Innholdsfortegnelse for January 1, 2025 i Sports Collectors Digest

I love covering the hobby and putting together Sports Collectors Digest each month. Hopefully it delivers content collectors crave as much as the hottest rookie cards. But the saddest part of my job comes at the end of each year, when we put together the annual list of sports legends who have passed away in the past year. Many readers love this list. They have told me so, in no uncertain terms. They would like for me to publish such obituaries and memorials in every issue. I wish we had the space to do so. The list of notable sports deaths in this issue allows readers to reflect on who those who have passed and pay respects to athletes that brought us so much joy. We not only loved watching…

One of the relatively affordable pursuits among 1960s baseball card sets—especially if you dig big and bold images—is Topps’ “Giants” set of 1964. That was a momentous year in America: Beatlemania swept the nation, Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) knocked out Sonny Liston for his first heavyweight title, and President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act. There was no shortage of turmoil and strife, either, between race riots, the escalating war in Vietnam and major earthquakes in Alaska and Japan. But in the innocent world of baseball cards, Topps presented collectors with a star-studded set of supersized cards. Measuring 3⅛-by-5¼ inches, Topps’ 1964 Giants cards offered a high-impact portrait on the front and, on the reverse, a smaller photo within a newspaper-style highlights box. The design and…

When Topps released its 2023 Bowman Draft set last year, it featured the first baseball card of NFL legend Tom Brady, who was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995. The cards quickly sold for big dollars, with a 1/1 Brady Superfractor selling for $158,600 at Goldin. Other Bowman Brady Superfractors sold for five figures on eBay and other online marketplaces. Now Topps is releasing a baseball card of another NFL legend with a 2024 Bowman Draft card of Denver Broncos star and Pro Football Hall of Famer John Elway. Elway was drafted in the second round of the 1981 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees, six picks ahead of Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn. He played one season in the minor leagues before turning to football. He…

NOTE: If you have a show listing, follow the style below and send to jowens@aimmedia.com. ALABAMA Jan 4 AL, Scottsboro. Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, Scottsboro Goose Pond Civic Center, 1165 Ed Hembree Dr., Scottsboro, AL 35769. SH: 9am-2pm. T: 150. A: Free. Contact: Stephen Moore 256-599-0989; Stephen@jacksonssportscards.com; jacksonssportscards.com Jan 18 AL, Daphne. The Gulf Coast Card Show, Daphne Civic Center, 2603 US Hwy 98, Daphne, AL 36526. SH: 9am-6pm. T: 100+ A: Any donation for local animal shelter. Contact: Nathan Carraway Ncarraway@bighitsportscards.com ARIZONA Jan 12 AZ, Sun City West. Diamond in the Ruff Sports Card & Collectibles Show, SCW Foundation Webb/Powell Rooms, 14465 W RH Johnson Blvd., Sun City West, AZ 85373. SH: 1-5pm. T: 60 ($35, 2/$65, 3/$90). A: Free. Contact: Joey 602-908-1597; psastud1976@yahoo.com CALIFORNIA Jan 11 CA,…

Do you know about Toni Stone? She was the first woman to play in a men’s professional baseball league for the Negro League’s Indianapolis Clowns. She replaced a player who was signed by the Milwaukee Braves. His name? Henry Aaron. Being a woman trying to play in a men’s league is hard enough, but being an African-American woman didn’t make it any easier. Even as a young girl many didn’t want Stone to play or to coach her, even though the talent was there. Even when she made the Indianapolis Clowns roster she was chided by a few of her teammates, who basically told her to go home to the kitchen. She didn’t listen. A new children’s book on Stone, “Swinging Into History” by author Karen Swanson, is out now.…

A rare 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card sold for $1.6 million at Fanatics Collect. The card, the first big high-end card to hit the auction market from Fanatics, is the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #149, or the “Red Ruth.” Graded PSA 8.5, with none graded higher and only two others carrying the same grade, it has a higher grade than the 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth card (PSA 8) currently displayed in the Smithsonian Museum. The iconic card attracted 59 bids and sold for $1,620,000. Fanatics estimated it would sell from $1.5 to $3 million. Fanatics officials called it a “once in a generation” card and a “piece of artwork.” The anonymous consigner of the card was only the second owner. It was bought from a family whose grandfather owned it…

It is always sad when memorable sports stars we have followed and collected for years pass away, especially legendary names that had a huge impact on the hobby and the sports world, as well as their respective games. We saw the passing of such iconic figures as Willie Mays, Pete Rose, O.J. Simpson, Bill Walton and Jerry West. In all, 16 Hall of Famers across all sports died in 2024. Big stars across all sports passed, including champions in golf, tennis, hockey, auto racing and wrestling. Some died way to young, like Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau, and some earned their just reward after a long, full life, like 97-year-old pitcher Carl Erskine, 99-year-old halfback Dub Jones, and 100-year-old golfer Jack Burke. The good news is that collectors can continue to memorialize…

The inaugural Fanatics Fest event in New York City was so successful that Fanatics has planned an even bigger sports festival for 2025. Fanatics Fest NYC, the immersive, interactive festival for sports fans and collectors and some of the biggest names in sports, is scheduled for June 20–22, 2025 at the Javits Center in New York City. The multi-day event, which transformed New York City into the epicenter of fandom, collecting and culture, will feature even more preeminent athletes, sports leagues, teams and sports and hobby brands. The inaugural event in August hosted more than 70,000 fans across three days. After strong turnout and positive fan reviews and social media buzz, the 2025 event will be even bigger and better. It will feature more show-floor space; an expanded schedule of…

With Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge winning the 2024 MLB MVP awards, Topps is bringing back its popular MVP Buyback Program with a fun, Wild West twist. Ohtani won his third MVP award after his 50/50 campaign with the World Series champion Dodgers, while Judge collected his second MVP for the Yankees. Collectors who pull 2024 Topps Chrome cards of Ohtani or Judge can exchange them for store credit at participating hobby shops nationwide. (To find a store near you, visit ripped.topps.com/2024-topps-mvp-buyback-program/) Topps is celebrating the campaign with a cool Wild West video dubbed “Chrome Rush,” a modern-day treasure hunt featuring MLB legends “Big Papi” David Ortiz, “Big Hurt” Frank Thomas, Pedro Martinez, Rollie Fingers, and Vlad Guerrero Sr. According to Topps, “Just as prospectors once searched for rare and…