April Fools Sports Card Memorabilia Collectors

Apparently huge sports card memorabilia companies like Topps, aren’t above April Fools Day trickery. Today they announced that the widely questioned Kazuo Uzuki “Future Stars” card was a hoax. You can almost hear the “I told you so’s” on message boards across the country.

With all the new Japanese players in baseball these days it was hard to tell if “The Uzi” was real or not. His card said he was going to be the first Japan-based high-school student to go right into the major league here in America. Topps says it created the card to generate excitement for the upcoming 2008 season.

Collectors might be wondering how this little stunt will affect the baseball cards worth. It could really go either way. The card is limited to one in every seventy-two packs, so already it is probably considered a short-print card. That and the added buzz that was created by the joke might raise prices on the card’s online auctions.

Collectibles prices all boil down to supply and demand. If most collectors think the joke was funny and want to add the interesting card to their collections the demand for it will be high, if they decide they don’t want a rookie card of a person who never existed the demand will be low. It really depends on how they value things. My personal prediction is that the demand for this card is going to be high. I’d want it for my collection.

All in all, I think it was a pretty good prank. For those of you who don’t value baseball cards, don’t worry! There are April Fools Day jokes for you too. Check out this video I found of a classic April Fools Day prank.

Presidential Sports Card Memorabilia

If you are a regular reader you’ll probably notice that this isn’t my first blog about mixing politics and sports card memorabilia, but this one is for the history buffs out there. Upper deck is now releasing “Signs of History.” The set features Presidential autographs from Washington to George W. Bush and a few First Ladies as well.

Apparently the set works on an exchange system. It wasn’t explained in detail but my guess is that you get a card in a pack, mail it in and then receive a Presidential autograph card in the mail. The only catch is that you won’t know which signature you are getting until you have it. I can’t imagine how frustrating that will be for people who want to build a set.

These kinds of systems are becoming more and more common. Baseball cards worth depends on how available they are, so these cards are going to be expensive when they finally hit the auction sites. If you value baseball cards more than politics you might want to skip this set. Who knows though, you might be the lucky guy or gal who ends up with the quad card featuring all of the signatures of the Presidents on Mount Rushmore. If you are planning on searching for these cards let me know. Happy hunting!

By Jamie.

Suspect Arrested in Sports Card Memorabilia Burglary

Apparently collectors aren’t the only people who value baseball cards, thieves do too. In Orange Park, Florida a man was arrested on suspicion of stealing baseball cards worth $100,000. Police found the cards stolen from Dan’s Sports Cards in the Suspect’s apartment. Police had pulled him over before the burglary occurred and noticed that he was acting suspiciously, later when they heard about the incident they tracked down his apartment using a vehicle description and found the cards.

It is so lucky that those cops remembered the suspicious man and then followed it through. One of the cards stolen was a Mickey Mantle card worth $30,000. Cards like that are hard to replace to say the least, I’m sure the owner of Dan’s Sports Cards is happy that he got it back.

Fortunately for all of us fans, sports card memorabilia theft is pretty rare. It isn’t a wise move to steal something that is so easily traceable. Any card that is worth money is rare enough to be noticed when it sells, and most valuable cards are PSA rated which makes them even more traceable due to serial numbers. If you have a valuable card be like iTaggit user Been_around_the_world and get it graded, not only will it preserve it’s value, but it will make it impossible for thieves to easily sell.

By Jamie.

Bye Bye Brett

Unless you live under a rock, I’m sure you know that Brett Favre announced his retirement this past Tuesday. I know this is sad and shocking news for most football fans, unless of course you love the Vikings. After seventeen season’s, not seeing him on the field is going to take some getting used to, but don’t despair. We can still celebrate Favre’s amazing career, even if he is no longer playing the game by collecting his sports card memorabilia.

Sure when you think of sports cards, baseball is the first thing that comes to mind, but sports fans don’t only value baseball cards, there is a huge demand for football cards as well. When a legendary player retires, both football and baseball cards worth can go through the roof. Some fans out there have already started collections of Brett Favre memorabilia, like iTaggit users IndieRichard and Sportsmem.

Show the world you still love Brett, by getting a few items for yourself. If you already have an awesome item tell me about it and check out this tribute to Brett Favre.



By Jamie.

Upper Deck's Huge New Sports Card Memorabilia Release

If you value baseball cards, you are going to love this! Upper Deck is releasing the largest set of sports card memorabilia ever. The set is called “The Yankee Stadium Legacy” and each card will depict a game played in Yankee Stadium as well as memorable players and events. Since Yankee Stadium is hosting its last regular season in 2009, there is no better time to honor it’s role in baseball.

