Archive for Football
Featured Retailers: Sports Cards Plus
Posted by: | CommentsWe all know how important it is to purchase from a Certified Diamond Dealer right? If not, just check out some of the videos made by other collectors on the subject by clicking here.
We love to spotlight shops that are doing the right things that collectors should visit. For collectors in the San Antonio area I would highly suggest checking this shop out if you haven’t! This shop has everything to offer from singles, autographed memorabilia, to San Antonio’s largest selection of wax boxes from the last twenty years. Above and beyond all that, Charlie DiPietro goes the extra mile to make sure his customers have a great experience when they visit his store. Here’s his story!
Charlie DiPietro's Sports Cards Plus shop is a place sports fans must visit if they are in San Antonio, Texas.
Sports Cards Plus
2239 Lockhill-Selma Road
San Antonia, TX 78230
(210)524-2337
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am – 7pm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sports-Cards-Plus/138669356152896
Website: http://www.sportscardsplussa.com/
“I started collecting baseball cards in 1957 at the age of nine. In my teenage years, cars, girls and saving for college put my card collecting on hold until 1982, when my ten-year-old son expressed an interest in collecting sports cards and revived my collecting interests. My two oldest boys and I would visit Mavericks, our favorite card shop in Dayton, Ohio at least once a week. We would make every card show within a hundred miles of Dayton, and I would visit card shops throughout the country whenever my engineering job sent me out of town on business.
“Ever since 1982, I planned to open a sports card shop someday with the help of my boys. With my boys by my side, in 1985 I started selling at card shows. I found that setting up a table at card shows was the ideal means to buy vintage cards at wholesale prices, but it seemed like I was always buying more than I was selling.
“In 1991 my wife, Norma retired from the United States Air Force. In March of 1992 we opened Sports Cards Plus at our current location in San Antonio, Texas. Norma ran the shop during the day while I continued my engineering career, and I worked the shop in the evenings and on weekends. In 2008 I retired from my engineering job and now do what I love to do full-time, play with my sports cards and talk with customers who love sports cards as much as I do.
There is plenty to see at Sports Cards Plus, expecially a great selection of sealed boxes!
“San Antonio has always been a basketball city, and in 2003 when LeBron James entered the NBA, my Upper Deck basketball sales went through the roof. In the fall of 2003, one of my frequent customers named Jeff came in and bought the last two packs from an open box of 2002-03 SP Authentic Basketball. Jeff’s second pack resulted in a Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson triple autograph card limited to just ten total copies! That is when we started counting Michael Jordan autos. Eight years later, we’re at 53 Upper Deck Michael Jordan autograph cards pulled at Sports Cards Plus boxes and still counting as 2011-12 SP Authentic is due out later this month. I’ve got a feeling we will be up to 56 Jordan Autographs within a month.
Charlie and Jeff were all smiles after Jeff pulled this amazing Michael Jordan multi-signed autograph card.
After Jeff's big pull, over 50 other Michael Jordan autograph cards have been pulled at Sports Cards Plus!
“Today, collectors can find every possible card on the internet. And through the internet, buyers can find the ‘cheapest prices in the world.’ Although overhead costs make it difficult from card shop owners to match or beat these prices, we pride ourselves on providing great service to our collectors to keep them coming back. We give new collectors honest advice on how to achieve their collecting goals. We provide a place where collectors can get together to have fun. And, we can provide assistance when someone’s collection needs to be sold.
Charlie hosts a variety of events and promotions to keep his customers engaged like this pizza party!
“Sports Cards Plus is your headquarters for sports cards and we have San Antonio’s largest selection of sports cards and memorabilia, serving the community for nearly twenty years. You can find hundreds of thousands of singles from the turn of the century to the present, autographed memorabilia pieces, and San Antonio’s largest selection of wax boxes from the last twenty years.
There is plenty to see at Sports Cards Plus! Stop in today!
“With the release of 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas Football, Sports Cards Plus will be running a variety of promotions we encourage you to come in and take advantage of. We will give away a variety of prized through random drawings through purchases and we will be giving away a grand prize of $100.00 to the person who pulls the most expensive card from 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas Football! So stop by this Fall to be a part of the promotion!”
