Leading Off with Tom Bartsch - Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Finding Answers to Collectors' Questions
Posted by Tuff Stuff

The last few days have been rather interesting for me. As someone who has worked in hobby publications since college, I figured that most folks who collect know what they are collecting and have a general understanding of their value.

I’ve worked in antiques, toys and sports in my tenure here at F+W Media, but working with Collect.com Auctions has definitely shed some new light on collectors to me.

As a writer in these various areas of collecting, I was/am in contact with many collectors, but mostly in interview formats talking about their collections or getting their opinions on certain collectible areas for market trend stories. In other words, these are knowledgeable collectors. They can speak of backgrounds, trends and values for items in their collection ad nauseam.

So it’s a little surprising for me to be speaking with a lot of collectors of late who are relatively unfamiliar with what they have. And this is in numerous collecting categories, not just sports. Some want help with identification in terms of year produced; others simply have no idea what they have and are looking to find a value first, then other information.
I guess it’s a different audience than what I’m used. It would be similar if I would pick up a vintage tool as wall art and then decided I wanted to sell it. I would have no clue if another person would find it valuable, so I would inquire first.

There are probably a lot of reasons why people are considering selling their items even though they are not knowledgeable in what they have. For one, we’re still in a recession, with a lot of people still looking for work. They need money. One way to get money is to sell off the “unnecessary” items around the house. Collectbles often are among those items that are the first to go for those who don’t hold them dear to their heart (although we also hear from a lot of people who will make other concessions before turning to their treasures).

A lot of people simply want to know what they have. For the uninitiated, something that is old could be valuable, so they grab it and ask questions later. Now those questions are popping up much more frequently. They don’t have a computer to look it up for themselves, or they don’t know where to start. And, of course, just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s valuable.

I must say that when you can dig up some information for a reader or caller, it’s fun. It’s like solving a complicated math problem in school. You feel like you accomplished something and the person on the other end appreciates the new-found knowledge. It’s those darn “rare” items that you can’t find in a book or any record of sale online that gets you frustrated.
So it’s been a little adventure every day at work. While the sports hobby has very few “discoveries” that need in-depth investigation to identify and place a value, some of the other categories are much less researched and that’s where the work comes in.

And then there are those collectors who call and ask for information, but the more you speak with them, you realize they have already done a lot of research on the item and are either looking for confirmation or the last missing piece in the puzzle. Those are fun, too, because it’s like a test, and the information they give you can be used to gather even more information.

Anyone interested in finding out more information on a collectible they have, I’d be more than happy to try and help. Photos are very helpful in that regard, along with the time frame and regional location of the item when it was received. Let the hunt begin.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009 8:22:02 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, August 10, 2009

Crazy Times in the Hobby Will Seem Normal One Day
Posted by Tuff Stuff

It seems like we are going back in time lately in the sports world – and not just focusing on vintage memorabilia.

First, we’re back to just one MLB-licensed card manufacturer and now even the Home Run King says Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame. In the words of Vince Lombardi, “What the hell is going on out there?”

We’ve got feds and postal authorities running around the National Sports Convention pulling out subpoenas and interview requests with an end result that we still don’t know 12 months after they did the same routine in Chicago.

However, the National got a publicity boost and perhaps the most widespread positive story in its history with ESPN’s Bill Simmons snapping photos from the event like paparazzi and hogging up all of the space on the front page of ESPN.com. I’m fairly certain ESPN’s readership and Simmons’ column itself gets more views than 95 percent of all of the sites out there – combined. (I’m serious, there are a lot of small-time sites out there that get little-to-no traffic. Even my Robin Yount’s Lover site hasn’t really taken off. Don’t look for it, I’m kidding.)

We’ve got thieves looking to score on sports memorabilia instead of raiding strangers’ medicine cabinets and sports museums going out of business because no one is walking through the doors to just look at stuff without the chance of actually buying it.

It’s a funky time, but it’s not horribly out of whack in the history of the sports hobby. Do you think this time period is better than when there were six manufacturers pumping out more product than could ever possibly be bought by the general public?

Some might say yes, because at least then there was competition and more innovative products. Yet again, look at what happened to values of cards during that time and how many of those businesses remain today?
It all seemed strange at the time, but these things work themselves out over time, and all the craziness now will soon seem normal when something else crazy takes place. It’s all part of the game, so to speak.

