Thanks for checking out the first entry of my blog. I'll be updating it regularly and it will include lots of different topics, like the auction circuit, new card products and even college and pro football and basketball.

I've been a collector since I was six years old and have transformed through the years from card collecting to autographs, cancelled checks and game-used bats. I'm also a basketball nut who follows high school, college and pro and even travel to Harlem during the summer to watch the Rucker tournament (actually called the EBC) at the same courts Dr. J, Lew Alcindor, Connie Hawkins did battle against Joe Hammond and Earl Manigault.

I'm currently the pricing director and editorial auction director here at F+W Publications and we produce SCD, Tuff Stuff, Trade Fax and Card Trade. I've been here for 12 years now and done almost everything from launching and running SCD Authentic card grading, helping to launch SCD Authentic memorabilia authentication, putting together various books and writing for our fantasy sports publications.

During the past year I've been concentrating on building the www.sportscollectorsdigest web site into something that a person who follows the auction circuit very closely would need to check virtually every day. We're finally getting that strong corporate push we've been waiting for and will be adding a lot of new tools to the site, like blogs, video, forums and a few surprises I can't tell you about just yet.

I'll be encouraging you to participate in my blog and comment on the words you read. Strong opinions and your participation are what will make my blog really fun and interesting so chime in.

On the news side of things, Topps is in Louisville, KY, this week for the 2007 McDonald's High School All American Game. It will produce cards on site of the 24 men and 24 woman that play in the game and distribute them to attendees, with each receiving one male and one female. The only way to get the cards is at the game and since Freedom Hall seats around 19,000 people that's all that will exist. Top names at the game include: O.J. Mayo, Eric Gordon, Derrick Rose and Kevin Love.

Finally, this is just too good to pass up and it may be one of those "you had to be there" things, but I just got a phone call from a collector who was unhappy about the redemption card he received from a Fleer product. He insisted he had analyzed the code and that his card was for Michael Jordan and made me write down the code (RUMNJH5...). He then provided his case. "RU" was used on all redemptions, "M" is for Michael Jordan, "N" is for North Carolina, "J" is the 10th letter in the alphabet, which is when.....you get the point. I think it was code breaker from The Pentagon or the guy from NUMBERS, but taking Jackson State to win it all in your NCAA office pool would have been less of a reach. Sometimes it's best to let your ringing phone go to voicemail.