To Sign Or Not To Sign?

 

In the world of sports memorabilia and collectibles there is nothing quite like possessing an autograph from one of your favourite players, current or past. For years collecting autographs form sports super stars has been a main stay of not only the hobby of collecting sports memorabilia, but also of the sports industry itself. There is certainly no doubt that one would feel a tremendous amount of pleasure when able to obtain an autograph in person, via the mail, or buy simply purchasing it third party from someone else. The question to be answered is, what items should be signed?

      Let’s begin with what should not be signed; I think that’s a lot easier. Sometimes you may be out in public, and just happen to notice a celebrity on the street, or in a restaurant, or shop and you feel compelled to approached them and ask for there autograph. But wait a minute, what do you have on hand for them to sign?  Maybe you have a match book, a cocktail napkin, a piece of miscellaneous paper? All of these things seem like a good idea at the time, but really it isn’t. Whatever you decide to get signed should really have a distinct connection with that individual. This is especially true when is comes to resale of the autograph. Not to mention, a match book, or a napkin can get easily damaged or lost. If the match book had the image of the celebrity on it, that would be a much better idea because we have established a personal connection from the celebrity to the object. If however you are just out and about on the streets and are interested in grabbing that spontaneous signature, then you would be well advised to carry some 3×5 inch index cards with you, so you can get a nice clean autograph with maybe an inscription added to it. The same goes for sports autographs. When you can get an autograph on an item that connects the player to the item presented for signing you have a valuable combination.  

      I am going to outline for you various items that are hobby/industry accepted for signing purposes.

 BASEBALL:  Official League ball if possible,, Bats, hats, gloves, jerseys, cleats, bases, line up cards, batting gloves, photos, and any catcher’s equipment.

 HOCKEY:  Pucks, jerseys, helmets or masks, mini replica helmets, sticks, pucks, photos, or any goalie equipment.

 FOOTBALL:  Official League ball if possible, jerseys, proline helmets, mini replica helmet, cleats, and photos.

 UFC/BOXING: gloves, photos, and the uniform/gui

 BASKETBALL: Official League ball, Jerseys, shoes, backboards, and photos

 SOCCER: Official League ball, jerseys, photos, cleats, goalie gloves

           Another group of sports autographs that you could acquire are autographed magazines, and newspapers which feature the player or team, especially if it is a big event in the player or team’s career. Another highly collectible type of autograph is a personal cheque or personally signed letter or contract by the player. These are hard to come by, because you would have to know the player on a more intimate level, or know someone who can gain access to such items. The only luck you would have obtaining collectibles such as these would be at auction usually.

 Should You Get Your Sports Trading Cards Signed?

      The short answer to that question is no. The reason for this is fairly straight forward; you would be devaluing the card itself if you added a so called “hand signed” autograph to it with a sharpie or pen. Now this issue could be up for debate by some collectors, because it is an occurrence that does take place within the hobby. However, one should consider the fact that once you have placed a unauthorized signature on the card, even if you obtained it yourself and can vouch for the authenticity of it, you have in essence changed it the card from being deemed a proper  “sports trading card” to a smaller scale photo, you have in fact “defaced’ the card. Sports cards collectors normally frown upon this, as they like to collect the card as it was produced and marketed. Once you sign a sports card the value of the card is diminished as well, and you can no longer use any industry guide to set the monetary worth of the card, which in the end means it will have no value to anyone else but you. Another important thing to consider prior to getting a sports card signed is whether or not it’s part of a set or just a valuable card for another reason. At any rate, in my opinion you could get a base card signed if you wish, but do it for your own personal pleasure, and not because you believe that it will increase the value of the card in any way. The choice is yours in regards to what you wish to get signed, but just decide prior to receiving the signature whether you are doing it for resale purposes or for your own enjoyment.

 

Cami Berardi

If you would like to check out more of my articles on sports memorabilia and collecting, please check out Ezine Article.com

 

Things To Consider Before Buying A Game Used Bat

 

 

     The hobby of sports memorabilia collecting is certainly vast, and the sure fire way to build any top-notch personal sports collection is to keep it wide. When I say wide I am referring to trying to implement as many different items as you can into your collection. For example, I happen to be a collector of both New England Patriot and New York Yankee memorabilia and collectibles. As a collector I am always interested in ways I can better my collection. To do this I’ve had to do a lot of research on the historical aspects of the various sports and players, as well as educate myself about the current hobby and the market place.

