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 Friday, August 10, 2007
Kevin Garnett could mean big things for Celtics' fans
Posted by Steve
 It's still hard to believe Kevin Garnett got traded. The most loyal man in the basketball agreed to play for the Celtics, which basically opened the floodgates to a deal that's been in place since before the NBA Draft. Garnett vetoed a trade before the draft, which killed the deal and allowed the Celtics to trade its No. 5 pick to Seattle for Ray Allen. Having Allen and Pierce both in Boston had to be enough to sway Garnett, who then accepted the though of playing for them. He was then dealt for Al Jefferson (aka the centerpiece of the deal), Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. What does it mean for the C's? Having Garnett, Allen and Pierce puts them in contention for the Eastern crown immediately. Rajan Rondo is the perfect point guard for them. Although he's young, he's a defensive stopper, who is fine without scoring a point. They'll have one weak spot on the roster and have a thin bench inside, but Kendrick Perkins is still there and draft picks Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt might also be able to help some. Also, don't count out the possibility of a veteren signing with them for the minimum just to try to win a championship. They better do it in the next 2-3 years though, because GM Danny Ainge mortgaged the future for this one. As for the T-Wolves, they weren't contending with Garnett and won't immediately after dealing him. They do have a ton of young talent though and might be a very good team in a few years. Randy Foye, Corey Brewer, Rashad McCants, Jefferson, Green and Telfair could all be very good. Since Garnett was going to walk in another year (probably) and they would be left with nothing, this deal was probably about all they could do. Expect Garnett's cards and memorabilia to be on the rise. He's no longer in a small market and the C's are going to be on television a lot and could be one of the better teams in the league. The T-Wolves will have a lot of young players, who are going to get the opportunity to play immediately so it will be good for them also.
8/10/2007 10:41:12 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00) 
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Monday, August 06, 2007
Bonds benefits from his own success
Posted by Steve
 Who stands to most benefit from Barry Bonds' success? Barry Bonds, of course. Bonds is one of the most avid buyers of his own game-used memorabilia. According to a story on MLB.com, Bonds spends "thousands of dollars every season" buying uniforms, caps, wristbands and more that he uses on the field. "I pay for everything I wear out of pocket except for my shoes; I have a contract for that," Bonds told the website, adding that he writes out a check to the Giants every year to pay for his equipment.  Bonds said somewhere around the time he hit his 600th career home run (Aug. 9, 2002) he began authenticating everything he wears from each home run and stores the items in his home. Items from key moments in his career go on display in a special climate-controlled trophy room in his house. Bonds said items from his 756th career home run will be on display in that room, right next to a display featuring items from his 715th career home run that put him ahead of Babe Ruth on the all-time list. While game-used Bonds uniforms can sell for more than $10,000 each, he told MLB.com he pays closer to $100 per jersey. "It's not like we have to pay full price," he said. Bonds hit his 755th home run on Saturday night in San Diego and will try for the 756th tonight at home vs. Washington.
8/6/2007 5:45:33 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Great giveaways daily in SCD sweepstakes
Posted by Steve
    On July 12, we launched a daily contest on our site. A little more than two weeks later, we had more than 7,000 signups on our site and given away prizes including signed photos of Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, Stan Musial, Brooks Robinson, Duke Snider, Matt Leinart and more. That's just the tip of the iceberg.  We've got enough stuff to run these daily contests for several years and most of it is really incredible stuff. In the coming months, you'll see stuff like Alex Rodriguez signed baseballs and mini-helmets, Lawrence Taylor signed photos and mini-helmets, Eric Dickerson signed photos and mini-helmets. You'll also see a boat load of HOFers from both baseball and football, including a lot more photos from the players listed above, as well as a bunch of others, like Willie Mays, Joe Morgan, Whitey Ford and more. Check out what we are giving away today by clicking here. The best thing about it is that it's totally free in every way and you can sign up every single day. Click here for a list of past winners and see all the great things we've already given away.    
