The Collectible Shift: Investing in Baseball Cards Amid Tariff Uncertainty

Hi Friends,

   Recently, we've seen a trend with a lot of interest in collectibles coming from some new buyers who would not usually purchase Baseball Cards and Pokémon Cards, so it led us to do a little bit of digging.

   What we found was quite interesting, and definitely makes a lot of sense, given the current market conditions, and the trepidation over the ultimate level of tariffs that we will be seeing over the next several months.

   Of course, Baseball Cards and other collectibles are a great investment, however, they are not a guaranteed way of increasing your wealth. This is important to put out there before we go further.

   There are a lot of great reasons to buy and invest in collectibles:

     * They are a great way to diversify your investments, to go along with any stocks, bonds, mutual funds, etc. that you may already own.

     * They are a "reach out and touch" investment (a tangible item) - a great investment for people who want to invest in a physical item.

     * Collectibles bring a lot of enjoyment outside of being just a potential investment. 

   It's important, though, to keep in mind that when you are looking to sell a collectible, there is the potential for you to sit with that item for a while before it sells. Of course, that depends on the item and the demand, but also, on the condition, and whether it has been authenticated and/or graded, if applicable.

   Furthermore, you need to consider any potential tax implications based on how long you have held the collectible before selling, so it is important to check with your tax professional regarding any of those considerations.

   Jumping back to where we began, several non-conventional buyers have began to jump into the market, turning collectibles into viable assets.

   A recent article in the New York Post ("Tariffs are driving investors to Pokémon and Mickey Mantle as trading cards gain credibility as domestic assets"), says that "Collectibles have emerged as a legitimate asset class: a $600 billion+ global industry, with trading cards alone valued at more than $15 billion as of 2024.".

   The article goes on to say, "As tariffs begin driving up the cost of imported goods, consumers are increasingly turning toward domestic assets already here — resale markets, collectibles and trading cards are seeing a surge in demand as investors seek out alternatives beyond the traditional mix of stocks and bonds".

   This is certainly the case with what we are seeing, and upon speaking with some of our newer "non-conventional" buyers, this is exactly what they have told us about why they are jumping into what is a new class of assets for their portfolios, and diversifying their portfolios with rookie cards, autos, graded cards, and more.

   The overall market will always re-invent itself, and morph, based on changing market conditions, and this is certainly what seems to be happening right now. Another exciting era in the hobby begins!

   Stay Tuned as things seem like they will be evolving over these next several months.


Thank you, and have a great week! 

Rob
CardboardandCoins.com


CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.

#BaseballCards #Collectibles #Pokemon #Tariffs #Investments #Portfolios

Baseball Cards, Collectibles, Pokemon, Tariffs, Investments, Portfolios

 

Baseball Card Scams And Fraud During The Holiday Season

Hi Folks,

   Hello Everyone,

   I hope your Holiday season has been great, thus far! 

   If you've been buying baseball cards and coins for either yourself or that special collector in your life, you know that there are a lot of deals out there, both online and in-person/in-store, but some deals might just be too good to be true! There is always an element of fraud in the market, but during the Holiday season, fraudsters seem to flourish.

   We're going to take a look at some different types of fraud that can occur in the sports cards market, and we'll define a few of the more common deceptive practices that may occur when buying or selling sports cards. Again, these scams are more prevalent during the Holiday season, when there is often an increase in transactions.

   Some of the most common, yet, obvious types of scams have to do with the physical card, itself. For example, with the sophisticated manner in which items can be duplicated, many cards can be made to look genuine, even down to what appears to be "aging" on a card. Counterfeit cards are a widespread type of scam, especially with the more expensive cards on the market. Another type of scam is when a seller will trim the edges of a card to alter it so that it looks as if the card has perfect edges on it, or to remove some markings or damage. 

   Combating counterfeit cards as a buyer can be difficult, so it is often advisable to purchase the more expensive cards that are on the market from a reputable seller. In terms of protecting yourself from sellers who alter cards, you have to do your homework, and by this, I mean that you have to know the true dimensions of a card (exact size), as well as know how to tell if a magic marker or a Sharpie was used to cover up some chipping along the edges or corners of a card. 

   One of the more devious scams is fake autographs that are passed off to the buyer as authentic. A good rule of thumb is to know what the autograph looks like and compare it to the signed card that you are looking to purchase. As with counterfeit and altered cards, the same rule applies here; try to make purchases of higher-end autographed items from a seller that you have purchased from before and/or a reputable seller with a long-track record and positive reviews for other signed merchandise that they have sold. Another layer of security on top of this is to ask for certificates of authentication, to prove that the signature was witnessed by a respected authority in the hobby, such as JSA, among others.

   One additional way to protect yourself from these types of fraud that we've been discussing is to purchase cards that have been professionally graded by one of the more popular grading companies, such as PSA or Beckett Grading. Once the card is graded (and if there is an autograph, once they authenticate it), the card will be put in a "slab", which is a heavy plastic protective and display holder, along with the grades that the card received, and along with a bar code or a serial number. You can check the serial number online with the specific grading company, which will allow you to verify that the slabbed item is truly from the grading company.

   Along with these physical types of scams, there are some others that you may come across online.

   As you search around online, there are sites out there that exist solely to steal your payment information. For example, you might receive unsolicited e-mails that are telling you about a great card that became available at an amazing price. However, when you click the link and go to check out, you are giving your information and payment details to a fraudster. This is a form of what is called "Phishing". How can you protect against this? Again, always know the seller from whom you are purchasing, never click any e-mail links from someone who you do not know and be careful with obscure websites that you may come across when searching online.

   One last thing to watch out for is when you are making a payment. It may be obvious to some, but always remember; never send cash through the mail, and be wary of sellers asking you to pay via wire transfers and other "non-traceable" forms of payment. When you are making a payment, the payment page should always be secure and should have an "https" (the secure form of "http") in the website address on the browser web address line. This will ensure that you are entering your payment details on a page that is encrypted for your protection.

