http://www.sportscardforum.com/blogs/28301-SteakNchop Sports Cards Forum for sports card collectors to buy, sell and trade sports cards. en Fri, 24 May 2013 20:19:32 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.sportscardforum.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.sportscardforum.com/blogs/28301-SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1117-Top-Ten-Position-Players-Who-Played-MLB-In-2010 Mon, 28 Feb 2011 10:55:52 GMT By Brendan White aka SteakNchop After a successful all-time best positions players ever, players that had to be retired, I think I better make a modern one. Baseball has changed quite a bit... By Brendan White aka SteakNchop
After a successful all-time best positions players ever, players that had to be retired, I think I better make a modern one. Baseball has changed quite a bit over the years, so for the all-time list I had to compare the players to other players of their era. With this however, they are all playing during the same period of time so this list should be entirely accurate.
Note: These are not predictions of future performance or how the player would do in 2011 if playing.
[B]#1[/B]
[B]Albert Pujols[/B]
[IMG]http://img.slate.com/media/1/123125/123037/2133425/2142799/0600603_SN_PujolsEX.jpg[/IMG]Albert Pujols at the plate is a man among children, those being high calibre Major Leaguers. 6' 3", 250+ lbs. of everything CC Sabathia doesn't have Albert Pujols has the ability to hit the ball out every at bat. It almost seems like he does each and every time. Thirty-one years young and 408 homers. .331 lifetime batting average not to mention his .624 slugging. Every year, if you ask me who will win the MVP I simply answer: Pujols. He's won the award three times. in his ten year career and has made the all star team every year but 2002. (he finished second in MVP voting that year)
His fielding doesn't waver either- he won a Gold Glove in 2006 and 2010.


[B]#2.[/B]
[B]Alex Rodriguez[/B]
Of anyone in baseball, Alex Rodriguez is the most disliked for unknown reasons, at least to me. For example, after the game in interviews,[IMG]http://www.ticketloot.com/blog/uploads/arodriguez.jpg[/IMG] the press will ask Derek Jeter if the Yankees have a shot at winning the World Series this year. He'll reply, "Well I just go out there everyday and give 110%. We all focus on the game in front of us and nothing else." "Oh Derek Jeter is such an awesome person!" A little bit away, they will be asking if the Yankees have a shot at winning the World Series to Alex Rodriguez. He'll reply, "Well I just go out there everyday and give 110%. We all focus on the game in front of us and nothing else." "Alex Rodriguez is a phony!"
His baseball skills aren't to be forgotten either. Beginning his career as a Gold Glove shortstop, moving to third base to make room for Derek Jeter "He's so amazing!" he is now thirty-five years of age. He has 613 homeruns and whether or not he may break the all-time record is not decided yet. A lot of people don't think he will, but I'm pretty optimistic about it. His three MVPs are nice and his .303 is not about to be forgotten. In my mind, clearly the second best active player.

[B]#3.[/B]
[B]Ken Griffey Jr. [/B]
[IMG]http://fullcountpitch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/griffey2.jpg[/IMG]Drafted by the Mariners as the first pick in the 1987 amateur draft, Ken Griffey Jr. has been beating his dad since. With 630 lifetime homers even through his injuries, Ken Griffey Jr. may have been the home run king without them. (the injuries, not the homers) However, he did have them and still had an amazing and full career. (22 seasons) He recently retired, midway through last season. (You can thank his manager for that)

[B]#4.[/B]
[B]Derek Jeter[IMG]http://www.lineupforms.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/derek-jeter.jpg[/IMG][/B]
Even after my comments on Jeter while talking about ARod, he still is an amazing player. The Yankees captain, their shortstop, a legendary Yankee up in the ranks of Mickey Mantle (overrated), Joe Dimaggio (overrated), Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth. Almost 3000 hits, a solid .314 lifeitme batting average and awards aplenty, Derek Jeter is the best shortstop of this era.

[B][IMG]http://umpbump.com/press/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/vlad1.jpg[/IMG]#5.[/B]
[B]Vladimir Guerrero[/B]
When you look at Vladdy's lifetime numbers you might be a bit surprised. .320 lifetime batting average, an MVP in 2004, and 436 home runs not to mention one of the best arms you'll ever find. Supposedly born on February 9th, 1975 in the Dominican Republic, Vladimir Guerrero's career is outstanding. If not for the last few years, his batting average is up in the ranks of Albert Pujols'. His eight Silver Sluggers and nine all star appearances only add to the aura.
[B]#6. [/B]
[B]Manny Ramirez[/B]
Playing most of his career for the woeful Red Sox (I have to take a punch at them when I can) Manny Ramirez (age 38- no way Jose) has[IMG]http://www.sportsnationnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/manny-ramirez.jpg[/IMG] had an amazing career. Lolly gagging out in leftfield, he has been an all star eleven times. Finished in the top ten in the MVP voting ten times and won a Silver Slugger nine times. Sure, he played in the bandbox of Fenway, hitting cheap little dingers over the "Green Dwarf." His .313 lifetime batting average and 555 home runs is nothing to be ashamed of. Nor is that year in 2002, when he had a .349 batting average and .450 on base percentage but finished ninth in MVP voting thanks to only 120 games played,

[B][IMG]http://blog.prorumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/jim_thome.jpg[/IMG]#7.[/B]
[B]Jim Thome[/B]
At the end of his career, Jim Thome has certainly had a good one. 589 homeruns and a .404 on base percentage, Thome is one of the best sluggers of this era. Not much of a glove man, he has played third base, first base and designated hitter during his career. Even at forty years old, Thome still can swing, as he hit twenty-five home runs last season. Just one heck-of-a hitter and a (chances are) 600 home run club member.



[B][IMG]http://www.mlbsluggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/random_key_12021_file_suzuki-ichiro-1_article.jpg[/IMG]#8.[/B]
[B]Ichiro Suzuki[/B]
Starting his career in Japan, Ichiro came over when he was twenty-seven. If not for his late arrival, he would be way up there on this list. In all star in all of his ten seasons, he has gotten over two hundred hits in ten consecutive seasons. Quite, an accomplishment, he broke the record for the most seasons in a row with over 200 hits a long time ago. An amazing arm, Ichiro has won a Gold Glove every year he's played. He sits at 2,244 hits right now and is still awaiting his 100th home run, currently at 90. His lifetime batting average of .331 has allowed him his high hit count.

[B][IMG]http://www.fantasysportsspotlight.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/0605-chipper-jones.jpg[/IMG]#9. [/B]
[B]Chipper Jones[/B]
Chipper Jones has had an amazing career. .306 lifetime batting average, .405 on base percentage and 436 home runs. He has dominated the National League as the best overall third baseman. He's had some great seasons, with a high batting average and forty-five home runs in 1999. 2008 is not to be forgotten either, where he was in contention for batting .400 for a while and ended the season at .364 and .470. He's been in the top ten in runs created almost every year and is a clear holder of #9 on the best position players who played in 2010.