7/31/2007 5:48:38 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, July 27, 2007
A-Rod's 499th Home Run might be his 500th
Posted by Steve
Did you see the AP story today about A-Rod's 500th home run ball? Apparently, his 499th home run landed in a grassy area beyond the right field fence where it was retreived by him. The crazy thing is that is may become his 500th home run ball if he hits one tonight. According to AP: "Rodriguez will be on deck when the Yankees resume a suspended game against the Orioles in the eighth. If he homers in the completion of the suspended game, it would count as being hit on June 28, when the game began. That would make it home run No. 493 -- and Wednesday's would be No. 500. Rule 10.23 (d) states: 'All performances in the completion of a suspended game shall be considered as occurring on the original date of the game.'"
All of this would make him the youngest member of the 500-home run club at age 32, but our office debate has been about whether tonight's home run (if it happens) would be recognized as the 500th home run or if he'd simply miss the moment. My opinion is that while it won't technically be his 500th home run, the total still adds up to 500 and it will be recognized as such at that moment although it won't go in the record books that way. As far as interoffice debates go, I'm probably in the minority thought. What do you think?
7/27/2007 4:32:56 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Star Co., minor league and Starting Lineup card counterfeiting ring from 2005 resurfaces
Posted by Steve
   In an article in Sports Collectors Digest from August 12, 2005, we wrote about a counterfeiting ring that we uncovered that focused on Star Co., minor league baseball cards, SLU cards from all sports and other stuff that isn't readily available to compare the fake ones to. I recently found some cards on eBay that appear to be from the same batch of fakes. The counterfeiters took real cards and rebuild the fonts around the card, while using the original photos, which meant most collectors couldn't identify them as fakes because just a couple of subtle font issues or boldness would be off, and they had trouble locating a real one to compare it to. I found the Star Co. cards on eBay and knew there was something wrong immediately. These type of cards don't exist in quantity yet the seller was putting 2-5 of them per month up for sale. I also found a thread on the PSA message boards about a fake Ripken minor league card...same seller...bigboydsportscards3.  Here are a couple examples of the fakes (Example 1 was purchased from the seller). First, a 1984-85 Star Jordan Rookie of the Year #288. If you are familiar with these cards, they always have very little right border and a lot of left border. This one has a ton of right border and very little left, which never happens. I also confirmed this with Star Co. expert Steve Taft. Also, if you look in the SCD article from 2005, the apostrophe on the "Star '85" is consistent with the counterfeit (Example 7 below, with the real one on the left and the fake on the right). Another surefire fake is the 1984-85 Star All Rookie Jordan (2 of  11). Once again, the apostrophe is consistent with the fake. Examples 2 and 3 are images of a card purchased from the seller. Example 4 is a closeup of the top right corner on a real Star Jordan, while Example 5 is a closeup of the fake. While the seller doesn't scan the backs of the cards (for good reason), it's not that tough from the fronts to see they are fakes due to the smaller type size and apostrophe in "Star '85". Another fake card that is easy to spot is the 1984-85 John Stockton #235 (Example 6, purchased from the seller). Every single real one comes with narrow borders, while every one they have for sale has nice, thick borders on a perfectly centered card. The borders on the fake pictured above are far thicker than the borders on legitimate versions.  Judging from the hoards of other rare Star Co. cards and Starting Lineup cards they have, it's fairly easy to become suspicious of someone who has these quantities of very rare cards, not to mention that all four cards we looked at are fakes. Four cards. All fakes. All identical to the examples we uncovered in a counterfeit ring from two years ago. All from the only seller on eBay offering this type of inventory. We've made multiple purchases from bigboydsportscards3 (Examples 1, 2, 3 and 6) and we've confirmed that all are fakes. You will also notice that none of these examples in question ever winds up graded in a GAI case (the only grading company that grades Star Co.) because they are fake. I guess 46,000 positive feedbacks on eBay doesn't always equate to a legitimate seller. 
