Baseball Cards

Topps Gets Exclusive Rights to Produce Babe Ruth Trading Cards!

ikonono — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:54:00 GMT

New York, Aug. 4, 2008 (Topps.com) – The Topps Company and CMG Worldwide (CMG), have signed an agreement giving Topps exclusive rights to produce the trading cards of Major League Baseball’s greatest legend, Babe Ruth. The exclusive Babe Ruth cards were unveiled last week in packs of 2008 Topps Allen & Ginter and will be found in the remainder of Topps’ 2008 and 2009 baseball products. The products will feature an array of insert cards, autographed cards and game-used memorabilia cards.

As Yankee Stadium, the House that Babe Built, nears the end of its final season, there is no better time to complete your collections or add some new Babe Ruth memorabilia. In addition, the value of your current Babe Ruth cards and memorabilia is sure to increase as this new line-up hits the shelves.

To read the full press release from Topps.com, click here.

Looking for posters from the 1980s

GirlFan1980s — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 08:16:00 GMT

Hi,

Can anyone tel me where I can find/buy/trade basketball posters from the 1980s, such as the ICEMAN, the shortest guy toever slam dunk...spud someone, and the Sprts Jamz poster from the late 70's/early 80's featuring Larry Bird as a really young guy...Any help is appreciated.

Revco Cards

eskimolover — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 23:14:00 GMT

I have a collection of the old revco cards, where none of the cards have team emblems. are these rare? I can't find anyone else that knows what i'm talking about.

Dewey Defeats Truman 2008: This Time On A Baseball Card

BeanBone — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 14:32:00 GMT

As part of its Series II 2008 update Upper Deck included a sub-set called Presidential Predictors featuring this year's candidates for the oval office. As we've seen in past blogs on iTaggit, this kind of presidential crossover is becoming more and more common in baseball card releases. Recent examples include the Topps 2007 "misprint" Jeter card featuring our current president, Washington's nosehair in the 2007 Allen & Ginter set, Jefferson's signature from Upper Deck and the "First-Pitch" cards in the UD Masterpieces release this year (see the Clinton card in my collection). Maybe we should have a whole presidential cards category on iTaggit if this keeps up.

Anyway, since the Democratic Primaries came down to the wire this cycle, UD had to produce a design depicting both Obama and Clinton winning the nomination so they could be ready for either event. What went wrong is that some of the Clinton Edges Obama cards have seeped out into the market. So, you tell me: accident or planned publicity stunt? Either way, the UD artists really need to go back to painting class...

Full story at The Orlando Sentinel.

Baseball Cards: Garage Sale Finds

Expert Eric — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:35:00 GMT

Check out this video by Expert Village. It’s perfect for all you novice baseball card collectors wondering where to start. It provides some information on how to identify your baseball cards as well as what type of cards to look for. This is just one of many card collecting videos by Expert Village that you can watch. And remember, once you find the right baseball cards make sure to add them to iTaggit.

BOWMANS BEST

babemercedes — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 19:55:00 GMT

I HAVE A 2007 BOMANS BEST ALEX RODRIGUEZ...IN BECKETT ONLINE THERE IS 2 LISTINGS 23A 23B.....23B SAYS AU A AFTER IT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN AND IF THATS MY CARD ITS WORTH 187.50...PLEASE HELP ME EMAIL ME AT babemercedes@yahoo.com

Price guide

fireman30 — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 03:53:00 GMT

I have a bunch of sports cards is there a web site for a price guide.

Upper Deck’s Huge New Sports Card Memorabilia Release

ummmjamiesha — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 21:18:00 GMT

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

ummmjamiesha — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:07:00 GMT

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.

America's Pastime

ummmjamiesha — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:38:00 GMT

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.