      I took some inventory of what I have in my collection at present, and what I could add to make it more interesting, and after some thought came up with this answer, game used bats. Okay, so there was the good idea, but where did I need to begin, I was not familiar with how to go about buying a game used bat. Once again I fell back on my handy dandy research abilities.  I went out to my local library and did some reading, I surfed the net, and I even spoke with a couple of memorabilia dealers that I trusted. And now I would like to share with you just some of the tips I compiled when considering the purchase of a “game used” bat.

      The name of the game in any type of sports collecting is authenticity, why? Because we want to make sure that what we are purchasing has an actual connection with the player or the team. This is true with any piece of memorabilia, but especially true if you are ever considering selling the collection at some point.

 What You Want

      The two main things you want to take into major consideration is firstly, as mentioned previously authentication, and second to that would be making sure the bat is in an unaltered state, and lastly assessing what condition the bat is in at the time of purchase.  When looking at a “game used” bat, you need to keep an eye out for certain points of interest, such as its rarity,  the natural appeal or appearance of the bat, and of course the ever important provenance. When I use the word provenance, I am referring to specific player characteristics, or attributes of a bat, which can be linked back to a player, which then results in a piece being deemed to be “game used” memorabilia. The reason the player characteristics are so important is because it acts as a personal imprint that the player left on the equipment.

 Distinctive Markings

      For example there are several different ways in which you can use the visual clues left on the bat to make the connection to the player.  The use of pine tar, how a bat handle was taped, the addition of grooves to the handle, and the inscription of a players initials or jersey number on the knob of the bat. In order to be able to decipher these clues though, one must do THE RESEACH on a player’s history.  Another valuable resource is photographs, especially the action shots where you are able to get a clear view of the bat a player is using.  In some pictures you are even able to see the bat knobs and read what is on them. Do not rely on pictures of players posing with a bat is not good enough, because it could be any bat, not necessarily the one they use in a game situation.  In more recent years players have tended to stick with a particular brand of bat, and that may be a useful clue to linking it to a player.

 Making Sure It Is Real

      So, even going in with all your nifty research in hand, you, and I are still not experts in the field of authentication, so what do we do if we want to buy a bat?  We do not rely on the good word of a dealer or their version of a COA.  These pieces of paper, no matter how pretty they are and what they say, does NOT mean what you are buying is the real deal. If you do not feel comfortable with making the decision of “real” or not yourself, then turn to a trusted third party authenticator such as PSA/DNA or a reputable auction house such as Steiner. These are names that are trusted and recognized within the sports memorabilia community/industry. It is the business of these companies, and the people they employ, to make sure something is what is presented to be. Always remember, you get what you pay for, and nothing rings more true in the advice department then when it comes to memorabilia. If it sounds to good to be true it most likely is my friends.  When you wish to add to your collection, you want to invest the best way you can.  You want to give your collection that “WOW” factor.  So be a smart collector, spend your money wisely, and expand on your passion for the game by gaining some knowledge about your chosen sport or player. But always remember to have fun, which at the end of the day is the name of the game.

 

Cami Berardi

You can check out more of my articles at Ezine Articles.com, thank you for stopping by.

 

 

    

 

YouTube & Sports Cards Is It A  Happy Marriage?

Many things have changed in the face of sports card and memorabilia collecting.  There has been a definite evolution of the hobby since the mid 80s well into the early 90s.  Long gone are the days of going to your local sports card shop and purchasing a hobby box of Upper Deck, or Topps, and then coming home to bust some wax in your bedroom with a couple of friends; putting aside all your goodies in a shoe box to store conveniently under your bed until the next box you break.  No one can really see your nasty hits, or see the personal collection you may have amassed over the weeks, months, and years passed.

      The world of Sports card and memorabilia collecting, just like everything else in today’s cyber society has grown exponentially due in large part to the internet.  Passionate fans and collectors now have a global forum in which they can utilize various social media networking sites to connect with other hobbyists as well as to promote their own collections, trade and sell cards, perform group breaks, personal breaks, and so on. With this new introduction of technology, the average card collector can share their personal highs and lows with who ever is willing to watch, and in some cases participate. Ebay and other online auctions have also made it easier for collectors to get what they desire. One does not necessarily have to spend hundreds of dollars on hobby boxes to obtain the cards or memorabilia they are chasing. It is as easy as click-it-ti-clic with the touch of the mouse and you are one step closer to owning what ever you would like, for a price that is.