7/25/2007 4:06:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Jersey cards continue to lose luster
Posted by Steve
 Remember when Upper Deck's 1996 Game Jersey cards were the hottest inserts on the planet? That's not the case anymore. After seeing 100s of jersey cards of their favorite player per year, collectors have mostly fallen off the jersey card bandwagon. Sure, they are still popular pulls and essential parts of any product, but it continues to amaze me how low some of them go. I recently priced Topps Luxury Box Basketball and there was a triple jersey card with Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan and Chauncey Billups that was numbered to only 249 and it sold for $2.45. And that's, in no way, picking on Topps because the same thing happens with new jersey cards from Upper Deck, Donruss Playoff, Racing Champions, etc. Three good players on the card and it's a buck or two.  I'm not sure where they go from here. Autographs are still very popular, but they are suffering too from needing to be in every product that hits. Jersey cards were popular in the beginning because they brought us closer to the game that we collect, but after more than a decade of jersey cards every player you can think of has 100 or more and it's difficult for even single-player collectors to go after them. To an extent, patch cards have also sliced into the popularity of jersey cards since the patches are so much more desired and scarce. Every great new idea, like jersey numbers, nameplates, etc. that arrives makes a regular jersey card that much less collectable. I'm assuming they will continue to be a staple in every product, along with patches, autographs and rookie cards, but it's a little disturbing when you see the above example and thousands of others just like that.
7/17/2007 3:55:47 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, July 13, 2007
Babe Ruth Bat Hits $322,000 in Hunt All-Star FanFest auction
Posted by Steve
 Hunt's All-Star FanFest Auction is done with the top item being an autographed Babe Ruth game-used bat attributed to his home run hit in Game 6 of the 1923 World Series. The bat sold for $322,000.  Another item that really created some excitement was the pair of lineup cards from inaugural 1933 All-Star Game. The cards were discovered in the personal collection of assistant coach Bill McKechnie, who wrote out the National League card (Connie Mack wrote out and signed the American League card). They had an amazing cast of players, including Ruth, Gehrig, Al Simmons, Lefty Grove, Hack Wilson and many others. The lineup cards sold for $138,000. The top 10 items sold in the auction were: 1. Babe Ruth signed game-used bat (mentioned above) - $322,000 2. Lineup cards from 1933 All-Star Game - $138,000 3. 1913 Boston Carter Ty Cobb - $97,750 4. Ty Cobb 1923-26 Louisville Slugger game-used bat - $69,000 5. Ted Williams 1955 Boston Red Sox road jersey - $51,750 6. Lou Gehrig single-signed Harridge AL baseball - $50,600 7. 1903 World Series panaramic photograph from the collection of Charlie Wagner - $37,950 8. Carl Hubbell's Baseball HOF induction ring - $36,800 9. Willie Mays 1958 San Francisco Giants home jersey - $29,900 10. 1913 Boston Carter Rabbit Maranville - $28,750 Hunt Auctions' next offering usually arrives in late Nov. with the Louisville Slugger Museum auction.
7/13/2007 11:11:46 AM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Topps seizes opportunity with strong draft class
Posted by Steve
 Topps isn't holding anything back this year in basketball. It's the 50th anniversary since they 1957-58 set and it's also one of the strongest draft classes in a long time. Greg Oden and Kevin Durant have been labeled "can't miss" prospects and collectors are excited about the upcoming season and it's card releases. Topps has signed Oden and Brandan Wright (No. 8 pick) and launched four Draft Day Autograph cards on it's site (topps.com). Oden was limited to 50 and sold out quickly at $500 per card. Yi JianLian is limited to 100 and sells for $200, Wright is limited to 100 and sells for $150, while Nick Young is limited to 100 and sells for $100. The latter three are still available. While it's difficult to compare these to the famed Rookie Photo Shoot cards, I think it's safe to say these cards aren't going down in value any time soon. In addition, they are determined to make a major splash with the first two products of the season. Topps will be loaded with things reminding us of the 50th anniversary, but I'm more excited about Topps Echelon Basketball, which will sell for $125 per pack (actually more of a box), with four packs per box. The coolest thing I found out when talking to brand manager, Don Wang, on my recent trip to NYC was that there are two rookie cards of everyone. Both are numbered as base cards and both are numbered to the same quantity so it will be tough to determine whether to call them both rookie cards or try to identify which one is the real rookie. Five rookies will have an autographed quad relic card numbered to 199 in the base set, while 10 players will have an autographed dual relic numbered to 399. They also have plenty more, including a Bill Russell instant win card, which has been autographed, graded and encased. Tons of other rookies autographs, veteran and retired players patches, relics and autographs are available, including a five-piece autographed relic card from five 2007 draft picks, who played in the McDonald's All-American Game, with a super size version numbered to just 25. Echelon is scheculed to ship the week of Oct. 1.
