has prompted Topps to announce the second rookie redemption.

Just one day after Jay Bruce made his Major League debut with three hits, two runs, two RBI, a double and a stolen base, Topps announced that he would be the second rookie redemption and that his card would be a certified autograph.

Before the announcement, the redemption cards were selling for around $20 or so with one selling for as low as $1.25 on eBay at one point. Now, they are selling for around $100 each.

This just proves the risk that you take when selling or buying redemption cards. For the sellers of Redemption #2, they lost about $80, but the buyers have the world to gain if Bruce turns out to be the superstar he is expected to become.

With Finest, you are sure to get a star in the making for at least one season because these cards are released as rookies make an impact in the game.

Topps hasn't released a Fukudome yet which makes me wonder if his card will be autographed as well. This will be my first ever baseball card prediction.

A New Standard: $2 million card arises

Not the $2 million MJ card
For those regular readers of Cardboard Mania (always appreciate the visits by the way), you have seen the two $1 million cards that have been offered on eBay. If you missed the, you can find the quad auto/patch here and the creased Topps card here.

Now, a Michael Jordan card has surfaced with an asking price of $500,000 or Buy-It-Now of $2 million.

The reason: there is an autograph "signed in gold" according to the seller.

But, anyone with any sort of knowledge about trading cards can tell that the signature is simply the same foil that was used on the border.

In fact, it is painfully obvious to a non-card collector.

I did a little research but am unable to figure exactly what this card is to pinpoint the book value of it. If anyone knows, please leave a comment letting me know.

Laugh of the Day: 2008 Upper Deck Justin Maxwell

Most baseball fans have seen The Sandlot, but how many of you knew that the Washington Nationals re-enacted a scene from the movie in 2007?

Thanks to Upper Deck, fans can now be in on the secret that some construction workers witnessed while building Nationals Park.

The Nationals used several of their minor league players to take part in the scene, not wanting big media outlets like ESPN and Fox to appear after learning why Ryan Zimmerman wasn't on the team's road trip at the time.

As you can see behind the plate, the warning track wasn't quite flat yet which helped Maxwell hit an inside the park during the scene (he didn't read the script real well).

In all reality, I assume that the Nationals played a little intrasquad type game during the construction of Nationals Park.

The two things I like most about this card are the random pile of dirt along the wall that looks like a warning track in its beginning stages and the two construction workers to the right of Maxwell who are pointing their cameras towards the field.

The picture on the card itself is a bit grainy for Upper Deck's standards, but I am sure they saw the opportunity to make a unique card and ran with it.

Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Co-Signers Boxing Solo Sigs Ivan Calderon

Ever since Topps Co-Signers dropped on April 30, I have nothing too positive about 2008 Topps Co-Signers baseball, and most people are griping about the same thing: autographed cards of boxers in their baseball box.

The argument is that a baseball product should have baseball cards in it rather than players from other sports, but I think many of these collectors are missing the obvious.

Is Topps Allen & Ginter not one of the most popular products released on the entire baseball calendar?

Let's take a look at some of the cards that have been featured in A&G.

-Danica Patrick (IRL)
-Presidents
-Inventors
-Boxers
-Snakes
-Emperors
-DNA cards

Knowing that, how many people have you heard complain about the quality of their Allen & Ginter box? I, for one, haven't heard a single one.

The problem is that Co-Signers doesn't have a very good secondary market value, which isn't Topps' fault, it's collector's fault. Collector's can't stand it if they get three regular autos in their box. They write off a nasty e-mail to Topps complaining about it and talking about how they won't ever buy Topps again, but at the end of the day, they still buy Topps products.

Not every box can be great people. Keep that in mind when you buy stuff.

Based on the complaints I have heard, I would only have one suggestion for Topps to improve this product. Include three baseball autographs per box as guarentees and make the boxing autographs rare hits.

Card of the Day: 2007 Topps '52 Aaron Laffey

Collector's have taken note of Cleveland's fill-in pitcher.

Aaron Laffey has been used in a replacement role all season covering for the injured Jake Westbrook and now Fausto Carmona, but the staggering numbers he has put up have collectors seeking the few cards he has out.