[B][IMG]http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2008/08/01/alg_i-rodriguez-throws.jpg[/IMG]#10.[/B]
[B]Ivan Rodriguez[/B]
For many years, Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez has been the best fielding catcher in the game. An amazing arm, he nails runners down like the best ever except for Johnny Bench. A fine hitter, Rodriguez has a .298 lifetime batting average and an MVP in 1999, with 309 career homeruns. He has been an all star fourteen times and won a Gold Glove thirteen times. His seven Sliver Slugger awards aren't too shabby either.
Well, that concludes our list of the top ten position players who played in 2010. Hope you enjoyed it and comments are appreciated. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1117-Top-Ten-Position-Players-Who-Played-MLB-In-2010 http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1116-Save-Cal-Baseball Wed, 23 Feb 2011 05:42:59 GMT Back in 1892, Cal Berkeley started a baseball team. The Cal Bears, they were an excellent college team on and off the field. They won National Championships in 1947 and 1957. Year in and year out,... Back in 1892, Cal Berkeley started a baseball team. The Cal Bears, they were an excellent college team on and off the field. They won National Championships in 1947 and 1957. Year in and year out, they field a quality team.
Of any college baseball program in the country, Cal provides the most first round picks of any school. Many would consider it the best baseball program there has ever been, with a very good chance of making it to the big leagues from there. Many prospects and stars have come from the Cal Baseball program, some of which I will list below.
Jeff Kent (Probably going to be a Hall of Famer)[IMG]http://deadspin.com/assets/images/deadspin/2008/07/kent.jpg[/IMG]
Jackie Jensen (Good player from a long time ago)
Brandon Morrow (Fireballing pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays)
Xavier Nady (High quality Major Leaguer for several years, before an injury)
Conor Jackson (Average Major League first baseman)
Brennan Bosch (Top prospect for the Detroit Tigers)
Brett Jackson (Chicago Cubs top prospect)
In total, 53 former Cal Baseball players have made the Major Leagues.
However, the possibility is great that Cal will never provide another Major League Baseball player. As of the end of the 2011 baseball season, Cal Baseball will be [I]cut. [/I]This is because of budget issues, while the Cal Football coach is [IMG]http://thegoldensombrero.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/chicago-cubs-brett-jackson-top-prospect.jpg[/IMG]paid three million dollars a year, the baseball program maybe costs a couple hundred thousand dollars a year.
Cal was suggesting to cut five sports programs, but ended up cutting two of them, baseball and gymnastics. The baseball team doesn’t provide much revenue, mostly because of the lack of stadium lights. They easily have the money to do it, but the Cal administration will not allow it.
Cal Baseball as well as every team in the Pac-10 Conference has raised seven million dollars to keep the baseball program alive. The reason the entire conference is raising money for Cal is clearly because without Cal Baseball, the Pac-10 Conference is nothing. Cal Baseball could possibly be reinstated in 2012, but by then they will have to start all over. New coaches, new players and an entire new system. This program is being cut because the Cal administration wants to show who’s boss, not because the money isn’t there.
One person who would be extremely angry about this is future Hall of Fame second baseman Jeff Kent. Just recently, he paid several million dollars to build a new hitting facility. There are also summer and winter baseball camps Cal holds, which will be gone as well.
Cal even currently has some top talent, especially their catcher Chad Krist who should be a top tier Major Leaguer. Many of their future first round draft pick players are freshmen and sophomores, so they will have to relocate to new colleges to continue their baseball careers.
Cutting Cal Baseball is so insane that you almost think you can just wake up and realize it was all a dream, but it’s not. However, there is a way you can help. [URL="http://savecalbaseball.com/"][COLOR=#0071bb]SaveCalBaseball.com [/COLOR][/URL]is raising even more money to try and keep this program alive. The entire baseball community would appreciate it if you took a look even if you don’t plan on pledging any money, though that would of course be a lot of help.
Hopefully, with this unbelievable amount of money raised Cal will never cut the program. But first, that money must be raised. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1116-Save-Cal-Baseball http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1110-Review-Sacramento-Sports-Card-Show-February-5th Fri, 11 Feb 2011 21:17:35 GMT Last Saturday, I went to my first sports card show. The decision did not come very easily, though. February 5th was also the date of the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants FanFest.... Last Saturday, I went to my first sports card show. The decision did not come very easily, though. February 5th was also the date of the 2010 World Series champion San Francisco Giants FanFest. Now, I’ve been to this let’s say every year except last since 2006. It is great for getting autographs, skipping the lines and just going upstairs to see interviews of current players and coaches. However, this year was expected to be different.
As we all know, the Giants were the World Series champions last year. So what would you expect at a FanFest? A stuffed ballpark. I had heard that the lines were going around the parking lot twice (and they have a huge parking lot) and they had to close down the ballpark at noon because they already had 23,000 people in it. And no, this isn’t 23,000 people sitting in seats. This is 23,000 people walking around the ballpark. Based on this, I think my Sacramento sports card show decision was likely the best I’ll ever make.
Sacramento is about over an hour away, thoug obviously much shorter than Giants FanFest lines (some people got there at 7:00 AM to get in). It was very hot closer to the coast where we live, record highs. On the contrary, Sacramento was in the 60s (I know some of you think that’s record highs). Usually a little hotter in the Central Valley, but who knows. So once we got there and stepped out into the fridged air, with a freezing little breeze, we quickly rushed in.
It was quite a bit later than I would have wanted to get there, about noon. Past a little table up front at this Holiday Inn, a few steps were taken and into the big room we were. Out before me were about twenty tables, scrunched together. [IMG]http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd336/SteakNchop7/Private/sacsportscardshow.jpg[/IMG]
I started my route by just walking around and seeing what was to be had. I walked past Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings and the autograph booth, where he was mostly siging autographs for whoever paid him to come, because not very many people were interested. The show had a good selection of baseball, basketball and football. Out of all of it, only one hockey table. My main interest was to get a few more cards for my off grade 1959 Topps set or anything that I could make a buck or two off of. First stop was one table to grab a few 1959′s and a little extra. Then another stop or two. Below is what was bought.[IMG]http://i529.photobucket.com/albums/dd336/SteakNchop7/Private/saccardshowpickups.jpg[/IMG]
A few nice 1959 and a little tradebait as well.
I continued on and just wasn’t too impressed with the rest. I opended up a few packs of 2010 Topps baseball that were free and got[IMG]http://blogbeckett.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/mcg.jpg?w=357&h=250[/IMG] nothing but base and expired Topps Million Card Giveaway codes. Didn’t really feel like buying some wax based on the value vs. price, so I called it a day.
This was my first card show and it was a good experience. I had a fun day and got a few things I needed without spending very much. So as I stepped out into the fridged air of 65 °F, I knew I’d be back. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1110-Review-Sacramento-Sports-Card-Show-February-5th http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1100-The-Different-Types-of-Traders Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:56:21 GMT Wherever you go, there will be groups of people who seem to act the same. Be it your work, your school, or your old-person’s home, you will notice a trend in how we act. On Sports Card Forum, I’ve... Wherever you go, there will be groups of people who seem to act the same. Be it your work, your school, or your old-person’s home, you will notice a trend in how we act. On Sports Card Forum, I’ve noticed the exact same thing.
There are a few categories people on SCF are placed in. The first is,
[B]The Newbie[/B]
The newbie is quite an interesting collector. One way you can tell which category someone is in is how they check a bucket or photo album. When a newbie checks a bucket, often they have a list of cards that they like which happens to have almost every card in that members bucket. Newbies are often attracted to game used jersey and patch cards, as well as sticker autos. The concept of a piece of the athlete’s uniform in a card is unheard of to the newbie, causing them to buy off your junk game used for more than they are worth. Same with sticker autos. “Topps Certified Autograph” on a silver sticker creates an awe-aspiring appeal to the newbie collector. They usually don’t have many cards, so mostly these end up as sales. They are pretty much clueless on most of the aspects of card collecting, sending in plain white envelopes or cards unprotected by toploaders in a bubble mailer. They are very easy to convince that they are getting a good deal, for example, “No, no, no, back in the 1950s cards were massly overproduced. They’re worth nothing. In the 1980s, we all forgot about card collecting and just used them in our bike spokes. So since my cards are much more valuable, would you mind trading that 1957 Frank Robinson of yours for my ten cards from 1987 Donruss? You’re getting ten cards and I’m getting only one!” The newbies response; “Well, I am getting ten cards and you’re getting one and since mine isn’t worth anything anyway, I guess I will. Is it okay if I send in a plain white envelope?”
From my experience, the newbie trader always overvalues jersey and patch cards. Be it baseball, football, basketball or hockey, they always have a few bad purchases before they get their act together and figure out what’s going on.
[B]The Lowballer[/B]
Now that we are out of the newbie category, we come into a grouping of a much different type of traders. Lowballers often feast on the newbies, as you saw in my example above. They use several tactics to get good deals, often dishonest.
The most often used of this is eBay prices. Now, some people don’t know how to check previous prices on eBay, which is the case for the newbies. The lowballers can easily quote untruthful eBay prices and if the other trader doesn’t check them himself then they will just get ripped off. Other methods can be used as well. “This card is on eBay for $100 while yours just got $90 for it. So how about it?” What this lowballer is doing is quoting “Buy It Now” prices, usually inflated compared to actual purchase costs.
The lowballer will have lots of unresponded to private messages, as when an experienced trader gets lowballed they often don’t even reply. That is what makes this method unproductive, as you will end up with more enemies than cards.
[B]The Moneymaker[/B]
While not unlike the lowballer, who is trying to get a good deal, the moneymaker couldn’t care less about who the player on the card is, just the value. He’s in this hobby to make money and frequents eBay to sell and buy cards. He will only do high-end trades or trades worth the shipping. Anything that he doesn’t make money on is a waste, not worth his time. He uses many different web site for trading, buying and selling, to get the most value for what he has or doesn’t have. He isn’t afraid to spend money, often paying thousands of dollars for cards he thinks he can make a profit on.
[B]The Player/Set Collector[/B]
This type of trader is almost an exact opposite of the moneymaker. They are in this hobby to collect a player or set, not to make money. They might give much more valuable cards, for one of a certain year or athlete. Money is not an issue as you can see, as all that matter is they get some certain cards. The hardcore player and set collectors are always interested in trading for something of their favorite player or set, even if it is only one base card.
[B]Mr. Conservative[/B]
Mr. Conservative is an odd man, always unsure, never completing a trade. He will have a low amount of trades, as he is never sure if he should do one. He may back out of trades often, as well as reject almost any offer. He mostly just hangs onto his cards, not quite ready to trade them. He could still have some newbie in him, not knowing the value and unsure about it or he very well may be an old trader who just can’t give up a card. Mr. Conservative is very unproductive as a trader and has to change his ways for any success.
[B]Mr. Liberal[/B]
Just so you know, we aren’t talking about politics here, but the various types of traders. Mr. Liberal will basically figure out how to do any trade and will do it even if he loses value. He is a feedback hound and getting trades done is all that matters. His trade count will be high and his purchases may be high, because as he loses money he has to buy more. Being Mr. Liberal is great if you have an unlimited amount of money, but most of us need to preserve as much or our money as we can.
Many of us will fit into each of these classifications at certain times. Sometimes you may lowball, once in a while you might Mr. Liberal it and maybe you could be the Player/Set Collector or Moneymaker too. However, it’s important to remember that we’re all in this hobby together, for the love of sports and these little pieces of cardboard. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1100-The-Different-Types-of-Traders http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1099-Topps-The-Card-Industry-Dictatorship Tue, 01 Feb 2011 01:41:11 GMT By Brendan White aka SteakNchop

