7th Heaven starring The Mick

Haven't had a chance to read The Last Boy yet, but I definitely will once I get a chance to get a half day or so to sit down with a book.  Mickey Mantle's story has been told more than once, by both himself and others.  I have a question for those reading this who grew up with Mantle or any other of the dozens of athletes you may have idolized as a child.  Which era do you prefer........the era where athetes' (and anyone else semi-famous for that matter) personal lives were treated with reverence by the media or the post-Ball Four era where 24-hour news cycles and the explosion of media outlets have told us far more than we ever wanted to know about our heroes? 

Saturday's Cleveland Plain Dealer covers both eras and how Mickey Mantle has been portrayed over the years.....

Mickey Mantle portrayals, from books to movies to baseball cards and more

 

One of us

I think part of the reason the country is in the economic shape it's in at the moment has a lot to do with the CEOs who run most major corporations never spent a day consuming the product they're now in charge of.  Case in point.....the man named CEO of US Airways several years ago came from the same post at..........FREAKIN' BURGER KING!!  Guy probably never spent a day taking flying lessons OR flipping burgers, and once he landed the gig at both companies, he probably flew private jets.  Assuming he ever ate the food of the peasants like a hamburger, I'm sure it was prepared by a personal chef. 

Regardless of how you feel about the direction of the sports card hobby at the moment, you have to feel good about the fact that the guy calling the shots at Topps is a guy who knows the product he's selling and marketing.  That can only be a positive. 

He’s Back to Baseball Cards

Just for pocket money?

You have to hand it to Kirk Gibson.  He's nothing if not benevolent.  Following the Bill Gates/Warren Buffett model of what to do with one's fortune, he is auctioning his massive memorabilia collection to beef up funding for his charitable foundation.  We're talking EVERYTHING.....his 1988 World Series MVP plaque, the helmet he wore in that memorable Game 1, his jersey, and most importantly, the bat he used to hit that unforgettable hom..........wait, what?  He's keeping the money generated by the sale of the bat, expected to approach Babe Ruth-like proportions, FOR HIMSELF, you say?  A guy that made around $16 million during his playing career?  Hmmmmmm.........

Kirk Gibson 'at peace' parting with treasures

If you collect them, he will come.......

If Field of Dreams were set in Atlanta, revolved around the Braves (and more specifically, Bobby Cox), and didn't have the whole "daddy issues" subplot.......or a corn field.......it might sound a lot like this.  It also might have been written about my Dad and I, if you could suspend disbelief since my Dad always thought I was an idiot for collecting baseball cards :-)

Sandy Springs: Dad-son bond nurtured by Cox

For the anti-Beckett crowd.......

For this blogger's money, the Babe Waxpak column is about as good as it gets for the casual collector or "layman" to find out just how collectible or "limited edition" their cards or other memorabilia pieces really are.  And since it is readily available online, and for free, there really isn't any of this blogger's money involved.  He also goes beyond baseball most weeks.  This week covers NASCAR and vintage football tickets.  And, alas, one collector's dream of sending his kids to college w/ a collection of Panini football stickers are dashed.......as at least one reader's dream normally is in every column..........

Babe Waxpak: Signed Earnhardt card valuable, Redskins stickers not so much

Could this be the next '89 Fleer Bill Ripken........

 without the F-bomb?  Furthermore, if you're holding a card like this, what possible reason would you have to exchange it aside from being a huge fan of a prospect who may or may not pan out?  Understandable if Mario Mendoza's autograph were on it, but with one of the 5 best basketball players to ever set foot on a court's John Hancock, you're sitting on a potential goldmine!  The 2010 Elite Blue Extra Edition "Franchise Futures" /450 card is going for around $45.00 on eBay, and publicity around the cards could cause a value spike within the next few days.   

