It’s Official…Topps Baseball in a League of it’s Own

 

Last Fall, Topps became the official manufacturer of Major League Baseball trading cards. It has been several decades since Topps was the official manufacturer for MLB. When I was a kid, there were several different brands of cards’ to choose from. Fleer, Donruss, and Upper Deck all competed with each other. The Upper Deck brand always cost the most money. Each package was wrapped in silver foil which made the packs tamper-proof.

Today, Topps no longer has to deal with competition from other manufacturers. Additionally, the package design has changed over the years. This is clearly a busy and exciting time for Topps. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Clay Luraschi of Topps about their exclusive MLB deal and the Million dollar giveaway promotion with Cal Ripken, Jr.

You are the exclusive baseball card manufacturer for MLB, is this monopoly good for fans and the baseball card dealers’?

MLB felt that the best way to get rid of the clutter and simplify the message to baseball fans and collectors was to go exclusive with one manufacturer.  There were too many products on the shelf and it was becoming difficult for consumers, especially kids, to understand trading cards.  In the long term it will benefit all, because we can get back to a more common language of collecting trading cards and the stores will see new collectors because of the hobby’s back to basics mentality.

Congratulations on your million dollar giveaway promotion with Ripken, Jr.   How did this idea come about and what can we expect in 2010 regarding this venture?

We really wanted to start off our new partnership with MLB with a bang, so we sat and brainstormed different dynamic promotions.　 We came up with The Million Card Giveaway.  It celebrates the game of baseball, Topps and the love of baseball cards.　

How much was spent in purchasing these baseball cards? What are the years of the cards that will be part of the promotion?　

A lot of money.  The promotion features every Topps baseball card since 1952, so that’s 38,000 different cards.  We purchased 1 million of these cards.

Many card collections’ were thrown out in the garbage by our mothers.’ The million dollar giveaway is a chance to buy back those cards from several decades past.

　
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle rookie card.  There are at least 3 of these included in the MillionDollar Promotion

Spring Training is now underway in Florida & Arizona.  Spring Training is a great place to relax and take in the game of baseball.  Taking some time off work to attend a spring baseball practice or game is a great stress reliever.  Take the kids, if possible. 

I frequently get asked how accessible the players' are during spring ball.  In general, most players' are excited to be back on the field and dust away those winter coats.  They are excited for the new season and the opportunities that lie ahead.  Therefore, many players are excited to see their fans and interact with them.    This might be your best chance to meet the potential Rookie of the Year.  Many rookies love the step up to the big leagues which is completely different than Triple A ball.  All fans should attend the practices/games with assorted merchandise to be signed.  Baseballs, scorecards, mini-helmets (see photo below).  

Baseball players' are not stupid and can sniff out the difference between a memorabilia dealer and a true fan.  Many memorabilia dealers' also attend spring ball to try and get their memorabilia autographed, and then quickly flip the items.  This has been going on for many years.  If you are bald, do not even try for an autograph.  If you are wearing a backpack (probably filled with several items) tread carefully.  If you are a young girl wearing a visor and a jersey (see below), you will be happy.  If you are an older female showing some cleavage, shove everybody to the side and walk straight to the front of the line.  Today is your lucky day.

Photo courtesy of Dave Brown with BigLeagueStew.  Follow him on Twitter @answerdave

According to Webster's Dictionary, "common" is something that is occuring or appearing frequently.  This is exactly what common cards can be classified as.  There are very few all star players or Hall of Fame athletes.  The majority of athletes that play sports at a professional level are not all-star caliber.  You see the same people in the all-star game year after year.  Each team has a few all-star players while the rest of the team is virtually faceless.  These "nobodys" are called common cards.   

Every player has a card produced by the baseball card manufacturers.  Generally, the bigger the name, the more money the card is worth.  As I have talked about in previous blog entries, condition is also very important.  I have seen common cards in perfect condition sell for more than all-star players' cards.  This happens when card enthusiasts are in the midst of completing an entire set and they are missing only a few cards.  If they have been looking for those few cards for months' or even years', they will overpay for that common card in mint condition. 

Card enthusiasts are always looking to "upgrade" their collection.  This usually happens when the wife is not looking over their shoulder.  Everybody dreams of having a complete set in mint condition.  This dream is usually not attainable for 2 reasons.  Firstly, it takes a ton of money to purchase a mint set.  Some sets from the 1960's have upwards of 600 cards.  Secondly, it is impossible to find some sets in mint condition. For example, the tobacco cards from 1909-1911 are very seldom found in high grade.  These cards date back 100 years and are tough to find in any condition. 

Common card or not, holding a card in your hand from several decades past never gets old.

