Archive for August, 2009
Talking eBay at the Card Show
Posted by: | CommentsAs you may have already guessed, my favorite time of year starts at Spring Training . . . and with any luck ends with the Yankees in the World Series in October. I love baseball, so even if the Yankees don’t make it, the playoffs are still a great time of the year. My second favorite time is when the baseball card show comes to town. There are roughly three in my area (White Plains, NY) throughout the year, and with no local hobby shops this is like a three day slice of heaven.
Despite the card show opening on a Thursday night, I held off going until Friday morning, because I knew my rationale of all the good cards being gone on Thursday was a bit nutty. I arrived fairly early, with my checklists, my budget, and my mission (going to these things with a budget is really not worth bothering with because you never stick to it, at least it seems that I never do). Aside from picking up Pujols cards to fill in some gaps in my collection and supplies, I wanted to try and finish my 2009 O-Pee-Chee set, which at the time was missing 51 cards.
I started the show by visiting a dealer with just hobby boxes who remembered me (it was a trend all day it seemed), and we started talking Yankees, and about the new stadium. Since he was not in my budget I left empty handed. Now, I could tell you all about the deals I picked up while I was there, like seven cards for $5 bucks which got me all the Yankees 2009 Legendary Cuts (plus a Jay Bruce from the set).
But we are going to forgo the loot talk because I found a more consistent theme by talking to many dealers. It had less to do with them remembering I collect Pujols and asking where Suzy (my co-blogger/closest friend) is because they had a box of Jeter cards for her, and more to do with a growing dislike of selling on eBay.
When you talk about eBay with these vendors, you’re likely to hear some strong opinions. The gentleman who sold me the base cards at seven for $5 told me business with selling singles on eBay right now was poor, thanks to the fee structure change and less volume of customers. I really thought it was just our store because we haven’t had the money to buy new stock in a while, but this was coming from a guy with over 100,000 positive feedbacks, not counting duplicate user feedbacks. He told me that right now it really isn’t worth selling on eBay but he will continue to do so now just because he owns his own hobby store, and has a website (so for now it still can work for him).
Where hobby boxes are concerned, he now sells them only through his website, because he was putting up hobby boxes as “Buy-It-Now” or “Best Offer” listings and getting offers that were well under 60% of what they were listed for. Sadly, I was not surprised by this. I told him that many of us like the best offer option to maybe save $5 or $10 bucks, and that I usually try an offer around that discount just to feel like I saved something. He understood where I was coming from and wished that was the case with most people.
Another guy I frequently deal with on eBay only sells singles from case breaks, and I figured this was the guy who could help me pick up the last of the cards I needed for my 2009 O-Pee-Chee set. We had a little chit chat about cards while I rummaged through some boxes and I asked him if he had the OPC cards; he did not bring them. Not only did he not bring them, but he proceeded to tell me how hot they were in his eBay store and why. At this point, I was already steaming mad before I heard his reasoning (just in case you were wondering how I felt).
He told me he ordered X number of cases from his distributor, and only ended up with half. Now, he had promised team sets to many pre-orders and needed to fulfill those first, and then the remaining singles were being allocated to the eBay store. He said he sells more of those than anything right now, and didn’t really get it until he searched himself and found out there were not many (if any) other sellers of singles from this set. He also informed me that he would not charge $1 per base card, but that is the lowest you can list on eBay and they are selling. So how could I fault the guy for leaving them home and making money on them? Well, I can for one reason and one reason alone- eBay fees. He would probably end up with the same profit selling them at the card show.
The last vendor I spoke to ended up telling me basically the same things as the first two guys. I walked around to take care of a few last items (Albert Pujols Diamond Collection card, 2009 Legendary Cuts dual game-used jersey card of Robinson Cano & Ron Guidry) while mulling over all this eBay talk. I generally tend to talk more than look at these shows mostly because other than my blog and Suzy, it’s rare to find collectors this dedicated to the hobby.