If you are thinking about collecting the entire set, be warned. Cards will be inserted in several different Upper Deck products. Only a very determined and lucky collector will be able to get their hands on every card. Sets that are hard to put together are a gift and a curse to collectors. You’ll pull your hair out trying to get the card you need, but the card you have doubles of could be the one another collector is looking for. You never know what your baseball cards worth could be. The only reasonable way to collect this entire set is to go online and browse items for sale or trade. It is a waiting game, but in the end you might have the set you’ve been dreaming of.

I know all about this struggle, my Fiance is always online searching for cards to complete his sets, one card he’s really had a hard time finding is a Lance Berkman 2007 Bowman Heritage card with a certain color boarder and a serial number. I doubt he is the only one. What cards are you searching for out there?

By Jamie.

PSA Graded Baseball Card Collection

I was browsing on iTaggit today and I found a cool collection of sports card memorabilia I thought you might enjoy checking out. User Beanbone has a collection of about 20 baseball cards worth over $150.00. The cards range in price from around $5.00 to $40.00, and feature baseball legends like Kirby Puckett, Craig Biggio and Lance Berkman.

The collection also features more controversial cards including a Roger Clemens card. All the problems Clemens has recently landed himself in could hurt the value baseball cards featuring him hold. I’d probably be looking to unload that card while I still could. Only time will tell though, it might be wise to hold on to cards featuring players effected by the Mitchell Report. If controversy doesn’t kill value, it boosts it. Just look at the Bill Ripken FF error card. I’m sure when that card first came out, people weren’t running out to buy it, now it is one of the most valuable cards in Beanbone’s collection.

So many different kinds of collectors focus solely on errors. Does anyone know of any other interesting error collectibles out there? Let me know!

By Jamie.

Valentine's Day Gift Panic?

If you haven't found that perfect Valentine's Day gift for your sweetie, don't worry there is still time! I know we've all gotten a gift that looks like the person picked it up on the way home. It is the thought that counts but sometimes you just
can't imagine what they were thinking. Waiting until the last minute doesn't have to mean a bad gift. If you don't know where to begin, try thinking outside the box this year, instead of candy, flowers or dinner check out the ideas I've compiled for you.
For Him:

• If your man is messy why not hire someone to clean his apartment? Coming home to a fresh clean home will be just what he needs to focus on a romantic evening for the two of you. If he is pretty clean on his own maybe he just needs someone to organize collections that he hasn't had time to focus on. I know my fiance has a collection of baseball cards that really needs to be organized and displayed properly. He'd love it if I took care of that for him.
• Maybe your guy's passion is comic books. If he already has an extensive collection of graphic novels, you can look into finding out the worthof comics he owns through comic book appraisals. If he doesn't have a collection, find out which books or characters he loved the most growing up, and start one for him. Check the Marvel Comics website for popular titles.
• If your boyfriend loves working with his hands, look in to getting him a tool set. It is the perfect gift to help him complete all of his projects. If you can't fit an entire set into your budget, get him a single high quality tool and get it engraved with his initials. For future holidays, you can buy him additional tools and eventually he'll have a high quality personalized set. This one works out for you too since he might become Mr. Handyman.
• For the sports nut in your life, why not try sports card memorabilia? Every sport has a set of cards these days, so it won't be hard to find something he'll love. Budget won't be a problem on this gift, you can easily find baseball cards worth hundreds, or if that is too pricey you can find cards for less than a dollar. Maybe your boyfriend doesn't really value baseball cards, don't worry! There are tons of other kinds of sports memorabilia out there. An autographed jersey or maybe even just a shirt with his favorite team's logo would make him happy and sports stuff is just so easy to find.

For Her:

• If your girlfriend is the sentimental type, why not find out what her favorite childhood toy was and buy it for her. A vintage toy is a sweet way to show her how well you know her. They are easy to find in antique stores and on the web. When I was a little girl, I had a my little pony named Ember. It would melt my heart if a guy bought that for me.
• If you are on a tight budget a sweet and inexpensive gift is a photo collage of the two of you. You can print the photos yourself and put them in a discount frame, or if you have the means, you can have it put together at a frame shop or by a local artist. Either way, your lady will be impressed by your thoughtful gift!
• Jewelry is usually a safe bet for Valentine's day, but it doesn't have to be brand new or cost two months salary for your girl to love it. Interesting and beautiful jewelry can be found easily in antique stores. Don't be afraid that the antiques prices will be too high, jewelry from several eras can be found at inexpensive prices. Some of the most fashionable periods right now are Edwardian, Art Deco and Art Nouveau.
• A gift that would be perfect for any lady in your life is an outing with you. Personalize the trip to her interests. If she likes drama, buy two tickets to a play. If music is her thing, why not a concert? If she loves animals take her to the zoo, just get creative and think of a place where the two of you can spend time together doing something fun and interesting. There is no greater gift than time with someone you love!