   The Holiday season is an incredible time of year, but along with the holiday parties and the holiday shopping, you truly have to stay informed and do your research! Find and use only reputable sellers, and watch out for deals that seem too good to be true. If a deal looks too good to be true, then there is a very good chance that it just might be too good to be true! 

   I hope this has been helpful! 

   Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and get out there and buy some great cards!

   20% OFF...and...FREE Shipping!

   Use "CARDSCOINS20" at  CardboardandCoins.com


Many thanks and Regards,

Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com


#BaseballCards #SportsCards #Hobby #Rookies #Collect #Collectibles #Memorabilia #Cards


Baseball Cards, Sports Cards, Hobby, Rookies, Collect, Collectibles, Memorabilia, Cards

 

The Sports Card Hobby Just Keeps On Rolling!

Hi Friends,

   I hope this weekend finds you doing well!

   A typical weekend for me always involves some kind of baseball card purchase, mixed in with everything else that's thrown at me, and this weekend has been no different!

   I have noticed that everything is getting more crowded by the day, and our great hobby is no exception! 

   During the pandemic, there was a huge boom in the sports card market, not just limited to baseball cards, rather, all sports cards. 

   This certainly made a lot of sense, because people were home, and looking for things to occupy their time. Additionally, there was a lot of extra money that was thrown into the hobby from the stimulus checks that some people had received, and as always, people with extra money will certainly find ways to spend that money!

   However, now that the pandemic is "over", that market boom is certainly continuing, with no signs of slowing down.

   Recently, I went to the National Card Show in Long Island, and in all my years of attending this show, I have never seen it more crowded than it was. The line to get in was out the door, and once inside, there was barely room to move.

   Keep in mind that there were some top names signing autographs at the show, but there were always top names signing at these shows. In speaking with some of the vendors that I know at the show, they said they could not keep up with the people at their tables. They said that they had a rough time juggling between people asking questions about their cards, people forking over cash to pay for cards, and, of course, keeping an eye on the rest of their tables to make sure some of their cards didn't get up and "walk away".

   One vendor who I purchase unopened boxes from told me that he regretted not bringing someone with him to help out after he saw how chaotic and crowded it was on that Saturday, because on Sunday, it was just as crowded and maybe even more than the day before.

   It's not just in one location or part of the country.

   A recent article titled, "Three years after pandemic boom, trading card industry still going strong", John Russo talks about a collector who got his start in the hobby during the pandemic, and attributes the influx of new collectors in the hobby as follows; "...when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, many old hobbies experienced a renaissance, including...." sports cards and trading cards.

REASONS FOR THE CONTINUED BOOM IN THE HOBBY: 

   The continued interest in the hobby can be attributed to a couple of factors.

   The first is obvious, which is that new collectors that came into the hobby during the pandemic have stayed. They have caught "the bug", as I call it, or the desire to keep adding to their collection. 

   As Russo said in his article; collectors are now "fully immersed in the hobby", which sums it up! 

   There is something for everyone in card collecting, whether it is unopened packs and boxes, rookie cards, serial numbered cards, short prints, refractors, sets, autographs...there is more than enough to keep everyone hooked and having fun!

   On that notion of "fun", there is also something behind that, which is that collecting cards, as a hobby, is therapeutic, and is great for mental well-being. It helps you focus on something positive (an "escape"), brings you a little more excitement, something to work towards, and helps you be a part of something greater than yourself...to be part of a community of others just like you, who love collecting cards!

   After all, what’s more exciting than opening a pack of cards and seeing that gorgeous Mojo Refractor "1st Bowman" Rookie card staring right at you! It is a feeling of excitement that only a true collector can appreciate, and the fact that more and more people are experiencing that great feeling is definitely a good thing!

Thank you for joining me today!

Rob


Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com


REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code BLOG25 at checkout)


CardboardandCoins.com...
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between!
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size

www.CardboardandCoins.com

Baseball Cards, Hobby, Sports Cards, Rookie Cards, Rookies, Serial Numbered, Short Prints, SP, Refractors, Sets, Autographs, Autos, Trading Cards, Collecting, Unopened, Packs, Boxes

#BaseballCards #Hobby #SportsCards #RookieCards #Rookies #SerialNumbered #ShortPrints #SP #Refractors #Sets #Autographs #Autos #TradingCards #Collecting #Unopened #Packs #Boxes

 

Collecting Baseball Cards In The 1980s...3 Fond Memories, Part 2 Of 2

Hi Folks,

   I'm glad to have you back with me, and I am excited about telling you a little more about collecting baseball cards during the primitive 1980s, along with 3 fond memories, for me, from that period of time.

    In part 1 of this story, "Collecting Baseball Cards In The 1980s...A Whole New World, Part 1 Of 2" (You can read Part 1 here: http://blog.cardboardandcoins.com/2021/12/collecting-baseball-cards-in-1980s.html), we left off with me looking like a deer in headlights when I read about the most incredible thing ever...that there were such events called "Baseball Card Shows", which were like a convention of baseball card sellers in one huge open space, such as a hotel conference center, or a convention center. In my case, it was the Adria 2 Conference Center and Motel in Bayside, Queens, as well as the Golden Gate Inn in Brooklyn (as well as another show in Hempstead, Long Island). These were all places nearby, where people would gather to buy and sell their cards!

   I questioned myself..."Do such events truly exist??"

   There was one card show coming up the following weekend, just a few short miles from my home, and I begged and pleaded with my parents to take me, which they did, luckily!

   The crowds were dense, and it was like walking on air! Cards everywhere. As far as the eye could see.

   There were many tables with rows and rows of cards that folks were thumbing through with little pieces of paper. I asked someone what was on their paper, and they said it was a list of cards they needed to complete their 1975 Topps set! That thought stuck with me, and I planned on making the same type of lists for my sets when I got home, before the next card show.

   I met some great folks at these shows, "vendors", and over time, I began to know them by name, and vice versa. One really nice older gentleman had a gumball-machine type of baseball card dispenser, and for 25 cents a turn on the machine, I was pulling out cards from the 1950s! Remember, this was 1980s, before the prices really spiked! Each time I got another card, he asked me if I wanted a "Gosinta"? He found it quite funny! He said it to everyone. Why? Because they would ask what a “Gosinta” is, and he would reply, "it holds the card...your card ‘GOES INTA’ the holder!". I guess that was part of his joy in the game! He was there every week, and I got so many incredible cards from him, and a stack of “Gosintas”!