When eBay first came around it seemed like it was the place to buy anything and everything at a great discount. In some cases that still holds true, but in the case of baseball cards I don’t know how much longer collectors can get a bargain buying here because of the fees eBay is now charging. Between the store fee (basic store starts at $15/month), listing fees, final value fees, and then PayPal fees because you can no longer accept checks or money orders, you are sometimes looking at making mere cents for selling a card. While I would love to continue my eBay business it is no longer practical or profitable, which is sad because I liked being able to flip unwanted cards for a couple of Albert Pujols or an occasional Robbie Cano autograph.
It seems to be a growing trend that dealers, sellers, and collectors are moving away from selling on eBay right now. If anyone else has a story to share about eBay, I would love to hear your comments or stories.
Popularity: unranked [?]
NHL Rookies Earn Their Stripes
Posted by: | CommentsOn Wednesday, August 26, the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ontario – normally a launching pad for up-and-coming skaters and Canadian Juniors from the local area – was transformed into the site of Upper Deck’s inaugural NHL Rookie Debut Photo Shoot. Much like previous Upper Deck rookie shoots with top talent entering either the NBA or NFL, this week’s hockey version sported the best of the best of the NHL’s finest youngsters prepping to make their on-ice debuts in the coming months as professional hockey players. As the NHL’s sole producer of hockey trading cards since 2005, this was a unique opportunity long overdue. John Tavares, the No. 1 overall selection by the New York Islanders from the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, was on hand as was the likes of Swedish Elite League Rookie of the Year Victor Hedman (No. 2 pick, Tampa Bay) and slick stick handler Matt Duchene (No. 3 pick, Colorado).
Victor Hedman of the Tampa Bay Lightning greets the press.
This was Upper Deck’s first chance to capture the players (14 in all) sporting their new NHL team uniforms in a variety of poses and scenes, including some candid video footage that will make its way to YouTube in the coming days. The players were enthusiastic, accommodating and eager to please. They went through a total of four “stations” set up by the creative forces at Upper Deck including on-ice action; portraits; the memorabilia signing station; and the aforementioned video station where the players laughed hard and received their “rookie boot camp” initiation on everything from how to properly sign hockey trading cards to the correct way to lace up their skates and tape their sticks. The hockey coach/drill instructor employed by Upper Deck for the shoot was Andrew Long, a 28-year-old aspiring actor from southern California who went by the stage name of “Ron Cherry” for the taping.
On-Ice Station: All 14 of the participating rookies listen for instruction at Station No. 1.
As an added incentive, Upper Deck dangled an autographed LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers jersey (courtesy of Upper Deck Authenticated) as a top prize to be awarded to the player who showed the most enthusiasm during the video tapings. Although trick shots, celebratory skating and even on-ice hip-checks delivered to Upper Deck’s official mascot (“Coach Cardman”) were part of the mix, the player having the most fun throughout the day would walk home with the away jersey signed by the NBA’s reigning MVP who just happens to double as an exclusive autograph signer for Upper Deck.
Coach Cardman hits the ice at the Hershey Centre.
Following a good night’s sleep at the Westin Harbour Castle, Upper Deck shuttled the players to the Hershey Centre where they quickly donned their new teams’ jerseys for a 60-minute media “scrum” from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. where more than 25 members of the Canadian press (TV, radio, online and print) put the rookies through a gauntlet of questions and interviews regarding their on-ice careers as well as the day’s fast-approaching photo shoot for their first-ever Upper Deck trading cards. Excitement defined the mood as Canada’s sports leader TSN (The Sports Network) covered the event, along with reporters, photographers and Bloggers from the Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Reuters, Rogers Sportsnet, and The Hockey News.
After the media interviews, the players retreated into the locker room to get into pads and equipment for the day’s photo shoot. At 11 a.m., the event was underway. Group No. 1 included Tavares, Hedman, Duchene and Cody Hodgson. While they attacked the on-ice photo station, Group No. 2 (Mikael Backlund, Tyler Bozak, Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson and Jared Cowen) got up-close and personal with Coach Cherry at the video station. (As an ironic side note, hockey Hall of Famer Don Cherry was actually in attendance for a short while at the Hershey Centre, where he chatted it up with many of the rookies. Efforts to recruit the hockey icon as part of our video scheme, however, came up empty.) Group No. 3 consisted of James Van Riemsdyk, Colin Wilson and Bobby Sanguinetti, who posed for their portrait shots. The fourth group was P.K. Subban, Eric Tangradi and Logan Couture, who got their first dose of an orchestrated autograph session as they signed hundreds of signatures for the hockey card leader.