I have been collecting baseball cards since I was a teenager.  I have attended the major industry trade shows and talked with countless collectors' and dealers over the years.  The sports memorabilia industry constitutes a vast array of items to collect.  Autographs, cards, pennants, baseball bats (game used and store model), game worn items, jerseys, bobbleheads, advertising,etc.  You get the point.  There is a lot to collect.  Most of us focus on one area of collecting.  For example, I collect vintage baseball cards, but I do have some autographs thrown into the mix.  Most of the autographs I obtained in person over the years.  When I was a teenager, I was able to meet Walter Payton at his office.  It is an experience never to be forgotten.  I brought a football along with me, hoping he would be nice enough to sign it.  I remember how nervous I was when I asked him to sign it for me.  He took out his gold pen and signed the football for me.  He also signed a few 8x10 autographs.  Over the years, I have been able to meet several other Hall of Fame athletes and each meeting is special.  The point I am trying to make is that we all focus our time, energy, money on a single aspect of collecting, but since we are human, we do astray.

I would like to hear from you.  What do you collect and what is your guilty pleasure? 

How Do I Differentiate Myself from the Dealers?

I hate the word dealer.  Dealer's are mean people who like to rip off people and don't care about you or your collection.  You are just a number to them and they make you a lowball offer.  If they buy your collection or don't buy it, they move on with their life.

I am a collector.  I have happy customers.  In fact, they are so happy that they work for me.  They try and find me other collections that they know I will enjoy.  I return all emails within 24 hours.  In fact, most are returned within 12 hours, if not sooner.  Try me to see if I am lying.  I take time to learn about the collection, its history, etc.  It is important for me to find out the provenance of the collection so I can keep the stories alive.  When my friends view my collection, they are amazed at the stories that come with the collection.  How the collection was obtained, where i found it, etc. 

I also look at every single card.  Most dealers' just look at the "key" cards in the set.  For example, I recently purchased a 1951 Bowman baseball set.  I looked at every card, not just the Mantle and Mays rookie cards.   I am not interested in a quick flip of the collection.  Therefore, I need to look at each card invididually and assess the condition.

I am almost 30 years old and have been collecting since I was a teen.   I enjoy buying collections that come with a story attached.  I am not a 55 year old bald man in sweats. 

I actually answer my phone.  If i don't, I REALLY am on the other line and WILL call you back.  I treat every collection the same, regardless of value or sport.

I purchase cards in EVERY condition.  I purchase beat up cards and perfectly mint cards.  It doesn't matter to me.  I'm a collector and I enjoy the mass quantity of cards.

Many sellers' that contact me are unsure of what they have.  It is my job to educate them.  Have you seen Antiques Roadshow?  I educate the seller on the collection and value.  I also provide recommendations as to how an item should be stored.  Maybe that vintage baseball card should not be in the large screw down holder.  Maybe it should be in a card saver sleeve instead?

Most importantly, If i do not know an answer to your question(s), i will tell you that I do not know.  Then I will find out the answer.  I don't like BS.

I was once asked, why do you have a ruler with you?  Are you in the first grade?  Well, I thought I was done with rulers a very long time ago.  I have nothing to measure, and I don’t draw straight lines.  Truth be told, never trust anybody.  I get phone calls, emails all the time with baseball card collections.  Most of the time, the collection is not worth anything.  Virtually nothing manufactured after 1975 is worth anything.  Of course you might have key rookie cards of great players’, but that might be it.  My focus is Pre-1975 and earlier.  When I think a collection might be interesting, I schedule an appointment to view it.  Buying baseball cards is something that can really only be done in person.  Everybody thinks that there cards are in perfect shape and are worth a small fortune.  Everybody thinks the same about their house.  In reality, the collection is worth what somebody will be it for.  This is what makes a market.  Sometimes I wonder how people value their collection.  Regardless, I am the expert and I know what the collection is worth.  Before I bid on a collection, I must measure the cards with a ruler to make sure nothing has been altered.  Many cards over the years have been trimmed to help the appearance of the card.  Trimming cards will give them sharp corners.  Trimming was commonplace several decades ago.  Many attic collections have some great cards, but they have been trimmed, leaving the cards virtually worthless. 

The obvious question to the above question is simply who knows.  The not knowing is what excites me.  I might get a call about some 1960's singles, and I show up to find some tobacco cards well.  Regardless, more and more comes out of the woodwork every week.  I love picking up my phone and talking to a potential lead.  Many times the person on the other end of the phone doesn't know what they have so I have to ask the correct questions to figure out what their collection could be worth.
 
I really enjoy the stories that come with collections.  I am a collector and not a dealer.  Therefore, it is important for me to learn about the provenance of the collection and why it is being sold.  I need to make sure I carry on these stories. 

There is still a ton of stuff still out there.  When the time is right, it gets unveiled to the public.  Until then, Happy Hunting.

How could a basketball card sell for $200,000? 

 
George Mikan

Everybody has heard of the famous Honus Wagner tobacco card.  Nobody has heard of the 1948 George Mikan basketball card!  The Mikan card is the “holy grail” of basketball cards.  The 1948 Bowman set was the first basketball set produced.  Furthermore, every card was no longer black and white.  It was also the only basketball set ever produced by Bowman  Listed below are the reasons why the Mikan card sold for over $200,000.

