Sport Cards Fan Shop

Vernon Earl Monroe is a former NBA basketball player whose nicknames have included; Earl the Pearl, Black Magic and Black Jesus. Drafted in the first round of the NBA draft in 1967 to the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards), Earl Monroe was well known for his playing passing and play-making style and for his flamboyant flowing dribbling.

Earl Monroe received the Rookie of The Year due to his scoring average of 24 points in a game and to later score 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also set a record for scoring 13 points in one overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons. In 2007 his number 10 jersey was retired by the Washington Wizards.

In 1971, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks, taking them to the 1973 NBA Championships. Monroe retired in the 1980 season due to serious injuries to his knees. A four time NBA all-star had played in 926 NBA career games and had an outstanding 17, 454 total points scored. The New York Knicks retired Monroe’s number 15 jersey. He transformed the game of basketball to an art form. His style and unique playing on-court plays paved the way to how current players play today. Todays players must give a salute to Earl the Pearl bringing excitement and skills to the game of basketball. Players like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James all show skills that were learned thanks to Earl.

Earl the Pearl’s career championships include; named of the 50 players on the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame, and was chosen commissioner of the United States Basketball League in 1985.

Bill Russell -AKA: William Felton Russell, born February 12, 1934 in Monroe, LA.

During Bill Russell’s 13-year NBA playing career he was honored with the prestigious MVP title 5 times in his career. During his team play with the Boston Celtics he won 11 championships, a record for winning unmatched by any player in any sport. In his professional career, Russell averaged only 15 points per game, but he was an outstanding defensive player like no other player before, proving that offense really is only half of the game. As a center player, opposing teams were forced to shoot from outside, unable to find an easy lay-up. Russell led the league records for rebounds five times. His height and agility allowed him to leap and block shots intimidating fellow players for that era in basketball playing. He would undoubtedly hold the career record for blocked shots.

Early in Russell’s career he joined the starting line-up as a senior at his school, as his team won the league championship. At USF he made the varsity team in his sophomore year, and in his junior and senior year USF won two consecutive NCAA championships. Russell changed the way the game was played- in response to his dominance during the 1955 NCAA tournament, collegiate coaches introduced two key rule changes — the free throw lane where defensive players are not allowed to congregate was widened from ten feet to twelve, and goal tending was banned. After graduation he was traded to the Boston Celtics- missing the first month of his rookie season due to fulfilling a childhood dream by playing for the US Olympic basketball team and winning a Gold Medal.

After his playing career, Russell worked as a coach and sports commentator. Russell was also an outspoken advocate for civil rights. He spoke at the 1963 March on Washington. In 1967, still playing for the Celtics, Russell was promoted to coach, making him the first African-American to coach a major league professional sports team. The next season he became the first African-American coach to win an NBA championship.

I’ve got a genuine interest in sports cards and various memorabilia. It’s been a true passion of mine since I was a little boy. I distinctly remember hounding my dad or mom for five bucks to pick some packs at the local Long’s Drugstore. Truly a benchmark Americana hobby, the collecting of baseball, football, basketball and hockey cards truly educated young adults. And in most cases, made these rising stars become professionals.

I have dedicated this unique blog to all the collectors out there. The one thing that no website or publication has had to make is a complete review and hot list of some of the cards we find in retail stores. And this includes popular outlets such as Wal Mart, Target, Big Lots, Toys R Us and so on and so forth. This does not include hobby card stores and this list is exclusive to retail. It’s because kids and adults alike walk by these endcaps and displays with the mere prospect of finding some retail gold. The following lists have been compiled by thorough research, sales, and documented resale bids on the online auction sites.

Here is a quick hot list of some of the blaster boxes that I have stumbled across in these outlets:

#1–>2007 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects Baseball<–Truly a popular pick with a lot of rookie and draft collectors, there’s no other brand right now that can offer the consumer a chance at scoring high dollar low numbered refractors and autographs of some of the hottest prospects of 2007. The actual resale value of the unopened blasters don’t command that much money, but that’s okay. The real value lies within the pack ripping, I’ve seen some insane pulls from even the retail boxes. Some of the hot guys to get include David Price, Michael Moustakas, and Matt Laporta to name a few. These boxes are hot and they’re loaded at only $19.97!! Pick one up and try your luck next time you shop.

