It's not often I find trading card news in my local newspaper. So when I saw an article on PopCardz, a new celebrity-based trade card set not from a sports card manufacturer, I had to take a look.

A former show business agent has started a new company that will supply cards of more than 40 celebrities. Young stars, such as Ashley Tisdale will join Megan Fox, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jessica Alba, among others. The back of the cards will feature the star's birth date, hometown, motto and favorite charity, movie, song, book, place, sport and food. There will also be a "secret" about that person on the back of the card.

Proceeds from the sale of the cards will be given to the celebrities' charities. Each card will also have a unique 10-digit access code printed on it that will provide additional online content at PopCardz.com (the site isn't currently active as of this writing).

I'll be real curious at the price point of this product because it's clearly aimed at the mass market. I see it pitched in the grocery store aisle next to the tabloids. All of this information can be found online (along with MUCH more in the case of some of the celebrities). What's the hook? Will there be autographs? Worn clothing scraps?

It's nice to see the proceeds going to charity; I just don't see this catching on. I hope I'm wrong. With good marketing and some additional "hooks," maybe it works. Any positive news regarding trading cards is good news for the entire hobby.

I was watching it rain (on TV) last during Game 5 of the World Series between the Phils and the Rays, and I thought to myself, "How much longer can this go on - it's really raining. And then I thought to myself (the Phils we winning 2-1 at the time), "Wait a minute, if the game is delayed, can they restart in this mess?"

This ultimately led to me eventually connect the dots enough to realize that if the game is halted, delayed and then ended, the world Series is over. After five innings, a game is considered complete. It's a good thing B.J. Upton can run like the wind even on a sloppy track, or baseball would have another black eye to deal with.

Has any World Series ended early due to rain with the outcome in doubt? A one-run game in a deciding game is no shoo-in for a winner. And teams have come back from 3-1 before. This would have been worse for Selig & Co. than the tie in the All-Star game in Milwaukee.  

And perhaps I got a little too slap-happy over Longoria. The poor guy has gone cold in baseball's biggest stage, and scouts are taking notice how the Phils are pitching to him. Expect, perhaps, a bit of a cooling off period for Longoria in 2009. Of course, he could be doing some adjusting, as well. Stay tuned.

As I look at the calendar and see the month of November approaching, I expect to see more deals like Topps signing with the UFC. Why, you ask? Well, the presidential race is coming to end (goodbye Presidential Predictor inserts, et. al). We'll also be waiting another two years until another Olympics comes rolling around (and it's winter Olympics – not nearly the viewing spectacular such as swimming or gymnastics in the Summer Olympics).

I don't see a new insert coming out on world leaders or "celebrities" making the news, but that probably isn't too far behind. In my former life working in the toy industry, a company would capitalize on every news story by producing an action figure surrounding that event. For instance, they made a small diorama scene of Michael Jackson holding a baby over a railing. I didn't say it was politically correct, but it did get them in the mainstream media, which is part of every companies' success.

So for future insert sets, they will have to be something that is well known (in the news, on the radio, etc.) and can be easily deciphered by the average person. Maybe they'll have the Bonds' trial, or perhaps an O.J. Simpson "By the Blunder" set.

I'm not exactly sure what will come along in the months ahead, but card companies will have to come up with something clever to get into the mainstream media blitz – and hopefully it's not for something negative.  

In case you haven't heard about it yet - retired NFL players have filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL Player's Association over the use of their likeness in video games, trading cards and other areas.

Pro Football Hall of Famer Herb Adderley filed the suit in federal court in California. The suit represents more than 2,000 retired NFL players. The suit contends the NFLPA intentionally cut retired players out of licensing deals so active players could receive more benefits. This comes on the heels of what many believe is already poor pensions by the NFL for its former players.

Apparently there is internal correspondence from NFLPA officials that shows their notion to get less money for retired players.

This has been coming for a while. Many former players are furious at the Player's Association on a number of subjects. For any league that turns its back on its former players that helped bring the league to its current status (which is pretty good no matter what league is discussed) is just wrong. In a time when the NFL is dodging publicity nightmares as it is with its current players, this won't help the cause in public opinion.