PSA Moving to Half-Grades

BeanBone — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:49:00 GMT

One of the leaders in the sports card grading industry, Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA), announced yesterday it would be moving away from its original 10 point grading system to a new 18 point scale. The new system will take effect February 1st and draws comparison to both Sportscard Guaranty's (SGC) and Beckett Grading Service's (BGS) systems. Grades will now be distributed over one through ten, with each having a half-grade (except 9). This has been received as a major bomb-shell and reason for panic by some in the sports card collecting community.

PSA's reasoning for implementing this new system is to reduce the gap in pricing between grades that exists in the market. Often times, thousands of dollars in value separate 8s, 9s, & 10s when it comes to high-end and vintage cards. PSA sees half-grades as a necessity for the maturity of the sports card market.

However, many collectors are wary of the new system, fearing chaos in the market. The concept of a "high-end" and "low-end" cards within a grade has existed since grading became popular. Customers are worried that their existing "high-end" cards will take a tumble in value unless they re-submit the card to PSA for reevaluation. Another concern some collectors have is that the already cut-throat set registry world will become even more competitive. One bright for many is that the "Poor" and "Fair" grades will finally be separated.

In the hours following the announcement, many PSA customers have posted possible solutions to their concerns online. One solution that has been suggested is an altered flip (label) design to denote cards graded after the switch to the new system, something PSA has done before. Another popular solution is that cards graded at round numbers in the future be denoted with a "point zero" (e.g. 8.0) to make clear which cards were graded before the change. It remains to be seen if PSA is considering any of these options.

The true fallout from this decision is yet to be seen, but it has become clear this will be viewed as a watershed moment in PSA's history.

The Future Of Baseball

kborg1 — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:08:00 GMT

I found this feel-good article about what the future has in store for America's Favorite Pastime:

One 1987 Topps Card is the only thing we could find with Roger Clemens name on it at the Baseball Card and Sports Memorabilia Show at John A. Logan College.
Part of that has to do with the fact that we're in Cardinal and Cubs country here in the Heartland. The other has to do with the recent Mitchell Report, suggesting Clemens and others may have used performance enhancing drugs.
"It's had an impact on cards of players named," said Dan Fox, of Fox Sports and Collectibles in Marion. "Clemens cards don't sell for what they used to. Bonds is also down in value."
In fact, dealer Bruce Marsan says that '87 Clemens card is only worth $1.50.
Overall, cards of players who have been implicated are down 30 to 50 percent, dealers estimate. But, Fox says it's hard to tell how long that will last.
"I think the steroid thing is a blip on the radar," said Fox. "Sure, Bonds hit homeruns on steroids, possibly. But, how many pitchers was he batting against that were also using."
Still fans and dealers at the convention say it's good to see all the youth who are interested in trading baseball cards. They say it gives every indication the future of baseball is bright.
For more of the original article, click here.

Baseball Card Market Should Survive Mitchell Report

kborg1 — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:42:00 GMT

I found this article about the Mitchell report's affect on baseball cards very interesting:

When experts weighed in with their thoughts on the effect of the Mitchell report on the hobby, cards really weren’t part of the equation. Kevin Haake, editor of Beckett’s monthly baseball card price guide, fills that void. Like everyone else, he agreed that like memorabilia, Barry Bonds' baseball card's value wouldn’t be affected, because they already had taken the hit from all his previous woes, including the perjury indictment.

“Roger Clemens collectibles have taken a hit since the report was made public. Clemens has always had the benefit of playing for two of the most popular and widely collected teams in his career — Boston and N.Y. — but even that rabid fan base hasn’t been able to stop some of the initial bleeding that is taking place on his more widely sought-after RCs. Right now, the short term outlook for Clemens’ collectibles is that they will likely be accompanied by down arrows for a few months until the initial rush to judgment levels off. “The fact that many of the Mitchell report were common players will prove to be beneficial to for the hobby long-term. Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte are primarily considered ‘commons’ in the hobby despite their career accolades. Being named in the Mitchell Report certainly won’t help their popularity among the player collectors who are the most active hobbyists pursuing their cards.”
What are your thoughts?