#2–>2007 Donruss Americana<–This a breakthrough release from DLP that include movie stars from the past like Humphrey Bogart, Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis, and more. There are also some current stars like John Travolta, Ashley Judd, Steve Guttenburg to name a few. These boxes are smokin’ hot on the online trading sites! The actual retail price of them at the store is just under ten dollars a pop. Online, they are achieving anywhere from $25-50.00 each, talk about profits and a great return! What makes these hot are the potential hits that can be found. There are costume cards from movies, autographs, these boxes are loaded for sure!! It’s easy to see the star power in this offering, even two months after it’s release. If you’re lucky to find any at Wal Mart, pick them up immediately and sell baby!!

#3–>2008 Topps Heritage Baseball<–No doubt, year after year this is a stunning set and always a popular set with collectors. As you read this, 08 Heritage has just hit your stores. Cards are based on the 1959 Topps design and it’s amazing as always! There are also shortprinted cards inserted randomly as usual, and a great collation out of one 8 pack blaster. I’ve already seen some of the hard to find Real One autographs surface out of the blasters. A real value and great resale on the singles. The set is probably about 400 cards again like the previous Heritage sets. Blasters ring in at an affordable $19.97 and are available at Target or Wal Mart.

#4–>2007 Bowman Chrome Football<–Just like baseball, a breakthrough and very sought after set. Chased for their shortprinted refractors and autographs of some of the rookies of 2007. I’ve personally seen numerous Adrian Peterson rookies and even a couple autographs out of the blasters. A definite product to look for and to take the chance on. Cards have fantastic design and sell well with the right “money hits”. Blasters ring in at only $19.97.

#5–>2001 Upper Deck Golf<–I had a really hard time deciding whether 08 Topps BB, 08 Upper Deck BB, or this seven year old release to take the fifth spot. It could’ve been a three way tie if it wasn’t for the fact that Tiger Woods is on fire. There’s plenty of these boxes available as Tiger’s RC is in there, UD overmanufactured 01 Golf. But even to this day it’s a highly coveted set with lots of Tiger potential. In fact I’m almost certain you can pull a Tiger RC out of one box. These boxes are shooting around the $20 level at Wal Mart. Pick one up and shoot for the money card.

And there you have it!! I’m really glad to be able to share some of this information. And just let you know I’ll be back next month with an updated April hotlist. Let me know what you think about this retail hot list idea and post your comments. Finally, I feel it’s important to inform all the collectors on what the retail market has to offer.

Collecting vintage sports cards is always an adventure especially when you come across that great historical player. I have always collected football and baseball cards in the past, but now I also collect basketball cards due to their high value in collecting.

Basketball cards are very hot now; try to get your hands on as many rookies and Hall Of Famer’s as possible. And of course Michael Jordan rookie should be a priority on your want list.
Starting a basketball card collection will depend on your budget. Basketball cards can be more expensive compared to other sports. Although the sport of basketball card collecting is newer than baseball collecting, basketball cards have become an important commodity to have in your inventory and are a great part of collecting memorabilia.

Although basketball cards are not collected by as many people as baseball or football cards, there is still a loyal group of up and coming new collectors that keep basketball collecting a favorite for both the sport aspect and the profit aspect. Basketball cards are one of the five major sports card types collected. The basketball collector builds his inventory by collecting mostly the star and Rookie cards from their favorite teams.

America has really taken a love and passion in collecting sports cards. It has become not only a hobby or pass time, but a profitable trading profession. Collecting sports cards is a fun, exciting and educational hobby. Card collecting will give you knowledge and an interest in players you would not have found interesting in the past.

Collectors can determine the value of your baseball cards by using one of the two popular pricing guides, which are Beckett and Tuffstuff, but this may be a tricky process with both guides have different prices of the same card. However, the majority of collectors use the Beckett pricing guide, which has become the most commonly used guide, so prices are determined by using Becket.