Despite a 2-3 record, Laffey has just a 1.60 ERA over five starts and has walked just six batters.

In his three losses, the Indians offense has only put up an average of one run per game while he only allowed 3.3 runs in those games.

At the rate Laffey is pitching, Paul Byrd may find himself in trouble. His 2-4 record and 4.10 ERA put him on the hot seat in the rotation

Or, the Indians could choose to form a six-man rotation.

But, I also wouldn't be surprised to see the Indians put Laffey into some kind of midseason trade to acquire another bat.

Nevertheless, Laffey has some kind if potential from what he has shown this season and at the end of last season. Right now may just be one of the best times to buy as he isn't too well known across the big leagues yet.

Laugh of the Day: 1995 Pinnacle Milt Thompson

It's no wonder that the Phillies traded Milt Thompson in the middle of the 1994 season. He thought summer was for beaches.

Apparently Thompson mistook the blue wall for the waters of the ocean and brought his beach ball out to the field only to realize he was still in the ballpark.

Quickly realizing his mistake, he slam dunked the ball over the wall.

Sadly for him, a ball was hit to left before he was done, and the routine fly out resulted in a triple.

Thompson was promptly traded to Houston the next day.

Card of the Day: 2006 Bowman Chrome Autograph Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw has finally arrived in Los Angeles.

As the Dodgers best pitching prospect, fans knew it would only be a matter of time before he broke into the Majors. However, since he was pitching in Double-A last week, his surprise jump the Majors yesterday was even more well-received.

And he pitched well too.

Kershaw pitched a solid six innings (101 pitches) keeping the Dodgers ahead 3-2 when he was pulled.

He allowed those two runs on just five hits and one walk. He also struck out seven, including the three outs in the first.

Kershaw is only 20 so this good outing should be taken with a grain of salt in my mind. We all remember what happened to Johnny Ceuto earlier this year. I'm not saying that Kershaw will implode, but a lot of young players who are rushed to the top tend to struggle.

Basically, Kershaw's cards will be riding a hot streak right now, but I think later on when he gets sent back down will be the best time to buy his cards. If he struggles next season, you may also want to take a gamble on his stuff in hopes he turns it around in 2010.

Card of the Day: 2003 Bowman Chrome Refractor Autograph Ben Francisco

Just one day after Ben Francisco was robbed of a three run home run, he came back and showed the umpire who's boss.

On Friday night, Francisco hit what should have been a three run shot off the railing in left field, but he had to settle for a double after the umpires huddled up and made the wrong call.

On Saturday, Francisco sought revenge and slammed another three run homer to almost the same spot in the outfield. This time though, it clearly cleared the fence.

Francisco is the one strong hitter on the Indians right now and has put up some staggering numbers since coming up to the Tribe just two weeks ago.

In just 19 games, Francisco has hit .365 with ten doubles.

I know I am a Cleveland fan, but I think this guy is for real. His swing is perfect and he can hit for singles or for doubles and homers. He's also fast and has an arm that is capable of leading the league in outfield assists.

Once the Indians finally get it rolling, you may be hearing the name Ben Francisco a lot more.

And just as a side note, have you ever seen a nicer signature from a rookie?

Another Million Dollar Card

Earlier this week, I featured a card on eBay that has a Buy-It-Now of $1,000,000 ($1 million). The card ultimately sold to a best offer of just $1,000.

Today, I have found another million dollar card on eBay which has just a little bit less magnitude...and by a little, I mean a lot.

A 1988 Topps All-Star subset card of Andre Dawson complete with creases is being offered for $1 million BIN or $0.01 + $0.99 shipping through regular bidding.



It's confusing to figure out why this card is so special that it needs to be featured for $1 million BIN especially since the seller's (2003jah) other baseball card listing is a 1988 Topps Pete Rose card with creases for $0.01 + $0.99 shipping and no BIN price.

If you have any ideas (or theories) feel free to share.

Laugh of the Day: 1992 Triple Play Milt Cuyler

Milt Cuyler was not an offensive force during the 1991 season when this Triple Play photo was captured.