      The online auctions did not come as any great surprise to me, but what did was the use of YouTube and Blogtv amongst collectors. I would venture to say that there are hundreds of video posting on YouTube everyday, filled with people showing off their personal collections, doing personal breaks, selling mystery packs, holding raffles, trading cards, and hosting events called group breaks. Group breaks are quite interesting. One or more people decide to host a group break by purchasing a couple of hobby boxes, and then they sell spots off to other collectors for a set price to help off set the purchase price of the boxes bought initially. The spot sold to the collector also comes with a random drawing of teams. Once the collector has been assigned his/her team you break the box and what ever cards from the assigned team, which are pulled go to the owner of that spot. Everyone is hoping for a tremendous hit, it is like entering into a mini lottery. This is appealing to collectors for two reasons. The first being that it makes normally high end boxes accessible to those out there who do not have the money to go out and buy a box of say Exquisite Basketball, which can run you as much as $500.00 a box.  The second reason this phenomenon is so enticing is that it is just a great way to socialize and hangout with people who share the same common interest as you.

        Not everything is sugar and gum drops in the land of YouTube sports card community though. As I have become more familiar with the community as a whole, I have noticed that it can be a competitive place. There are people vying for the most subscribers to their channel, which really is simply boiled down to bragging rights over the airwaves.  Just like on Ebay, you can also find your “unscrupulous” sharks that will set up false trades and sales, which is tantamount to robbery if you ask me.  And last but not least the infamous rant video.  This in my opinion is the ugliest side of YouTube by far. YouTube is a free forum no doubt, and I agree that people have the liberty and freedom to respectfully disagree with the content in a particular posting that is made and be able to respond to it. What people do not have the right to do, is slander people online, use racial slurs when making comments or video responses. But unfortunately this goes on quite a bit in the card collecting community, as I suspect it does in other hobby based forums. The purpose behind making YouTube postings and going on blogtv, at least to my humble understanding, was to share your thoughts on the hobby, see what other people are doing within the hobby, and finally network and make some friends out of it; the bottom line is to have fun.  These are all the positive aspects to taking sports collecting online and advancing it into the new millennium. Unfortunately, progression can not come without its negatives, and the trash talking that takes place on these social networking outlets is beyond ridiculous. It is not doing anything for the hobby in terms of promoting it; in fact it is rather intimidating to watch. Especially for a person who is just getting back into the hobby, or who is getting into it for the first time. This hobby originally began as a way children could enjoy their favourite sport, player, and team beyond the field. It has now been taken over by a majority of adults who choose to bicker over minor differences in opinion, and this taints the hobby and turns the adults into kids. Many times the “rant” or “response” video or comment is unfortunately made to entice viewers to check out a members channel and then subscribe to it.  Which then leads me to ask the question; is the response video legitimate or is it just a marketing ploy used by the savvy YouTuber for personal gain?  I suppose you would have to judge that for yourself. All in all I think that YouTube and sports collecting of any type is a compatible match, it may need a little counselling from time to time in order to get over the rough patches, but in the end I believe they can live together, happily ever after.

 

Cami Berardi

If you would like to read more of my articles you can check out Ezine Articles.com

How To Get Sports Autographs Via The Mail

 

 

How to Get  Sports Autographs Via The Mail

From the mid 80’s well into the 1990’s a sports fan would have been able to put together a fairly decent autograph collection via the mail. It was a very common practice for most sports stars to oblige their fans by signing autographs through the mail.  But as many other aspects of the sports memorabilia hobby have changed and evolved into a huge booming business over the last few years, so has this practice. Now that is not to say that players don’t sign through the mail anymore, but the stark reality is that a lot of players just can’t keep up with the volumes of requests they receive. Greedy fans and memorabilia dealers are to blame for this because many of them have taken advantage of the player accommodating the request for an autograph by sending in multiple items etc to be signed, which takes up time, which then translates into many other fans not being able to get even one autograph signed. It became very obvious to the players that dealers were sending in multiple items to be signed for the sole purpose of resale in the collectibles market.

 

     Don’t be disheartened by this rather dodgy play by the unscrupulous dealers out there. You can still obtain autographs from current players via the mail, but you must adhere to some guidelines, etiquette, and it may require a little homework on your part first.