Beckett and Tuffstuff pricing guides will give a high value and a low value for each card, which can be purchased monthly with new issues of their magazines. Currently, they are both offered on-line, which can be subscribe for a monthly fee, but will wanting to sell cards within your collection does not mean that you will receive the same price as the pricing guide suggest. Baseball cards are only worth what collectors or individuals are worth paying for them.

On-line auction sites can also be helpful in determining the price of your baseball cards, but you will soon realize that these cards will normally sell less than the posted low value in these pricing guides. It is important before investing in baseball cards that you research your investment and determine which are the most common cards that tend to hold their value.

The authentication of your collection would involve an independent grading service that will conduct an analysis of the quality and condition of the cards within your collection. Baseball cards are usually graded between one and ten, with ten being the best. Independent grading services will also authenticate any card that contains a signature. The lowest grade and the less valued cards are known as commons. Rookie cards can be valuable also because they are the first official card to be released during the career of an athlete.

Other valuable cards within a collection would be inserts, which are specialty cards that are included within sets that may be autographed, gold leafed, or contain a memoir from a player like a piece of used bat or old batting glove. The core group of cards from a manufacturer that are included in every pack of cards you purchase are known as the base set. Limited edition cards are designed with a particular number assigned to show the order they were released in a manufactured set.

Often older cards manufactured before the 1970s would increase in value. In fact, in the 1950s children would play with baseball cards by flipping them or by putting them in the spokes of bicycle tires. By doing so these cards were often damaged and the supply diminished, but the demand increased as well as their value. The value is once again based upon supply and demand. Like in the 1990s when baseball cards were overly produced and the majority of those cards have little value due to the supply being so great. During the 80s, the notion of baseball cards becoming an investment increased and collectors were encouraged not to touch them by placing them in protective cases, binders, or sleeves. Children were no longer placing cards in their tire spokes either.

Cards still may sell for their book value at cards shops, but it is possible to find some cards selling for less than their listed book values. There are even times when certain cards will be priced higher than the stated book value as was the case with a recent Topps card that featured Derek Jeter, Mickey Mantle, and President Bush.

Collecting baseball cards has quickly become popular with many collectors who enjoy the trill of opening up packs of baseball cards. Collectors enjoy seeing if possibly the pack contains a specialty card, a popular player, or a rookie card to add to there collection.

Some collectors enjoy specializing there collections by collect only sets or special types of cards such as rookie cards, star cards, common cards, etc. Collectors enjoy collecting rookie cards because they are normally the most valuable card for players. Rookie cards are players who have the special skills needed to play in the major league, but do not have a particular track record. Players can face potential injuries that may shorten their careers or there careers may become shortened due to level of competition within the league.

As of 2006, rookie cards were only to released after a player had played their first major league game, but this has not always been the case. The most popular and valuable cards on the market today are the Bowman Chrome, which are a product manufactured by Topps. Today rookie cards will have the name of the player and ‘Rookie Card’ on the front of the baseball card, but prior to 2006 there were several rookie cards that were produced where the player had not yet played in a major league game. These cards did not have the rookie logo on the front of them, but the majority of collectors still considered these cards to be true rookie cards.

The new rule may confuse some collectors and to add even more confusion to the equation there are cards that some consider to be a rookie card, but are actually known as ‘First Year Cards.’ These cards are of players who were actually still playing in the minor leagues when the printing of the cards were manufactured. However, as will most cards the values of a rookie card may increase and decrease according to the career of the player.

Another type of cards that collectors like to focus there collection on are star cards, but when looking up these cards in pricing guides collectors will see a lot of star cards listed. There is also a listing in the pricing guides called ‘unlisted star’ cards, which are listed at the back of pricing guides. Also included in these listings are semi stars cards and minor star cards, which will help in determining the value of your cards.

Autographed cards have been signed by the player, but there are cards that are known as ’sticker autographs’ where players are given sheets of stickers to sign and their autographs are put on various other products that the company may create throughout the year. Some collectors see these cards as being less of actual value because the player did not actually sign them. There are also cards called ‘cut autos’ where an autograph has been taken from the document, letter, or even a check that the player has previously signed then are placed onto their baseball card. These cards are hard to find are normally from players of the past that are no longer living.

