Innholdsfortegnelse for April 15, 2023 i Sports Collectors Digest

LEADING OFF When Shohei Ohtani faced Mike Trout in the ninth inning of the championship game of the World Baseball Classic, it was a dramatic, historic moment. Ohtani and Trout, teammates with the LA Angels but playing for their respective countries in the WBC, are future Hall of Famers and arguably the two best players in the game today. The drama was so intense it was like watching Babe Ruth face Walter Johnson. Or Bob Gibson staring down Hank Aaron or Willie Mays. Ohtani, the first two-way star since Ruth, got the best of Trout, striking him out to clinch Japan’s victory over a stacked U.S. team. It capped a thrilling tournament that proved that baseball is alive and well and still one of the greatest games in the world.…

THE HOBBY IS THE PEOPLE If you read my introductory column six months ago you know the importance of local card shops, especially in the central New York area where we have a void. For Episode 222 of the Sports Card Nation podcast, I recently made the 45-minute trek to a new LCS in New Hartford, N.Y. owned by my friend Nick Brower. AAN Collect is located in a busy strip mall. Upon entering the store the vast inventory is immediately apparent. Brower carries an impressive amount of sports wax but also stocks a great line of Pokémon and gaming cards as well. He also has one of the largest Funko Pop inventories I've seen in person. If that wasn't enough, he also carries non-Funko figures. On the east wall…

Check out this awesome vintage photograph of Jackie Robinson. The Acme News release is dated April 11, 1947 — just after Robinson arrived in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform to break baseball’s color barrier. The well-detailed photograph shows Robinson during practice at Ebbets Field leaping high in the air for an errant throw around first base. While it drew only two bids on eBay, it brought a healthy price: $7,000. On the other hand, an impressive 1952 Topps Robinson card inspired 98 bids on eBay in early March. The competition helped it soar to $36,203, putting it on our Top 10 chart last time out. The eBay seller touted the card’s centering, but the photograph shows it’s far from perfect — crooked and off to one side. The real story with…

For a complete listing of upcoming shows, visit www.sportscollectorsdigest.com ALABAMA April 14-15 AL, Gardendale (North Birmingham). The Flip Sports Card & Collectibles Trade Show, Gardendale Civic Center, 857 Main Street Gardendale, Alabama 35071. SH: Fri 12-6pm; Sat 10am-4pm. T: 200+ ($100-$150). A: $5-$10. Contact: Daniel TheFlipTradeShow@Gmail.com ARKANSAS April 14-15 AR, Bentonville. GG2 Sports Cards Show, Four Points Hotel, 211 SE Walton Blvd., Bentonville, AR. SH: Fri: 10am-6pm; Sat: 9am-4pm. T: 140. A: Free. Contact: Matt Canaday gg2sportscards@gmail.com ARIZONA May 6 AZ, Tempe (Phoenix). Collectibles on College — Tempe Monthly, University Presbyterian Church, 139 E. Alameda Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281. SH: 10am-3pm. T: 65 ($50-60, free lunch for dealers). A: Free. Contact: Cole CollectiblesonCollege@gmail.com CALIFORNIA April 15-16 CA, Concord. Eastbay Sports Card & Collectors Show presented by Tenth Inning Productions, Concord…

Heritage Auctions made big headlines last year when it sold a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card, graded SGC 9.5, for $12.6 million, an all-time sports card record. Heritage continues to be the go-to source for testing the market on the hobby’s most iconic card. A ’52 Mantle graded SGC VG 3 topped its March Sports Showcase, selling for $56,640. Heritage has at least three more ’52 Mantles in its May Spring Sports Catalog Auction. A PSA 7 version has an estimated value of $400,000 or more, while a PSA 6 is valued at $160,000 and a PSA 5 at $120,000. Heritage’s spring auction is loaded with high-end cards and memorabilia, including Ted Williams’ 1966 Baseball Hall of Fame ring ($150,000 and up) and a 1946 Williams game-used bat ($120,000 and…

It could be considered the Loch Ness Monster of the trading card hobby. LeBron James’ 2003 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Logoman autographed 1-of-1 — James’ best card — has never surfaced in public. The horizontal version of that card sold in 2016 for $312,000. However, the vertical example of this Superfractor has never been seen. “It’s the ultimate chase card for LeBron,” said Jesse Craig, vice president of sales for PWCC Marketplace. “He didn’t have a 1-of-1 autograph Logoman in Exquisite, so this is the only vertical ’03 single Logoman signed by LeBron. It’s probably a $20 to $25 million card.” So two full decades after Upper Deck released the rare James rookie, where could it be? Still sitting in an unopened pack somewhere? Chances are, likely not. “I’ve heard…