7/3/2007 6:18:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Friday, June 29, 2007
NBA Draft is deeper than ever
Posted by Steve
I just got back from NYC and had a very full two days. I flew in on Wednesday and went to visit friends at Topps. I spoke with basketball brand manager Don Wang for a while and they really have some great stuff coming in basketball. I'll write more about a high-end basketball product Topps is coming out with early next week, but this entry of my blog is more NBA Draft oriented.
After leaving Topps, I headed WAY uptown to Rucker Park. If you haven't been to either, Topps is way down in southern tip of Manhattan and the Rucker is at 155th and 8th in Harlem so it's a long ride. There weren't many big names in the first game, but I got to see Molloy "The Future" Nesmith play. I've seen him before, but never at Rucker. He played at Utah State in the 80s and would do tricks and dance a little in the middle of the game and still complete the plays and he's been in every Rucker documentary ever made. They called the game close to halftime so I actually talked with him for a bit. I also sat right next to Ice T during the games, which was pretty cool.
As for the draft, it was packed with Knicks fans and haters and was one of the deepest drafts in a long time. I was in the lower tier of seets and pretty close to the stage with Stuart Scott right in front of me. I have no idea why the Bucks would draft a guy that has already said he won't play for them, especially with Corey Brewer available. And I have no idea how Glen Davis and Gabe Pruitt fell to the second round. I also think Portland did a great job, not only getting Oden, but trading for Rudy Fernandez and adding Josh McRoberts and Taurean Green in the second round when both players could have been first rounders.
General observations include that Knicks fans still like Isiah Thomas and have faith in his decisions. Wilson Chandler was an instant celebrity when he was drafted and the Zach Randolph trade (and moreso getting rid of Steve Francis) was extremely popular. The players that seemed to be having the most fun were Brewer, who never stopped smiling the entire night, and, of course, Joakim Noah, who signed and greeted everyone he could and even reappeared midway through the draft dancing so a Michael Jackson song. You may not like him at home, but it's hard to dislike a guy that takes 10 minutes to walk down the aisle by the fans because he's so busy making sure acknowledges, greets, signs for and high fives everyone near him.
I'll close this entry by mentioning those that annoyed me. First, someone please shut the guy up that is yelling "Patrick Ewing" before David Stern announces each pick and is sitting one row behind me. Seriously, that draft was almost 25 years ago and this guy yelled it every single pick. And while a lot of people left after the lottery or Knicks pick, this guy stuck around until the middle of the second round. Second, the guy right in front of me that has to stand up and way a Florida banner at every pick needs to sit down and show his love other ways. Wear a Gators hat or shirt to show your appreciation. Luckily, he left soon after Noah got selected.
6/29/2007 3:27:06 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Thursday, June 21, 2007
Daniel Gibson, Ginobili, Parker on the move
Posted by Steve
 Who ever thought that the NBA Finals showcasing players like LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili would be the springboard for rookie Daniel Gibson to get noticed in the hobby? The hot-shooting rookie guard from Texas has heated up significantly in the card market during the past several weeks. He averaged only 4.6 points per game all season, but has erupted during the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals, averaging 13.5 ppg vs. Detroit and then 11 ppg in the Finals, including 31 in Game 6 of the Eastern Finals when the Cavs eliminated Detroit. His rookie cards were completely off the radar a month ago, but demand is now off the charts, helping his Bowman Chrome autograph (#153) to jump from $15 to $30 and his Fleer E-X rookie (#48) to climb from $12 to $25. Other rookies singles of Gibson have also left the common rookie category and are now in strong demand. Two others players that are getting some long-overdue hobby attention are Parker and Ginobili. Combining with Duncan to form a devastating trio, they sometimes are forgotten among card collectors. Parker’s most active rookie card is a 2001-02 Upper Deck SPx (#91), which has jumped from $40 to $50. His SP Authentic (#134) is signed and numbered to just 700, which makes it relatively tough to find, has climbed from $40 to $60. Ginobili’s most pursued rookies include: 2002-03 SP Authentic (#172, $80), Bowman Signature Edition (#SE-EG, $80) and Topps Finest (#163, $50). All are high on collector wantlists, but haven’t risen in price recently. Another single worth noting is the 2002-03 Upper Deck Inspirations Dual Signature card featuring autographs from both players and is up from $60 to $75. Both player’s rarest rookies are from Ultimate Collection, with Parker in the 2001-02 set (#64, up from $50 to $60) and Ginobili in the 2002-03 set (#93, $125), but it’s tougher to find them. Also, the lack of impact rookies has hurt this year’s basketball card market, but the typical, end-of-the-season, high-end products that are hitting have given it a much-needed lift. Bowman Sterling, SP Authentic and Topps Triple Threads are all doing pretty well in hobby stores and are priced in this issue. Upper Deck Reserve, Trilogy and UD Ultimate Collection all hit recently. Exquisite Collection and Finest will all hit during the next month and appear to be loaded. As for rookies, Adam Morrison has slumped, while Brandon Roy continues to rise. Tyrus Thomas gained some popularity with his playoff exposure, while LaMarcus Aldridge has heated up with his strong late-season play and the news that he’ll be playing with Greg Oden next season. As mentioned, Gibson is the biggest mover in the rookie class this month.