With just three home runs and .257 batting average his rookie season, it's no wonder that Cuyler tried to keep his defense sharp to stay in the line-up.

However, as a rookie, he forgot that you only try to catch the balls your opponents hit rather than ones you hit yourself.

As you can see, Cuyler is tracking down a pop foul ball he hit and appears to be tossing his bat aside to catch the ball with his left hand in order to not injure his throwing hand.

Sadly for Cuyler, as you can see by the fan in the white cap to his right, he isn't even looking the right way.

The Chicago White Sox bench and catcher Carlton Fisk sat and watched as Cuyler proceded to realize his mistake and ran in circles behind home plate trying to catch up to the ball.

It dropped, and Cuyler then struck out the very next pitch.

Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Rookie Progression Autographs Joe Flacco

Topps Rookie Progression (formerly Topps Draft Picks and prospects or Topps DPP) hit shelves on Tuesday with collectors in a flurry to get their favorite rookie's first issue from Topps.

While Joe Flacco isn't my favorite rookie from this class at all, I think he is being vastly under appreciated by collectors.

Everyone is high on Matt Ryan because he was the third overall pick, but I personally believe Ryan is going to be the next Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf, etc.

Collectors are also very high on Brian Brohm because he was drafted by the Green Bay Packers and is expected to battle with Aaron Rodgers to start next season.

Don't get me wrong, Flacco is getting his due, but I have seen more people interested in Brohm cards than Flacco cards.

Laugh of the Day: 1993 Ultra Gary DiSarcina

Before I start, let me give you a little biographical info on the two subjects on this card.

Gary DiSarcina - 6'1" and 178 pounds
Mickey Tettleton - 6'2"and 212 pounds

Now, I'm pretty sure that in a straight up fight, Tettleton would win every single time.

But, if you first let DiSarcina jump onto Tettleton, the results may vary.

That exact scenario happened way back when DiSarcina was a young shortstop with the Angels and Tettleton was a fierce power hitter for the Tigers.

Some time in either 1992 or 1993, DiSarcina got the better of Tettleton during a double play, and an Ultra photographer was there to capture the action.

Look at DiSarcina's form as he kicks Tettleton's head while he is down to ensure that Tettleton knows he is out.

Of course, in his mind, Tettleton saw himself starting a brawl at second base like he was playing against DiSarcina in MLB Slugfest.

Yes, Tettleton could see the future and knew that MLB Slugfest would first come out for major gaming systems in 2003. He was also the first in line at the stores, and immediately played the Tigers against the Angels only to be disappointed to find that DiSarcina was nowhere to be found in the game.

Card of the Day: 2008 Topps Triple Threads Patch Autograph Daisuke Matsuzaka

Topps has released some initial information about 2008 Topps Triple Threads including a scan of a Daisuke Matsuzaka patch/autograph numbered to five.

Here is some of the info Topps provided:

This year’s installment of Triple Threads Baseball (releasing late July) will feature an array of all-new AUTOGRAPH and RELIC cards. Collectors loved 2006 and 2007, but 2008 will be the best yet. Some highlights…

-All-New Presidential Cut Above Autographs including 3 relic pieces
-All-New XXIV Relic card. Features a minimum of 24 different relic die-cuts on a book card. The most ever!
-17 All-New legendary subjects from Topps exclusive deal with CMG featured throughout the product. Includes Ty Cobb, Lou Gehrig, Honus Wagner, Jackie Robinson and more.
-Daisuke Matsuzaka Autographs (image attached)
-All-New Letter Plus and Jumbo Plus Relics… book cards featuring nice big pieces of jersey patch.
-Rookies and Rising Stars Autographed Duals
-Autographed Relic Double Combos…book cards with 6 autographs and 6 relic pieces

Every 2 Pack Box has:

-1 Autographed Triple Relic #’d to 99 or less
-1 Triple Relic #’d to 36 or less
-4 Parallels #’d to 525 or less
-6 Base cards #’d to 1350

Every 18-box Case Guarantees:

-A 1 of 1 Autographed Relic
-1 Autographed Triple Relic #’d to 36 or less

And now that I have you all excited for Triple Threads, I am going to tell you why it is bad for the hobby.