 

How To Make A Request 

 

Short and sweet is the jest of the how to.  Always try to include a short handwritten request that does not go on for more than one page. A hand written letter has a more personal touch. Often times when players receive a typed pre-printed letter simply asking for a single autograph they can be hesitant to sign because the letter may just be a form letter and the player may think that once again the autograph is for resale purposes only, and not because the individual seeking the autograph as a true fan. Try to give your letter a personal touch, make a reference to something significant the player did in a game, or reference any other known achievement they have reached in their professional and or public life.  You never know if the player has developed and interest in what you have written it may spur him/her on to giving you the autograph with a little inscription as well.

 

If you are intending on sending items to be signed then keep it to no more than two. Preferably a photo, some people like to send sports cards, but I don’t think that’s a good idea as it detracts the appearance and value of the card in my opinion.

 

In the past it was not unheard of to have players use rubber stamps, autopens, ghost signers, and even locker room attendants sign fan mail for them. A general rule to keep in mind is the bigger the star the bigger the chance that you may receive an autograph such as this. If you choose to write to a more middle of the road player, the odds are you will receive your authentic autograph, and it will also be returned to you more quickly. When sending your photos etc, don’t send anything that is too valuable in case you don’t get a reply back or it gets lost in the mail some how.

 

Sugar And Spice And Everything Nice

 

Another key thing to remember is to be courteous and polite. Treat the player with the same respect you would expect if someone was asking you for a favour. “Please” and “thank you” go an awful long way. Also if the player enjoys your letter and gives you a great response take the time to write a thank you card and send it off.  Some players may even request that you make a donation to their foundation or another charitable organization for obtaining the autograph, I think that is great. In a scenario like this everyone wins. Don’t be shy to ask them to personalize the autograph. Player like to do this because then they are sure it is for you and not simply for resale.

 

What You Will Need

 

The tools for this job are fairly simple, all you need is some lined paper; two envelopes one to send the request off in and the other is a SASE for the player to send back your autograph. This is important, don’t forget the SASE because no player has time to go to the post office and purchase postage in order to send you an autograph. You will also need what ever item you are sending to be signed. Prior to even beginning to write your letter you should go online and do some research on the addresses to which you can send your request. There also is a book by Jack Smalling which has been published that is called The Baseball Address List, now this book is a little dated so try to find the most current edition if you can. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back from your favourite player in a week or two. Sending autograph requests through the mail is a long labour of love on your part and you require a lot of patience. It could take several months, sometimes longer to receive a reply, but just keep the faith.

 

In Closing

 

It can be a lot of fun and extremely exciting to be able to get a personal autograph from your favourite player.  Sports figures are like everyone else, they enjoy hearing nice things said about them by their fans, and are  uausally quite happy to fill an autograph request, all that’s left to do is wait by your mail box with your fingers crossed.

 

Cami Berardi

You can check out other articles written my me at Ezine Article.Com

 

 

 

Collecting Game Used Tickets And Stubs

 

Collecting Game Used Tickets & Stubs

     Have you ever come home after attending a sporting event and emptied your pockets, tossing the program and ticket stub out into the garbage bin along with the other junk you may have carried home from the game? Wait, stop, and don’t be so hasty in getting rid of that seemingly useless little piece of paper.  Tickets, and ticket stubs are more valuable than you may have thought. Remember like the old adage says’ “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

 

     A slightly lesser known area of sports collectibles is the full ticket or ticket stub which was used or purchased for a particular game or event. The vast majority of sports collectors seem to be interested in chasing the more main stream items, such as cards, game used clothing, equipment and autographs. But there are many ways in which you can build your personal sports memorabilia collection, and purchasing or saving ticket stubs is one way in which to do so.

 

     The great thing about collecting tickets or stubs is that there is such a variety of tickets to collect. Whether it is Football, baseball, hockey, basketball, Soccer, or major events like the All-Star game, World Series, World Cup, Super Bowl, or the Olympics there is something for every collector.  Another appealing aspect to collecting tickets or stubs is that these little pieces of paper mark a specific piece of time in sporting history.  Because the tickets are connected to the games, it is a tangible piece of memorabilia which is attributed to that particular game, match, event, or race.  If say for example you are a New England Patriots fan you may want to collect all the tickets or stubs related to their games. Or perhaps you are a Roger Clemens fan, and you may want to add the ticket from his record breaking twenty strikeouts game to your existing collection, by doing that you are broadening your personal collection, and at the same time it gives you a piece for your collection that brings back a special memory of an achievement accomplished by your favourite team or player.