On another subject, I have to share a few thoughts I’ve had while working on another round of descriptions for the second sports auction for Collect.com Auctions. We have a lot of vintage sports publications in the upcoming sale, covering baseball, football and hockey. They range from yearbooks and media guides to official records and Who’s Who.

I love these types of publications. I think they record the time period like nothing else and offer a great glimpse into the players and stories of the past. I often had to stop paging through them just so I could keep “working.”

Marty Appel has covered some of these long-running books in his column, sometimes mentioning how some of them are coming to an end after a decades-long run. That’s too bad, because I think future generations would like to read abut today’s stars in a similar format.

But perhaps I’m thinking much too narrowly. Everything is online now and perhaps that’s how tomorrow’s generation will learn about Greg Maddux, Albert Pujols, Mariano Rivera, etc. I guess it would save space on the bookshelves, too, although I think bookshelves are no longer configured in today’s in-house decorating scheme, if you know what I mean.

I also had the chance to look over vintage newspaper clippings from 1919 and 1920. You already know the subject of these articles, but to read it in present tense was fascinating. I wonder if the future hobby readers will look at today’s events in the same fashion?

Monday, August 10, 2009 2:38:27 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Learning the Non-Sport Side of Cards
Posted by Tuff Stuff

If you believe there are a lot of sports cards in existence, you’d definitely be right. The Standard Cards of Baseball Cards is proof of that, and that huge tome covers just one sport.

However, if you were to turn your attention to non-sports cards, it opens a whole new world of collectibles that I would bet many people aren’t aware of – and they’re valuable, too.

That’s one of the joys of working with Collect.com Auctions – you get to see some of the great items that will be available to bidders. And when it comes to non-sports material, we’ve been getting some great stuff.

It started with the debut Collect.com auction that hosted a complete set of “Twilight Zone” autographs from Rittenhouse Archives. The set included autographs from William Shatner, Ron Howard, Jimmy Stewart, Mickey Rooney and dozens of other stars that made appearances on the popular sci-fi series. The resulting $11,700 final bid told me there’s more to this world than traditional sports cards.

The upcoming Collect.com auction, slated to start Aug. 10 and end Aug. 27, features some more excellent sets of non-sports cards, ranging from The Best of the Wild Wild West to Parkhurst Movie Stars, Parade of Flags and something call Jiggley’s.

The best part of these cards is finding out their background and how collectors were able to secure them in the first place. Some of the more modern issues, like The Best of the Wild Wild West set were issued in the last 10 years with complete checklists so you could follow your progress. Others from the 1950s were distributed via retail outlets just like standard trading cards. However, not all of the cards were always issued mainstream, and that’s where collectors really sink their teeth into the hunt.

For instance, the upcoming auction will include two examples of original artwork for the Who-Z-At Star cards from the 1950s. The cards themselves are rather scarce, but getting the original artwork is even more difficult.

Plus, these were examples of art for cards that were never issued. One wasn’t issued because the actor, Sal Mineo, insisted on having his shirt off for the photo and Topps thought that might be pushing too many boundaries. Gotta love the differences in what’s acceptable between eras.
The sets of Jiggley’s trading cards consigned to the auction had a Western, circus and military theme. The idea behind the cards was to cut out the stencil sections so the “figures” could move courtesy of the tabs found on each side of the card. The caricatures were amusing, but I would guess these got old for kids. Plus, finding ones that are intact would be difficult because the point of the cards was to play with them as designed. The same scenario takes place with the baseball Stand-Ups.

However, my favorite of the bunch are the movie star cards because you could get all the living legends of screen and stage in one set. I don’t know about you, but I would have loved as a kid to be able to stare at my silver-screen heroes and learn about them and their characters on cards. It’s not unlike the fascination with sports cards, only it would have been harder to see these heroes in person. Cards bridged the gap.

I don’t think non-sports cards will ever reach the status of their sports brethren, but they definitely hold a place in Americana and in the collectibles market. And the money they can bring rivals any card set.
It’s a real treat to be able to learn about these sets and call it work. It makes me realize there is a lot I’m missing from this world, but I’m learning.

Monday, July 27, 2009 6:21:03 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Friday, July 17, 2009

A Tale of Two Events: '87 All-Star Game and the Disco Demolition
Posted by Tuff Stuff

There are some neat things that are on television when you get the opportunity to sit on the couch and watch. As I have a six-week-old son that doesn’t have the physical skills to play catch quite yet, we spend a lot of time on the couch as I feed and hold him.