First off, there is only a finite number of people who can afford to spend the kind of money that Triple Threads will cost.

Secondly, a middle of the line collector may not be able to take that big of a gamble on a two pack box that guarantees just two hits that could both be no-namers.

Another reason is that certain people see products like Triple Threads, and then completely blow-off lower end sets like Topps, Upper Deck and Bowman among others. Thus, companies put less effort into these sets because they don't make as much money as high end sets.

I'm very hopeful that these types of releases don't make the hobby a high-end only place.

Jon Lester's No-Hitter

Before throwing a no-hitter last night, Jon Lester had just under 100 listings on eBay. By doing a completed listing search for Jon Lester this morning, there are were 471 listings found (many of which were BIN from last night and this morning).

Today at 12:35 EST, he has 1,126 listings.

Wow.

People are going crazy over Lester right now all because of one game he pitched. A 2006 Upper Deck Lester was sold for $3. Some Just Minors cards have gone for $2-$5.

Do people not remember Clay Buchholz and Anibal Sanchez from the past few years? Give it two weeks and Lester should be back down to normal trading levels.

Card of the Day: 2008 SPx Victor Martinez

Due out tomorrow, SPx baseball appears that it will again deliver a high quality set.

The base design is again die-cut, but now has the player right in the middle of the cards. Moving the player image makes the cards more appealing because the focus is on the player photo rather than the fancy SPx-esque features that usually appear on the cards.

A Ken Griffey Jr. career highlights set is one of the new sets that will be found in SPx. There is also parallels of it included a 1/1. Babe Ruth has a similar set, but it is only 1/1. The 1/1s can be found two per case on average.

Winning Materials will also return again along with its 1,967,854 parallel versions. The mass amount of parallels in the Winning Materials set makes it difficult for collectors of a team or player to get all the cards they need, but Upper Deck certainly sees it as a way to move more boxes of their product.

As for a box, expect one autograph or relic out of each of the ten, three card packs in a hobby box. Boxes Will set you back around $150.

Laugh of the Day: 2003 Ultra Matt Morris

I know that working out with medicine balls is a part of a Major League workout, but how often do you see that side of things on a baseball card?

It's not everyday.

The 2003 Ultra Matt Morris card is an exception to that rule as a photographer captured Morris right in the middle of, what appears to be, a strenuous workout.

Not only that, the photographer captured such an angle that it makes Morris' lower body appear far larger than his upper half. And, the blue ball also seems like it is twice the size of Morris because of the angle.

I mean his foot makes Shaq's foot look like nothing, and how many men in this world can do that?

2008 Playoff Prestige Football SP List Announced

#110 CHAUNCEY WASHINGTON
#116 CHRIS LONG
#121 DAN CONNOR
#139 FELIX JONES
#142 HARRY DOUGLAS
#148 JED COLLINS
#155 JORDY NELSON
#166 KEVIN SMITH
#177 MATT FLYNN
#189 REGGIE SMITH

Card of the Day: 2008 Bowman Bowman Scout Autographs The Bowman Scout

The 2008 Bowman release brought around a lot of new changes for Bowman including a new, flashy base design and the release of Bowman Scout Autographs.

The autograph set features Bowman scouts who discovered superstar players like Derek Jeter, Ryan Howard and Alex Rodriguez in their own autograph set.

However, Topps being who they are, decided to throw in a mystery scout.

This scout is the one who signed Albert Pujols and is featured in a black silhouette wearing a cowboy hat who simply signed his name "Bowman Scout."

Card of the Day: 2006 Topps Triple Threads Combos Stan Musial, Lou Brock, Ozzie Smith

This card shows two examples of big trends in recent hobby memory: multi-jersey and multi-autograph cards.

Topps Triple Threads famously began producing these types of cards throughout an entire set in 2006 and has since become the elite producer of triple or higher relic cards.