   Being a newbie to card shows, I did make some "Silly Rookie Mistakes". One specific time stands out for me, and a vendor had a really good laugh. I had asked him how much his 1963 Topps Pete Rose rookie was, and he said “Two Fifty”. I took out two dollars and two quarters and went to give him $2.50 for the card, and he said, no, so, $250! Yikes! I turned beet red!

   Amidst the chaos of these shows (and aside from my confusion with the multiple Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, and George Brett versions in that pesky 1981 Fleer Set), I had a blast. After going to several shows, I figured I would try and bring some cards with me to sell, but when the vendors looked them over, I learned a valuable lesson in this era before grading companies existed; condition matters, and the price of the card depends on the condition of the card! How could I find out the prices for cards across different conditions? The Beckett Baseball Card price guide, of course!

   With that said, this now brings me to my first memory of those times:

 

#1 "BECKETT WAS BIG!":

   The Beckett Baseball Card price guide was better known as the "Bible" of baseball card collecting in the 1980s. This incredibly comprehensive book had almost every card ever produced listed within its covers, along with conditions and pricing.

   What is my take-away...my memory here? Well, this huge book was only produced once a year, so I remember waiting, waiting, waiting for the next issue to be released to see if the prices of my cards had gone up in value. It was absolute torture! In between issues, it was all a big guess! It was a very primitive time! Have I mentioned that yet?

   Fortunately, with the price guide, I was able to price my cards a little better, and my first venture into selling cards came by placing an Ad in Baseball Card Magazine as "Bob's Cards". This yielded another true "sign of the times"; people would send me $1 and a Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) to receive my list of cards that I was selling! I made a few sales, but the process was really tough, unless you were selling at card shows.

   The lesson here; you should really appreciate the fact that with a few simple keystrokes, you can check card prices and sell your cards vs. the ancient way of waiting, waiting, waiting, and then doing some more waiting!

 

#2 "LUCITE TOPLOADERS WERE LIKE WEAPONS!":

   Keeping your cards safe from damage was a new concept in the 1980s, and the sleeves were these rigid pieces of plastic with sharp edges on them. Top Loaders? Well, that is my second very fond memory:

   The Toploaders (or "Top Loaders") that you know from the present day, got their start in the 80s. These huge, thick, Lucite plastic card holders were thick, heavy, and could protect a baseball card from an atomic bomb!

   If you were walking along with that gorgeous red and yellow bordered 1975 Topps Pete Rose that you bought at a show, and someone tried to take it from you..."CLUNK"...it also served as a weapon (Not that I clunked anyone with one of these prehistoric toploaders...however, in Brooklyn & Queens in 1980s NYC, you never know!!).

   The point is, these were mammoth-sized holders, which really make you appreciate the slimmed-down, yet, just as durable toploaders of today.

   I even included a few photos in my post to give you an idea of just how big these toploaders were from back then at the dawn of time!

 

#3 "BLUE BOXES, BLUE BOXES EVERYWHERE!":

   Aside from purchasing complete card sets, I found out later on in my collecting ventures (in the 1990s) that there were such things as "Vending Boxes", which are basically a small carton of about 500 random Topps Baseball Cards from the current year, direct from the factory. These boxes were loaded with mint condition cards, and a boatload of rookies from the set from the particular year that was printed on the box.

   With that, comes my third memory from those times (a memory that is more of like “the one that got away”); I saw these blue boxes all over the place at baseball card shows, but I never thought to ask what they were. Why did I never even look INTO vending boxes? I never heard of them. So, the true take-away here is...don't be a fool! Open your eyes to what's out there, and never take anything for granted!

   Growing up in the 80s was amazing, but collecting baseball cards in the 80s was epic, especially during the earlier part of the decade, before over-production began, and when finding names like Cal Ripken Jr, Wade Boggs ("Wade"..that name still makes me giggle, lol!), Tony Gwynn, Ryne Sandberg, Don Mattingly, Darryl Strawberry, Mark McGwire, Roger Clemens, and Kirby Puckett in your Wax Pack gave you that feeling of excitement, and that feeling that you struck some type of gold...but at the time, you didn't realize just what type of gold it was...not yet, at least!

   Thank you for taking this journey with me, and I hope that it brought back some great memories for you, as it certainly has for me.

.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to all!

Thanks, be safe, be healthy, and be well!

   

Many thanks and Regards,

Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com


REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code BLOG25 at checkout)


CardboardandCoins.com...
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between!
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size

www.CardboardandCoins.com

Baseball Cards, Baseball, Collecting, Card Shows, 1980s, 80s, Topps, Ty Cobb, Shea Stadium, Mets, Wax Pack, Rack Pack, Rak, Cello, Pandemic, NYC, Queens, Sports, New York, World Series, MLB, Collect, Sports Cards, Hobby, Rookies, Collection, Invest, Collectibles, Memorabilia, Sets, Singles, Trading, Cards, Toploaders, Vending Box, Pete Rose, Beckett

#BaseballCards #Baseball #Collecting #CardShows #1980s #Topps #TyCobb #SheaStadium #Mets #WaxPack #RackPack #Rak #Cello #Pandemic #NYC #Queens #Sports #NewYork #WorldSeries #MLB #Collect #SportsCards #Hobby #Rookies #Collection #Invest #Collectibles #Memorabilia #Sets #Singles #Trading #Cards #Toploaders #VendingBox #PeteRose #Beckett

 

Collecting Baseball Cards In The 1980s ...A Whole New World, Part 1 Of 2

Hi Folks, 

   

   I hope everyone has been keeping safe during the pandemic. Our best thoughts and prayers are with everyone that have been affected and impacted by this difficult time. 

   Today, I hope to put a little bit of levity and perhaps a bit of laughter into your day, even if some of that laughter is directed at me, during my journey back into time to give you a glimpse of what it was like when the Earth was just dinosaurs...and Baseball Cards! 