 

Error Leads to Legendary Laker’s Autograph Appearing On Jordan Swagerty Cards

Prepare for the onslaught

Is anyone surprised that Topps hasn't put something out yet to commemorate Roy Halladay's no-hitter?  With the overproduction of the 90's, most even semi-monumental baseball events were celebrated almost instantly (and rather poorly in most cases).  Rest assured it won't take long, and since his no-no was such an ultra rarity, it's certainly worth a "compare and contrast" to Don Larsen's perfect game from the perspective of good ol' American baseball card company capitalism.  In some ways, it's apples and oranges, but it is certainly interesting to discover that it took FIVE YEARS for Topps to recognize the feat with its own subset card. 

Probably won't take 'em five weeks for Halladay :-)

ANGILLY: Halladay has a place in history, future card sets

A Cynic's Guide To The Lost and Found Box

Clearly, the D.C. police department isn't exactly chock full of sports card collectors.  The full force of law enforcement in our nation's capital is leaving no stone unturned in finding the rightful owner of.........a relatively worthless bunch of 80's era Topps cards found in East Potomac Park.  I'm not sure what's funnier about this story......the fact that a box of overproduced junk attracted international media attention or that the owner of the cards wasted perfectly good top loaders on DARRELL JOHNSON!!!!  AND JIM HOLY!!!

Fortunately, someone has arrived on the scene to mock this incident more eloquently than I could ever hope.  And by the way, if you haven't read his book yet (click on the widget below to find out more about it), I highly recommend it.

Baseball cards: Fool's gold discovered in East Potomac Park!

Before And After........Roy Halladay

Now that the SIXTH no-hitter of the 2010 season has been racked up, including 2 by the same pitcher, can we officially declare the Steroid Era over?  To put in perspective how truly monumental Roy Halladay's performance was in Game 1 of the NLDS, let's take a quick gander at the history books.  It would be enough if it were simply the first postseason no-no since Don Larsen's perfect game in the '56 World Series (only 2 days shy of 54 years ago), but it's also the first time the same pitcher has thrown 2 no-hitters in a season since Nolan Ryan in 1973 (albeit Ryan's 2 were both regular season no-hitters).  What a way to get your first taste of October baseball!

So what did creating history do for Halladay's card values?  Let's examine the crown jewel for Halladay collectors.  As always, eBay is our barometer here. We'll check the selling price of one prior to tonight and another just after the finishing touch was put on the no-hitter. 

1997 Bowman Roy Halladay Auto Rookie

BEFORE - $259.99

AFTER (7:37 PM Eastern) - $299.00

Unlike other players and cards we've covered (Armando Galarraga, Matt Garza, Jahvid Best), we've only seen a 15% spike this time.  With the stakes far higher and the achievement far more impressive, that seems a little unusual, but let's stop a minute and think of the differences this time around.  First and foremost, Halladay has been one of the top 5 players at his position in baseball for an extended period of time.  He should be a dead solid lock for Cooperstown with three to five more seasons like he's put together throughout his career.  His RC values are already pretty far up there.  Second, and relatively speaking, the '97 Bowman being looked at is also pretty rare.  The 2 we compared and contrasted appear to be the only 2 put up on eBay over the past 30 days.  Demand is already there and supply is short.  Finally, the impulse buyer crowd might bite over the next 24 hours or so on the 2 that are currently listed here and here for $399.  Then it begins to look more like the immediate jump we've come to expect with a virtuoso one game performance. 

Still, if you happen to be holding one of the Halladay cards we covered here, you could do worse than picking up somewhere in the neighborhood of $300 for the 5 minutes or so it takes to list it on eBay. 

 

Diamonds are a CARD COLLECTOR'S best friend?!?!?!

If you happen to be a card collector who might also be planning to pop the question to your significant other, now you can kill 2 birds with one stone!  And for free! (sorta.....there is the whole tax situation you'd suddenly find yourself saddled with) WITHOUT going to Jared so you could be the subject of one of those corny TV commercials!.........

Topps to give away diamonds with trading cards