Upper Deck's version of this practice is Ultimate Collection which has been known to have up to eight autographs on a single card.

Whether or not this chase cards are good for the hobby is a debatable topic, but they are here to stay no matter what your take is.

Card of the Day: 2001 Donruss Class of 2001 Rookie Crusade Autographs Ben Sheets

This card is the catalyst of my personal collection.

While not my rarest or most valuable, this will forever be my favorite as it was the first ever autograph I pulled.

I remember sitting on the couch after my dad got home from work and opening my pack of Donruss Class of 2001. About three or so cards in, I found this.

As happy as I was at that point, I was even happier when I found out that only 15 of the 300 Rookie Crusades Ben Sheets are autographed. Mine is serial number five.

As much as I would like to have a Babe Ruth cut signature or a fancy eight auto as the catalyst of my collection, I know I am just a "small time," low-end collector. That being said, I am happy enough to have a card that is this good.

Bonus Laugh of the Day: The Million Dollar Card

While checking out the Ryan Braun Bowman Chrome Superfractor 1/1 autographed rookie card, I decided to see what the highest selling trading cards at this time were.

You won't believe what I found.

This is probably the most outrageous listing I have ever seen. The seller, ehoffmaster (5,700+ feedbacks), is offering a 2007/08 Topps Triple Threads Quad Autograph/Patch of Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, John Stockton and David Robinson #'d 2/3 for $1,000,000 or $1 million.

The seller is also touting the card as the "Most Amazing Card Ever Made" and urging collectors to "Spend your money on something fun."

I don't know about you, but if I am going to spend $1 million and have fun, it's not going to on a trading card. Not even a Honus Wagner.

I want to know how the most amazing card ever made doesn't even include Michael Jordan.

Economic Stimulus For Your Collection

Cards in Chris Olds' Economic Stimulus Collection
Orlando Sentinel's Chris Olds is back at again and wants collectors to see how they turn their $600 economic stimulus check into a lost treasure of star baseball cards.

While I am sure this isn't what the government had in mind when they sent out government stimulus checks, these cards do seem like good cards to add to any collection regardless of the getting a stimulus check.

You can find his entry here.

Laugh of the Day: 1958 Topps Don Mossi

Did you know that before 1958, chicks didn't dig the longball? They dug the fastball.

Then Don Mossi came along, and the women started to take liking to the hitters.

I know we've all seen some ugly ballplayers before, but I do think Mossi might be the worst I have ever seen.

I mean, in all honesty, the man has it bad. Huge ears, a hat that doesn't fit right, wrinkly face, huge eye brows and a right eye that is bigger than the left eye.

I'm sure you've heard this a ton Don, and I promise to leave you alone for the rest of my blogging career.

Card of the Day: 2008 SAGE High Series Gold Autographs Mike Hart

This is the best card Ive pulled from a retail product in quite some time, and it's not even that good.

This was the highlight of my retail box break of 2008 SAGE High Series. I completed 92% of the base set and my duplicates included Darren McFadden and two Rashard Mendenhalls.

The Glossy parallel was inserted one per pack and I got McFadden, Jonathon Stewart, and a Matt Ryan/Brian Brohm among others.

For just a $20 retail price, I should be able to make a profit from the box considering the Hart will take out at least half of the cost. (UPDATE: I have already gotten 75% of the money back by selling off the two autos.)

With all the star draft picks that are in SAGE High Series, I don't see how a football prospector can go wrong with this product.

Laugh of the Day: 1998 Topps Brian Jordan and 1989 Upper Deck Nolan Ryan

It's no secret that Brian Jordan was a dual-sport athlete, but I don't know how many people know the rules of the game he created to combine baseball and football.

From the looks of this card, the game is played in the sky, and the object is for the pitcher to throw the football against the laces so it hits the bat longways.

And because there are no baseballs or tackling involved, players don't need to wear helmets.

However, the sport only had two athletes: Jordan and Nolan Ryan. And it didn't help that Ryan was throwing the football from Spring Training on the ground up to Jordan in the sky.