   Yes, the 1980s. For those of us in the 40ish range, we remember that decade as a magical time, for the most part, but looking back, there was pain, waiting, confusion, and all that stuff, but wow, there were deals! In the days before professional grading existed, it was a Wild-West out there, but if you were at the right card shows, you were golden! 

   For the purpose of this article, I will tell you that when I started collecting in the early 1980s, I was in my pre-teens, so it gives you an idea of the mindset that I approached the hobby with at that time. Prior to taking an interest in collecting, my previous memories of baseball cards was a 1976 Topps Glenn Abbott baseball card that reminded me of the Wicked Witch in the "Wizard of Oz", which is why I probably put Elmer’s Glue on the card, somewhere around the time I was 5 or 6. Also, I was quite puzzled by the 1976 Topps Ty Cobb card, which said, "Ty Cobb OF" on the front, and I was always confused..."OF" what? What did "OF" mean? ("OF" meant Outfield, I found out a few years later, of course!). I still have these cards, because these are what sparked it all. 

   Fast-forward to around 1982, when "Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson, was blasting from every Camaro in Queens, New York (NYC), and after seeing my hapless New York Mets in person at Shea Stadium for the first time, something put me into a complete baseball card trance! I found a lot of the old cards I had, and they looked like they took a tumble in the wash, which they actually might have, and then I decided I needed to go to the candy store and get some cards. 

   Wax Packs and Rack-Packs were the flavors of the day, and I opened pack after pack, putting the cards in team order, and still not realizing the importance of condition. 

   Fast-forward to around 1983 (when "Karma Chameleon" was now the tune blasting throughout my borough in NYC)! After ripping open some 1983 Topps Wax packs, a friend and I had a good laugh about the name of one of the players..."Wade"...how could a great player be named, "Wade"? Well, it was Wade Boggs, and boy, were we ever wrong! 

   At the same candy store where we bought cards, they also sold magazines, and they had a magazine specifically called, "Baseball Cards". I pinched myself to see if I was dreaming, but I wasn't. I bought this magazine, and read it cover to cover on my walk back home. What I found out and read about made my head tilt side-ways in the same way that a dog does when you ask them if they want to go for a walk! 

   What was it that left me with a completely dumbfounded look on my face? What made time stand still for me?

   Let's talk about that in Part 2, "Collecting Baseball Cards In The 1980s...3 Fond Memories, Part 2 Of 2", which you can read here: http://blog.cardboardandcoins.com/2021/12/collecting-baseball-cards-in-1980s-part-2-of-2.html

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to all!

Thanks, be safe, be healthy, and be well!

   

Many thanks and Regards,

Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com


REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code BLOG25 at checkout)


CardboardandCoins.com...
From Baseball Cards to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between!
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size

www.CardboardandCoins.com

Baseball Cards, Baseball, Collecting, Card Shows, 1980s, 80s, Topps, Ty Cobb, Shea Stadium, Mets, Wax Pack, Rack Pack, Rak, Cello, Pandemic, NYC, Queens, Sports, New York, World Series, MLB, Collect, Sports Cards, Hobby, Rookies, Collection, Invest, Collectibles, Memorabilia, Sets, Singles, Trading, Cards

#BaseballCards #Baseball #Collecting #CardShows #1980s #Topps #TyCobb #SheaStadium #Mets #WaxPack #RackPack #Rak #Cello #Pandemic #NYC #Queens #Sports #NewYork #WorldSeries #MLB #Collect #SportsCards #Hobby #Rookies #Collection #Invest #Collectibles #Memorabilia #Sets #Singles #Trading #Cards

 

BLACK FRIDAY SALE! 25% Off & FREE SHIPPING on Cards, Coins, and More!

Hi Friends,

   We have some great news! Our Black Friday Sale starts NOW! 

   We are offering you 25% off your order and FREE SHIPPING...on all orders, regardless of size...using code BLKFRI25OFF at CardboardandCoins.com

   If you have a Collector in your life, nothing makes a better gift for them than what they actually collect, whether it's Baseball Cards, Football Cards, Basketball Cards, Hockey Cards, U.S. Coins, Pokemon Cards, Comic Books, or all of these! 

   Not sure what to get them? A Gift Card makes a great choice, so they can buy anything they want! Our Gift Cards can be found HERE.

   If you are the Collector, then you have definitely come to the right place to pick up some incredible gifts for yourself, at some very low prices! 

May you have a Very Safe and a Very Happy Thanksgiving!

Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code BLKFRI25OFF at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com

#BaseballCards #FootballCards #BasketballCards #HockeyCards #Coins #PokemonCards #ComicBooks #GiftCards #FreeShipping #Collecting #SportsCards #Hobby #Rookies #Collect #Invest #Collectibles #Memorabilia #Sets #Singles #Trading #Cards


Baseball Cards, Football Cards, Basketball Cards, Hockey Cards, U.S. Coins, Pokemon Cards, Comic Books, Gift Cards, Free Shipping, Collecting, Sports Cards, Hobby, Rookies, Collect, Invest, Collectibles, Memorabilia, Sets, Singles, Trading Cards






 

The Many Baseball Stars We Have Lost So Far In 2020

Hi Friends,

   I hope everyone has been keeping as safe as can possibly be during this absolutely crazy year of 2020.

   Between the Coronavirus/Covid-19, the economy, and the social/racial justice movements going on all over our great Nation this year, sometimes, you wake up wondering, "what will this day hold?"!

   The world of Sports is a fantastic diversion that many of us enjoy watching, debating with other fans, and cheering for our on-field favorites! However, even the sports world has had a very difficult year, with some very untimely losses, such as that of NBA Superstar Kobe Bryant back in January, which almost feels like it was 2 years ago!

 
  The world of baseball was not immune to losses, and I started to realize after waking up today and find out that HOF Superstar Joe Morgan has passed away! Just this weekend, HOF Yankee pitching Ace Whitey Ford passed away. A week before that, both HOF Ace Bob Gibson and Ron Perranoski passed away. During the summer, we lost one of my personal favorites, HOF New York Mets pitching Ace, Tom Seaver, and a week before Seaver, it was Lou Brock!