If you're using the likenesses of the former players, they should be compensated for it - plain and simple. This is especially true when the current players get plenty of compensation for being in the same card sets or video games.   

So I was playing around in one of the Fantasy Football leagues I'm in (a bunch of old high school buddies), and one of them who admittedly has a talented roster, throws out LaDainian Tomlinson as possible trade bait. Now how many times have you seen that over the past three or four years?

I love this time of year because it's when fantasy players really start to get frustrated with their "stars" not performing at a high enough level. And being the consensus top pick in almost every draft I saw except one (and I watched dozens at the National Fantasy Football Conference in NYC where participants paid four figures to enter), Tomlinson was expected to bring more than four rushing touchdowns and just over 500 yards after seven weeks.   

So I traded Matt Forte for him - a rookie with the Bears who has put up slightly better numbers. I did so because I believe Tomlinson gets better as the season goes on - and he's getting healthy. Being able to grab a top pick from a disgruntled owner is part of the fun in fantasy, and I expect every league has a participant ready to dump a full-fledged star out of frustration or desperation. But the law of averages doesn't lie - these guys will get their numbers in the end.

Perhaps Peyton Manning is now available in your league. Anyone sick of Ryan Grant also running into a pile of nowhere (except last week, though his per-carry average still wasn't very good)? Now is the time to pounce on your fellow players and make some gains. 

I was checking out the latest episode of "Back on Topps" (www.backontopps.com) - comedy series that is based on fictional heirs to the Topps Co. While this show is getting away from anything actually related to the hobby, the name Steve Balboni did pop up in one of the episodes.

This reminds of some of the players I loved to make fun of growing up. Ron Kittle was another. I don't know, I just thought the name was funny. I also got a kick out of Chet Lemon, Dan Quisenberry, Mark Brouhard (the blowhard) and Mookie Wilson. Sometimes these are a lot funnier in a 10-year-old's mind.

Balboni also recalls some big boppers that quickly faded out. Kevin Maas comes to mind, as well. Dan Pasqua anyone? What about Kevin Reimer? I know this is like picking names out of the air, but these are names that stick with me, even the players didn't stick in the majors long.

Some day we might say the same of David Price, or Matt Garza. Arm injuries are omnipresent in pitchers. That's why we have to enjoy these players when they are performing well, so we can say we saw them when - no matter how short or far down the road that might be.

Anyone out there have some favorite "no-names" from the past that still roll around their memory banks?

Let's go Rays! Let's go Rays!

This team has captured my viewing attention. What great young talent. They can hit and pitch. While TV ratings might be down, this is exactly what baseball needs – any team can win any year.

Auctions
I was doing a little traveling online, checking out some of the upcoming auctions. There is some sweet stuff coming up for sale. Over at Game Used Universe, they are once again offering game-used jerseys in all different sports. Among the highlights are game-used jerseys of Cal Ripken Jr. (1988), Nolan Ryan (1980s Astros), Peyton Manning (2006 road) and many more.

And if you need to find any information on one of the pieces, just check out the Game Used Universe forums and ask questions. It's a nice little system.

Also, Ironclad Auctions is offering items from the last game played at Yankee Stadium. They offer game-used pieces from the final Brian Roberts (Orioles) at-bat. they also have items from Cal Ripken Jr., Eddie Murray and other stars.

And I read in a report over the weekend that Guernsey's auction of final Yankee Stadium artifacts didn't go over that well. Having not seen the results myself at this time, I can't say for sure. But the article mentioned how the economy was forcing people not to buy as much. That would be true, but the high reserves might also have something to do with it.  

   

I'm going to just come right out and ask because I really don't know the answer. With football games played in London and Mexico, basketball games in China and baseball games played in Mexico, Puerto Rico, etc., is there the same appeal for items like trading cards in those countries? And if not, why don't companies make a better effort to target their products there?

You couldn't sell the high-end items in some of these countries - there just wouldn't be the demand for it - but general trading cards of their "American" heroes would go over very well. Basketball players in particular are looked at like gods in Asia. Now imagine those same fans scrounging up basketball cards.