Charlie will be running a variety of promotions around Upper Deck's new University of Texas Football set. Get excited Longhorns fans!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Why I Transitioned My Collection from the NFL to College
Posted by: | CommentsWhat’s your favorite NFL team? Now who’s your favorite player on this team? These were easy questions to answer for me five years ago. I loved the Packers so I had a pretty awesome personal collection of Brett Favre at the time. When Favre left the Packers in 2007 I was at a loss of what to do from a collecting standpoint. Do I continue to collect Brett Favre even though he is no longer part of the Packers? Or do I get rid of all of my Favre cards for Aaron Rodgers cards and stay true to my team? As most collectors would agree, these are very difficult questions when you find yourself at a crossroads in your collecting.
Most Favre fans want to forget that he even played here, so a collectible capturing that moment is not very desirable, even if it is cool.
Many other collectors have been faced with this problem when Randy Moss, Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, Vince Young and many other great players have been traded or moved in the NFL. I started thinking how this kind of problem could be avoided from a collecting standpoint. There had to be a different way to collect where my investment wouldn’t be harmed if and when the players I was collecting switched teams. And then it dawned on me that you can protect yourself by collecting collegiate cards.
Most Randy Moss fans get sick to their stomach when they see him as a member of the Raiders where his career really suffered.
You may ask why a college team? And the answer is simple. No matter what Brett Favre will always be a Golden Eagle. And even though his legacy was a bit tainted in the pros, you generally don’t feel that way about his collegiate cards.
For all of you Titans fans out there, do you still want to collect Vince Young? The answer is likely a resounding, “NO.” Now if we asked Texas Longhorns fans out there if they still collect Vince Young even though he was traded the answer would likely be a resounding, “YES!” He will always be a Longhorn. He bleeds burnt orange. There is no taking away the amazing memories you have of him as a member of the Texas Longhorns, no matter where the NFL may take him.
Nobody can ever take away from Vince Young's monumental moments with the Texas Longhorns.
And you can see that value differential frequently in the pricing for certain the cards. A Matt Leinart card with the Arizona Cardinals likely won’t be worth much. But with the USC Trojans, you’re looking at a very viable collectible that fans want of a Heisman Trophy winner. Even cards of players who never panned out in the NFL are in demand to college collectors. Jason White for example on a University of Oklahoma card will always be collectible to Sooners fans.
To Sooners fans, Jason White is still the man even if he didn't go on to have success in the pros.
Then there are cards of players who perform well in the pros, but there is just a greater demand for their college collectibles because of the rabid fan bases for the program. Take a look at Ndamukong Suh for example. His Detroit Lions cards sell okay, but there seems to be a much greater demand for his Nebraska cards because of how passionate Cornhusker fans are. In more than a few instances, if a player comes from the right program, his college cards will have more value than his NFL cards.
Ndamukong Suh's trading cards where he is featured as a member of the Nebraska Cornhuskers tend to perform better than cards of him featured as a member of the Detroit Lions.
There are a couple other benefits to collecting college. There will never be a labor dispute that will jeopardize the season where we see that happen in the pros all the time. Also, collegiate cards are not as mass produced as NFL cards so because they are scarcer, that should also help their value over time. So much of collecting is all about supply and demand and with a short supply, the demand increases.
I have come to the realization that by focusing my collection on a college program instead of on the professional organization, I can build and experience a much more enjoyable and more stable collection!
Popularity: 1% [?]
Cast Your Red River Rivalry Vote; Which School has the Better Football Program?
Posted by: | CommentsThe atmosphere at the stadium for the Red River Rivalry is really like none other in all of sports. Half of the stadium is burnt orange and the other half is crimson. This weekend both teams have a ton on the line as they look to add another chapter to one of the best college rivalries in the nation. Oklahoma will look to assert themselves as the true #1 team in the country by taking down Texas, but the Longhorns are much improved and there is not better place to make a statement than in the Cotton Bowl.