   The year began...on January 1st... with the passing of Don Larsen, the pitcher who threw a perfect World Series game for the Yankees! Then, on through the Spring, it was Tony Fernandez, Jimmy Wynn, Al Kaline, and Bob Watson! Is this year for real?

   All of the losses are huge for the sport of baseball, and of course, the families of these players, to whom we send our most sincere condolences. However, as I mentioned, growing up in Queens, New York, as a lifetime New York Mets fan, I can identify with and feel the loss of Tom Seaver, "Tom Terrific", for several reasons, beyond the most obvious ones.

   When I was born (1971), I had missed out on the Miracle Mets of 1969, and was not "conscious" of the Mets until the late 1970's, when I began attending games at Shea Stadium, and by that time, Seaver was traded away and most of his "hey days" were behind him. However, when he pitched for the Mets on Opening Day in 1983, I was there with my best friend at the time, as well as my Dad. Ironically, Tom Seaver passed away from Dementia, which is the same illness that my Dad passed from, just last year!

   We can all just imagine these great players, assembled on a big field in the sky, striking each other out and battling it out every day from now on until the end of time! All we can do is hope that the remainder of 2020 is a little more merciful to the rest of us, and to leave our favorite sports stars with us just a little bit longer!

Thanks, be safe, be healthy, and be well!

   

Many thanks and Regards,

Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 20% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code SAVE20 at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size

www.CardboardandCoins.com

#Coronavirus #COVID19 #Justice #Sports #NBA #KobeBryant #JoeMorgan #WhiteyFord #Yankees #BobGibson #TomSeaver #Mets #NewYork #Baseball #SheaStadium #WorldSeries #BaseballCards #MLB #Collecting #SportsCards #Hobby #Rookies #Collect #Invest #Collectibles #Memorabilia #Sets #Singles #Trading #Cards

Coronavirus, COVID19, Justice, Sports, NBA, Kobe Bryant, Joe Morgan, Whitey Ford, Yankees, Bob Gibson, Tom Seaver, Mets, New York, Baseball, Shea Stadium, World Series, Baseball Cards, MLB, Collecting, Sports Cards, Hobby, Rookies, Collect, Invest, Collectibles, Memorabilia, Sets, Singles, Trading Cards

 

New MLB Baseball Expansion Teams: Omaha? Cuba? Japan? Where? Why? How?

Hi Folks,

   I hope your favorite baseball team is doing as great as you hoped they would, thus far, and so early in the season still!!

   Sometimes, we take it for granted if we have a favorite team within visiting distance, and I don't mean "day-trip" visiting, rather, I mean locally (30-60 minutes away, maximum). Personally, I grew up visiting Shea Stadium as a kid to see the New York Mets, and now it's Citi Field. So for me, I think sometimes I take it for granted that my team is "right here".

   Some folks have gone through the grieving process for teams that were "right here", for example, the Brooklyn Dodgers, the New York Giants, and then there are the folks in Montreal, a big baseball city, that bid farewell to their Expos. Did Montreal Expo fans roll their allegiance behind the Washington Nationals? Did they start flying down to DC to watch their Nationals play? Maybe some of them, but for the most part, it had to hurt. Growing up in New York, I heard stories from folks that were die-hard Dodgers fans in the 1940's and 1950's, and when the team relocated to Los Angeles, these fans went through a very sad period of time that only a true Baseball fan can "get" and understand. Many of the former Brooklyn Dodger fans refused to move their allegiance to the new L.A. team, but many of the same folks refused to become Yankee fans, due to the intense rivalry that existed for so many years (some of these rivalries split families in half!).

   However, in 1962, when the MLB expansion brought baseball to Queens with the New York Mets, a large amount of old Brooklyn Dodgers fans found some love once again for the game of baseball, no matter how hapless the Mets were in those first few years.

   Recently, the Baseball Commissioner, spoke about the next wave of cities that the MLB will be expanding into. There are a few places that make a lot of sense, as far as locations of new teams, but it makes me wonder about the mind-set of some folks that grew up without a local team.

   For example, can you imagine growing up somewhere like Omaha, Nebraska, which is an All-American city like any other Metropolis in our great country. Who would you be a fan of when you are growing up? Well, you have the Kansas City Royals, about 200 Miles and a state away, or the Colorado Rockies, 500+ Miles Away. Who do you choose? Well, if you grew up before the MLB Expansion put the Colorado Rockies team on the Baseball Map, then I guess it would have been the Royals?

   Here's my first point; from the standpoint of the actual structure of two leagues and 3 divisions each, you need to have 6 new Expansion teams. Mathematically, there is no other fair way to do it, because the way it works now, an extra team in your division makes achieving one of the wild cards that much more difficult. We're not going back to just an East and West division per league, so 4 teams will not suffice. We need 6, but where can they be? Better yet, where should they be?

   #1 Well, my first pick is Omaha. It's prime for a team, and even though there is not a population explosive region surrounding Omaha, it will lure folks from Lincoln, Des Moines, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and other mid-size cities surrounding it by a stretch of Interstate. The stadium may not require 50,000 seats, but as far as playing in the heart of the country, you cannot get much more "central" than Nebraska on the map.

   #2 How about New Orleans? You can argue "why?", with Houston a few hours down I-10. But, hey, there are the NBA Basketball New Orleans Pelicans...and the Houston Rockets. There are the New Orleans Saints of the NFL...and the Houston Texans. Why not MLB Baseball? Perhaps they can be called the New Orleans Cajuns? I am getting hungry just thinking of the potential ballpark fare....clams, oysters, garlic crab....Yum!

   #3 Aloha. How about Honolulu, Hawaii? As a gateway to the Far East, Honolulu would be a great place for a team. Aside from a large enough local population, scores of folks would catch games when on vacation in Hawaii. It might also be the next jumping point for the next big stars from Japan or Korea, who are trending towards the West Coast (Shohei Ohtani went to the Angels & Yusei Kikuchi went to the Mariners). What would the team be called? Maybe the Honolulu Hulas? Scratch that. Perhaps the Honolulu Polynesians? The New York Mets are the New York Metropolitans. Perhaps the Honolulu Polynesians can be called the Polys?

