Saturday, May 29, 2010

From the Fringe to the Mainstream,,,,,,For Now

For possibly the first time since the arrival of Upper Deck and the ensuing boom of the early 1990's, sports card collecting is getting the attention of the mainstream media, and not for a bad reason. TV had "The $25,000 Pyramid", and now the hobby has "The $16,103 Baseball Card". And all the hoopla is for a guy who has yet to spend a day in The Show.

Stephen Strasburg could be the next Nolan Ryan or the next Brien Taylor. But for the moment, he's providing a much needed boost for the hobby and bringing it attention in places where it rarely commands it. When is the last time you read about or saw coverage on the hobby in......

USA Today?
Fox News?
Bloomberg?

The term "phenomenon" definitely applies here, and while a Strasburg chase card won't be affordable on the average kid's weekly allowance, it definitely seems to be signaling a possible renaissance for baseball card collecting. That can only be a good thing. But for a full-fledged return to the halcyon days, card companies need to find a way to bring back the one group that brought them to the dance........the kids. Topps Attax seems to be a pretty good start toward accomplishing that end. Hopefully it provides a building block.

The Strasburg SuperFractor card isn't the only current "holy grail" among collectors. The 2010 Bowman red-bordered autographed Strasburg card is still out there. Best of luck to all who search for it!!

Here's hoping better days are ahead for card shops, collectors, and online dealers! Strasburg Mania is a step in that direction

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

In fairness to the "Airwaves" section.....

It's been a while since I've had any news on my OTHER passion in life and reason for starting this blog........radio. Remember the scene in "Office Space" where Peter talks about what he would do if he had a million dollars and didn't have to work? His was "nothing"......mine is radio. Fortunately, I've been blessed to indulge in that passion and make a living doing it........until about 18 months ago.

Since then, I've been looking for a way to get back in the game, and the opportunity has finally arrived!! Within the next few weeks, I can be heard on Golden Hits Radio! It's a brand new online station launched by one of the truly great radio guys I've ever had the privilege of working with and learning from......Bob Burton, of the legendary morning team of Burt & Kurt. It's a labor of love for all of us at the moment, but how refreshing to be involved in a venture free from all the soul sucking corporate culture. Just great fun, great music, and hopefully at least one or two folks listening at any given time.

I understand this won't be everyone's cup of tea, but I appreciate you giving it a shot. And if you're in the radio biz, like the sound of the station, and are in a position to give ME a shot to help grow your station's ratings and revenue, I'd love to talk with you!! First, check out goldenhitsradio.com, then head over to check out my history of winning ratings and radio experience. This opportunity proves I'm more willing to do this for nothing, but there's something to be said for a regular paycheck.

Thanks for stopping by! My goal is for you to have more fun listening than I'm having doing it, but I'm not sure that will be possible.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Thank You!

We have officially broken the 200 Fan barrier on Facebook!! To everyone who cares enough to "Like" us there......THANK YOU SO MUCH!! To paraphrase the pilot on any random commercial flight, we know you have plenty of choices when Liking Facebook pages, and we appreciate you choosing House of Cards. And if you haven't already, check us out. Or Follow us on Twitter.

As a special Thank You, click here Saturday and Sunday for a special 200 Fan Facebook sale @ our eBay Store, The House of Cards. All game used baseball cards are 25% Off this weekend only!

Thanks again for being a Fan! Our 5 Star customer service across the board means you can buy with confidence!

Thursday, May 6, 2010

The house of (sports) cards (and memorabilia) begins to fall.....

And sadly, it comes as no surprise. The first step in what will most likely be the end for Upper Deck began today. As someone who has been on the short end of the economic stick, the human toll is what saddens me as much as the collapse of the Rolls-Royce of sports card companies since 1989. Shedding 1/4 to 1/3 of your staff not only disrupts lives, it cheapens the product you continue to put out. Not sure how many more companies will have to die before corporate boardrooms finally figure that out.

As much as I enjoy the hobby, I value a man or woman's livelihood even more. These folks will all land on their feet, but it's painful to watch as both a hobbyist and man with compassion for those who work hard and still get dealt a blow like this.

If it makes the now ex-Upper Deck employees feel any better, theirs isn't the only industry whose cheese has been moved over the past few years.

To those who lost their jobs in this latest senseless act by a brain dead CEO, THANK YOU for putting out a superb product across multiple sports for the past 20 years. We'll always have the Griffey rookie and the memories. And our thoughts and prayers are with you as you begin the next career chapter.