Upper Deck's University of Oklahoma set will recall "Monumental Moments" like the impressive defensive showing by the Sooners in 1985.
Upper Deck chronicled some of the “Monumental Moments” from past Red River Rivalry games in the company’s new University of Texas and University of Oklahoma football trading card products. Both will hit store shelves in early November and we are interested to see which product will outsell the other. With both programs having such a storied history, there are plenty of great moments and players fans can use to lend merit to their argument about which team has the best program.
Upper Deck's University of Texas set commemorates "Monumental Moments" in the Red River Rivalry like Vince Young's stellar performance on the 100th Annversary of the series.
Let us hear you defend why you think the Sooners are the better program or why you feel the Longhorns are the best collegiate program for your chance to receive a blow-up card from the new set of Colt McCoy or Sam Bradford. Just submit your comment right here on the blog and we will randomly select one Texas and one Oklahoma fan on Monday to receive these two larger than life cards. Good luck college football fans!
Don't miss your chance to take home one of these awesome oversized cards just for sharing which school you think is the best in the comment section below.
Popularity: 1% [?]
A High School Student Encourages You to Give ‘Cards to Kids’
Posted by: | CommentsHave you ever seen the look on a kid’s face when they open their first pack of cards? It is just awesome to see their reaction and excitement around which players they get from a pack. Unfortunately not ever kid has the ability to open a pack of cards and there are some who could really use the joy that a pack of cards can provide.
Recently we became aware of a young man who was working through one of our Certified Diamond Dealers (Bleachers Sports Cards in Winnetka, Illinois) to encourage patrons to donate cards so he could in turn give them to kids in Children’s hospitals in the area. As we spent time learning more and more about what he was doing, we were blown away by his passion and realized we wanted to be a part of the program. Upper Deck will be donating several thousands of collegiate trading cards to the charity hoping that kids are inspired by these college stars. We are hoping to see our fans get involved with this very worthwhile program and we encourage everyone to donate at least some of their “Cards to Kids!”
“My name is John Makowiec and I am a sophomore at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. This year I started the non-profit charity called ‘Cards to Kids.’ We are collecting new and used sports cards from collectors, packing them up and proving them to kids at Children’s Memorial Hospital, the Inner City Youth Baseball League and the Boys and Girls Clubs in Illinois. In order to collect cards, we have set up a collection box at Bleacher’s Sports in Winnetka, Illinois. To date we have collected more than 200,000 cards!
Do you have cards around your house you're no longer actively enjoying? Donate them to "Cards to Kids" today!
“I started ‘Cards to Kids’ because I was in a service group at my school that was rewarding, but I wanted to do something different where I could draw upon my personal passion. Since collecting sports cards is one of my favorite things to do and I know how much other kids enjoy the hobby, I realized it would be really awesome to get cards into the hands of kids who couldn’t normally afford them or who could really use them as a distraction. And with that, ‘Cards to Kids” was born.
“While we have been really happy with the support we have received thus far, I’m on a mission to grow this program and continue to raise awareness for what we are doing. Recently we held a donation drive at Wrigley Field before a Chicago Cubs game. We worked with Cubs Care (the charitable branch of the Chicago Cubs MLB Club) and discussed some ideas with them. We ultimately decided to have the donation drive in conjunction with the Major League Baseball equipment drive.
“In the days leading up to the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, we spread the news of the drive through emails and flyers. We also reached out to a variety of news outlets in Chicago and NBC and WGN picked up on our story. It was a real thrill to be interviewed on the NBC nightly news. For WGN, I was interviewed for a live segment on their nightly sports radio show. In addition to this, the day before the game, a press release was sent out about the card drive and the equipment drive by MLB.
“The day of the event, we set up a table outside of the gates of Wrigley. We had signs and t-shirts to promote the giveaway and we had an acrylic box that we used to hold the cards that were donated. In addition to this we passed out hundreds of flyers with more information on the program. It was an awesome day with my whole family and two of my friends from school helping to create awareness for the program.
The 'Cards to Kids' team was busy at the first Donation Drive at Wrigley Field accepting cards and creating awareness.