Common cards are the base cards with in a normal set and are usually worth the least. Cards that have been inspected by a third party grading company are known as graded baseball cards. These cards are assigned a grading that is determined on the condition of the card between one and ten, with ten being the best. Memorabilia cards are card that have an object placed somewhere on the card that pertains to the player, which may include a jersey, bat, baseball, etc. Numbered cards are cards that are limited when produced. Error cards will contain some type of typo and are known to increase in value usually.

For as long back as I can remember I have looked forward to the start of a new Baseball season and with it, the new boxes of that year’s Baseball Cards. The smell of the gum packs, the new card designs, and the answer to the question “What can I get in this year’s box of Cards?” Of course, the cards and the game have evolved and only a couple of products still have gum. But no matter what pack you buy with prices ranging from $4.00 to $400.00 each, you can expect the new 2008 Boxes to have even more exciting stuff than the year before.

As of right now, only one company has produced the most exciting 2008 Baseball Box of Cards. This special selection of cards and goodies has been limited to only 200. The Box of Cards I am speaking of is the 2008 INCREDIBOX of Baseball Cards. Each Incredibox box of 2008 Baseball Cards has an Autographed Baseball, Autographed Cards, Memorabilia Cards and the chance to Win Autographed and Custom Framed Baseball Jerseys. There are 10 of them to be exact! The 2008 Incredibox Box of Baseball Cards does not have any common cards, nor regular cards, and you will not be dissappointed when you open your box of goodies. The 2008 Incredibox has an Autographed and Certified Baseball in every box from players like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Robinson, Pete Rose, Dodgers, Angels, Yankees ,Rookies or Prospects and more. Each 2008 Incredibox has Autographed Certified cards from Rookies, Stars, Prospects, Hall of Famers and more. Every 2008 Incredibox has Certified Memorabilia Cards from stars such as Bonds, Rodriguez, Pujols, Mantle, Mays, Williams as well as Rookies, Stars, Prospects and Hall of Famers. There are also Random Inserts, Numbered Cards, Vintage Cards, Bgs and Psa Graded Cards and more.

Not only is this the best 2008 Baseball Box of Cards you can buy but you also get a chance to win one of 10 Different Autographed, Certified and Custom Framed Baseball Jerseys. Players include: Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey Jr., Steve Garvey, Stan Musial, Russell Martin, Fernando Valenzuela, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez. They are a great buy when you consider each comes with Autographed Baseballs, Autographed Cards and Memorabilia Cards plus the opportunity to win these Autographed Jerseys. If I were you, I would hurry to order one now as I understand that of the 200 boxes to be sold, over half are already sold out. Do not delay. And enjoy this terrific deal while available. For those of you who are collectors, you will not be disappointed.

Collecting baseball cards can provide any collector with an investment that can produce an increase in profits when being resold. Many collectors will use auctioning web sites to provide themselves with additional income by selling their baseball cards to the highest bidder or directly.

Full time dealers or expert collectors do make a decent living and some lucky collectors may stumble across a vintage collection of cards, which can provide additional income. There are a variety of ways for collectors to sell their baseball ball cards, but the traditional way of selling directly to card shops has greatly diminished because few shops are actually buying cards anymore. However, there are card shops that will sell your cards for you on the Internet for the cost of a small commission for their time and effort.

There are times when collectors may need to lower their expectations in order to make a profit on their investment, but if a collector is persistent it is very likely they will be able to find other collectors to purchase their baseball cards. Another way is learn how to use these auction sites, such as eBay, and sell your cards yourself.

Collectors will want to first do some research to see if their cards are truly worth selling and how much similar cards are selling for. The Beckett web site has tools available that will tell you what others are selling the same card for. eBay and Naxcom are wonderful ways to sell cards in your collection to make the most possible profit.

You want to pick cards within your collection that you can pay the auction site for listing them and have some left over. Be sure to research the current selling price before listing your own cards and if you have a several common cards it would be best to sell them as a lot instead of individually because you will be able to make more this way. However, if you have some valuable cards it would be best to list these by themselves.