 

     One of the main reasons tickets or stubs can not only hold an emotional value to them, but also a monetary value is due in large part to the scarcity of the tickets themselves. Remember there are only so many tickets sold for any given event, and when you think about how many of them are actually still in relatively good shape and available for sale or trade, but usually for sale, it’s really a fairly small amount that one is left with.

 

     If you are interested in picking up tickets or stubs just be aware that some of them depending on what event it was for and how old it is, can get a little pricey. One other factor to take into consideration is that there is no official price guide as of yet that denotes the monetary value of any particular ticket or stub. A rule of thumb you as a collector can use is that usually the ticket will increase by $25 every ten years or more, so be prepared. For example a World Series ticket from 1960 could fetch approximately, $125.00, say, and so a World Series ticket from the 1950’s could average around $150.00.  It is also more common now to find that seller’s will have their tickets authenticated by a reliable industry third party such as PSA/DNA.  This is very helpful for the buyer because you are assured that the money you are spending is guaranteeing you the product that you want. Please remember since there is no set pricing guide ticket prices may vary, use your own discretion prior to buying.  The method that has been used to come up with the pricing scale has largely been determined by tracking previous records from auctions, ad’s, and online purchases, which have occurred with in the hobby community.

 

     Some places that you can go to seek out tickets or stubs are, online auctions such as eBay, or ioffer, you could post an ad on Craigslist stating what you are looking for. Sometime you may even be able to come across them in estate sales if they are part of a person’s private collection already. If you are bold enough you may even want to try and wait out front of a stadium after a game is over, and just ask random people if they are willing to part with their stubs, you may be surprised at the answer.

 

     In closing, I would like to say that it is important to give scope to your personal collection. Collecting tickets and stubs is a great way to enhance the collection you have already amassed thus far. Keep your eyes open for interesting pieces, and always remember, collecting is not about the money one may or may not achieve from it. It is really about the passion and love of the game or the item.

 

Cami Berardi

You can also view other articles written by my at Ezine Articles

Sports Card Grading…What Does It All Mean?

 

Sports Card Grading What Does It all Mean?

The sports card hobby/industry is a booming one these days.  The hobby itself has come a long way since the days of wax packs and bubble gum cards, and there is no indication that the market is slowing down.

      Collecting sports cards has been something that has been done for generations and enjoyed by both young and old, and thus has evolved with each passing year to accommodate the consumers demand for bigger and better product. Top companies are constantly looking to be innovative, and add value and creativity to the cards they are producing.  Sports card enthusiast no longer have the restriction of just simply compiling a complete set, there are far more varieties of cards individually to collect if one so desires, in addition to compiling a complete set. It may even seem overwhelming at times especially to the beginner collector.

    With the introduction of short prints, autographs, game used memorabilia, various inserts, and parallel cards; these have all changed the face of sports card collecting. You still have some of the staples of the hobby like rookie cards, which are always popular but even rookie cards have been given a face lift, and now we have seen the introduction of hobby boxes dedicated specifically to a particular year’s draft picks. 

     The range of sports that are included in the sports card hobby has also grown experientially beyond baseball.  We have NHL, NFL, MLB, NBA, NASCAR, MMA, Golf, and a whole other realm of trading card which includes the gaming world.  There is truly something for everyone out there to collect when it comes to trading cards, but the one question which most enthusiast want answered is how valuable are my cards?  This is no surprise since the cost of hobby boxes have gone up quite dramatically; this price hike is of course justified by the companies because their argument is that the quality of the actual cards themselves has become better.

     Grading sports cards can be tricky, but there is a commonly used grading system in place in which you can determine the cards actual value.  If you wish to get you cards graded make sure that you do it via a professional and reputable sports/trading card Company.  A few names come to mind such as, Beckett, PSA/DNA, GEM, or KSA for example.  This benefits the industry as a whole, because it is an accepted opinion as well as a trusted assessment of a particular cards worth.  Also don’t be offended if a prospective buyer decided they would still like to assess the card themselves prior to purchase, even after grading because there is always the chance that it could be a fake, after all it is their money.