That brings me to two sporting events I got to relive. Well, I think I saw one of them, and the other took place when I was 2 years old. I watched a replay of the 1987 All-Star Game on the MLB Network and the 1979 Disco Demolition debacle on ESPN. Talk about contrasting events.

One of the first things that struck me in watching the All-Star Game festivities was that it was 22 years ago. After all, there were all the players I grew up watching: George Brett, Eric Davis, Dave Winfield, Brett Saberhagen, Jack Clark, etc. This was the game modeled for the All-Star lineups in the 1987 Nintendo game R.B.I. that I still play to this day. It didn’t seem that long ago, and I guess in a hobby that some don’t even consider worthwhile until it’s before 1970, I guess it isn’t that long ago.

However, there were a few oddities that I had forgotten about. First, it was played in daylight, like blazing sun, 4 p.m. daylight. Sure, it was on the West Coast, but that’s still 7 p.m. Eastern time. You mean kids could actually watch their heroes before going to bed?

The second observation was that the power hitters, such as the aforementioned Clark, Davis and Andre Dawson, were surprisingly skinny. Sure, they were muscular, but nothing like you see today.

And then there was a skills competition that I had never seen before. This wasn’t just the home run derby, but rather there was also a pitching and hitting contest where the players had to pitch to certain targets or batters had to hit targets placed out in the field. No surprise, Wade Boggs won the batting portion of the contest.

And in case you wondered, this was an All-Star game that was scoreless for 12 innings, with the National squad scoring two in the top of the 13th inning and winning 2-0.

Baseball did this with 28-man rosters and didn’t run out of pitching. In fact, the American League even had two pitchers who never saw the mound. Didn’t Commissioner Selig watch this game? The 2002 All-star Game fiasco was called after 11 innings.

I had heard about Disco Demolition Night on July 12, 1979, at Comiskey Park during a doubleheader between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers – I just never knew what a riot, almost literally, it was.

I figured the event was all about blowing up records and a few fans ran onto the field and disrupted the game. Ha! Holy cow, so that’s what happens when 90,000 people cram into a stadium, drink heavily and turn their hatred of disco music into an excuse of all-out party rivaled (for a very short period of time) only by Woodstock. Fires, fights and any number of other transgressions taking place on the field. And they still tried to play the game.

Outstanding comedy for me on the couch, although baseball probably didn’t enjoy the attention, no matter the era in which it took place.

I don’t think this could happen today. First, you can’t sneak into stadiums like you could then. No team will let you in for just 98 cents and you can’t toss a peanut onto the field, much less toss your entire body over the fence.

Did any readers attend this, ahem, historic event? I’d love to hear a first-hand account of the demolition. After all, this event was considered the catalyst to the end of the disco era, and a baseball game was the stage for it. No wonder baseball is America’s pastime.

Friday, July 17, 2009 8:05:43 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, July 13, 2009

A Must-Visit: Cooperstown
Posted by Tuff Stuff

When it comes to must-visits involving professional sports, the list is a mile long and ranges from Wrigley and Lambeau Fields to Lake Placid. Each destination depends on personal preference and each holds a special place of honor for a variety of reasons.

However, for baseball fans, I think one of the must-visit destinations is Cooperstown, N.Y. And while a visit there in general is great any time of year, the experience is that much more special during the Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, held this year on July 24-27, with the actual induction taking place July 26 and featuring Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson and Joe Gordon among the players.

As a grade-schooler, I always vowed that if Robin Yount ever made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I would make the trek somehow and be among the thousands in attendance to hear his acceptance speech.

When the announcement came in early 1999 that Yount would join Nolan Ryan and George Brett into the Hall of Fame, I immediately began plans to attend. I was still finishing up college, so this trip was going to be on the cheap, if that’s possible when you need to get to Upstate New York from Wisconsin.

I found a friend to help me with the 16-hour driving duties, and my mom and sister stowed away in the backseat of my 1988 Olds Tornado. It was a comfortable ride, but there was one glaring problem that I probably couldn’t handle today – the air conditioning didn’t work. I distinctly remember sitting in gridlock in the abomination called Chicago traffic and watching the outside temperature gauge read “100 F.”

But nothing could stop me from my goal and we pushed on. Heading into Cooperstown the day before the induction, I admired the beautiful landscape, and once in town, I was immersed in sports collectibles heaven. On one corner was Pete Rose signing autographs. Walking along across the street was Leon Spinks. Athletes mingled with fans in a celebration of all things baseball.