   #4 Next Stop, Montreal. Montreal is a huge market with a ready-built fan base. Like I mentioned earlier, I sincerely believe that Expos fans did not decide to stay with the franchise chain and become Washington Nationals Fans. Maybe a few, but not the majority. Baseball has a rich history in Montreal, and there is a big drive going on now and discussions regarding where the new stadium would be located. This one already seems to be in motion. I wonder if the old Expos mascot, Youppi! would split time between the Montreal Canadiens NHL team games and Montreal baseball games? He/She/It was a huge part of the fan experience at Olympic Stadium during the time of the Montreal Expos.

   The next two may be a stretch, but remember, baseball is becoming global, and these two cities are inevitable.

   #5 on my list would be Havana, Cuba. Just 90 Miles from Miami, the love that the Cuban people have for the game of baseball rivals the love that we have for the game. It was meant to be for an MLB team to be based in Cuba, and the time has come for this major step forward to happen. It does not have to be political...it's all about baseball!

   #6 on my list may be outlandish, but follow me here. Tokyo, Japan. Another city in another country that eats, sleeps, and dreams baseball. They already have the infrastructure, and would have an MLB team. I know it is far away. But, for example, an East Coast team can head out West, play the California teams and Seattle, then, play the Honolulu team, then the Japanese team, or the same in reverse. These would be long road trips, of course. Then Team Tokyo would have a longer road trip, hitting multiple cities before heading back. They would have 3 major road trips per season, followed by 3 long stretches playing at home, hosting the other teams, one after another.

   Honorable mention teams were Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, which are also huge baseball countries, as well as Korea and Australia. However, this is just my thoughts on where I'd like to see new teams, and these countries could also be interchangeable.

   What are your thoughts? Where do you think the new teams will be located?
   Better Question: What do you think their Baseball Cards would look like?

REMINDER:

   Use Code SPRING20 at checkout for 20% off and FREE SHIPPING on all

   items at www.CardboardandCoins.comHave a great week, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 20% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code SPRING20 at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com


#BaseballCards #MLB #Expansion #Teams #Baseball #Montreal #Omaha #Tokyo #Japan #Havana #Cuba #NewOrleans #Houston #Brooklyn #Dodgers #Mets #Yankees #Giants #LosAngeles #Honolulu #Hawaii #Korea #DominicanRepublic #PuertoRico


Baseball Cards, MLB, Expansion, Teams, Baseball, Montreal, Omaha, Tokyo, Japan, Havana, Cuba, New Orleans, Houston, Brooklyn, Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Giants, Los Angeles, Honolulu, Hawaii, Korea, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

 

How to Explain the Hobby of Baseball Cards to Anyone!

Mascot 101: Baseball-Card-Collecting-Turkey!

Hi Friends,

  

   It's hard to imagine, because I still remember vividly as the calendar flipped from 2017 into 2018, but Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season are already upon us!

   This time of year makes us think of Turkey, Shopping, Family, and Fun. Yet, some of us feel the stress when we think of sitting at the Thanksgiving Dinner table with folks that we might have not seen in a year, with whom we are forced to make small talk. By "some", I mean "most" of us have been in this position at some point in time. Stress!

   The question is: what do you talk about with them? To quote an episode of a Charlie Brown cartoon I remember from childhood, always avoid discussing, "Religion, Politics, & the Great Pumpkin", as Linus so aptly stated.

   May I make a suggestion? Discuss Baseball Cards. Point the conversation as if describing the hobby to newbies...basically, rookies...to the hobby. Since this is a stressful time of year for many, put a little twist on it!

   What should you discuss about Baseball Cards? I figured you might ask that! I wrote the following script for you, from which you can use bits and pieces of in your conversation with Uncle Bart, Aunt Betty, Cousin Louis, your neighbor, Henry, 3rd cousin removed, Tina...you get the point!

What to Say?

   Collecting Baseball Cards help relieve stress for many people who love sports, which is why Baseball Cards have been an irreplaceable part of American culture for over a century. These cardboard treasures give collectors a chance to see the stats and pictures of their favorite players, and are fun and not limited to any age or gender of collector.

   Baseball Cards have come a long way in the past decade. As some collectors grew weary of the traditional card format, card companies needed to find a niche that would help boost the excitement of their product, so they pioneered numerous advancements in the trading card field. These companies, such as Topps, Bowman, Upper Deck, Panini, and Donruss, among others, have created numerous specialized and highly sought-after types of cards.

   For instance, Topps, one of the industry's top companies and producers of Baseball Cards for about 70 years, has found a host of ways to keep collectors interested. In their latest set of cards, they have offered up the opportunity to get cards that are signed by the players that they represent, giving the card collectors an exciting sense of thrills every time that they open a new pack (with the possibility of getting an autographed card!).

   Additionally, giving collectors a sense of owning a piece of history, they have begun to place actual pieces of game memorabilia within the cards. So, basically, you may end up opening a pack and getting a piece of fabric directly from the jersey of one of your favorite players, or even a chip of their bat.

   These game-used memorabilia cards (referred to as "GU") don't necessarily have to come from players that played the year the cards were printed - if you get lucky, you may find yourself with a piece of a bat used by Joe DiMaggio! That can add a very interesting prospect to sports card collecting. These specialized memorabilia cards feature extremely limited print runs, allowing for a high value to be assessed for the more unique cards, and some of these more unique cards for the best players may fetch upwards of hundreds of dollars, so it's almost like buying a lottery ticket! Sure, some of the cards may cost more by-the-pack, but it is clearly worth it to have such an exciting chance to get close to your sports idols. With all of these opportunities for hungry collectors, Baseball Cards are in more demand than ever before.

   Aside from the potential for huge profits from collecting Baseball Cards, collecting Baseball Cards and focusing on them in making sets or sub-sets can help relieve stress & anxiety by acting as a pleasant distraction to everyday stress. This calming effect helps fight everyday tensions, especially during the holiday season!

