VOLUME 2, NUMBER 203
**HOT**BUTTON**PHOTO**
(400 potential jurors to get letters regarding OJ Simpson trial.)
* LOTS OF SITES OFFERING QUESTIONABLE AUTOS
* A TEST FOR EBAY HOBBYSTS
* TOPPS EXTENDS ORDERING FOR 2008 FOOTBALL
* CLUBHOUSE AUTOS STILL BAFFLE BUYERS
These stories and more in today's TBR: The Brill Report...
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(VARIETY OF SITES OFFERING QUESTIONABLE AUTOGRAPHS)
It's interesting what you can find out when following a link to memorabilia pitchers on-line. We stumbled across a not well used auction site alternative called USFreeAds.com. One of the memorabilia dealers on the site is offering a large number of signed jerseys authenticated by AutoThentic Inc. The interesting thing is these signed jerseys are being offered for around $200 each. More importantly only the key NFL players are being offered.
The key names are Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Eli Manning and
Adrian Peterson. Wow, getting these for $200 signed is pretty remarkable. To the left is a Peterson autograph and to the right is the COA which comes with these this particular seller is offering on this site.
It seems suspicious only the big name and in-demand players are being offered and at super low prices to boot.
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(READER SURVEY ON EBAY ACTION)
What we are about to describe is a real life event and it comes just as eBay initiates it's "No Negative Feedback for Buyers" Program. This incident comes during the same week as eBay's new program on feedback. As of this week sellers may no longer leave Negative Feedback for buyers on eBay but this does not hold true for sellers. They can leave Negative Feedback any time.
(Joe Flacco card sold in eBay deal.)
Recently dealer "A" sold a Joe Flacco signed card from Sage to a collector on eBay. The price was $16.51 and $5 Shipping & Handling. The card was shipped in a semi-rigid older and left in perfect condition. Upon receiving the card the buyer notified the seller the card was unacceptable.
"I don't want to contact eBay unless I have no choice but the card is no good to me it was bent and ruined, want to know when you can replace it?"
The seller emailed back, the card left in great shape but send it back and "What I'll probably do is refund your money."
Upon receipt of the card the seller noticed there was nothing wrong with the card. It was in mint condition, no bends, dents, damaged corners or surface. Between the time the card was sent back and it was received the buyer again contacted the seller with this statement.
"I sent the card back in a soft cover, it looks like that is what happen i sent back the original holder. I look forward to getting soon and doing more with you. I have ordered 96 items in the past month and this is the first time so I don't like to leave negative feedback when we get this straight. I will leave positive feedback."
Price does not seem to be an issue as the card is selling regularly for $15-$18 on eBay and dozens have sold at that price.
The buyer has 500 positive feedbacks the seller nearly 4000. The card returned was the same as the one sent out and it is not damaged. We would like you to voice your opinion on the matter. Please email your response to; brillpro@prodigy.net and mark it "survey."
Should the seller:
1. Refund the money and keep the card
2. Return the card with a note saying it was not damaged, a deal is a deal
3. Email the buyer the card was fine and he can either accept it or not
4. Send the card to Sage for inspection as a third party
5. Give your own suggestion here:
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(SIMPSON JURY POOL COULD REACH 400)
It might be labeled the "Trial of the Century III" after the murder trial and the Lindberg kidnapping trial. With so much media attention already focused on the OJ Simpson robbery and alleged kidnapping trial in Las Vegas, attorneys for both sides are going to find it rough to get a jury which hasn't head of the case.
"I have no idea how long it's going to take to pick a jury in this case," the judge said this week in open court.
The court is going to send out 400 or so jury ballots each with 115 questions. The idea is to find a fair and impartial jury. Presumably one which hasn't heard all the details the media put out so far, and, who hasn't read any of the several books which have come out and will come out before trial. This would be an amazing feat.
Simpson faces numerous charges including kidnapping in what he said was a bungled sting operation to get his own memorabilia returned. Men with guns we are told by one dealer burst into the Las Vegas hotel room "military style" and held the victims at gunpoint. Simpson then came in trying to collect what he called his belongings. The kidnapping charges come from the notion he ordered the memorabilia dealers held against their will until the matter could be straightened out.
"The questionnaire is not about arguing the case," Simpson's attorney Gabriel Grasso said later. "It's basically about asking certain questions to weed out jurors who have preconceived ideas."
If convicted of robbery Simpson would go to jail by law, if convicted of kidnapping he could go to prison for life.
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(UPPER DECK TEAM HITS STREETS OF NEW YORK)
The streets of New York were filled with Upper Deck employees last week who were giving out packs of trading cards about Yankee Stadium. The giveaway led to 60,000 packs being give away at Saturday's game between the Yanks and the Mariners.