The one thing where I see this wouldn't work is there are only a handful of players that foreign countries (now a foreign concept since players in any professional sports now come from many different countries) would be interested in. I'm not sure a card of T.J. Ford will get the same response as a Tracy McGrady one.

But we are talking about millions of people - an untapped resource. Another hurdle, come to think of it, might be the Communist controls in China. I'm pretty sure they like to control what's offered to the masses. It's not a free market like we have here in the U.S.

I'd be interested in some of the programs either underway or on the way from manufacturers. It looks like I just gave myself a homework assignment.

In case anyone was wondering from last week's quick quiz answer on the Johnny Pesky item that sold for the most doing a week of sales on eBay. The highest-priced item was:

The 1952 Topps card graded PSA 7.

To see what the choices were, scroll further down.

I was doing a bit of traveling around the beautiful Wisconsin landscape this past weekend (the fall colors are amazing and it was actually warm, too). As I drove by schools, ball fields and open lots, I noticed the lack of any kids playing outdoors, whether it be throwing a football, hitting baseballs or shooting hoops in the driveway.

When I was growing up, the local baseball field always had people playing on it (even if it was just a dad throwing balls to his son), and now when I visit the town again, the field always seems to be empty. I live close to an elementary school, with plenty of neighborhood kids running around - and yet I rarely find a game being played on the expansive school grounds on the weekends (these fields are filled with soccer players in the summer months).

So if these kids aren't playing sports outside, what are they doing? Homework on a Saturday afternoon? I doubt it. Have video games taken up that much attention of kids? Are they all inside watching Texas take on Oklahoma?

And what does this mean for sports cards and other sports memorabilia? If kids aren't playing sports on a leisurely basis, do they care about them at all? And if they don't care about sports, surely they don't card about collecting sports memorabilia.

So where does that leave the future of the hobby? Is soccer going to be the "hit" thing in years to come because that's what sport seems to be growing the most? I would find that hard to believe, but those fields sure aren't filled with playing baseballs and footballs.

Each week in Sports Collectors Digest, Don Fluckinger - who also serves as the guru behind the massive Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards - offers a "Quick Quiz" in which he picks a player and then lists five different collectibles related to that player.

It's up to the reader to choose which item sold for the most on eBay. It's a fun quiz, and it's fun to see what nets the highest bid versus what you guess. Sometimes it's an autographed game-used jersey. Other times it's a parallel autograph card.

The latest installment asks this question:
 
Name the Johnny Pesky item that nailed the highest bid ($361) on eBay:

1.) 1947 Tip Top Bread card
2.) 2005 Topps Retired Certified Auto
3.) Signed Rawlings Big Stick bat
4.) 1952 Topps, Blank Back
5.) 1952 Topps, PSA 7

Well, what do you think? I'll have the answer for you on Monday. Happy sports watching this weekend.

While I am far too old to be trick or treating, I do enjoy handing out the goods at the door when the witching hour calls. And while I could devote this entire blog to kids lack of costume originality these days (if they dress up at all), I'll refrain.

What I also hand out aside from candy are sports cards to the kids. These are usually single cards (not whole packs), but kids don't seem to mind. I ask them what their favorite sport is and then their favorite player. If I have one, I'll give it to them, or I'll let them sift through and pick their own.

And all kinds of cards are popular. From racing cards to WNBA cards, they are all well received, and not once has someone complained I wasn't offering patch cards or autographed cards.  I do slip some of those in, and then the kids are really happy.

Most of the kids that come to the door are on the younger side (not above age 11), and I think it's great to expose them to the hobby. Now that I have been in the area for a few years, kids now come to the door expecting the cards  and a few (though not many) share what they have opened on their own.

So give this a try this Halloween. It's a lot more fun than tossing a Twix mini candy bar in the bag and off they go. With cards, now we'll have something to talk about when they ride their bikes around the neighborhood while I'm walking the dog.

As a member of a publication that caters to consumers, we get a lot of press releases from many different types of companies – manufacturers, dealers, auction houses, new product outlets and many others (and this doesn't even count the lovely spam e-mail that has infiltrated our system in the past few days).