[IMG]http://www.sportscardforum.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Bazooka_gum.jpg[/IMG]Far back in time, before most of us had been born, Topps was as big a power as it is today. They have been manufacturing baseball cards since 1952 and have not stopped since. Here’s their story…
When Topps was created by the Shorin brothers back in 1938 they did not make baseball cards. All they made was bubblegum, under the name of Topps Gum. They went through a name change or two during the forties and became known as Bazooka Bubble Gum. Looking for ways to entice children to buy their gum, Topps/Bazooka would wrap little comic strips around the gum. This worked for a time, but it was far from perfect.
At the turn of the decade, Topps had its million dollar idea, to interpolate trading cards into the packs of gum. These were not baseball cards, but cards of TV cartoon stars and football players. They did have somewhat of what you might call a baseball card the succeeding year in 1951. However, the first year of the modern baseball card was 1952. This method of advertising was extremely efficient, so the following years Topps continued to print cards and put them in their packs.
These tactics were very clever, as now Topps gum appealed to two different groups of people. The [IMG]http://www.sportscardforum.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/Topps-pack.jpg[/IMG]first group was all the people who chewed Topps gum. Topps had always had that coterie so that was not the big improvement. It was the baseball fans that helped sell more gum now. Fans would buy the packs for the cards, not for collecting but for the stats. Back then, there was no internet to look stats up or even a book such as the Baseball Register. The best part about this is that each year these “stat hunters” would have to buy all new cards! This was definitely a winning business model.
Through the fifties and right past the sixties and even the seventies Topps soared, becoming a large and profitable company. However, starting in the eighties things began to change.
People happened to notice and appreciate a value in Topps cards, so it was not long before Topps began to make football, basketball and hockey cards as well for fans of other sports. This does take some purity out of Topps, but just increases its dynasty. People kept on chewing that gum, never stopped buying those packs. But a lot had changed.
[IMG]http://www.sportscardforum.com/articles/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/1983ToppsFootballWrapper.jpg[/IMG]The cards were not just viewed as little trading cards any more, but valuable collectibles. People began to pay big money for some older Topps cards of players from their childhood. The good part about the increase in value is that Topps did start selling a lot more packs of gum and cards. There were also some other things that had to happen because of this.
Topps started to mass produce the football, hockey, basketball and especially the baseball cards to an extent that today, cards from this time period are worth literally nothing. They even changed the whole point of the company, which was originally to sell gum. Instead of selling gum now, they sold sports cards. In fact, they even took the gum out of the packs because collectors did not want it to stain or in anyway hurt the condition of their cards.
Around the beginning of the twentieth century, more dramatic changes were made. Topps began to not only print the normal Topps base cards but many other sets and series. Today, if you found all the cards that Topps makes, you would find products such as Topps T-206, Topps Heritage, Allen & Ginter, Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects, Bowman Chrome and Topps Chrome as well as many more. In most of these brands, sets or series Topps inserts a lot of different cards, such as jersey cards and autographs. Autographs and jersey cards from The Topps Company are commonly valued highly compared to other companies’ autograph cards, jersey cards and even patch cards.
With the market how it is today, an autograph from one of Topps’ brands such as Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects could easily be valued at twice or even three or four times the cost of the same autograph from another company. Therefore, Topps products usually have a better cost/profit ratio than cards from other companies such as Upper Deck, Donruss and Tristar. That is one reason to always buy Topps.
For non-sports cards, Topps may very possibly lead the market as well. They make cards of entertainment stars and even own Pokémon! They also continue to sell Bazooka Bubble Gum, always keeping what they started with.
Clearly, Topps produces the best products of any sports card manufacturer. They have similarities with the Yankees, of being so far ahead of any other card company or baseball team. Without doubt, in the sight of Topps, all other card company owners faces flash with anger and jealousy because as long as Topps is around, which may be for a very long time to come, they will continue to unequivocally dominate the sports card world. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1099-Topps-The-Card-Industry-Dictatorship http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1098-Can-I-Make-Money-in-Sports-Cards Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:53:13 GMT By Brendan White aka SteakNchop

One of the normal "newbie" sports card questions is on the simple side, but has so much to it. The question is; "Can I make money collecting?" The general consensus on this from most collectors is; "Have you gone mad? Are you serious!?!? You literally think you can make money this way!?!? Impossible!!!! It just can't be done!" Guess what? It can be. Here's how.
While of course making money in this hobby is hard, it is very possible. It's just how you go about it. If you do not know what you are doing, I guarantee you are not going to make money. So before I tell you about what to do to make money, I first must tell you what you [I]can't[/I] do.
If you want to make money in sports cards, DO NOT, AND I SAY THAT LOUD AND CLEARLY, DO NOT OPEN PACKS OR BOXES. THAT IS A FACT AND YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT. GOT IT!?!? Sorry for losing my temper, but you really just can't. Out of a $100 box, chances are you will get about $20-$50 worth of cards. That is not a good investment of your money and there really is no way to deny that, no matter what lame excuse you think of. So just get it in your head, that by opening even a single pack of cards you are throwing

[IMG]http://thenewsoftoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/mega-millions-winning-numbers.jpg[/IMG]Better chance of making money this way than by opening wax

away money. Yeah, you could get lucky. But you know what? If you want to get lucky, stop by the gas station, buy a lottery ticket and have a chance at winning a hundred million bucks. If you get an amazing pull out of a pack, lets say a Babe Ruth cut autograph or something crazy like that, it is only going to be worth five thousand. Sure you could pull that Strasburg "SuperDuperCapluperfractor" and sell it for a couple hundred grand, but the lottery seems like a better gamble to me. Or better yet, skip the lottery and the cards because they both have losing odds.
Now that I have what [I]not[/I] to do out of the way, you shall learn what you [I]should [/I]do. Before I begin on the options, let me first give you a piece of advice. When purchasing, always think about what you are getting for your money. Will you be able to resell it for more? Will this card retain its value? Is there some way I can increase its value using time and effort? Well, now that that is done, I will give you option number one.