"It was a well orchestrated effort from top to bottom," said Upper Deck Media Director, Terry Melia. "The street team handed out 20,000 Yankee Stadium Legacy packs that included a special info card announcing Upper Deck's year long Yankee Stadium Legacy program and the ways in which collectors can win special dream prizes."
(Modern Day Babe hired by UD. Photo courtesy of Marty Appel PR)
The cards are part of a 6600 card set UD is releasing this year honoring the House that Ruth Built. In honor of this UD hired it's own Babe Ruth to peruse the crowd at Rockefeller Center for the taping of the Today Show and the Babe called the shot, making good and getting on camera.
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(TOPPS GOES PRESIDENTIAL WITH NEW 1/1)
In Topps Baseball Series 2 the company has inserted some really great new 1/1 style cards featuring the signatures of Presidents and the men they beat getting to the White House. Among the dual cut autographed cards are those featuring Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater.
(The Nixon-Kennedy debates rivaled the Lincoln-Douglas debates for attention as to their importance in history.)
Not all of the cards will feature the presidents but some will be phenomenal notable match ups. Check out the card with signatures from both Henry Clay and John Calhoun! There are 55 cards in all with no duplicates although there will be more than one signature from many individuals. Dan Quayle will appear on more than one as will Ronald Reagan. Perhaps the most sought after might be Abe Lincoln and George McClellan, the Civil War General under Lincoln who ran for his seat.
Some of the more controversial ones will be Spiro Agnew and Thomas Eagleton. Now that is crazy. Another exciting one features Harry Truman and Thomas Dewey while another offers up William McKinley and the silver tongued orator, William Jennings Bryan.
These cut signatures will certainly drive the product, which is usually the lackluster of the two Series of Topps base brand baseball.
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(TOPPS EXTENDS ORDER TIME FOR FOOTBALL)
Leading to the assumption few people were ordering it, Topps announced it was extending the order deadline to director dealers until June 11 for Topps Football. The first deadline was May 14, but emails popped into dealer boxes gave the nearly one month extension. Nearly unheard of it lends credence to the rumor Topps and Upper Deck are seeing fewer dealers ordering direct from the manufacturers.
With money tight and credit even tighter, along with very slow foot traffic dealers are waiting longer and longer to order. Many have cut way back on direct orders, while some dealers have cut off direct buys all together. With distributors fighting the same battle and offering product deals, and the Internet cutting into all margins, dealers are finding it more prudent to wait on base and mid range products. Even some high end products befall the same fate.
It means the product will still be available, and since it is a base brand Topps will produce the cases in the number they need to. More will be shoved on distributors and moved to retail accounts. The hobby will still get its share but some hobby stores will have limited supplies although re-ordering won't be as big a problem.
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(CLUBHOUSE SIGNATURES STILL BAFFLE MASSES)
This past week KC Kings Sportscards listed more than a dozen team signed baseballs on eBay. Those which JSA (Jimmy Spence Authentication) were determined to have some "Clubhouse signatures" were details as such. Interestingly enough more than just a few emails were received asking what "clubhouse" meant? Realizing not all collectors on eBay are totally knowledgeable each email was answered in detail and politely.
(Samaple LOA mentioning clubhouse signatures.)
It is pretty amazing at this advanced stage of the hobby and the publicity over counterfeit items, there should be so many questions about clubhouse signers. For the record, a "clubhouse" signatures means someone other than the player in question signed his name for him. This was common practice and it usually fell to the Clubhouse manager to do it.
Typically according to the clubbies we have spoken with, the starting pitcher, the manager and often the key big star were likely to be clubhouse signed. Mickey Mantle was notorious for not signing the team baseballs put out by the Clubbie each day. Thurman Munson, Roger Maris and Ted Williams were quite the same. For whatever reasons they didn't want to be bothered signing and ordered the clubbie to sign their name.
Often it was management who encouraged it, getting team signed balls for sponsors, whether the entire team signed them or whether there were a few non-signature, signatures on them.
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(ACE AUTHENTICS KICKS IT UP A NOTCH WITH MATCH POINT)
Victor Shaffer's Ace Authentics Tennis brand is releasing a very limited and very interesting new product this week which features the first ever signed cards by Billie Jean King. It will also feature the first memorabilia cards from the former tennis great.
"We are very proud of all the design and diversity and value that we have been able to put into Match Point," said CEO Shaffer. "Collectors and distributors have been asking us for more autographs, better players and more diverse designs to enhance the pack opening experience."
Other first time signers in Match Point include 12 time Grand Slam Champion Roy Emerson, Fred Stolle and Johan Kriek. Some top new rookies will also make their debut in the set. Look for four autographs and one memorabilia card per box.