I walked up to Doubleday Field. There’s something quaint about that stadium. It reminds me of an old minor league ballpark.

And then I toured the Hall of Fame, which meant waiting in line because, after all, the town was bursting at the seams. I don’t think I need to go into detail as to the virtues of the Hall of Fame. It’s the best sports museum in the world, period. I hope to visit it again during a little quieter time so I can spend hours looking at the artifacts.

When it came to induction day, the walk from “downtown” to the fields where the stage is set up was rather quaint. It reminded me of a walk through an “up north” vacation town and we were all migrating to a festival outside of that town.

We went early to try and get reasonably close, which meant you still relied on big screens to see the action on the stage. It didn’t matter. I could hear everything perfectly and patiently waited. I waited to hear Yount’s speech and when it came, I looked around me and felt special I was among the thousands in attendance to hear it in person. It remains a highlight in my life.

Of course, being out all day in the sun and the eight-hour drive that night to Cleveland dropped me in bed for about 14 hours, but I’ll never forget the trip.

I can imagine a similar scenario will play out for some fans of Henderson, Rice and even Gordon in the weeks ahead.

If I could make one small suggestion, aside from making sure you grab some loot to commemorate the occasion, it would be to make sure you check the car’s air conditioning first.

Monday, July 13, 2009 6:18:53 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, July 06, 2009

Watch Pujols Now While You Can
Posted by Tuff Stuff

Sometimes, you just have to sit back and realize what you are witnessing. While I make this reference in terms of sporting achievements, it's probably good advice in general.

I bring this up, because we just did a story in SCD regarding Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – you know, the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. I remember watching him play later in his career, and compared to Jordan and Dominique Wilkins, he didn't seem that special at all. He just seemed weird with his long, skinny legs and those goggles on his balding head. At no point did I consider him to be one of the best of all time.

When you thought of big-time dominating centers, I would think of Russell and Chamberlain. And then I'd add O'Neal. A prolonged career of success sometimes passes you by without any real fanfare.

This happens a lot, too, with today's current baseball players. In particular, I'm talking about Albert Pujols for the 2009 season. My goodness, he's putting up Ruth and Gehrig numbers. When you look at the stats of those guys, it almost seemed like video games numbers.

And Pujols numbers through the first half of the season (the true first half, 81 games) is astounding. Pujols is batting .336 with 31 HRs and 82 RBI. Double those numbers, and it's 62 HRs and 164 RBIs. That's impressive, considering that soon he's going to get the Barry Bonds' treatment – walked every time he comes to the plate.

He's making his eighth All-Star game next week and he has never hit less than 32 home runs in his career. Plus he has 10 stolen bases this year already, poised for a career high in that category.

With Ken Griffey Jr., you also knew you were watching something special. Among the best ever, some folks only know his for his injuries in the second half of his career. that's too bad, because he's one of the best ever.

Pujols is there, too. No one has had the career start that he has and his numbers are amazing. We are watching one of the best ever and it's happening right under our noses. His career could end now and he get considered for the HOF.

So take time to watch him play. With the St. Louis Cardinals in first place, there are bound to get more TV time as the season moves on. And Pujols will be the star attraction.

Monday, July 06, 2009 4:39:19 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, June 29, 2009

Two Shows Looking to Make a Big Splash
Posted by Tuff Stuff

It's summer, and that means it's almost time for the National Sports Collector's Convention – this year taking place in Cleveland, July 29-Aug. 2.

But wait, there's another. Taking place two weeks before that event is another Chicago show, and no, it's not named SportsFest. Held July 17-20 will be first the 1st Annual FansEdge Sports Spectacular at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

It's interesting timing to have another even so close to the National, especially when dealers are watching their dollars more than ever when it comes to travel. But it should provide a bonus for collectors.

The National won't bowl you over with flashy glitz and glamour. What it does have is stuff for serious collectors - good guests, exclusive card sets and the biggest and best dealer lineup you'll find in the country. And all those manufacturers, distributors and auction houses show up, too.

The new FansEdge event is offering a free admission day (thursday) and something called "Rollback Friday," where autograph guests will be at prices way less than the usual asking price. Plus, it's an all-day Friday show, so take off of work and take advantage of the savings.

But there needs to be more to attract people, so Mounted Memories - who is running the event - is also offering kids activities like a mini golf course, moonwalk and obstacle course.