[B]Option #1. Buy vintage.[/B]
Of all the types of sports cards that will retain value, vintage will hold the most. There is a scarcity with vintage that cannot be duplicated with numbered cards or anything like that, because what has been printed is all there will be. But let me explain how you can make money

[IMG]http://www.sportsmemorabilia.com/files/cache/766/1959-bob-gibson-topps-rookie-card-psa-graded-ex-mt-6_766d83d2db7cd14b67c8527c282baf6c.jpg[/IMG]This is a good long term investment

buying vintage.
One way to make money on vintage is to just buy them and hang on to them for a while. As the economy gets better, the cards get older and as time goes by vintage cards should increase in value. These are a long term investment, like a thirty year bond. If you want any change in value, you are going to have to store them well and hold on to them for a long time.
Another option with vintage is to buy cards in near mint condition and get them graded. Go on eBay and find bad listings and such, then
bid bid bid until you win it. Get a lot of cards graded at one time using the longest service they have, or just enter a group submission. This will cut down the costs of the grading, leaving more room for profits. When your cards come back from PSA, which in my opinion is the best option for vintage, you can sell them for far greater than the cost of the actual grading as long as you got a decent grade.
[B]Option #2. Get good deals on eBay.[/B]
This one doesn't make much sense, because if there was a way to always get good deals on eBay then everybody would do it that way, right? Truth is, not everybody does. The best way to get a good deal is to find "bad" listings. Listings listed incorrectly, or in the wrong category or just plain confusing will deter bidders. As someone committed to making money, I assume you have the extra time. A good way to get "steals" is to find auctions where the seller misspelled the athlete's name. Now, I get what you're thinking. "There's no way I am going to search fifty different spellings of "Hank Aaron" just to get a card I think I could make money on!" Well here's where technology comes into play. There is a website that does all of this for you, search the hundreds of different ways to spell "Hank Aaron." The website is called Fat Fingers and here is a link: [URL="http://www.fatfingers.com/"][COLOR=#0071bb]http://www.fatfingers.com[/COLOR][/URL]. I suggest using that for most of your purchases, as the less people who see an auction the less it will see for. Though don't get tricked into buying every auction you see that is misspelled, because it isn't always going to be a discount, especially if the person selling it is a "Power Seller."
[B]Option #3. Use time and patience to make money.[/B]
There is something that 95% of Americans don't have and that's time and patience. With our hectic lives, not many of us have the time to do some of the ideas I am about to give you. But if you want to make money in sports cards, you better be prepared to spend time on it. So here are a couple of good ideas.
One way is to send out through the mail (TTM) to players. Now I don't mean sending out cards or anything, but baseballs, pucks, golf balls, etc. Not to modern average players, but to Hall of Famers. Or better yet, all-time greats! Make sure they sign first, so you don't waste money on this memorabilia to not even get it back. If the player charges a fee, I recommend against it as it usually is not very cost[IMG]http://www.sportsblink.com/product_images/bobby-doerr-autographed-baseball-hof-inscription-3390366.jpg[/IMG] effective to still send to him. But MLB Hall of Famers such as Joe Morgan and Bobby Doerr who will sign for free seems like a great option to me.
Another way are no purchase necessary's, commonly called NPNs. For legal reasons, card companies must have an option to send in an envelope with a 3 x 5 index card inside with your name and address on it for a pretty good chance to get some cards. This isn't always profitable, but a lot of the time it is. A good website for this so you don't have an excuse to buy a pack to get the address (I knew you were thinking that) is [URL="http://www.npnsportscards.com/"][COLOR=#0071bb]http://www.npnsportscards.com[/COLOR][/URL]. They have a well updated site there with lots of NPNs. But the best way to do NPN is through Upper Deck, since you can do it online so it is entirely free. For that, follow this link [URL="http://sports.upperdeck.com/npn/"][COLOR=#0071bb]http://sports.upperdeck.com/npn/[/COLOR][/URL].[IMG]http://media2.cardboardconnection.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/POMERANZ_REDEMPTION_BOWMANDRAFT.jpg[/IMG]
There is one other form of patience that will make you money and this is probably the cleverest of them all. It is pretty simple, actually. Buy redemptions. Yes, the little cards that the companies put into packs that you use to enter a code online and have a card sent to you. With redemptions, cards can often take up to six months to arrive, so they sell for much less than the card that you receive is worth. Other people don't have the patience for this, but you do. So go on the Bay and find some redemptions and to add an extra discount in, ask the seller beforehand if he will just email the code. Why would you want to do that? Because then you won't have to pay for shipping. So you get a lot of money off for the fact that it will take a while to get, as well as money off because you won't have to pay for shipping! Make sure to check with the seller beforehand I should repeat, because if you don't you will be in a sticky situation if the seller says he won't email it. (For PayPal reasons or the fact that he/she makes money on shipping)

[B]Option #4. Play the market.[/B]
The hardest way but highest in a payout sense is playing the market. What I mean by this, is buy low right before a player or a product goes up, then sell high. So for example, if a Hall of Fame baseball player is about to die, buy a bunch of his autographs. When he dies, they will go up in value. Or you think someone is going to be selected into the Hall of Fame this year? Buy up a lot of his stuff.
While one way to do it is buying old guys, buying young guys is just as good. Figure out what prospects are going to be really good that no one has heard about and buy them up. A good web site for prospects is [URL="http://thebaseballcube.com/"][COLOR=#0071bb]http://thebaseballcube.com[/COLOR][/URL]. An even better way is to buy a player when they aren't doing well. I think an example would do well here.[IMG]http://cdn3.iofferphoto.com/img/item/146/783/325/dV5cOWY9M2rXOXj.jpg[/IMG]
Let's say you want to buy a lot of Mark Teixeira cards to resell later on. The question is, when do you buy? If you look at Mark Teixeira's statistics from most of his seasons, he almost always starts off slow. So when should you buy him? I bet May, since he has just had a horrible April and his stuff is selling in the gutters. Then, come June when he gets hot, sell of his stuff. Next year? Repeat.
This works even better for a player like Tiger Woods, who right now is "shamed" but will likely get to the top of his form again. And you know what? When he does get to the top of his form again he will be even more popular. Why? Because instead of just being a great golfer, he is now someone that someone who knows nothing about golf knows all about. Sure, I bet everyone knew who Tiger Woods was. But only for being a golfer. So here's my flat out advice: Buy when unpopular, sell when hot.
I had been contemplating whether or not to post any of this, since if everyone knew how to make money all the ways I do it then my ways wouldn't work so great. But, I guess I should share with my Sports Card Forum community....and wouldn't it be funny if a player who is about to make the Hall of Fame has a price increase and then it drops when he makes it in? Or if when Mark Teixeira has his customary .200 April his stuff sells for more than it does when he's batting .350? Well, maybe not, but still, everyone deserves to know how to make money in sports cards, because contrary to many collectors beliefs, it certainly can be done. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1098-Can-I-Make-Money-in-Sports-Cards http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1097-2011-MLB-Regular-Season-Predictions Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:52:25 GMT By Brendan White aka SteakNchop There comes a time every year, the time when snow may still be falling, when spring may not have started yet, but baseball is on your mind. What about baseball you... By Brendan White aka SteakNchop
There comes a time every year, the time when snow may still be falling, when spring may not have started yet, but baseball is on your mind. What about baseball you may ask? The Major League Baseball season. Spring training is still a few weeks away, but I have decided to publish my thoughts on the standings of the 2011 season.
[B]American League East[/B]
Boston Red Sox[IMG]http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:aJ45Tvtn1Mt_fM:http://www.sportslogos.net/images/logos/53/53/full/671.gif&t=1[/IMG]
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Rays
The Red Sox's main addition isn't Adrian Gonzalez, but Carl Crawford and players such as Kevin Youkilis who were hurt for a long time during the season. Being so close to winning the division last year, with average health they will win it. The loss of Adrian Beltre will hurt, though. If you compare the numbers of Adrian Gonzalez and Adrian Beltre, even counting in the difference in ballpark size from the vast dessert of outfield at Petco Park to the bandbox of Fenway, Adrian Beltre is just as good as Adrian Gonzalez. But without the injuries of last year, the Boston Red Sox should still end up in first place. And with Carl Crawford, who racks up better numbers than Evan Longoria (hey, look at the stats) with 50+ stolen bases, this is the year of the Sox.

[B]American League Central[/B]
Chicago White Sox[IMG]http://www.frontrowking.com/images/CWS_765.gif[/IMG]
Minnesota Twins
Detroit Tigers
Kansas City Royals
This is the Chicago White Sox's year. With the new signing of Adam Dunn, they have a pretty good lineup. What really is going to take hold are their young players, though. Chris Sale is about to have a monster year and Alex Ramirez is due for a bounce back. Top prospect Gordon Beckham has the potential to have a top of the line year as well. And don't forget about Carlos Quentin, just another White Sox player who played mediocre last year and has the possibility of having a breakout season.