Jared Cowen and Jonas Gustavsson show their acting chops during the video portion.
Each station lasted approximately 60 minutes long, so the players simply moved on to the next station once their session was complete. With a sit-down lunch sandwiched between the second and third stations, the players were primed and ready to attack the remaining day’s duties.
As part of the video portion of the day’s activities, the players were asked to demonstrate a skating celebration they might employ after scoring a lamp-lighter in the NHL. Backlund, who will now be skating for the Calgary Flames, showed a unique “moon-skate” dance (think Michael Jackson), while Cowen – drafted by the Ottawa Senators – showed a nice Vegas-style crap roll after putting the puck in the net.
Each of the players showed plenty of zest for their newfound hockey opportunity, but no one was more animated throughout the day than Subban, a defenseman taken by the Montreal Canadiens. His laughter, energy and enthusiasm were infectious and as the event came to a close, the Upper Deck crew picked their winner: Subban!
PK Subban accepts the LeBron James signed UDA jersey from Coach Cardman and Coach Ron Cherry.
“It’s my brother’s birthday next week and he’s a huge LeBron James fan, so the timing couldn’t be better,” said Subban. “I just want to say thanks to Upper Deck for putting this event on today and for letting me walk away with this jersey.”
Josh Zusman, Upper Deck’s Hockey brand manager, summed up the day’s event this way: “The inaugural NHL Rookie Photo Shoot was asmashing success. With 14 of the top rookies, 25 media outlets and some great momentum, we have created hype that will carry us into the season and beyond!”
Upper Deck staffers pose with the NHL Rookies following the day’s events.
Coming soon: the debut of the Upper Deck 2009 NHL Rookie Video!
Popularity: unranked [?]
Brag Photo: Mark Sanchez Trojan Threads
Posted by: | CommentsIt became official this week: in his first game as an NFL player, Mark Sanchez will start at quarterback for the New York Jets. The rookie has the starting job, and Jets fans are excited about the future.
Being in the sports hobby business, we’re pretty excited as well: it’s always cool to put product out there for promising rookies (especially one like Sanchez, who is getting the starting job out the gate). But we expect collectors are most excited, especially where rookie cards are concerned.
Given the news this week, I decided to crack into the vaults, and see what kind of Sanchez items I could find. Check this out:
Pretty cool, right? It’s a signed Mark Sanchez USC letterman card, one of only ten (check out the number on the lower left hand side). Seeing as how this card is in SP Threads and hitting shelves on 10/13, I’d say it’s a pretty good brag photo.
I get the sense you’re not impressed.
I mean it’s a drool-worthy card, but we make these. We’re Upper Deck. We can do better.
How about this?
Yep, that would be the full set. I’m still catching up and everything, but I hear it would be incredibly difficult to put this together. Given that this set has Sanchez’s college threads and he’s preparing to take snaps for the Jets on Week 1, I’d say this will be one of the hottest football cards when it hits the market.
Popularity: 3% [?]
NHL Rookies And Upper Deck on TSN
Posted by: | CommentsIn case you missed our post on Monday, Upper Deck is at the NHL Rookie Photo Shoot this week, and the players are very excited about getting their first hockey trading cards. TSN did a great piece on the event, which you can check out by clicking here.
Now, if you were hanging around here a few months ago, you saw our famous NFL Rookie Touchdown Dance video. We’ve got something similar in the works for these NHL rookies that hockey fans will love, so stay tuned . . .
Popularity: unranked [?]
The Value of a Tiger Woods Autograph
Posted by: | CommentsRight now, Tiger Woods is on the warpath after a debilitating injury that could have put many athletes out for good. After spending close to a year on the shelf with a surgically repaired knee, he is coming back with the roar we have become accustomed to seeing. Because Woods has already won a slew of Majors (not to mention more tournaments than you can shake a nine iron at), he is the person that tops my list of autographs you MUST get in the next year.
