VOLUME 1, NUMBER 177
**HOT**BUTTON**STORY**
(LOCK OF JOHN LENNON'S HAIR WITH AUTOGRAPH FETCHES $48,000)
** MITCHELL REPORT WILL AFFECT THE HOBBY
** STEINER BETTING BALLS ON STEROIDS
** EBAY ORDERED TO PAY $30 MILLION IN SUIT
** WATCHDOG SAYS EBAY DOING BETTER
** MATTEL LOOKING FOR SUIT DISMISSAL ** CARDS FOR KIDS PROGRAM **
** TOPPS VAULT OFFERS NEW BOWMAN ** JAKKS PETS & TOYS R US **
DETAILS ON THESE AND OTHER STORIES IN TBR: THE BRILL REPORT
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(EDITORS NOTE: Due to the holiday season TBR will only be published on Mondays until December 31. The mid-week report will resume again on January 3, 2008. If there is breaking or important news to report we will update the newsletter and send you an email. If you are not on our email update list and would like to be, please send us your email at info@kckings.com.
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(MITCHELL REPORT WILL HAVE AN AFFECT ON THE HOBBY)
(TBR WILL UPDATE WITH KEY NAMES OF PLAYERS DURING THE DAY)
With the Major League Baseball George Mitchell Report out today (Monday) dealers are holding their collective breaths. The report, ordered by MLB, named 75 players including the bomb shells of Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte and Miguel Tejada. The report is 409 pages and details players who the author (former Senator George Mitchell) gathered evidence regarding drug or steroid use.
The report said "each of the 30 clubs had someone" who was involved in the use of performance enhancing drugs. The report blamed everyone from MLB to the players to their Union, the MLBPA.
The release could not come at a worse time for the trading card industry and the Hobby itself. At a time when heroes are needed as sales slump and collectors back off, this report could have a powerful effect. It won't have the impact of the mid-1990's Baseball Strike had, but it will hurt.
Clemens the 300 game winner and Pettitte who has been a New York favorite, are easily the biggest names. Tejada was traded earlier this week by the Orioles to the Astros. Mitchell suggested there be no penalties except where it effects the integrity of the game, telling the gang of reporters he recommended giving the players "a fresh start."
If players who are idols and icons in certain cities are named as users and cheats, the impact on the local card market could be strong. What parent will encourage their children to collect the trading cards of a player or players who are named in such an indictment as cheaters? The Hobby itself will take a blow.
While MLB and the MLBPA have made unprecedented pitches to kids through the shops to get more kids to collect, labeling these kids' favorite players as cheaters could turn them off forever. At a time when the hobby is faltering for a lot of reasons, this could be a severe blow.
(Jason Giambi already had his day.)
What the Mitchell Report details and who it details is of paramount interest to hobby shop owners in every major league city. More so perhaps in towns around America without an afflicted franchise. These stores draw a wider base of collectors simply because there is no local premium. The smaller stores can't afford another hit and the Mitchell Report could deliver a strike out certainly.
"I have to take the other side of the hobby as I don't think the report will impact baseball cards much at all," said dealer Jeff DeGraw of Matt's Sportscards in Joliet, Illinois. "Most people don't care anymore that they (the players) have been widely used."
DeGraw added hobby store owners have a responsibility.
"The shop owners can use this to their advantage or just have another thing to sit around and complain about," he added. "It will make for great conversations around hobby stores."
Others named in the report include Eric Gagne, Paul Lo Duca, Brian Roberts, Gary Mathews Jr., Troy Glaus, Gary Sheffield, both Giambi brothers, Barry Bonds, David Segui, Denny Neagle, Ken Camaniti, Mark McGwire, John Rocker, Matt Williams, Kevin Brown, Mo Vaughn, Glenallen Hill, Chuck Knoblauch, Hal Morris, Todd Hundley, Benito Santiago with 75 players named in all. For the list you can check ESPN. Most are out of baseball, many were near career minor leaguers.