So how exactly do you go from a moonwalk to buying an autographed Cal Ripken Jr. jersey? I'm not sure, but we're going to find out.

So it will be interesting to see how these shows do. Attendance will be key for both, as shows have been hit hard the last few years - especially in Chicago.

And if you're looking for Tuff Stuff, we'll have a booth at both events. Stop by for some prizes and let us know how that golf course treated yoy.

Monday, June 29, 2009 10:49:09 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Latest Sports "Challenge" Sounds a Little Too Fun
Posted by Tuff Stuff

Did you hear about this upcoming event in the Bahamas in which fans/collectors can get together with some high-caliber athletes for a few days of gambling and golf? It's like a fantasy camp, only it has nothing to do with playing games on the field.

Here are some of the details:
Legendary Auctions has joined with The Sports Legends Challenge presented by AbsolutePoker.net to produce the ultimate sports fantasy experience. On Sept. 14-17, the inaugural Sports Legends Challenge, benefitting the Butch Kerzner Summit Foundation, will take place at Atlantis, Paradise Island, Bahamas. The resort will serve as a backdrop for a world-class sports and gaming event which will feature sports fans and their sports heroes competing in a variety of casino games, including No Limit Texas Hold ’Em, Blackjack and Slots, as a well as a daily prize-money golf tournament.

Sports fans will compete with and against 25 sports legends, including: Troy Aikman, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Richard Petty, Sugar Ray Leonard, Emmitt Smith, Reggie Jackson, Joe Namath, Mike Ditka, Julius Erving, Herschel Walker, Jim Brown, Bobby Hull, Jerry West, Brooks Robinson, Gale Sayers, Kyle Petty and more. The event will also feature 25 of the world’s top Poker Pros. The Sports Legends, Poker Pros and participants will compete in a wide range of tournaments for up to $10,000,000 in prize money. The feature event will be a winner-take-all, No-Limit Texas Hold ’Em grand finale televised nationally, Thanksgiving Day, on FOX Sports.

Legendary Auctions will also conduct a sports memorabilia auction event during the event.

Well, that sounds like fun. I am curious if there will be more details as to the charitable component of the event and exactly what the auction will entail. From the outside, it looks like a free "guy's weekend" for the athletes.

The idea is to hold a few of these events a year, with another one being planned for 2010 in London. I'll post some more details as they become available. In the meantime, I'll start practicing my poker face and saving my dough so I can go on a "work trip."

Tuesday, June 23, 2009 4:57:24 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Monday, June 22, 2009

Ticket Stubs Another Insert Worth Chasing
Posted by Tuff Stuff

When it comes to pieces of something, anything that can be inserted into cards, there seems to be few limits. We’ve all seen the pieces of jerseys, pants, shoes, bats, caps and cut signatures now seemingly in every brand available on the shelf.

And this doesn’t count the sheet metal, driver’s suits, pieces of tires and helmets found in racing products.

The latest is Topps’ 2009 Ticket to Stardom Baseball that features official MLB ticket stubs embedded in the cards. Tickets can be found from the World Series and Opening Day to the World Baseball Classic and prominent moments such as rookie debuts.The product also features Buyback stubs that would feature a stub from a classic game.

The product ships in August, so you have some time to come up with the ideal ticket you’d like to find in the product. We’ve covered the “ticket stubs you’d most like to own” in the past, so I’ll just say I wouldn’t mind the Sept. 9, 1992, stub from Milwaukee’s County Stadium in which Robin Yount clubbed his 3,000th career hit.

But I am curious as to what will be placed in cards next. Perhaps dinosaurs? Nope, that already happened, along with fragments of bones from Wholly Mammoths. I don’t have anything against those pieces being embedded in cards, but I just wouldn’t have expected that in my hockey box breaks or Allen & Ginter brands. As someone posted on the Sports Card Forum message board a while back, what’s next, strands of hair from a white buffalo?

If it hasn’t happened yet, I’m sure there is a way to have pieces of Tiger Woods’ putter placed into a card, or perhaps some of the apple core, bubble gum or other discarded piece of trash Woods used that seems to turn up on eBay a few times a year.

I find these diversions rather entertaining. And I have to think those who aren’t diehard card collectors probably feel the same way – and that’s why card companies go to such lengths to have these varieties as “hits” in their products. When the base collecting community has been contacted over and over again, you have to go somewhere else to expand to new markets, new buyers and new money. It’s a strategy every business utilizes.