6/21/2007 3:38:28 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Tuesday, June 19, 2007
NBA, MeiGray team for game-worn program
Posted by Steve
 The NBA and MeiGray Group have introduced nbagameworn.com, a website where fans can find game-worn jerseys of their favorite NBA players. The site is part of the NBA and MeiGray Group’s game-worn jersey authentication program. Authentic game-worn jerseys and game-used basketballs from a variety of teams and events tagged with individually numbered counterfeit-proof tags or NBA holograms will be available at nbagameworn.com and through NBA Auctions on NBA.com. Every item will be registered in the NBA Authentication Database and all are unconditionally guaranteed. MeiGray has been designated as the official game-worn source of the NBA. Every game-used item comes direct from the game in which it was used and is verfied by an on-site NBA or MeiGray Authentication Program representative.  “Collectors across the globe for years have been asking for legitimate game-worn items, and finally, they can be certain they are getting authentic items coming directly from the league,” said Barry Meisel, MeiGray president and COO. It's great to know that there's finally a place to avoid the confusion of whether a jersey is game-worn or just game-issued. It would be nice to see some type of industry-wide program to clear up the mess of 1987-to-present jerseys.
6/19/2007 4:06:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
NBA Draft news heating up
Posted by Steve
NBA fans love this time of year. No, not because of the Finals, but because of all the draft hype. All the pre-draft camp news, private workouts and crazy rumors bouncing around make it hard to stop reading espn.com, hoopshype.com and draftexpress.com, as well as all the other sources like team sites, player sites and local newspapers.
It's not just the draft stuff that's fun to read, it's all the other rumors too. Players like Kobe, Shawn Marion, Kevin Garnett, Zach Randolph, Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and plenty of others are mentioned in various trade rumors. Some are true, some aren't anywhere close to the truth.
As for the players in the draft, my top five is Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Mike Conley and Corey Brewer, in that order. I know Brandan Wright is up there on most boards, but he's not a lock and I think the five I mentioned are and he's already insisting on working out alone for teams, which isn't the mark of a great competitor. I also know Yi Jianlian is highly ranked, but don't believe in rating players I've never seen.
Some mid-first-round sleepers that might turn into superstars include: Jeff Green, Nick Young, Gabe Pruitt, Thaddeus Young and Rodney Stuckey. All are very skilled offensively and have a world of upside.
Bigger sleepers that probably won't go in the first round include: Glen Davis, Jared Dudley, Taurean Green, Curtis Sumpter, Bobby Brown and DaShaun Wood. Davis may be the most skilled post player in the draft and if his weight is under control, he's a monster in the paint. Dudley knows how to play, plays very hard and is a underrated shooter; he'll be in the league for 10 years. Green is a great shooter and poised at the point. Sumpter would be a lottery pick if he didn't blow out the same ACL twice, but he's still got all the heart. Brown is an ultra-smooth shooting guard with a beautiful shot and Wood is a speedster, who should catch on as a backup point with an uptempo team.
That's what I know. I'm actually going to the draft this year so it should be a great time. It's always interesting seeing who slips and who jumps up the draft board. I'm sure I'll write another blog from the draft with some of the interesting things I see.
6/13/2007 11:57:11 PM (Eastern Daylight Time, UTC-04:00)
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