Did You De-Stress Your Thanksgiving Dinner?

   My sincere hope is that you were able to steer the conversation of your Turkey-Time dinner to a more pleasant and enjoyable topic, Baseball Cards, in which everyone can participate in and enjoy.

A Reward for your Valiant Effort:

   For being a Thanksgiving Dinner/Turkey-Time Hero, it's your time to have some fun!

   Our Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) offer to you:
   Take 25% off and get FREE SHIPPING site-wide on CardboardandCoins.com

   Use Code 25OFFBFCM at checkout for 25% off and FREE SHIPPING on all

   items at www.CardboardandCoins.com

   In honor of "Cyber-Cember" (Cyber December), this offer extends throughout the month of December...all the way until the last day of the year !!

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code 25OFFBFCM at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com


#BaseballCards #Game-Used #GU #Jersey #JoeDiMaggio #MickeyMantle #Collect #Collecting #Autograph #Signed #Auto #Memorabilia #Pack #Game #Stats #MLB #BFCM #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #Thanksgiving #Coupon #Code #Discount


Baseball Cards, Game Used, GU, Jersey, DiMaggio, Mantle, Collect, Collecting, Autographed, Signed, Memorabilia, pack, game, stats, MLB, BFCM, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, coupon, code, Discount

 

Baseball Cards To The Rescue! Turkey-Time Talk & A Major Black Friday Sale!!

Mascot 101: Baseball-Card-Collecting-Turkey!

Hi Friends,

  

   It's hard to imagine, because I still remember vividly as the calendar flipped from 2017 into 2018, but Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season are already upon us!

   This time of year makes us think of Turkey, Shopping, Family, and Fun. Yet, some of us feel the stress when we think of sitting at the Thanksgiving Dinner table with folks that we might have not seen in a year, with whom we are forced to make small talk. By "some", I mean "most" of us have been in this position at some point in time. Stress!

   The question is: what do you talk about with them? To quote an episode of a Charlie Brown cartoon I remember from childhood, always avoid discussing, "Religion, Politics, & the Great Pumpkin", as Linus so aptly stated.

   May I make a suggestion? Discuss Baseball Cards. Point the conversation as if describing the hobby to newbies...basically, rookies...to the hobby. Since this is a stressful time of year for many, put a little twist on it!

   What should you discuss about Baseball Cards? I figured you might ask that! I wrote the following script for you, from which you can use bits and pieces of in your conversation with Uncle Bart, Aunt Betty, Cousin Louis, your neighbor, Henry, 3rd cousin removed, Tina...you get the point!

What to Say?

   Collecting Baseball Cards help relieve stress for many people who love sports, which is why Baseball Cards have been an irreplaceable part of American culture for over a century. These cardboard treasures give collectors a chance to see the stats and pictures of their favorite players, and are fun and not limited to any age or gender of collector.

   Baseball Cards have come a long way in the past decade. As some collectors grew weary of the traditional card format, card companies needed to find a niche that would help boost the excitement of their product, so they pioneered numerous advancements in the trading card field. These companies, such as Topps, Bowman, Upper Deck, Panini, and Donruss, among others, have created numerous specialized and highly sought-after types of cards.

   For instance, Topps, one of the industry's top companies and producers of Baseball Cards for about 70 years, has found a host of ways to keep collectors interested. In their latest set of cards, they have offered up the opportunity to get cards that are signed by the players that they represent, giving the card collectors an exciting sense of thrills every time that they open a new pack (with the possibility of getting an autographed card!).

   Additionally, giving collectors a sense of owning a piece of history, they have begun to place actual pieces of game memorabilia within the cards. So, basically, you may end up opening a pack and getting a piece of fabric directly from the jersey of one of your favorite players, or even a chip of their bat.

   These game-used memorabilia cards (referred to as "GU") don't necessarily have to come from players that played the year the cards were printed - if you get lucky, you may find yourself with a piece of a bat used by Joe DiMaggio! That can add a very interesting prospect to sports card collecting. These specialized memorabilia cards feature extremely limited print runs, allowing for a high value to be assessed for the more unique cards, and some of these more unique cards for the best players may fetch upwards of hundreds of dollars, so it's almost like buying a lottery ticket! Sure, some of the cards may cost more by-the-pack, but it is clearly worth it to have such an exciting chance to get close to your sports idols. With all of these opportunities for hungry collectors, Baseball Cards are in more demand than ever before.

   Aside from the potential for huge profits from collecting Baseball Cards, collecting Baseball Cards and focusing on them in making sets or sub-sets can help relieve stress & anxiety by acting as a pleasant distraction to everyday stress. This calming effect helps fight everyday tensions, especially during the holiday season!

Did You De-Stress Your Thanksgiving Dinner?

   My sincere hope is that you were able to steer the conversation of your Turkey-Time dinner to a more pleasant and enjoyable topic, Baseball Cards, in which everyone can participate in and enjoy.

A Reward for your Valiant Effort:

   For being a Thanksgiving Dinner/Turkey-Time Hero, it's your time to have some fun!

   Our Black Friday/Cyber Monday (BFCM) offer to you:
   Take 25% off and get FREE SHIPPING site-wide on CardboardandCoins.com

   Use Code 25OFFBFCM at checkout for 25% off and FREE SHIPPING on all

   items at www.CardboardandCoins.com

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 25% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code 25OFFBFCM at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com


#BaseballCards #Game-Used #GU #Jersey #JoeDiMaggio #MickeyMantle #Collect #Collecting #Autograph #Signed #Auto #Memorabilia #Pack #Game #Stats #MLB #BFCM #BlackFriday #CyberMonday #Thanksgiving #Coupon #Code #Discount


Baseball Cards, Game Used, GU, Jersey, DiMaggio, Mantle, Collect, Collecting, Autographed, Signed, Memorabilia, pack, game, stats, MLB, BFCM, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Thanksgiving, coupon, code, Discount

 

Boxes of Baseball Cards? Scan, Save or Sell Them! Epson FastFoto FF-640

Hi Friends,

   Thank you for joining us today for a very interesting technical product review. We have a unique twist with the specific product we are reviewing, which is the Epson FastFoto FF-640 Scanner.