1.  This card is Mikan’s rookie card
2.  The card is in perfect condition and the only one to be graded as perfect.  No other peeres.
3..  This card was recently nominated for the much coveted honor of , “Top 20 sports trading cards ever produced.” 
4.  Mikan is a Hall of Fame player and collectors’ generally pay more for this honor.
5.  The 1948 was issued in two different 36 card series.  The George Mikan card is from the much rarer 2nd series.  Regardless, all cards in high grade are scarce.

What would you do if you had $200,000 in disposable income?  Would you spend it on a card?  Post a comment!

The market for vintage baseball cards fluctuates just as the stock market does.  There are bull markets and bear markets.  Generally, the market ticks higher for vintage sports collectibles because of supply and demand constraints.

 Let’s tackle the supply issue first.  Vintage baseball cards, bats, jerseys, etc are no longer being manufactured so you have a supply that is fixed. 
However, let’s say that I go into an attic tomorrow and find 5 Honus Wagner T-206 cards!  There is plenty of demand to go around since the Wagner card is what collector’s dream of owning and the bidding would be highly spirited for the card.  Due to the influx of 5 Wagner cards, the Wagner cards might not realize the same amount as they did last year or the year before.  There is more supply, and demand remains the same.  There are only a few people who have enough capital to purchase a Wagner card. 

Supply is a tricky topic to tackle.  There are professional grading services that grade/slab the cards.  When this happens they are in “protective custody” which means that the card can not be damaged.  It also levels the playing field.  If I get a card back in the mail and it is graded a 5, everybody knows what a 5 looks like.  The grading companies have an extensive database that keeps track of every card graded.  Therefore, I know exactly how many Mickey Mantle rookie cards have been graded.  There is one caveat.  Sometimes collectors’ send cards from one grading company to another, hoping to achieve a higher “grade.”  When this happens, the card holder is opened up and placed in a new holder.  Therefore, the same card shows up in both grading companies database, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONLY ONE CARD!  Therefore, nobody really knows the accurate count.  Furthermore, there are unknown collections sitting in attics’, waiting for me to unearth them.

The demand for vintage sports collectibles is very large, especially for baseball.  Many of us remember the summers when we were young.  We would go to the baseball park with our family.  Owning a vintage sports collectible reminds us of the good old days when we were young.  No responsibilities, no job, no mortgage, etc.  The New York Yankees, New York Yankees, and the Chicago Cubs are all huge markets and have some of the largest fan bases.  Therefore, anything vintage from these teams will be sought after from collectors’.  Anything game used and autographed will realize a large sum of money.  I know collector’s who take a chunk out of every paycheck and dedicate this sum to the purchase of vintage material.  Collecting is like an addiction with no 12-step program.  Are you an addict?

I receive emails and calls every day from people looking to sell their collection.  Firstly, I will not buy anything that was manufactured after 1975.  Cards started becoming mass produced around that time and they are virtually worthless. Of course there are some star rookie cards that are worth some money, but in general, nothing post 1975 is worth anything.  I have so much stuff from this era and I certainly don’t need to buy anymore. 

Everybody has heard of location, location, location when it comes to real estate.  The phrase for baseball cards is condition, condition, condition.  Let’s go into detail.
I look at the centering.  Having an off-center (OC) card is not pleasing to the eye.  It doesn’t always need to be 50/50.  The 1951 Bowman issue will usually have centering issues.  50/50 is virtually impossible.  However, 60/40 is just fine with me. 

Sharp corners?   Having four sharp corners is obviously a dream come true.  I am a dreamer, but also a realist.  When I buy Mickey Mantle’s rookie card, I don’t expect it to have sharp corners.  If it does, I will measure the card to make sure it wasn’t trimmed.  (Trimming is altering the card and this process decreases value)  However, the more sharp corners you have, the more money you get.

Creasing is something very prevalent as many collections have been housed in shoeboxes.  There was very little care taken to preserve the condition of the card back in the day.  Card holders/cases didn’t exist.  Many people used the baseball cards as spokes in their bicycles in the 1950’s/60’s.  Creasing is one of the worst things to find in a baseball card.  It is painful to look at creased cards’ and the value is reflected in this. 

Do you have a collection of all Babe Ruth cards or John Doe cards?  Any Hall of Famer, not just the Babe, has the potential to be valued more than a John Doe.  Everybody wants to collect the Hall of Fame greats.  There is much less interest to collect the players’ who didn’t have great baseball careers.

I looked at a collection last week of old tobacco cards.  These cards are one hundred years old and were glued to an album.  This was very common one hundred years ago.  There is a process to remove the glue from the reverse.  However, there will be a stain and this reduces the value significantly. 

These are just a few of the issues I look for when buying cards.  Hope this helps.

The cards below are glued to an album....=(