[B]American League West[IMG]http://www.sportsgatherings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Oakland-Athletics-logo1.bmp[/IMG][/B]
Oakland Athletics
Texas Rangers
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Southern California, California, West Coast, United States, North America, Earth, Milky Way, Universe.
Seattle Mariners
After a couple of years of playoff drought, the A's are due for the top. They have righthanded pitcher Trevor Cahill, who went 18-8 last year. There is Brett Anderson, who like Cahill has an exciting future as a major leaguer ahead of him. Ryan Sweeney, the rightfielder and centerfielder after batting .298 looks like he is about to have a career year. We also mustn't forget about Kurt Suzuki behind the dish, who had been putting up good numbers until last season. With all these players due for a good year and an extremely good young pitching staff, the Oakland A's are my come from behind American League West pick.

[B]American League Wild Card[IMG]http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:RV5TiK-avAcESM:http://www.sportslogos.net/images/logos/53/68/full/1256.gif&t=1[/IMG][/B]
New York Yankees
Even if the Boston Red Sox are a little better than the Yankees this year, the Yankees still have full time potential. Robinson Cano coming off a monster year, Teixeira poised for another quality season as well as Alex Rodriguez who probably won't be anything but normal. Derek Jeter has a good chance of having a good season like he did in 2009, CC Sabathia should have another Cy Young level season and Mariano Rivera should continue to be the best closer in the game. The signing of Rafael Soriano will help bridge the gap up to the Great Rivera and Russell Martin should be solid behind the plate until Yankees top prospect Jesus Montero is ready to play in the majors. Curtis Granderson should have a good season and so should Phil Hughes, who seems to finally be able to pitch like a veteran.


[B]National League East[IMG]http://peacetreefarm.org/images/phils_logo.gif[/IMG][/B]
Philadelphia Phillies
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals
New York Mets
This year the Phillies are flat out loaded. They have three top of the rotation starters, Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels. They have a quality line up, there only major loss being Jayson Werth. Ryan Howard is ready to unleash some power this year and Shane Victorino is just getting into his prime. Year in year out this team has been winning the NL East and this year doesn't appear to be any different.

[B]National League Central[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:zjCgBFCSj1mw_M:http://www.sportnooz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/526_cincinnati_reds_logo.gif&t=1[/IMG][/B]
Cincinnati Reds
Milwaukee Brewers
St. Louis Cardinals
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates
After a first place season last year, the Cincinnati Reds look like they may very well have another. The 2010 MVP Joey Votto as well as Jay Bruce can carry the club for hitting. Their young starting pitchers such as Mike Leake and Johnny Cueto could make a big difference as well. They just have a bit more than the other teams do and seem to be the likely win.

[B]National League West[IMG]http://people.ucsc.edu/~jchen17/SFGiants.gif[/IMG][/B]
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers
San Diego Padres
Arizona Diamondbacks
After winning the world series, the Giants haven't lost much. Their all star closer, Brian Wilson can shut everyone down. Operation Panda #2 has been going on this offseason and if Sandoval can have a good year he will carry a lot of weight. (Well, probably the opposite) Cody Ross who was a quality late addition will be useful as well as Buster Posey of course, who may very well be the best catcher in baseball ahead of Joe Mauer. They do have a few problems, though. There will be a reality show about them during the entire season. Not one game, not spring training but the whole entire season. As a baseball player, I do not see how you can play just as well when you are thinking about this silly reality show. Baseball is not like football where little things wouldn't bother someone. For example, numerous no hitters have been lost in the later innings, the exact pitch after a disturbance such as a ball in the dirt that squeaks by the catcher in the sideline bullpen or a fan running on the field. That is true for hitting and true for pitching. Even with that, I still think my hometown Giants can win the West. We'll see.


[B]National League Wild Card[/B]
Atlanta Braves[IMG]http://www.floridaleisureblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Braves.gif[/IMG]
The Braves have a very strong team this year and will not be far out of first place in the East but will run away with the wild card so that will not be a worry. The addition of Dan Uggla will only improve their 91-71 record of last year. Jason Heyward will be on his second season so should be more comfortable as well. In my opinion, this is going to be an easy win, by let's say about five games.
I am not going to really predict the playoffs because they are too unpredictable with the short series and the hot and cold teams. However, I do think the World Series will be Reds vs. A's, the Reds winning it. Also please no criticizing any predictions if you think they are bogus until October, alright? ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1097-2011-MLB-Regular-Season-Predictions http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1096-Top-10-Best-Baseball-Position-Players-Ever Mon, 31 Jan 2011 15:51:28 GMT By Brendan White aka SteakNchop In baseball, there is greatness and then there is greatness. A twenty year career with five hundred home runs and twenty-five hundred hits is great, but not great,... By Brendan White aka SteakNchop
In baseball, there is greatness and then there is greatness. A twenty year career with five hundred home runs and twenty-five hundred hits is great, but not great, great. Numbers like that may get you in the Hall of Fame, but in reality the Hall of Fame isn't for the best players ever. The Hall of Fame happens to be for very good players nowadays, (this will be talked about in a later post) not the greatest and most accomplished of them all. So to weed out the best of the best, the top ten greatest position players ever, I used my baseball knowledge as well as information written by people who watched or even played against these players to develop my own top ten list.
[B]#1[/B]
[B]Babe Ruth[/B]
[B][IMG]http://blog.pennlive.com/tonyrhodin/2007/10/baberuth.jpg[/IMG] [/B]
Ask any baseball aficionado who the greatest baseball player ever was and chances are they will tell you Babe Ruth. From a Baltimore orphanage, the Babe came up as a pitcher. After several successful years, he was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees where he earned his title of best player ever. Over the course of twenty-two seasons, sixteen of them as a hitter, Ruth hit 714 home runs and maintained a .342 batting average and a whopping .474 on base percentage. In fact, he was so good that in 1921 when he hit 59 home runs he hit more home runs than any other entire team in the American League!
[B]#2[/B]
[IMG]http://www.betterlivingthroughbeowulf.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/williams.jpg[/IMG]
[B]Ted Williams[/B]
Down by the warm coast of Southern California came Ted Williams, the Boston Red Sox's key player. A 6' 3" left fielder, Ted Williams hit .344 over nineteen seasons. His on base percentage was even better than Ruth's at .482. Even though he missed three seasons from his prime, Ted Williams still smacked 521 home runs. Like Ruth, Williams also pitched in Major League Baseball. Just not as much; he pitched two innings one game when he was twenty-one.

[B]#3[/B]
[B]Willie Mays[/B]
[IMG]http://myhero.com/images/sports/mays/mays4.jpg[/IMG]

Willie Mays is considered by many to be one of the all-time greatest hitters ever as well as the best fielder ever. A five-tool (hitting for average, hitting for power, running the bases, fielding and throwing) player, Willie Mays could do everything. Over his career, he had a .302 batting average and 660 home runs. Eleven Gold Glove Awards and two MVPs, Willie Mays was the best center fielder there has ever been and will ever be.