One of the key autographs in the set is a cut signature of all-time tennis great Althea Gibson. Ms. Gibson later became an actress and had a major role in the 1959 John Wayne Civil War epic, "The Horse Soldiers."
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(NAXCOM HOOKS UP WITH UPPER DECK RETAIL STORE)
With the Upper Deck Retail Store in Orange County barely getting it's feet wet dealers wondering what was going on with the store will soon see something different. NAXCOM is sponsoring a public signing for Angels pitcher Joe Saunders. Saunders, off to a hot start, will sign at the UD retail store July 5, from 11am-1pm. Tickets for any item will be $25.
July 19 NAXCOM will sponsor another signing a the UD store, this one with the Lakers' Jordan Farmar.
With the show market slowing down, NAXCOM is looking for more ways to expand it's income base and private and public signings are a growing part of the mix. The company will sponsor a charity signing for Fred Belitnikoff in Oakland June 2 in Lincoln, CA at a country club (tied to a celebrity golf tournament) and one day earlier another signing at a bowling alley in Rocklin, CA. Both are in northern California.
Private signings are scheduled with Jeremy Hermida, Dan Uggla and Jeff Francoeur.
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(TOPPS OFFERS COLLECTORS OWN CARD)
Hopefully this promotion by Topps will not turn out to be the bust as the same promotion tried by Upper Deck in 1993. Topps is going to offer on collector, the first to break the Allen & Ginter code, a chance to be on an actual A&G card in the next set.
(Your own A&G card is at stake in this promotion.)
In every 24 pack box of A&G there will be a special code card. There are 20 overall. The first person to put the 20 cards together and follow and complete the task the cards lay out, wins the grand prize. The super prize is to have your own card in the 2009 A&G series. Yes, your own trading card.
In 1993 Upper Deck randomly inserted a Golden Ticket so to speak and the collector who found the card in UD Collector's Choice would appear on a card the following year. No one found the card so UD held a second chance drawing won by a dealer. She has appeared occasionally in adds an those wanting to point out the miscue. The dealer was an elderly woman who appeared with Ken Griffey Junior on the card. Her name is not mentioned anywhere and nowhere does it say anything about her.
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(NATIONAL TREASURES NAMED PRODUCT OF THE YEAR SECOND STRAIGHT TIME)
For the second year in a row, Beckett named Donruss National Treasures Set of the Year. The high end pack product featured rookies and stars as well as some very cool memorabilia.
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(GOLFER MICKELSON BEING FOOLED BY OWN AGENCY)
Kudo's to Sports Collectors Digests' Chris Nerat who reports this statement;
"According to Phil Mickelson's official web site 'Autopen signatures are considered authentic as long as they are not offered for sale.'"
Mickelson is managed by Gaylord Sports Management which gets the award for the dumbest statement in the hobby. How anyone could ever think and autopen is a real signature in any way shape or form is beyond hobby belief.
The interesting thing about the statement it goes on to say requests are back up so you may have to wait a year for your autopenned item. Mickelson will sign flags, pictures and other items but won't sign hats, putter covers or golf balls.
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(HASBRO PROMOTES WITHIN)
Hasbro has a new CEO and COO as Chief exec steps down. At 65 Alfred Verreccia moved onto chairman of the board while the company named 45 year old Brian Goldner as the new CEO. In his first move he named David Hargreaves, 10 years his senior, to the post of COO. Both have been with the company for many years. Before joining Hasbro, Hargreaves worked at Ford in Europe and ran part of John DeLorean's company before the Delorean car company went out of business.
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(THURMAN MUNSON AUCTION THIS SUMMER)
During the major league baseball all star game items once owned by the great Yankee catcher, Thurman Munson, will go to auction. Aside from all the sports memorabilia going up for sale is the late catcher's custom made Mercedes-Benz convertible.
(Thurman Munson in his prime.)
Munson was killed in the crash of his light plane in 1979 and the family has decided nearly 30 years later it is time to sell off what the Yankee favorite once achieved. A personal World Series trophy will be up for bid as will his World Series Ring, MVP trophy and more than 130 other items.
Hunt Auctions will conduct the ceremonies at the MLB Fan Fest at the All-Star Game during the July 14-15 break.
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(NO REDEMPTIONS IN DONRUSS ELITE FOOTBALL)
You could hear the shouts coming from the Dallas region as the last of the autographs came in for Donruss Elite Football 2008. The officials at Donruss announced via email the good news.
"We are pleased to announce there will be NO REDEMPTIONS in 2008 Donruss Elite Football."
And the dealer/collector crowd roared and then a sign of relief. Why can't every company accomplish this feat.
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