Maybe it Jordan tried to come back with Ryan today, this sport would take off like Oreo's Double Stuff League with Peyton and Eli Manning.

Well, maybe not.

Card of the Day: 2006 Topps Tampa Bay Rays

Who would've thought it? The Tampa Bay Rays in first place in May.

After out dueling Mariano Rivera in the 11th inning last night and winning their sixth straight game, the Rays find themselves on top of the AL East ahead of juggernauts Boston and New York.

This is the first time the Rays have been atop the standings after the first week of the season and the first time they have a team that might actually stay there.

The Rays are loaded with young players you should stockpile now. B.J. Upton, Evan Longoria, Scott Kazmir, Carl Crawford, Jamie Shields, Akinori Iwamura, and Ben Zobrist are all players you might want to take a look at in case the Rays make a magically playoff run like the 2006 Tigers.

NBA Store to Display Array of Basketball Cards

The NBA Store's "Where Trading Cards Happens" exhibit is a new way for collectors to see some 60 years of basketball trading cards history.

Some of the top cards included are a George Mikan card from 1948, a Pete Maravich card from 1970-71 and a Wilt Chamberlain card from 1970-71.

The exhibit shows cards from all eras of the NBA (1940s-present) and also includes trading card innovations like relics and autographs.

The NBA Store is located in New York City at the corner of 5th Avenue and 52nd Street and is open Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Laugh of the Day: 1987 Topps Rick Burleson

Rick Burleson's Little League coach should be fired.

I'm sure at first glance there was nothing funny about this card but take a closer look at how he is holding that bat.

I don't know about you, but I think that is a little dangerous. Had that pitch been inside, Burleson might be down a few fingers or his entire hand for a few months.

Sadly, the 1997 the Lancaster JetHawks minor league team was taught bunting by Burleson, their manager at the time.

In an article written in 1997 by an Antelope Valley Press writer, this is how a typical Spring Training workout went for the offense on Burleson's squad.

"During batting practice, while one-third of the position players are hitting, one-third are working on their baserunning (sic). The other third is either fielding ground balls or working on bunting."

Hopefully these young professionals remembered what their childhood coaches said and pointed out to Burleson that they like their fingers the way they are.

Remember kids, no matter what you might see on some baseball cards, always keep your hand behind the bat so you don't break your fingers.

Card of the Day: 2007 Topps '52 Asdrubal Cabrera

Chances are if you think about an unassisted triple play, a Cleveland Indian may come to mind.

After Asdrubal Cabrera turned one in game two of yesterday's Indians/Blue Jays double header, the Indians now have three of the 14 unassisted triple plays in baseball history.

The first was in 1909 when Neal Ball turned one and the second was in the 1920 World Series by Bill Wambsganss.

The last unassisted triple play in the Majors was last year when Troy Tulowitzki got three quick outs against the Braves. The last in the American League was Oakland's Randy Velarde who turned three by himself against the Yankees in 2000.

However, such a rare feat hasn't done too much for Cabrera's cards. His 28 listings on eBay include eight of the 2008 Topps Co-Signers dual autograph with Robinson Cano, and all but one were posted before the triple play was turned.

MLB.com Dick Perez Feature

I stumbled across this story on MLB.com about baseball artist Dick Perez.

Perez is a legend in the baseball card world as he painted the Donruss Diamond Kings and more recently has done work for Topps with their Turkey Red and Allen & Ginter sets.

Perez also has work displayed in the baseball Hall of Fame, painted the National League 1976 logo and painted the 1983 World Series program cover.

Laugh of the Day: 1995 Pinnacle Ken Griffey Jr.

Ken Griffey Jr. has a lot of Bazooka. And it's not only in his mouth, it's in his locker too.

Not only is Griffey chewing enough Bazooka to make a bubble larger than a man's head, he has enough stockpiled below the Pinnacle logo to make one at least twice the size.

I don't know the history behind this photo, but I do know that the first time I saw this card, I immediately thought of the old 1970s Joe Garagiola/Bazooka Bubble Gum Blowing challenges players used to be part of. Specifically, the Kurt Bevacqua Topps card from the 1975 contest.

