Innholdsfortegnelse for December 1, 2024 i Sports Collectors Digest

LEADING OFF We were stoked for an epic World Series. After three thrilling weeks of dramatic playoff baseball, fans were poised for a classic showdown between two historic franchises that had faced each other a record 12 times in the World Series. Led by the two best players in baseball, the Dodgers and Yankees renewed their 83-year-old postseason rivalry with the Yankees’ dynamic duo of Juan Soto and Aaron Judge squaring off against the Dodgers’ terrific trio of Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman. But unless you’re a diehard Dodgers fan, the 2024 World Series left us craving more. For many, the outcome was bittersweet. What was expected to be a long, tight series turned into a 4-1 series romp as the Dodgers jumped out to a three-game lead…

Admit it: You have undervalued Freddie Freeman memorabilia all these years. It’s understandable. The first baseman, as an L.A. Dodgers star since 2022, has played in the shadows of otherworldly talent Shohei Ohtani and the headlining Mookie Betts. And prior to his Dodgers days, Freeman played second fiddle to Ronald Acuna Jr. And don’t forget: When Freeman came up as a 20-year-old in 2010, the Braves still revolved around future Hall of Famer Chipper Jones. But there’s something about postseason heroics that elevate a player in the hobby. And with Freeman, we saw that happen in 2024, as he homered in the first four games of the World Series. Considering he homered in his last two Fall Classic games for Atlanta in 2021, Freeman now owns the record for homers…

With the WNBA playoffs over and the 2024-25 NBA season underway, eBay has launched a new 24-hour auction of some of the hottest and most relevant basketball cards on the market. The new “Gametime Gets” auction features basketball cards that drop when players reach milestones on the court, and are only available for 24 hours. Each of the 50 trading cards—and the on-court milestones that make them available—are selected by former WNBA MVP and basketball analyst Candace Parker. The auctions began on Oct. 22 with bidding for each card starting at 24 cents, an homage to the game’s 24-second shot clock. “Each season, we watch our favorite players hit their personal bests and set records, and as fans, we want a piece of that action and history,” Parker said in…

(NOTE: Excerpts from this article were taken from the author’s recently published book “The Lineup Card, An Illustrated History of the Baseball Collectible,” published by McFarland Publishing, 2024). Hidden gems, card displays, chasing free lineup cards, and the future of physical lineup cards were the topics most mentioned in an informal survey of collectors and sports memorabilia executives regarding the current state of the baseball lineup card market. Lineup cards will always be a niche in the baseball memorabilia world due to the low quantity of high-end cards, particularly vintage cards. But for some collectors, that only adds to their appeal as a collectible. “A big part of the charm of the lineup card is the scarcity,” said Andy Strasberg, a baseball author, memorabilia collector and former San Diego Padres…

THE HOBBY IS THE PEOPLE We all enjoy ripping packs and anticipating what we may get. We enjoy going to card shows, our LCS, or using our laptops or phones to purchase cards to add to our collections. But we often don’t think about the process leading to the production of the cards we love so much. One of those important aspects we rarely consider is sports photography. Who’s taking those awesome action shots that make cards so attractive? And how does that magic happen? In the digital age, it’s much different than in the past. I wonder if some collectors think a photographer just shows up when the game starts, snaps some shots and goes home. I hope most realize there’s much more to it than that. Sports photographer…

Coming off his historic 50/50 season and World Series appearance, Shohei Ohtani is the most collected baseball player in the world and one of the top five athletes across all sports. But he was not the only player in the 2024 World Series that captured the attention of baseball card collectors. While Ohtani and Yankees star Aaron Judge led the way, cards of other Dodgers and Yankees stars also were highly sought after by collectors. During the World Series, PSA compiled a list of the five most collected Dodgers and Yankees players in this year’s Fall Classic, based on cards graded. They included: DODGERS Shohei Ohtani (111,981 cards graded). Most popular card: 2018 Bowman #49Yoshinobu Yamamoto (13,072 cards graded). Most popular: 2024 Bowman #36Mookie Betts (8,055 cards graded). Most popular:…

The baseball that Shohei Ohtani hit for his historic 50th home run this season sold for a record $4.3 million at Goldin Co. The final price of $4,392,000 million was the highest sales price for a game-used baseball. Goldin estimated the ball would sell for between $3 and $5 million. “Shohei Ohtani made history with this baseball, and now, with the highest sale price for any ball ever sold, this legendary piece of sports memorabilia has made history again,” said Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin. “We received bids from around the world, a testament to the significance of this iconic collectible and Ohtani’s impact on sports.” On Sept. 19, Ohtani became the first MLB player ever to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.…

NOTE: If you have a show listing, follow the style below and send to jowens@aimmedia.com. ALABAMA Dec 14 AL, Huntsville. The Flip Sports Card & Collectibles Trade Show, Von Braun Center, 700 Monroe St. SW, Huntsville, AL 35801 SH: 10am-5pm. T: 200+ ($80-95). A: $7 Contact: Daniel TheFlipTradeShow@Gmail.com Dec 14 AR, Conway. Conway Sports Card Show, ELITE, 1400 Old Morrilton Hwy #3513, Conway, AR. SH: 9am-3pm. T: 75. A: Free. Contact: Clay conwaycardshow@gmail.com ARIZONA Dec 7 AZ, Tempe (Phoenix). Collectibles on College — Tempe Monthly, University Presbertyrian Church, 139 E. Alameda Dr., Tempe, AZ 85281. SH: 10am-3pm. T: 65 ($50-65). A: Free. Contact: Cole CollectiblesonCollege@gmail.com Dec 8 AZ, Sun City West. Diamond in the Ruff Sportscard & Collectibles Show, SCW Foundation Webb/Powell, Rooms 14465, W RH Johnson Blvd., Sun City West,…