“When it was all said and done, we collected close to 10,000 sports cards and more importantly spread the word which will lead to more donations. People really seem to love the concept of this program and it is really rewarding to hear all the positive feedback from those who are donating their cards to kids. As a result of this event, we have not only received thousands of cards from as far away as Massachusetts, but we have spread the word out. Now more Chicago hobby shops are looking to set up collection boxes at their stores. Moreover, the Cleveland Cavaliers have also expressed interest in having a card drive at their stadium after seeing the success of this one. Now we just need the NBA lockout to be resolved…
John and two of his friends from school had a great time collecting cards they will be donating to kids around the Chicago area.
“So help me spread the word about the program and pass this story along. And while you’re at it, go through the attic or garage this weekend and package up those old shoeboxes of trading cards. We will repackage them and get them to some kids who will really appreciate them. Here’s the address to send them to:
Cards to Kids
Attention Debbie
141 West Jackson Street #500
Chicago, IL 60604
“If you are in the Chicago area and have some free time, reach out to us as we could definitely use some help in sorting and packaging up these cards. And if you’re one of Upper Deck’s Certified Diamond Dealers, contact us if you’d like to get a donation box set up in your store by calling Debbie at (312)362-2452. Help us share the hobby and fun of collecting with deserving kids by donating today! For more information, visit www.cardstokids.org.”
Popularity: 2% [?]
Calling All Texas Longhorns Football Fans; Finally a Trading Card Set Just For You!
Posted by: | CommentsIs burnt orange the most prevalent color in your wardrobe? Have you ever named one of your pets Bevo? Do you use “Hook ‘em Horns” as a way of saying hello or goodbye? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will be thrilled with the new college football trading card product coming out this November. Through Upper Deck’s exclusive agreement with the Collegiate Licensing Company, the trading card company will be producing a standalone trading card product commemorating the rich history of the Texas Longhorns Football program.
The University of Texas has won four national titles; while appearing in 49 bowl games; second most in NCAA history. Each pack will be loaded with prominent Longhorn football alumni like Colt McCoy, Jamaal Charles, Steve McMichael, Darrell Royal, Ricky Williams, Priest Holmes, Major Applewhite, Vince Young, Earl Campbell and more.
The 100-card base set will also include 20 “Monumental Moments” cards that capture those special moments that gave Texas fans goose bumps through the years. From the first bowl game victory in 1943 against Georgia Tech to the “Game of the Century” in 1969 against Arkansas on to the 2006 Rose Bowl victory over USC; Upper Deck chronicled all those memories for UT fans.
This is the most comprehensive University of Texas Football set ever assembled. Each hobby box will contain one autograph card from a Longhorn great, and two special light F/X Texas Icons inserts! Every box is loaded with cards of 192 Longhorns legends (24 packs with 8 cards per pack)!
And speaking of the signed cards cards, there are some amazing collectible cards to capture for the autograph lovers. Not only are there single signed cards over 80 former Texas stars, there are also dual autograph cards (numbered to 20 or less) and triple autograph cards (numbered to just 3). Some of these are sure to become the centerpiece of a Texas fan’s collection.
Upper Deck has a special treat for those who purchase the University of Texas Football retail blaster boxes! Fans can find one replica championship pennant per blaster box, showcasing the years Texas has won it all: 1963, 1969, 1970 and 2005.
But how do you get your hands on your Upper Deck University of Texas Football boxes? Well first you need to be a little patient. The product is currently scheduled to hit store shelves on November 15, 2011. If you are in Texas, check out these Upper Deck Certified Diamond Dealers who will be loading up on the product:
Sports Cards Plus – San Antonio, TX (210)524-2337
SMP Sports Cards – Grapevine, TX (817)251-1752
Nick’s Sportscards – Dallas, TX (972)248-2271
Card Traders of Austin – Austin, TX (512)250-0958
Kenny’s Collectibles of Austin – Austin, TX (512)748-9718
Or you can purchase through the Upper Deck online store or through our network of Authorized Internet Retailers. Enjoy and “Hook ‘em Horns!”
Popularity: 2% [?]