[B]#4 [/B]
[B]Ty Cobb[/B]
[IMG]http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:qx2SUHt3W8MY-M:http://tsntoday.com/Ty%20Cobb.jpg&t=1[/IMG]
While generally not thought of as a very nice person, Ty Cobb was an amazing baseball player. A center fielder, Ty Cobb played hard and dirty baseball. Some say he would sharpen his spikes, so when he slid players trying to tag him out would get out of his way as to not risk a serious injury. Ty Cobb has the highest career batting average ever, at .366. Just like Willie Mays, Cobb was an all-around player and even led the league in home runs one year with nine. He may have been a KKK member, he may have been a bad man but in my mind he is the fourth best baseball player ever no matter how you look at it.
[B]#5[/B]
[B]Lou Gehrig[/B]
[IMG]http://www.customauthenticjerseys.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/lou-gehrig-mlb-retired-numbers.JPG[/IMG]
After eight years of grade school without ever missing a day and four years at the High School of Commerce in New York City Lou Gehrig went to college at Columbia University. Before he had been there too long, Gehrig decided to make a decision I am sure he would make again if he had to; join the New York Yankees. Gehrig played seventeen seasons for the New York Yankees, retiring at thirty-six years old because of what has been believed to be Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The fatal disease is commonly called Lou Gehrig's Disease today. Batting behind the great Babe Ruth throughout his career, Gehrig was always second best. But nonetheless, he put up impressive numbers. He led the league in RBIs five times, led the league in home runs three times and led the league in on base percentage three times as well. His lifetime batting average was .340 and he hit 493 home runs. His postseason batting average of .361 is extremely impressive and the six world championships he won had as much do to with him as the Babe.
[B]#6[/B]
[B]Rogers Hornsby[/B]
[IMG]http://www.nndb.com/people/046/000085788/rogers-hornsby-1.jpg[/IMG]
A second baseman, Rogers Hornsby is one of the most overlooked baseball players ever. From Winters, TX Rogers "Rajah" Hornsby is without doubt the greatest second baseman who ever lived. He hit over .400 four times and had a lifetime batting average of .358 despite playing until he was forty-one years old. He had 301 career home runs and led the league twice, with forty-two and thirty-nine home runs. A fine fielding second baseman as well, Rogers Hornsby is one of the greatest players to ever live.
[B]#7 [/B]
[B]Stan Musial[/B]
[B][IMG]http://redbirdrants.com/files/2010/07/Stan-Musial.jpg[/IMG][/B]
Stan Musial was often regarded as the third best hitter ever, behind Babe Ruth and Ted Williams. Beginning his career in 1941, Musial played for twenty-two seasons, until 1963 when at forty-two years of age he retired. Over his career he won three MVPs and made the all star team twenty times. His lifetime batting average was .331 and he hit 475 home runs over the course of his career. I am sure he enjoyed winning the World Series three times as well.
[B]#8[/B]
[B]Hank Aaron[/B]
[IMG]http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hank-aaron-hof-2.jpg[/IMG]From Mobile, Alabama came Hammerin' Hank Aaron, primarily a right fielder for the Milwaukee Braves, Atlanta Braves and the Milwaukee Brewers at the end of his career. He had quite a career to say the least. Over twenty-three seasons, Hank hit 755 home runs, second on the all-time list behind Barry Bonds. That is a controversial issue on who should really be the home run champ, but thing thing is, in Barry Bonds' era people were hitting more home runs than in Aaron's era, so theoretically Aaron is a better baseball player anyway. He finished his career with a .305 batting average and a .374 on base percentage. His twenty consecutive years on the all star team did nothing but the opposite of tarnishing his fantastic lifetime numbers.
[B]#9[/B]
[B]Joe Dimaggio[/B]
[IMG]http://www.yankeerap.com/images/joe-dimaggio12.jpg[/IMG]
From Northern California, The Yankee Clipper took New York City by surprise in 1936 when he began his thirteen year career. A center fielder, Joe Dimaggio could field just like he could hit. He won three MVPs over his short career and had a lifetime .325 batting average. He hit 361 home runs and has his name on one of the hardest records to beat, a fifty-six game hitting streak in 1941. He missed three years because or World War II and made the all star team every year he played.
[B]#10[/B]
[B]Mickey Mantle[/B]
[IMG]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:L5lw3Eox-aXt0M:http://www.mickeymantlebaseballcards.net/images/indexImage.jpg&t=1[/IMG]
Well, I knew you thought Mantle was going to be on here somewhere. Might as well be #10. Mantle was a speedy center fielder for the Yankees who has a lot to his name. Three MVPs, triple crown, sixteen times all star, four times home run champ, six times OPS (on base percentage + slugging percentage) champ and a Gold Glove all to himself. Many say he would have been better than Mays if it wasn't for a freak incident when he tripped over a small drain in the center field grass of Yankee Stadium. But even with his injuries, his lifetime numbers are still unbelievable. .421 on base percentage and 536 home runs. Seven World Series rings doesn't bother the now deceased Mantle either.

These are the top ten position players (everyone but pitchers) all-time, in my opinion. I am not including currently active players because it is unknown how good they will end up. That is why Albert Pujols for example is not on this list. Who knows; maybe a best current baseball players list is needed. If so, feel free to comment and let me know. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1096-Top-10-Best-Baseball-Position-Players-Ever http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1083-The-Lunacy-of-the-Numbered-Card Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:42:58 GMT [SIZE=3][FONT=Calibri]The unmitigated reason vintage cards have value is their rarity. If there were ten thousand Honus Wagner T-206’s then it would be a normal and inexpensive card. The whole market for this runs on this mantra and without it would fail miserably. 1950’s Topps, 1960’s Topps, 1970’s Topps all have the same thing as the rest; cards get thrown out, not many more left. People want cards of those old players; scramble to find what is available. The vintage market is just as fascinating as the modern market.

Back before cards were worth anything there were only one or two brands and sets you could buy. For most of us, that was Topps. Topps was the one that made baseball cards, they were the one with the gum in the pack. There wasn’t a Topps Triple Threads or Upper Deck X or Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects; there was just Topps card number one to let’s say seven hundred. That was it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]If you haven’t been in coma for the past thirty years I am sure that you know that this has since changed rather dramatically. There is Topps Chrome, Topps Heritage, Topps T-206, Topps Sterling, Bowman, Bowman Chrome, Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects, Bowman Sterling and more and more and more. That’s just Topps. Then there is Donruss, Upper Deck, Tristar as well as several other companies. The excess of sports card manufactures creates no scarcity whatsoever. Base cards were worth nothing and people believed there were millions more of the exact same card. Then the card companies had their big idea.[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]At the headquarters of _______ Card Company there was quite a discussion going on. “Our sales are going down because people don’t think their cards are rare anymore,” said one card company executive “I wonder what can be done.” “There must be a way to create an illusion of paucity among the cards we sell.” “How about printing less?” “That’s stupid, since there won’t be enough cards for all the demand.” “Okay, then how about lying?” “That’s even worse, since people are bound to find out.” “I know!” “What?” “We’ll put little numbers on the back of the cards that say how many of them were printed!” “You’re a genius!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]So all the big card companies started numbering their cards. We believed that there were fewer now and that the cards we bought would be sparse throughout the market. We were accurate, though not exactly.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Our numbered blue refractor might be numbered to three hundred ninety-nine, but when it comes down to it, card companies did not make fewer cards but actually more. There are red refractors, orange refractors, green refractors, blue refractors and even normal refractors that seem rarer than a base card but are produced at a very high quantity. Then there are all the variations, all the different designs, and more so until it gets to the point where you start to wonder if your plan old base card is rarer than them all! Because when you really think about, if you open a pack, there are only a certain number of normal old base cards. There are all these chrome ones, refractor and colored border cards, autographs and jersey and patch cards and shoelace cards and button cards and laundry tag cards and enough items in those things to clothe all the freezing people in this world. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]For example, just the other day I traded a numbered Joe Mauer jersey card for a Mariano Rivera jersey card. Obviously, they are both world-class baseball players but Mariano Rivera is also clearly much better, especially considering his career is near its end. (That solid 1.80 ERA last year does make you wonder how much longer he will be playing, though) Why did I get such a good trade in my opinion? No, it was not that I was trading with a Mauer collector but that the Mauer was numbered and the Rivera wasn’t. There may very well have been the same number of each, just one of them Upper Deck did not bother to number. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]How can we become so tangled up in this mess of ideas that would make us think that these cards that are numbered are worth anymore? Maybe it is the shininess, maybe it is the thought in our heads that there are only two hundred forty-nine other people who have our card and maybe we just try to show it as a positive to other collectors so they will give more for our card.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]When you think about it, some cards are naturally numbered no matter how you look at it. You can’t get a player to sign twenty-five thousand autographs nor can you get him to wear a new jersey every inning of a game. There can only be so many printing plates, unless the company makes printing plates for the sole purpose of putting them in the packs. Many of the cards you spend all your money on our not self-limited sadly. It is pretty easy to print a bunch of refractors, fairly straightforward to make red bordered cards, orange bordered cards as well as reddish-orange bordered cards. There is nearly an unlimited supply of ink, so nearly unlimited quantities can be made. Infinite possibilities of variations exist as well, so every card can be low numbered. Who knew![/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]What should we as collectors do about this deceitful phenomenon? For one, do not pay or trade extra for numbered cards. As I said earlier, a numbered card is no more sporadic than your run of the mill non-numbered card. Another thing you can do is just act differently about them. You list your autos and jerseys cards from a box you opened as well as the numbered refractors. Why list these? Well, people do currently pay more for them so it is pretty logical to. But in the name of the hobby, why not take a little loss for some big time improvement later on?[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]My hope is that we can all come to realize the true value of numbered cards; the same as an unnumbered card. Maybe then when people aren’t paying big money for superfractors and more for normal numbered cards the companies will rethink their tactics and bring to us a nice clean set of normal, unsuperfractored cards. But for now, that is as scarce as what a 1/1 should be.[/FONT]