That’s why you see some of these strange inserts. While hard-core collectors complain about them, most won’t ever see them (another gripe in the hobby, but that’s also the chase that drives the hobby). Most of the inserts are very limited and are more for the publicity to the unknowing populace who think they have a chance at something special than for the market the cards are designed to serve in the first place. For releases that draw the extra attention, the old adage applies: any publicity is good publicity.

The other day in the office, we busted open a box of 2009 O-Pee-Chee Baseball, a no-frills product that won’t hurt the pocketbook. The box offered no patch cards, no autographs and nary a redemption. We all remarked how we enjoyed the product. The card designs were simple and not flashy, the card backs had actual statistics and other nuances that made it fun to read and in the end you were generally pleased with the outcome.

But this won’t cut it for the populace I spoke about before. They need something more to give the product a try and that’s where the struggle is and why we have the products we do in the hobby.

Back to those ticket stubs. Would you rather have a card and stub that are related together in one piece, or would you rather have the ticket stub as a stand-alone collectible? If a had a choice, I’ll take the card because it aids in remembering the importance of the stub.

Monday, June 22, 2009 4:58:41 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Collect.com Auctions Provides a Fun Diversion
Posted by Tuff Stuff

First, a company note: Collect.com Auctions' debut sale ends Thursdaty. To see the lineup and register, click here.

But first, here is what it was like leading up to the auction:

So this is what it’s like to have unlimited amounts of money, time, energy, patience and eventually joy. I never thought I might be able to experience that all at once.

Nope, I didn’t win the lottery, enter never-never land or get a lobotomy. We’ve been going through some of the items that will be appearing in the debut sale of Collect.com Auctions, and it’s been a treat seeing all the great collectibles the world has to offer. It’s one thing to see these items in a catalog or on computer screen, but to see them pass through with our own eyes has been a blast.

The other day I got to “play” with a 1925 tin mechanical baseball game from Frantz Toys call The Great American Game. This beats any video game system I had growing up, even if it didn’t feature any real players. It was simple, colorful and fun. A rotating scroll determined the outcome of the “at-bats” and I never had more pleasure out of a game of chance. I’ve worked in the toy hobby market in a former life, but this was the first time I got to play with a toy that fit my grandpa’s generation. Did I mention it was a good week?

And then I got to pretend I was a kid in the 1940s who just polished off a bowl of Nabisco Shredded Wheat cereal just so I could redeem the box top for a Ted Williams ring. Heck, I would stomach the cereal today if that prize was still an option. Now, all the rewards from shredded wheat involve a healthier lifestyle. Big deal.

Under my desk, I have a couple of game-used bats from the likes of Tony Clark and Rondell White. Those full-size versions have nothing on the 1910 mini decal Joe Jackson bat I swung around a few hours before I penned this column. What great color and design on the barrel. What? It’s worth how much? Perhaps I should have been more gentle. I’m kidding of course. While curiosity got the cat, I was careful with all of my handling of these treasures.

I had never seen a NFL championship ring before in person, salesman sample or otherwise. They’re huge, glitzy, obnoxious and just what you want to show off to the rest of the world that for one season there wasn’t anyone better than you. Those rings make a statement and then some. This version was a 1972 Miami Dolphins Bob Griese example. It didn’t fit my fingers.

And then there were the signed balls – Babe Ruth, Don Drysdale, Ted Williams, Johnny Unitas, Michael Jordan, etc. It seems players took a lot more pride in signing items in years past. Big, bold and, most importantly, legible signatures were found on most of the balls, making for easy identification and the chance to piece together the exact years on team-signed examples.

It was also fun to see what types of items collectors got signed. One of the most unique ones was a 1:16-scale die-cast golf cart signed by Carl Yastrzemski. The artwork was the nicest to look at, but the ticket stubs, postcards and index cards weren’t too bad either.

I had the chance to feel what it was like to sit in the Boston Garden, courtesy of two cushy stadium seats. I lived a day in the warm-ups of numerous NBA players, realizing – when the outfits were far too big – why I never had a chance on the court.

I also learned that this is one big hobby, full of more material than any one person could ever dream of collecting. It’s those niches that keeps the hobby humming, and I hope you all keep it going. After all, how else am I supposed to learn about things like Stereo Viewers, 1946 World Series pen and pencil sets and how Al Kaline and Tom Selleck end up signing the same piece of memorabilia?

Tuesday, June 16, 2009 8:10:44 PM (GMT Daylight Time, UTC+01:00)

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