     After saying all that, tons of people buy and sell ungraded sports cards and trading cards all the time. And they use the various hobby pricing guides in order to help them evaluate the fair market value of any particular card.  Buyers and sellers alike will then use their own discretion in regards to the “grade” of the card according to a general set of standards.  These standards are in place to “rate” the card on a scale of 1-10/ poor to mint.  I will outline what the grading scale terminology is, and what each represents.

Poor, Good, or Fair

Cards in this condition are well worn, have rounded edges, creasing, lack of original colour, and scuffing.

Very Good (VG)

Centering is 80/20 or better, slightly rounded corners, could have a hair line crease, some scuffing, noticeable chipping or notches on edges could be allowed, and could have a slight layering

Excellent (EX)

Centering no worse then 75/25, a smidge of notching or a slight “ding” on a corner is allowed.  It may have other imperfections like poor gloss or poor focus, noticeable print spots.

Excellent Mint (EX-MT)

Centering no worse than 70/30 no more than two of the following flaws acceptable; slightly fuzzy corners, slightly rough edges.  Very minor border discoloration, noticeable print spots, color or focus imperfections.

Near Mint (NM)

65/35 or better centering, No more than one of the following flaws allowed. Very slightly fuzzy corners allowed, slightly rough edges, very minor border discoloration. Noticeable print spots or focus or color imperfections.

Near Mint-Mint (NRMT-MT)

60/40 or better centering. Relatively smooth edges, original border color and gloss. One of the following very minor flaws allowed. Sharp corners to the eye but slight imperfections against closer scrutiny; a few minor print spots, a few focus imperfections.

Mint (MT)

Four sharp corners 55%-45% or better centering, original color boarder & gloss.

     In closing, getting your sports cards graded is a great idea especially if you wish to sell the card in the future, or if you happen to pull or buy special card that is already worth a certain amount of money ungraded.  Graded cards increase the monetary value of a sports/trading card and it can also preserve the card in it’s current state.

 

Cami Berardi

You can check out more of my articles at Ezine Articles

 

 

 

 

Why Should You Collect Sports Programs?

 

 

 

Why Should You Collect Sports Programs?

Why should you collect current or vintage sports programs or game used tickets from various sporting events? To some that is the obvious question. The answer is very simple really collecting the game used tickets or stubs gives the fan/collector a brush with history even if you were not there, it is a distinct memory of a particular game or moment in time. When you collect a program from a sporting event it takes you, the collector further in depth to the particulars of the game or event, you get a deeper appreciation for what occurred during that game.

Sports programs, especially vintage programs offer you a piece of history. It give you the reader an extensive look into the past show cased through photos, text, advertising, the scoring pages, and even the cover art, giving the collector a definite feel for that era. If you look at a program from say the 1950’s you can actually get an idea for what it must have been like to be at that game sitting in the stands cheering your team on. Even though collecting an item like sports trading cards is great and a lot of fun, it doesn’t give you the same feeling of nostalgia like the one you get when holding a program.

You could collect a program from any sporting event that you liked, but one of the most popular series to collect it America’s favourite past time, baseball and in particular the World Series, to no great surprise. As with anything else vintage is the way to go, but as with everything else the price tag can also be extremely high depending on the piece you are considering. Programs which date back to the inaugural World Series in 1903 and some other examples of very early programs are super scarce and are hard to get a hold of in any condition, let alone great condition. Also games which noted bench marks in the games history carry with them large price tags if available. In recent times, a Heritage Sports Collectibles auction saw an astounding $14,340 dollars being spent on a Frank “Home Run” Baker 1910 Chicago program! Now that’s big bucks that few of us regular collectors have hanging around in our back pockets.

Another set that that has caught on in terms of collecting a series is the All-Star game programs. These are usually easier to collect in general as compared to the World Series programs, and cheaper. The white whale of this lot though is 1942 All-Star program due the fact that America was at war at the time, and the war time paper drives had an effect on this. This being as it may, it has affected the price of the program in today’s market keeping it on the higher side, if you can even find one.

As I have stated before you can collect which ever sport appeals to you, whether that is boxing or hockey or even football. There have been some auctions that have seen sets of complete football Super Bowl series programs go for anywhere from $2000-$3000 conservatively. I am not aware of any current price guides available for the collector to use as a guide when considering purchase of game used sports programs. The only thing I can suggest is to do your homework, research the item and the market place to determine fair market value of the item you are intending on purchasing for your collection. Have fun with what ever you decide to collect, and remember do it for the passion and love or the collection, not with the idea of investing for monetary gains, if you do that it may leave you disappointed and out of pocket.