[/SIZE] ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1083-The-Lunacy-of-the-Numbered-Card http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1082-How-to-Start-a-Card-Collection Mon, 10 Jan 2011 07:41:47 GMT [LEFT][FONT=Times New Roman]You have just recently gotten into card collecting and are happy and amazed to see that you can trade, buy and sell online! But when you actually go online, nobody wants to trade for your cards! That’s because you don’t have very many cards. Rather logical, since you just started collecting so recently. So how will you start your collection? Do you just go to the hobby shop and buy a lot of cards? Or is eBay better? Or should you just buy packs? Read on to find out.[/FONT]

[/LEFT]
[B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #1. Buy Boxes, Cases and Packs Online[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]The most fun of the options for starting a sports card collection is by opening up packs. Go to an online dealer with good prices and buy as many boxes or cases as you can afford. When you get them in the mail, open them up. You now have a sports card collection. Chances are you won’t get your money’s worth of cards, because if the cards in a box were worth more than the price of the box than card companies would just sell singles![/FONT]
[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B]
[B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #2. Buy Boxes, Cases and Packs at a Card Shop[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]This is similar to option #1, but with this you get to experience and learn quite a bit if you open up the cards at a card shop. Other card collectors will high-five you if you pull a good card, knowledgeable people might say interesting things about the cards you are opening and overall you will learn quite a bit as well as have a great time. This is by far the most costly method, though.[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #3. Buy Singles at a Card Shop[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]While convenient, buying singles at a card shop is not very cost effective. The cards will probably be sold for more than twice the price you could purchase them online! The card shop owner must pay rent and everything, so he or she must sell at such high prices so they can gain some sort of profit. It is great to support local card shops, so money spent here is probably the best place to spend it. But it is quite costly, so this is not the greatest option.[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #4. Buy an Entire Collection from a Garage Sale or From a Local Person[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]This is actually a pretty good option. You get a lot of cards for an inexpensive price, if you make sure you get a good deal. A plus with this method is that all you have to do is drive over and pick the items up. A lot of the time people will overvalue their collection and accidentally give outrageously high prices. So make sure to prepare and remember that most cards printed from the 1980’s to the late 90’s are pretty much worthless. (Not all of them are, just the majority)[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #5. Buy an Entire Collection Online [/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]This has its advantages as well as its disadvantages. You know you can’t pay much more than the collection is actually worth, because somebody else would have paid just a hair less than you did. On the other hand, an entire collection weighs a lot; expensive shipping charges. So buying an entire collection online will work fine if you can’t buy a collection locally, but if given the chance most would choose option #4. It is also going to be a large purchase and a number of things can go wrong on the journey of the collection from the dealer to you.[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #6. Buy Singles Online on eBay[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]This works well because you know exactly what you are going to get and what you will pay for it at a maximum. There are numerous problems with buying on eBay, though. Shipping can get very expensive unless you always buy from one or two sellers. You may get angry when somebody snipes away the auction you were about to win. You also must use PayPal, a service which is very good but does have its troubles. You never know if the cards will come undamaged and if they even will come, but eBay does have very good buyer protection and almost always favors to the buyer rather than the seller.[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #7. Buy Singles on Sports Card Forum[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]Of all the options, this is the most interesting. Sometimes you may find a seller who will sell cards for much less than they are worth, while sometimes they are just trying to make money off new members like you. You must also post want lists and reply to offers, which can be very time consuming. Also, you will have to send first to most of the sellers, which can be problematic. Overall, this can be a very good option as well as an extremely bad one.[/FONT]

[B][FONT=Times New Roman][/FONT][/B][B][FONT=Times New Roman]Option #8 Enter Group Breaks[/FONT][/B]
[FONT=Times New Roman]This is quite a different option than many people would think of, but it does have its logic. A group break is when a group of people buy a large amount of boxes or cases and then one person opens them, dispersing the cards based on which “slots” a person purchased. Usually, you will not get a very good deal on a group break. It is similar to opening packs in the way that you are paying extra for a chance of pulling an expensive card, which you probably won’t pull. You also must calculate in the shipping fees from the person who opened all the packs to you. In reality, money wise this may be the worst other than buying at a card shop. The good thing about group breaks is that you get to experience the break with other card collectors, learning things in the process. This is certainly helpful for someone new to the hobby.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman]There is not one option that is clearly the best, but options that are better based on what you want out of the collection. If you want the experience, go to the card shop or join a group break. If you want to save money, either buy an entire collection or singles online. If you want to gamble a bit, then buying boxes or cases of cards is the way to go. In all truth, it is really your own preference that decides how you begin a collection and with all the ways to do it I am sure one will fit your personality perfectly.[/FONT] ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1082-How-to-Start-a-Card-Collection http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1081-Old-Time-Card-Collecting Mon, 10 Jan 2011 06:22:37 GMT [FONT=Calibri]Several years ago, on a dim winter day, I was wondering if there were any card shops where I lived other than my local favorite Diamond Sports Cards. I liked the place, but I thought a change would be nice. The free box there only went so far, the packs of 2006 Topps only had so much. So based on the instructions on the back of a Topps promotional card, I called up Topps to find out if there were any other card shops in my area. Entering my zip code of 94960, with a range of fifteen miles, I was directed of course to my local shop as well as a place I had never heard of before: The Attic.