After the Bevacqua card, this is probably the most famous bubble blowing card ever released and certainly my personal favorite.

Beckett's Basketball Blunder

I'm no basketball card expert, but I did notice something peculiar about the new Beckett Basketball Hot List.

The #1 card on the Hot List just didn't fit. I mean, why would Kevin Durant's Topps Chrome rookie card be number one amidst the playoffs?

However, further reading showed that the 2005-06 SP Authentic Auto Chris Paul RC was the number one card. But at the same time, the number three card was listed and pictured as the same Monta Ellis card.

So, what exactly happened?

What happened was that last month's hot list photos were coupled with the text for this month's hot list.

Beckett called their mistake an "air ball" and aren't sure if the error was caused during editorial, design or production.

But, you can see the updated (and correct) basketball hot list
here.

Card of the Day: 2007 Topps Turkey Red Relics Ervin Santana

It turns out Ervin Santana is human (although concern is still high on Cliff Lee and Brandon Webb).

While his record is still perfect, Santana did have a misstep against the Rays yesterday, nearly picking up a loss.

The duo of Joe Saunders and Santana has propelled the Angels to the top of the AL West as well as putting their cards on the collector's map.

The last couple of years, Santana was a guy most collectors knew, but also a guy no one paid any attention too. This season, it is a much different story.

Santana's autographs are his hottest sellers with rarer versions selling in the $15-$20 range with more common autos going for around $10.

A 2004 Bowman Red Ink auto /25 recently brought in $113 while a Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor Auto sold for $112. A Topps Sterling Letterman Patch/Auto 1/1 was sold for a best offer of $66.

Saunders has never had any notoriety among collectors, but his 2001 and 2002 rookie cards are now getting a significant amount of recognition from collectors. His rookie autographs are going for around $10-$12 and regular autographs around $3-$5.

Cardboard Mania New Layout

Any thoughts on the new layout?

Thanks

Laugh of the Day: 1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher

It's sad that today's sports card don't have many funny or unique photos. Back in the days (1980s and 1990s) almost every set would have at least a card or two that would send a chuckle through anyone. Sadly, these cards are only appreciated by a small clan of collectors nowadays.

I plan on revisiting some of these cards at least every couple of days in hopes of revitalizing some of the funny bones in collectors.

Today's feature is the 1986 Fleer Mickey Hatcher card where he is wearing a super-huge glove.

I don't know why Hatcher thought he needed such a glove. In 1985 (presumably the year this photo was taken), Hatcher only committed three errors in the 101 games he played in the field.

Of course one of those errors did come at first, so maybe he thought he needed the glove for his next game there.

In reality, Hatcher needed this glove in 1987 when he committed nine errors in 49 games at third base for the Dodgers.

Card of the Day: 2008 Bowman Alex Rodriguez

It never fails that people pre-sell new sports card products. 2008 Bowman baseball is no exception.

Many sellers are pre-selling sets or even selling cards in hand days before the May 14 release date.

The new Bowman release is a dramatic change from year's past. Never before has Bowman been a colorful set until now. When I think of Bowman, I think of gray, white, black, and blue color schemes, not bright red.

I think the change in design may be a good thing for Bowman as the set now has more appeal that just being "the home of the rookie card."

A full preview of 2008 Bowman baseball will appear on Sports Card Forum Articles in the coming days.

Card of the Day: 2008 UD Spectrum Jonathon Papelbon

Jonathon Papelbon is almost always a sure thing for the Red Sox in the ninth. However, the last two times out, he has been anything but.

On Wednesday, a Julio Lugo error led to a Placido Polanco walk-off single off Papelbon. Yesterday, Papelbon blew it himself after a single, sac fly, walk, stolen base, and a Mike Lamb walk-off single.

I'm not too concerned with Papelbon or his cards after these two incidents. If he keeps it up, then collectors (and the Red Sox) should be concerned.

Small Town Collector Discovers 2008 Topps Short Print

A collector from New London, Ohio has discovered the newest Photoshop job from Topps in what is believed to be another Kazuo Uzuki publicity stunt.