Hopefully this list has given you some ideas for treating your loved one this holiday. You don't have to roam the aisles full of candy boxes and singing stuffed animals, find something he or she can really treasure forever! They'll never know you waited until the last minute if you put real thought into your gift.

That is my take on great Valentine's day gifts, but I could be wrong about all of this. Maybe diamonds really are a girls best friend. Maybe a giant teddy bear balloon is what you were dreaming of. Let me know if I'm a genius, or if my ideas are crazy. I'd also love to hear the best and worst gifts given to you by your sweetie.

America's Pastime

If you value baseball cards and love politics then 2008 Topps has the collectible item for you. They’ve decided to include twelve Presidential Candidate cards in their regular baseball card line. Six Democrats and six Republicans have been selected.

Front runners, Obama, Clinton and McCain are sure to be the most sought after cards, but unfortunately for collectors the candidate set will not be sold separately. One card will be available in every ninth pack of twelve cards, so if you’re looking to build a set you might want to check the web.

This isn’t your usual sports card memorabilia, but that doesn’t make it any less collectible. This year is a historically notable election year, with candidates including an African American and a Female.

Some of the cards feature candidates that have already dropped out of the race but don’t worry, who knows what these candidates will go on to do in the future! Al Gore lost his race for President, but now he’s a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Imagine what his baseball cards worth would be.

Super Bowl XLII’s Giant Upset

This years’ Super Bowl was fated to go down in history books no matter the outcome. Had the Patriots won, they would have achieved a perfect season, only the second in NFL history. To their dismay history has been written another way. The New York Giants achieved one of the most significant upsets in sporting history when they beat the Patriots with a score of 17-14.

Interestingly, this was the most watched Super Bowl ever with over 97 million viewers, and the second-most-watched TV show in the U.S. second only to the 1983 M*A*S*H series finale.

Football memorabilia collectors should be on the lookout for Super Bowl XLII memorabilia, Giants memorabilia, and Eli Manning memorabilia right now because items tied to this historic game are likely to hold their value for many years to come. Since he was named the Super Bowl MVP, items Eli autographed will be particularly sought after.

Tom Brady Ready for the Super Bowl

Despite speculation due to an ankle sprain, Tom Brady says he is ready for the Super Bowl this Sunday. A win for the New England Patriots would mean the second 100% undefeated season in the history of the NFL. Few men are as qualified to take them there as quarterback, Tom Brady.

Brady has won three Super Bowls, and two Super Bowl MVP awards. He holds the record for most touchdowns passes in a single regular season and was awarded Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the year in 2005.

If you are a Tom Brady fan there is no time better than now to start collecting 2007 Patriots memorabilia. Patriots gear, cards, and photos are some of the hottest items in sports memorabilia right now. You can find items in stores, and on the web. A huge trophy for anyone’s collection would be a 2007 Patriots autograph. iTaggit user Wheezy is lucky enough to own a Autographed Tom Brady Rookie Card.
Don’t forget, if the Patriots win this Sunday the value of your collection could skyrocket. Time is almost up, now is a great time to add to your collection!

Jackie Robinson’s Sports Memorabilia Sold at Auction

Hall of Famer, Jackie Robinson’s jersey recently sold at a Grey Flannel Auction in New York for $341,779. The game-used Brooklyn Dodgers home jersey had the number “42” on the back and Robinson’s name inside the collar.

Robinson broke major league baseball’s color barrier in 1947, and went on to play on six World Series teams making him one of the most famous baseball players ever. If $342,779 is outside of your sports memorabilia budget don’t fear, there are plenty of affordable Jackie Robinson collectibles to be had.

One of the most common collectibles is baseball cards. While Jackie’s rookie card might be hard to track down, it is easy to find vintage cards. A 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson baseball card worth almost $3000 can be found with a simple google search and it only gets easier as the cards get newer. iTaggit user Beanbone has a Jackie Robinson baseball card released in 2007.

Sports memorabilia prices can be confusing so if you have questions just remember that iTaggit can help you value baseball cards and any items you have.

2008 Topps Heritage Releasing Soon

Looking old is the hot new trend in baseball cards and Topps new Heritage set fits the bill. The set features 400 Major League Baseball stars on classic 1959 Topps Baseball designs. Topps has been bringing America wonderful sports memorabilia for over half a century and they aren’t going to let us down now.

Not only do the cards feature old designs, some cards feature Baseball’s Legends. One of the cards is a 1959 cut signature Mickey Mantle card. This baseball cards worth is easily in the thousands.

If you value baseball cards, be sure to check out Topps Heritage when it is released next month.