Will The Mitchell Report Affect Baseball Card Value?

kborg1 — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 17:16:00 GMT

The Mitchell Report has sparked a lot of controversy and debate among MLB fans, but it remains to be seen how it will affect your baseball cards' value. The value of collectibles in the past has reflected controversy surrounding them, and this report brings the steroid controversy into primetime for open public scrutiny. I encourage you, as a collector, to manage a collection on iTaggit for the cards of those implicated to view how the value reacts. If you happen to have some cards of those in the Mitchell Report, let us know by linking to this blog at the bottom and allow us to observe with you.

If you are curious about which players' cards you have that might be implicated, here is the list of the accused:

Armando Rios
Marvin Bernard
Barry Bonds
Bobby Estalella
Jason Giambi
Jeremy Giambi
Benito Santiago
Gary Sheffield
Randy Velarde
Lenny Dykstra
David Segui
Larry Bigbie
Brian Roberts
Jack Cust
Tim Laker
Josias Manzanillo
Todd Hundley
Mark Carreon
Hal Morris
Matt Franco
Rondell White
Roger Clemens
Andy Pettitte
Chuck Knobloch
Jason Grimsley
Gregg Zaun
David Justice
F.P. Santangelo
Glenallen Hill
Mo Vaughn
Denny Neagle
Ron Villone
Ryan Franklin
Chris Donnels
Todd Williams
Phil Hiatt
Todd Pratt
Kevin Young
Mike Lansing
Cody McKay
Kent Mercker
Adam Piatt
Miguel Tejada
Jason Christiansen
Mike Stanton
Stephen Randolph
Jerry Hairston Jr.
Paul LoDuca
Adam Riggs
Bart Miadich
Fernando Vina
Kevin Brown
Eric Gagne
Mike Bell
Matt Herges
Gary Bennett Jr.
Jim Parque
Brendan Donnelly
Chad Allen
Jeff Williams
Howie Clark
Exavier "Nook" Logan
Mike Judd
Ricky Stone
Derrick Turnbow
Wally Joyner
Rafael Palmeiro
Paxton Crawford
Ryan Jorgensen
Ricky Bones
Ken Caminiti
Rick Ankiel
David Bell
Paul Byrd
Jose Canseco
Jay Gibbons
Troy Glaus
Jose Guillen
Darren Holmes
Gary Matthews Jr.
John Rocker
Scott Schoenweis
Ismael Valdez
Matt Williams
Steve Woodard
Dan Naulty

Baseball Memorabilia Showcased In Our Own Gallery

kborg1 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 17:38:00 GMT

Check out some of the great baseball memorabilia I found in the iTaggit gallery:

iTaggit user kihm8787 has an amazing collection of baseball memorabilia in the community collection. Within the collection are a Limited Edition Ted Williams 50th Anniversary Autographed Plaque, Hank Aaron Autographed Baseball with Certificate of Authenticity, Rod Carew Autographed Baseball with "HOF 91'" Inscription (pictured left), Lou Brock Autographed Baseball with "SB 938" Inscription, all of which can be considered almost antiques these days.

iTaggit user comic_relief added a baseball cards collectors box with over 500 cards in it!!! (pictured right) In the description, the contents consist of over 500 baseball cards from different manufacturers and years, including one original card from the 1950's, two original cards from the 1960's and five original cards from the 1970's. Other interesting cards I've found include Wheezy's autographed Bobby Doerr Baseball Card and itaggitfather's 2003 Upper Deck Sammy Sosa Limited Edition Baseball Card, which is in it's own display case. Lastly, one of the most impressive collections I have found across the board would be the_baseball_guru's The Topps Baseball Cards Complete Set from years 1986-1989, consisting of approximately 3,168 cards collectively.

I love finding new stuff in the iTaggit Gallery on a daily basis, and I hope you do to. If you find something that you feel needs to be shared, blog about it!