But what astounds me on a frequent basis is just how poorly written some of these press releases are. I mean sometimes the names of the athletes mentioned aren't even spelled right. Now if you were representing someone or offering products based on a certain athlete's playing days, wouldn't you at least get that right? If something is spelled wrong in an athlete's name in the release, I take that to immediately mean that either this company doesn't know what they are doing and hence not that reputable, or they are way too careless – and that's something that will reflect in their business practices and/or products, as well.

And if you do want your products printed in a magazine, it's usually a good idea to know what the magazine actually publishes first. Tuff Stuff's Sports Collectors Monthly doesn't usually cover sports-themed bath toys or the latest batting tee that will make your youngster the next Albert Pujols. Some days it's almost like telemarketers calling here at work, only its college PR people peddling products.

And lastly, proper punctuation is usually a good thing. Missing commas, run-on sentences and the aforementioned misspelled words jump off the page immediately, again lending to a lack of credibility.

I'm not perfect in my grammar, but at least in everything that I write, I run spell-check and at least make sure I have a proper grasp on the english language. Sadly, most companies don't follow the same guidelines.

Having attended both of the Milwaukee Brewers home playoff games (hey, at least they got two games at home before bowing out), I was struck by the fandom displayed. I'll be honest, I've never been to a baseball game where I never sat down at some point. It was like high school football games all over again.

From the first pitch to the end, I was on my feet. even when the Brewers were down to their last out, down by four runs, the crowd was louder than ever with those inflatable Thundersticks. I though that was pretty cool.

But then there were some spots (like the three home runs hit by the Phillies) when one Phillies fan a few rows back was gong wild - rightly so. It would get quiet after the homers cleared the wall and this guy was the only person making noise in the entire section.

And what could you do? Nothing - heck I'd be doing the same thing (but probably not in Philly, I've heard those fans can get downright nasty). And no one gave him any grief back, which was appropriate.  I've been to far too many games when the home team is getting pelted and decide to turn on the opposing team's fans to vent their frustration. It runs to an ugly scene of gestures and foul language that no one should be subject to, much less the kids in attendance.

The worst, of course, at Miller Park is when the Cubs are in town. Fans go at it worse than the players on the field, and it makes for an uncomfortable atmosphere all the way around.

So I was pleased at the playoff games that Phillies fans didn't rub it in too much, that Brewers fans mostly saved their taunting to "Boos" and that I got to experience something for the first time ever in my Brewers fandom - the playoffs.

Until next time - hopefully not 26 years - I'll hope that fans at Miller Park continue in the same fashion as they did in the playoffs.

We go through a lot of boxes of cards here at Tuff Stuff's Sports Collectors Monthly. Hey, when you prices and picture these items on the Web, in magazines and in books, you have to have the inventory.

The main draws, of course, are rookie cards, autographs, parallels and those thick swatch/patch/memorabilia cards. I really like those patch cards, regardless of their value – great or (more likely) small. I think they are something unique and add to a collection of regular cards.

For instance, in the last few weeks as part of the Bustin' Wax blog (click on the link to the left), we've gotten patch cards featuring pieces of jerseys from Jim Brown, Alan Page, Steve Slaton, Mike Schmidt, Albert Pujols and many, many more. And the quad, six and eight-swatch cards from Upper Deck in the Ballpark Collection were tons of fun to open. How else can you get these pieces of jerseys with out buying one yourself. And I don't care if it's game-worn, event-worn or whatever - I like them.

But do these drawn in collectors? I think they draw in the younger and more novice collectors, but the values of these cards (which isn't all that much in the grand scheme of things) reflects that the big spenders don't bother with these. So what are the serious modern card guys going after? Autos and rookie parallels just don't seem as much fun to me.  

I've been grabbing Robin Yount patch cards here and there over time. Sure, some 1-of-5s have cost a little more, but the average patch card for him is less than $30 at the high end. And I think they look great displayed next to old yearbooks and such.

So if you enjoy patch cards, too, keep visiting the Tuff Stuff forums and this blog - we're giving ours away and I know people will enjoy seeing them. Details to come.