The card of Andrew Harner was pulled from a digital pack of cards found by the author of Cardboard Mania, a blog on Google's Blogspot.

"The Andrew Harner card was supposed to pulled from the digital version of 2008 Topps," Topps owner Michael Eisner said. "Apparently we made a mistake and the Ohio collector who discovered this card has a one-of-a-kind collectible."

It is not known how many of this card exist, but Harner thinks he may have found a 1/1. However, there is no plans to sell this on eBay as it will become part of his personal collection.

Card of the Day: 2006 Topps Chrome Black Refractor Richie Sexson

Richie Sexson is a large man. Apparently Kason Gabbard doesn't realize that.

After two Rangers were hit in last night's game, Gabbard threw a high and somewhat inside pitch to Sexson who proceeded to start a bench-clearing brawl by charging the mound and throwing his helmet into Gabbard's back.

Sexson was the only one ejected in the melee, and it really doesn't have any affect on his cards at all, but I like good old fashioned baseball fights.

Collection with a Meaning

Dayton Peters is pretty much like all other nine year old card collectors, but a recent addition of 945 cards to his collection means a little bit more than it would to any other collector.

On his ninth birthday, Peters' parents gave him a binder of all the cards he had collected in the past nine years. However, a waitress at the restaurant they were at saw that Dayton had a card collection.

Dana Davis knew her late son had a collection of cards and that her son and Dayton had a friendship before the tragic 2004 military accident that killed her son.

Spec. Daryl Davis followed in the footsteps of Dayton's uncle Tyler Peters and met Dayton though him. The two then developed a friendship that is still strong in Dayton's mind today.

Because the two were friends, Dana wanted to give Dayton Daryl's small collection of cards. As you can see in the picture, the cards are nothing special to an advanced collector as they are just old commons, but to Dayton, they will always mean more than that.

And while Dayton's best memories of Daryl lie in his mind and a black three-ring binder in his living room, he knows that Daryl is a hero.

"He's a hero because he was helping other people," Dayton said.

For a full story about Dayton's collection, click here.

Video: Early Break of 2008 Playoff Prestige

Break done by Beckett's Box Busters. Included were some nice rookies, a patch card, a dual game-used, a rookie game-used and a rookie auto.

Card of the Day: 2006 Bowman Chrome Prospects Carlos Gomez

Not only did Joey Votto hit three home runs yesterday, Carlos Gomez also hit for the cycle. What a day for baseball.

While Gomez hasn't had an eBay rush like Votto did, he is still a steady seller with just over 100 listings.

This card books at only $10 and could see a rise in value if Gomez turns out to be a Kenny Lofton type of player.

Major League Cast Gets Trading Cards

Check this piece I wrote for Sports Card Forum Articles out. An Orlando reporter put the faces of Major League stars onto 1988 Donruss baseball cards.

Card of the Day: 2002 Bowman Chrome Draft Xfractors Joey Votto

Joey Votto has been a touted prospects in the Reds organization since 2002, and today, he showed all of the baseball world why.

With three home runs in the Reds 9-0 win, Votto has gained some (most likely temporary) popularity in the baseball card world.

Tonight, one of these Xfractors sold for $76 on eBay. Just four days ago on May 3, the same card sold for just $43.

Not only that, Votto had more than 100 eBay listings in the six hours after he hit his three home runs.

It will be interesting to see if this card can maintain its current level or if it will flop back to the $50 range.

Card of the Day: 2007-08 Upper Deck Premier Premier Remnants Chris Paul

Is Chris Paul not one of the best point guards you've ever seen?

He again took on the Spurs last night with 30 points and 12 assists in the 102-84 win over the defending NBA champs.

In a 101-82 win in game one, Paul had 17 points and 13 assists.

Assuming the Hornets advance and Paul continues to roll, expect his cards to skyrocket. If you have some Paul you're looking to move, now is a good time to sell, but there is a good possibility that in a few weeks will be the absolute best time to sell.

If you're looking to buy, you may have started just a bit too late as most autographs are selling for over $40 and most rookies between $5 and $30.