Use a scanner to scan your baseball cards so you will be able to add them to your auctions, but it would be wise to start out small and then gradually build up. This will allow you to learn the process thoroughly before jumping in with both feet first. It is also worth paying auction sites a little bit more for extra listing fees, which will make sure that individuals looking for baseball cards will be sure to find your. Another good idea is to add a gallery listing option to let individuals know that there is a picture available of your cards, which will help because individuals like to see exactly what they are purchasing.

Another good idea is to start the bidding for your cards out low, which will attract more interest in your auctions, because the idea is get people to start bidding. Often times individuals will not bid on an item if the starting price is too high, and the more individuals that bid the better. Make sure when you do sell one of more of your baseball cards that you provide excellent customer service. Also cherish and protect the feedback that your customers provide, because if the feedback is negative it can destroy your chances of becoming successful.

Are you a fan of the greatest baseball player George Herman Ruth, popularly known as Babe Ruth? Do you love to collect Babe Ruth baseball cards but always get stuck as to where to find them? Well, we are here to help you in this. Here, you we will provide you with information about the best places to find Babe Ruth baseball cards.

With the advent of the Internet, a lot of tasks of daily life have become easier. You can use this virtual world to find baseball cards of your favorite baseball player as well. There are many authentic vendors who can provide you with original Babe Ruth baseball cards. Secondly, you can also visit the official website of Babe Ruth to find out more about it. It is safer than the other websites.

One thing to keep in mind is that if somebody is selling Babe Ruth baseball cards at highly lower or higher price than the market rates then you should sense that something if fishy. Also, you can find a lower grade Babe Ruth baseball card at cheaper rates. Keep a budget for yourself and then go for purchasing these cards. There are some flea markets too that are famous for selling sports collectibles. You can also try “The Sports Collectors Store” to find out these cards.

However, you should always keep your eyes wide open. Remember that you are not the only fan of Babe Ruth. He has his fans scattered all over the world and that is why there are millions of people who are willing to do anything to collect his baseball cards. Due to such a huge demand of these cards and low supply, some unscrupulous individuals have come into this business of making fool of passionate fans of Babe Ruth. Especially the inexperienced fans get trapped in the foul play of such people. Make sure you do not end up getting involved in any such Internet scam.

You should be very careful in collecting any such sports cards. Always find out the authenticity of a Babe Ruth baseball card before paying for them.

Whether you want to sell all the baseball cards you accumulated as a child, sell off your duplicates or turn a profit on a few that may have gone up in value, you’ll need to prepare them for sale and know how much to ask for your cards. When you’re ready, you have a couple options of where to sell your cards: online and in your hometown.

Step 1- Organize your cards. Sort them by year and brand to see if you can complete any sets. Organize cards that are not part of complete set into team sets and player groups. Also, take special note for any rookie cards because these cards typically have higher value. If it looks like it might be a rookie card, set it aside.

Step 2 - Evaluate the fair market price of your cards. Subscribe to the Beckett Baseball magazine or purchase a copy off a magazine rack to find the current market value of cards. Subscribe to Beckett by going to their website and clicking on “Subscribe.”

Step 3 - Price your baseball cards below their maximum value. Card prices will be listed in two columns in Becket Magazine, a low column and a high column. The high column is the most the card is selling for and the low column is the lowest the card is selling for. Price your cards below the high value for the best results.

Step 4 - Get valuable baseball cards professionally graded. Go to the Professional Sports Authenticator website and click on “Submission Center” for information on how to send in your cards for grading. Professionally graded cards are graded according to the condition of the card and increase the cards value.

Step 5 - Know how the condition of the card changes the value. For ungraded cards, take a careful look at what shape the card is in. Scratches, fuzzy corners and off centering all take away from a cards value. Beckett Magazine has instructions on how to take these factors into account when valuing your cards.

Step 6 - Contact your local sports card retailers if you have any complete sets or valuable cards. They may be interested in purchasing them from you for a discounted rate.

Step 7 - Sell cheaper baseball cards on eBay for a quick turn around or, if you have a lot of cards to sell, get a booth at a sports card store in your area. Beckett Magazine has a listing of upcoming card shows across the country.