Cheer,

Cami B.

You can check out other articles by me on Ezine Articles.

The Honus Wagner Card

 

The Honus Wagner Card

In the world of sports card and memorabilia collecting there are a few sought after pieces that hold a tremendous monetary and historical value to them. One of these cards is the T206 Honus Wagner vintage baseball card, considered to be the Holy Grail of all sports cards by some collectors.  The main reason for this is due to the rarity and age of the card. It is rumoured that there is possibly between 50 to 200 cards in existence only, and a few of them may still be lurking out there in the market place.

 

     Honus Wagner, as depicted in the card itself, was a player for the Pittsburgh Pirates during what is referred to today as the ‘dead ball” era.  Considered to be one of the greatest players of the game, it is no surprise that between the years of 1909-1911 the American Tobacco Company (ATC) wanted to have Wagner’s image put on a card as incentive for people to purchase their particular brand of tobacco.  Wagner’s picture was to be apart of the T206 series, but certain issues arose surrounding the authorization to use his image, which is what led to the low print numbers of his card.

 

     There are two theories floating around that could explain the reason as to why Honus Wagner stopped production of his card.  The first school of thought was based on Honus Wagner’s personal ethical feelings about having fans that were children, purchasing cigarette packs in order to obtain his card; he did not feel that was right.  The second school of thought has to do more with the fact that Wagner was said to be a very shroud negotiator and he did not like the compensation that was being offered to him by the ATC.

 

     From January of 1909 the ATC looked for permission from the player themselves, in order to be included in the T206 series of cards, I believe the whole set had about 524 major league players at the time and roughly 76 of these players then went on to be inducted into the Baseball Hall Of Fame. The ATC was anxious to get Honus to be apart of their Ad campaign, seeing as he was rated one of the best players in the league at that time. Wagner had done previous Ad work with other companies such as, a gunpowder company, a soda drink company, as well as a chewing gum company.  Whether it was his strong moral feelings, or his tough as nails negotiating skills, no one knows for sure why he actually put a stop to the printing of his cards, but it has kept his cards to a small number, which has now rocketed it’s price value sky high.

 

     One of the most notorious of all the Wagner cards has to be the “Gretzky T206 Honus” Card, mainly because of the story of how this particular card traded hands from an average collector, to a sports memorabilia shop, to a top sports memorabilia dealer; who later founded Mastro Auctions.  The card then again changed hands to another prominent business man who was affiliated with George Steinbrenner and the New York Yankees, long story short the Honus card ended up with a memorabilia collector named Copeland who eventually decided to sell off his entire personal baseball collection which consisted of around 873 pieces. The Wagner card being apart of this collection, Mastro Auctions contracted Sotheby’s New York, to take the collection on consignment.  There was a lot of publicity surrounding this collection going up for sale, and it brought out a large number  of hobbyist and curious a like.  Many of the items that were up for sale went for much more than the estimated pre-auction price. The initial pre-auction price for the Honus card was set at around $114,000.00 but within minutes of the opening bid it had swelled to a whopping $451,000.00, which was paid by Mr. Wayne Gretzky and Mr. Bruce McNall who was the owner of the NHL team the L.A Kings, the pair purchased the card via phone in bidding. After this the card became known as the “Gretzky T206 Honus.” 

 

     It was determined that the purchase of the card was orchestrated by Mr. McNall.  He stated that if you purchase the best in the world, there will always be another buyer who would want to purchase the best as well, so it was bought as an investment for both individuals.  Gretzky did eventually resell the card, and he of course made a profit, so I suppose in the end Mr. McNall’s thoughts regarding the purchase of the Wagner card were correct.  None of the other Wagner cards have been quite as successful in terms of having such a story to tell.  The publicity that the Gretzky T206 drew to the existence of the card propelled the card even further into the collecting stratosphere.  While the Gretzky card has great entertainment value, it is not the most expensive card to be sold. In fact, the most expensive card to be sold was indeed a Honus Wagner T206, and that took place on an eBay online auction put up by Robert Edward Auctions. The card sold for an insane $1.265 million! So in closing this card currently holds the world record for the most expensive baseball card ever sold.

 

Cami Berardi