As we saw this past week at Hazeltine Country Club in Minnesota, Tiger is a freak of nature, driving the ball farther than I have ever seen. I have actually had the chance to play the course myself, and though I am around a 10 handicap, I haven’t ever seen anyone play the course the way he did. He is truly the beast of beasts, quite possibly the most talented athlete in the world without challenge. For those of you who play golf, it’s clear what I am talking about when it comes to the unmatched difficulty of the game.
As many will attest, golf is one sport that can take a lifetime to become good, even at a casual level. To give you an idea, I have played golf since I was five, and I still cannot hit a ball over 300 yards. This is a feat that Tiger can accomplish without removing the head covers from his woods. Even if I did manage the farthest shot of my career, it definitely wouldn’t go in the right direction. For a professional, this type of thing is expected, and Tiger does it with class.
I used to know a local pro who was lucky enough to play in a tournament round with Tiger; he said it was like watching perfection with every swing. Every. Last. Swing. He said that Tiger did not make one mistake the whole time he was out there, something that most golfers will say is close to impossible. Of course, I’m not even talking about shanking it into the water, missing a bunker shot, or failing to reach a green in regulation. I am talking about hitting the right spot on every fairway with your drives, landing each approach shot within mere feet, and putting on a less than two putts per hole average. The guy will be the best ever when it is said and done, possibly among the best players of any sport in history.
Luckily for us, we have many opportunities to own a piece of Tiger’s glory, something that is usually very hard with the titans of each respective sport. Even though it may cost above 300 dollars to purchase a frame worthy piece, it will be worth every single cent in the coming years. Tiger has done more for golf than any single person has done for a single sport, and that will only become more relevant as he moves forward.
If you have the money to purchase one of his SP Authentic golf cards, I would do so as soon as you possibly can. There is no way your investment will decrease in value, even if he were to retire tomorrow. Michael Jordan may have been the best and most visible athlete before, but he never meant as much to his sport as Tiger does to his. Jordan’s autographs are the most valuable every year, regardless of set, and Tiger will never be any different (as evidenced by his recent appearances in Ultimate Football and Champs Hockey). Also, as an Upper Deck exclusive spokesman, he should keep signing for many upcoming sets, something that will continue to be a great thing for collectors who don’t have his autograph.
The fact of the matter is, that there has never been another player to have the game changed to challenge their dominance. This fact alone gives people a perspective as to just how much Woods has meant to the game of golf. Since his first win, Tiger’s presence in golf has prompted new golf course designs, new huge distances from the tee, and new depth in every bunker. Someone like Babe Ruth was a player who could have been challenged by bigger parks, but that never happened the same way Tiger has faced constant change in every day play. The biggest example has definitely been the changes to Augusta; one of the most famous courses in the world, where course redesigns after Woods’ -19 performance in his first Masters win were sweeping to say the least. Entire holes were gutted to make it harder for him to rack up crazy scores, including the holes on the famous Amen Corner. Like a true champion, it did little to prevent his number of victories, but rather only grew the stroke counts in which he accomplished them.
With the Upper Deck Authenticated store offering some of the most breathtaking pieces ever signed by Tiger, its time to think about spending some money while prices are where they are. Even if you are just a casual fan, it is worth the money to add a conversation piece to your collection just to display it with pride. Even better is that every single Tiger Woods autograph has gone through the extensive Upper Deck certification process, which means that there is a 100% guarantee from the company that what you are buying is real. In today’s market, this is all but essential, especially when these autographs look as wonderful as they do.
You may see that people tout autograph rarity as the sole determining factor of value in this hobby, but I disagree. Personally, I say that when the market is ready for each player to reach the pinnacle of their accomplishments, it will be the prestige of the item the autograph is signed on. Thanks to some innovative approaches to signing, the Upper Deck cards and memorabilia will no doubt be the most valuable for Tiger. So, why miss out on your chance to buy in? You already know that he is the face of his sport. You already know he will pass Jack Nicklaus shortly to become the winningest golfer ever. You already know his value will never decrease. Therefore, buy what you can before the prices match his legacy, and get something that will always stand out from any other item.
Adam Gellman runs the collecting blog Sports Cards Uncensored, and has been a collector of all things sports for over 15 years. To see more of his work, visit www.sportscardsuncensored.com (warning: strong language!).
Popularity: 1% [?]