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(STEINER HAD MITCHELL REPORT SALE)
Steiner Sports has apologized for it's special Mitchell Report Offer earlier this week. In an email statement the company said it didn't mean to offend anyone.
"Steiner Sports would like to offer its sincerest apologies to those who were offended by our George Mitchell email special that was sent out last night. The investigation into performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball is a serious matter that we fully support. The special that was announced is now expired but we will honor the offer to those of you who chose to participate."
Steiner Sports had tried to capitalize on the release of the Mitchell Report.
"Tomorrow, December 13, George Mitchell will release his greatly anticipated report about the use of steroids in Major League Baseball," the Steiner email solicitation states. "It is rumored the report will include the names of 60-80 past and current players who are linked to steroids."
(How many $50 Gifts will Steiner give out?)
The ad goes on to make this special offer; last night until Midnight EST, if dealers purchased any baseballs and that player's name showed up on the Mitchell Report, the company would give the buyer "a FREE on-line Gift Certificate."
The ad showed a sealed envelope proclaiming "Top Secret."
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(JUDGE ORDERS EBAY TO PAY $30 MILLION IN "BUY IT NOW" CASE)
A Federal judge ordered eBay to pay $30 to MercExchange which developed the "Buy It Now" technology so popular on the eBay auction site. MercExchange is a small Virginia company which sued eBay over the technology claiming eBay stole it. The case ended up in the Supreme Court after ME won a judgment from a lower court.
The lower court actually reduced the settlement to $25 million but with interest it climbed back to $30 million. ME wanted to keep eBay from using the technology and wanted licensing fees. The small company in the years since the suit was filed, fell from over 40 employees to just three. The case will likely be tied up for a while however.
"We are disappointed with the courts order and we plan to appeal it," said eBay in a statement.
A Federal Court jury handed ME the victory back in 2003 but appeals kept it going and will likely keep it going for a time longer.
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(MATTEL SEEKING SUIT DISMISSAL STATING PLAINTIFF IS IMAGINATIVE)
Mattel claims the man who is suing the toymaker over an idea for toys he claims he came up with is asking the courts to dismiss it out of hand. The company says Joseph Ottis is "a man with a colorful past, questionable business history and an active imagination."
(Mattel Planet Pals not like Ottis says Company)
Ottiss claims Mattel stole his toy ideas for Planet Pals and Earth Rangers. Mattel said concepts cannot be copyrighted.
"On both the facts and the law Mr. Ottis claim of copyright infringement is without merit," said Mattel in a statement.
Even so, the characters created by Ottiss can be seen across Greek Mythology according to the Mattel.
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(EBAY WATCH DOG SEEMS SOME IMPROVEMENT IN FRAUD ARENA)
eBay is getting better at policing and removing items of suspected fraud according to one expert in the industry, but wait, he isn't finished with the day so far.
"I have to admit eBay has been doing a very good job lately of responding to my reports to them on auction I know contain fake autograph items," said eBay watch dog Chris Williams. "Although what I forward to them is a very, very small percentage of the fraud on eBay they have been taking action against sellers of fake memorabilia."
Williams does dozens of quick opinions through eBay for forgeries each week and sends the results to eBay. Sometimes he says it seems as if it lands on deaf ears.
A day later however, as the holidays near, it seems as if the forgers are back in front.
"I thought eBay deserved some credit after I had been bashing them all these years," said Williams. "But still just last night I was submitting searches on eBay for Mickey Mantle and eBay is flooded with forgeries of 'The Mick,' especially forged photographs and this entire scenario is happening all over."
Williams says he realizes Mantle is always going to be a hot player. Which is certainly true this time of year and with the suffering economy for collectibles Mantle is an easy target for the forgers who also need the money.
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(ANNUAL CARDS FOR KIDS PROGRAM LOOKING FOR DONATIONS)
James McClellan of Colville, Washington is up for another round of "Cards for Kids." Each year for the past seven years, McClellan gathers cards and supplies to distribute to children who are in the hospital for the holidays. As a child McClellan spent time over the holidays under hospital care and says he enjoyed the kindness of others who touched him.