Being a young collector at the time, with no way to get to this unknown card shop on bike or foot, I convinced my dad for a ride. So off we went to the other side of the county to see what lay in the shelves and cases or maybe even the narrow staircase of The Attic. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]My excitement for this new card shop was quite apparent if you saw me; a big smile on my face, but more of a look of anticipation than joy. Because who knew if this would be the card shop of my dreams or like many other card shops with prices the filthy rich couldn’t even afford?[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]So soon enough, we arrived. It was your stereotypical old card shop from the outside; surrounded by laundromats and a dark window with a little door and bell. So in I went and what was I to behold but a rather unusual card shop. Old arcade games, Pacman and the like. Stuff that I had only heard of, but in the age of arcade death you would never see. Really cool, but I was only interested in the baseball cards.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]I walked up to the counter and said hello to an older man. This was the type of card shop owner who really could and should retire. Clearly doing it for the love of the hobby and life. With wired coin collector type glasses, a little beard and mustache and a grin that could really tell you what his mood was, which was clearly a good mood. It seemed as though all he wanted to do was run this little shop named The Attic. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Under the counter they had some packs of cards, a few autographs such as a Joe Dimaggio that “wasn’t for sale” and a lot of older cards. This was all nice but down to my right was a big box filled with cards from the 1980’s. To my great amazement, these were free![/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Now let me explain a few things here. I was nine years old and did not know that 80’s cards were worth literally nothing. I was just overjoyed that there was this big free box of baseball cards. So I sorted through them.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]A certain design appealed to me, the 1987 Topps card with the wood colored borders. I took all the 1987 Topps cards out of the box and by the time it was empty of that year I had hundreds of cards. You might think the man working there would be annoyed by this, as I hadn’t even bought anything yet, but no, he absolutely wasn’t. If I had eyes in the back of my head, I assume his old and beady eyes would have been beaming through those wire rimmed glasses of his. Obviously, he was not in this for the money. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]I asked if he had more of the “woodies” and low and behold for the next hour or so the store was turned upside down by us searching through all we could find. I added a few more cards to my tally of 1987 Topps cards. Looking for all these cards was certainly not an easy task, as The Attic could have used a good cleaning. With old comic books strewn about, binders full of cards, boxes full of cards and even a nice assortment of bobbleheads. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]I had still not bought anything, but that admirable old man handed me a full set of Topps All-Time Rookie of the Week, a promotion that year where each week you bought a pack of Topps cards you got one reprint rookie, the goal being to complete the set. Sorry all you people who worked hard for your sets, but I got the whole thing without spending a nickel. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]I did have a few nickels in my pocket so I bought a pack of 2001 Topps cards. After that, I said goodbye to the man of The Attic, said a lot of thank you’s and left for home. For the first time in my life, I came out of a card shop ahead, making money instead of losing it.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Next week, on a Thursday, with no Little League game in sight, my dad was convinced to go back to The Attic. Stepping into the old, musty place again brought a lot of happiness to the old man as well as me, as sharing a love of this hobby even though sixty years separated us was quite a bond. I guess he did remember me well, because he enthusiastically told me that he had been searching around and had found more 1987 cards. I was extremely happy, to tell the least.[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]These visits to The Attic continued, as well as my 1987 Topps set. With probably 90% of it done, the unthinkable happened. That wonderful old man decided to retire and close down his store. I am sure he was sad about it, but to be truthful I believe I was much more sorrowful then him. I could still go to my great local card shop, but compared to the experience of The Attic it was nothing. But, as they say, good things must come to an end and it seems as though it did.[/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Depressed about the closing of The Attic, I did not collect cards for a good half year. But sometime in the Fall I decided that I must move on. So back to Diamond Sports Cards I went, which is a great place, just it couldn’t even compare to The Attic. I continued to collect cards for a while, but there was something biting my sock. It was the 1987 Topps set. [/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]Pack after pack of 1987 Topps was opened, box after box was looked through, until finally, I was a card away. One card. One stinking little card away from baseball card collecting glory in my ten year old mind. It was card #71 Mike Aldrete. I mean, he was a common player! Not some Hall of Famer! So more packs were opened, more boxes were looked through. Until one day, yes it did come, I found my last card and accomplished what may have been a $5 dollar set to most but to me you would have trouble trading a Babe Ruth signed baseball for. The value, the price, the investment potential did not matter; I had completed an entire year of Topps baseball cards and nothing would ever compare.[/FONT] ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1081-Old-Time-Card-Collecting http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1079-Really!-I-Had-No-Idea! Mon, 10 Jan 2011 00:50:35 GMT It was my first day trading online and I had already spent $25. I bought a Mike Mussina jersey card for $6, a UD Ballpark Collection dual for $10 and an Albert Pujols jersey card for $9. To someone... It was my first day trading online and I had already spent $25. I bought a Mike Mussina jersey card for $6, a UD Ballpark Collection dual for $10 and an Albert Pujols jersey card for $9. To someone who was used to prices at my local card shop, these seemed like great deals. In reality, I probably could have ended up with all of these for less than half the price. I had more slips as well, getting bad feedback; “Nobody ever told me you are supposed send in a top loader and bubble mailer!”. Through this I did learn a lot, as well as a bit of compassion for the new collectors of the present. So I’m going to give anybody new out there a little bit of help.
All new collectors are subject to experienced sellers and traders whose exact business plan is trading and selling with and to new collectors. They know that the new collector doesn’t know the difference between an on-card autograph or a sticker autograph, the difference between a refractor and a normal card other than one is “shiny and looks nicer.” For those of us who have been here a while, we make our money off of you. As a new collector, myself included, we all made too many bad mistakes (Thanks Yogi). Here are some tips on how to not fall victim to the dishonest sellers like me.
1.BV or Book Value is not the actual value of a card. It is the price that the Beckett Magazine or other price guides put on the card, usually much higher than the price it would actually sell for. So let’s say a seller says, “This Ken Griffey Jr. insert has a BV of $30 but I’ll give it to you for only $25!” Chances are that is going to be a terrible deal. In reality, most sellers’ offers are going to be terrible deals. That’s why you need to make the offer. Go to eBay and search for the item, then look under “completed listings.” The prices here are a good way to go, as they are market value.
2.Just because you are getting a whole box of cards and they are 20-30 years old does not mean it is a good deal. You might think, “Wow, he is selling me 5,000 cards for only $20!” “This guy is stupid!” No, it is actually you. Cards from the 80s and 90s are worth less than index cards. They are a good choice if you have a kid who doesn’t know much about collecting and will enjoy looking through all the cards, though from a money standpoint many people use these as kindling.
3.However cool it is to own a piece of a jersey in a card, these are not worth $10 a piece. More like $3 for a star player. Again, when they quote Beckett and give you this outrageous price, just use eBay’s completed listings.
4.If you want to make money, do not open boxes or “bust wax.” You have about a one in let’s say eight chance of coming out ahead. If the cards in the box were worth more than the price of the box, the company would just sell it. “Busting wax” is still pretty fun, so do it but do it sparingly.
5.Making money in sports cards is extremely hard, but there are several ways to do it. You can always get really lucky and pull some amazing card, though there is no way to guarantee it and chances are you will end up with the same lame thing you always get. You can buy and trade normal cards for less than they are worth and then sell them for more. But how do you do this? If this was possible the person you originally bought the card(s) from would have sold it for what you are selling it for right now. You can also be smart on your purchases. Buy up lots of stuff from that kid who plays on the minor league team nearby that nobody knows about. Buy cards that will increase in value. Or my favorite of all, buy inconvenient cards. What is this? Well how about ungraded cards that should be graded? An old T-206 tobacco card ungraded is worth a lot less than it is worth graded. So buy some ungraded and then when you get enough of them go ahead and cash them in at PSA. Or what about going on eBay and buying some redemption cards? That Mike Leake Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects autographed rookie card might only cost $6 as a redemption, but when you receive the card in the mail six months from now it will be valued a lot more because the buyer won’t have to wait so long.
6.Your cards are not worth as much as you think. That really cool Alex Rodriguez insert card your son has is not going to sell on eBay for $20. If you are new, it will probably sell with one bid. That’s why before trading and selling more expensive cards you need to build some feedback. And above all, never leave negative feedback on a sports card trading site or eBay without first consulting the offending party. If it is eBay, they will probably file some PayPal dispute and outsmart you out of $100 even though the card you bought only cost $5. If it is a trading forum, the member may very well be an experienced and well-liked member who will get you banned even though you did nothing wrong. You see, feedback is important to people so if you get a bent card, first ask the seller or trader to give you a refund instead of just leaving negative feedback right off the bat.
7.Last of all, stop being so uptight about everything. This is not a job. If it was, you would be bankrupt by now. You’re trading, buying and selling sports cards as a hobby. If you want stress, go back to the office. Feel free to trade your entire collection for a Joe Shlabotnik card, enjoy the hobby and stop worrying if you are getting the good side of the deal.
Before I let you go, I should tell a little story that illustrates the last point. Imagine you are outside a card shop where a guy has a big box of worthless 80s cards. You buy this big box for $30, go home happy and then realize you just bought a bunch of junk. Well, even with this, you search through the cards looking for something noteworthy, I guess. Nah, nothing found. Too bad. At least you now know a lot more players’ names.
Next day, look through it a bit more. Find a few Clemens rookies, maybe a Tony Gwynn or two, okay, these are probably worth a couple of dollars. Then you notice a card in a plastic sleeve all the way on the far left. Pull it out. A Mantle. Looks like a 1956. Good condition. You just made some money on this big box of cards. Shows that sometimes take a little chance on what would otherwise be worthless. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/1079-Really!-I-Had-No-Idea! http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/402-BV-amp-SV-Baloney Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:10:35 GMT I personally think BV and SV are stupid. A card is worth what someone will pay for it. There is no basic value of a card. If someone on ebay buys some Mark Teixeira GU for $3 then that shouldn't become it's value. To the person who bought it that's what he would pay for it. Nothing can have a stated value. If you want to join my group for Beckett haters click this link: [URL]http://www.sportscardforum.com/group.php?groupid=197[/URL]
I agree a bit more with Sale Value because someone actually bought it for that. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/402-BV-amp-SV-Baloney http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/353-Manny-Ramirez-amp-Talk-About-Performance-Enhancing-Drugs Thu, 07 May 2009 22:30:55 GMT Manny Ramirez was suspended for 50 games for using performance enhancing drugs. It is a sad day for baseball. It seems as though every player uses them. I really don't care. No one cares if someone cheated or not. They just want to see homeruns and that's what Manny does. It's the press that makes a big deal out of it. In a lot of sports every single player uses steroids. Every single NFL player or boxer uses them. But people make a big deal about them in baseball. But the main point is no one cares why a player is hitting a gazillion homers a game....they just want to see them hit. What a player does with his body is his own problem. Players for ages have been using this stuff.....Hank Aaron and a good chunk of good players from back then used drugs that are now illegal in MLB. So if Manny or Bonds or ARod's records are tainted, why aren't there's too? One word, press. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/353-Manny-Ramirez-amp-Talk-About-Performance-Enhancing-Drugs http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/352-Making-Members-Offer Thu, 07 May 2009 22:14:18 GMT I really can't stand when a seller makes me make an offer. He should be making an offer because he's selling it so should be setting a price. It's almost like a "Best Offer" auction on eBay. It's hard to make a rule against this but I doubt anyone except the seller likes when that happens. ]]> SteakNchop http://www.sportscardforum.com/entries/352-Making-Members-Offer