"I have distributed cards to children who are unable to enjoy the holidays because of illness or injury that requires them to be in the hospital or long term care facilities," he wrote to TBR. "I have made it my mission to bring happiness to kids who were in the position I was once long ago."
Any concerns or questions should be addressed to McClellan at www.igotmilk23@hotmail.com or by writing him at 890 South Alder, Colville, WA 99114.
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(TALKIN' SPORTS ICED IN AND OFF)
Randy Cook hopes to be in studio with his Talkin' Sports hobby show sometime today. The storms in the mid-West kept the widely heard Cook off the air.
"Been battling an ice storm here in the Midwest and been unable to do my show," Cook emailed TBR.
He was expected to be back up sometime today at Talkin Sports 2000. Cook, a long time hobbyist can be heard daily on the live Internet radio show.
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(LENNON'S HAIR BRINGS $48,000 WITH AUTOGRAPH)
Experts thought a lock of John Lennon's hair in a book he signed would bring a few thousand dollars; certainly not more than $8,000. Some lucky collector or investor paid $48,000 for the auction item sold as part of a Beatles collection at Gorringes in London.
The auction was part of the personal collection put together by the Fab Four's hairdresser, Betty Glasow. She recently decided to put the items up for auction because she wanted fans to have them and they weren't doing her any good sitting in a drawer. The money isn't bad either as a George Harrison autograph from the collection sold for another $13,000.
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(TOPPS VAULT OFFERS 2007 BOWMAN 1 OF 1 CARDS ON EBAY)
The Topps Vault is one of the richest treasure chests in the hobby. The Vault, which sells Topps goods on eBay is now offering more current items. Previously the company offered proof versions and artist renditions of retired players.
Now the company is offering Bowman Heritage blank back 1 of 1 cards. Calling them "First Edition Cards," they are limited to one of each of the more than 300 cards in the series.
(One of the slabbed 1/1 blank back cards.)
"The exclusive offer only available through eBay features Limited Edition blank back cards created for each base card from the 2007 Bowman Heritage Baseball Card Set," the site stated. "Each card is encapsulated and graded Authentic by Beckett Grading Services."
Topps routinely offers older versions of anything it seems is laying around the office from press plates to cards which were used to study before making other cards for the coming season.
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(CHAOTIC GOES NATIONAL RETAIL)
Hobby stores got the Chaotic Game launch in October and now it's time for the National Retail market to get their fare shine. The highly successful game from 4Kids Entertainment is played with cards and with an Internet boost. Now the TCG launches nationwide at the mall retail level.It will be live December 15. Since October over 600,000 Chaotic Game cards have been registered on-line.
"We are well positioned to follow up on our successful comic and hobby launch of the Chaotic Trading Card Game with the next step of our expanded weekend roll-out to the major malls nationwide," said Bryan Gannon, CEO of Digital Games which developed the program. "Collectors and gamers alike are enthusiastically embracing Chaotic as the next hot trading card and on-line game experience."
Each card is imprinted with a code which enables the user to upload and trade their cards as well as do battle with other players.
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(JAKKS AND TOYS R US HOOK UP FOR PETS)
JAKKS Pacific has had a strong recent history with the pet toy and accessories world and it's any body's guess what these items are doing in Toys R Us, but JAKKS officials say it is only natural. The company is placing dog toys and treats into the more upscale toy stores.
In the mix is a line of doggy chews, clothing, beds, collars and more. JAKKS developed a Spider Man collar and dog clothiers under a license with Marvel.
"We are very excited to embark on this pet partnership with Toys R Us," said Tony Lawlor, Senior VP of Marketing for JAKKS Pets. "Toys R Us is the premier destination for toys and baby products and now families can also purchase fun, kid friendly pet products at their local Toys R Us Store."
The items will be produced under the AKC Junior and Totally My Pet brands.
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