   Just some background on this Scanner; it is a fit for not only home office use, but it's also quite useful for the home, as well. Today, we are going to take a look at the FastFoto in terms of the set-up of the scanner, the speed of the actual scanning process, the quality of the scan results, as well as some features and options that I found quite helpful, and you might, as well. At the very end, I'll provide all of the technical details for you to review.

   Straight out of the box, the scanner looks non-threatening, and if I had to compare it, I would say it's about the size of a toaster oven. The only thing that you have to do is just snap in the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), which is quite simple. Aside from that, the scanner is pretty much turn-key and ready for the software, which is the last step in the set-up. This part is a snap! Super-easy, since you download the software directly via Epson's website. I call it "seamless" since it is so easy. I suggest you download all software offered to you for your given operating system. It's free to download and it will help you take further advantage of the functionality of the scanner.

   Guess What? Congratulations! Your Scanner is now configured and ready to begin scanning!

   At this point, your scanner is all set up, with software installed, the USB cable connected to your laptop or desktop, and now you're ready to begin using it. As easy as the scanner is to get set up, it's even easier to use!

   What I have tested the scanner with was 5 different items; regular photos, Polaroid photos, documents, business cards, and of course, baseball cards. Automatic folders are set up for you and you name them at the moment right before they actually scan. One amazing feature of this scanner that will "WOW" most folks is that it automatically scans front and back, so if you have handwriting or something on the back of a document or photo that is important to save, it will also scan that as well. The FastFoto will name the front file name with an "a", and the file name for the back will have a "b". Not only does it capture the names, but it also captures the date as well for easier filing and for ease in locating the files long after you have finished scanning.

   Another thing that makes this real easy is the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF), which you really cannot do without it. It is a critical part of the scanner. Example: I was trying to send some Polaroids through and they were not going through at first but then I resolved it by just placing them in a different way on the feeder, which is very versatile in this specialized type of scanner. On the topic of ease, you can even have the photos border adjusted by simply tweaking the settings, and it even allows you to take out red eyes if they show up in the scan. As for resolution,the FastFoto defaults to 300 DPI resolution but it also has an option for 600 DPI, but remember, and this goes for all Scanners; as you go up in resolution, the time it takes to scan your items will increase, as well.

   Speed is another great quality of this scanner.  I sent through 20 baseball cards and they were done in about 50 seconds which is blazing fast. The amount of time that it saves you will really impress you! Sometimes, you have to go back and adjust the photos or anything that you've scanned in order to tweak it and make it better, especially if it's a faded out photo; this will correct it. For those folks that scan often and then have to correct the documents or photos, etc afterward, will realize that this is a huge time saver. Just think of how much you will miss Photoshop editing your scanned image files. This might make you tear up over that... or perhaps they are tears of joy?  Perhaps both?

   Overall it's amazing how accurate the FastFoto is, and that just goes to show you the quality of product that Epson once again has put out on the market. As I mentioned above, the quality is second to none. One of the many features that makes this scanner shine is the auto enhancement, which really does some magical things when you're dealing with photos that are either faded or just very very light, i.e. with sun in the photo, or something bright along those lines. As mentioned, you can select the enhancement option in the settings by changing it to be Automatic, or you can manually do it in the folder that pops up with the app. Just select the image, click on Edit, and you can do many things to enhance your photos.

   Yet another great feature of the scanner is that you are able to select whether you want to save the enhanced photo as an original or if you want to make a second copy so you don't overwrite the original, in case you need to make additional changes, from the original version forward. This increases the efficiency and the amount of time saved and headaches saved with the scanner and its accompanying software. I ran into an issue with some baseball cards that would not get a reverse scan. I very easily found out through the intuitive menu that by adjusting the sensitivity settings, the lightness and darkness of print on the back of the card, completely remedied this and fixed the issue. Any issues you come up with are easily remedied most often by looking in the settings in the software. It's true...it's all right there. I tried another scan test where I loaded up many different cards of different sizes and it scanned all of them seamlessly without even a hint of a "misfeed"! All the while, this scanner is so quiet that you don't even realize that it's working until your originals come out gently into the front catch. Quiet scanning is perfect in my book!

   To sum everything up here, this is an incredibly fast, very smart device with very good software for the user interface and it also is amazing in terms of how you are able to easily edit and enhance photos, either automatically or manually. This is a scanner that can be used to blow through hundreds or thousands of cards that you may have from years back, and catalog them for yourself to save them or sell them. With the option to upload everything to the cloud, you have basically an off-site private copy of all of your card images. This will ensure your photos will survive any adverse or damaging conditions that could affect them, because they are saved as your very own personal off-site high-quality front and back scans. The FastFoto makes sense on a number of levels, and it is certainly something you want to take a look at further after reading this review, so you can take the first step towards owning this time saving wonder!

Have a great weekend, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

REMEMBER: 20% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code 20LESS at checkout)

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com

TAGS: #Epson #Scanner #FastFoto #baseballcards #Photos #Office #Home #Document

Encore! Bitcoin Meets Baseball Cards: A Cryptocurrency Love Story

The Impact of Cryptocurrency on the Collectibles Market... 

(ORIGINALLY POSTED 12/22/2017. DUE TO MULTIPLE REQUESTS TO
RE-POST THIS BLOG ARTICLE, WE HAVE REMASTERED
IT AND SENT OUT THIS UPDATED VERSION) 

Hi Folks,

    For the sake of this discussion, I’ll assume you have some understanding of what Bitcoin is (a Cryptocurrency), or at least that it has become a popular new payment method

   The Hobby and Collectibles sub-category used to be the largest component of its parent category, the Antiques market Category. In decades past, people from all different walks of life compulsively accumulated large quantities of Antique collectibles. Baseball cards, sports cards, Pokémon cards, U.S Coins, and Comic Books (Sounds all too familiar for me!!). The market had been super-saturated first with collectors-turned-vendors, and then came the over-saturation by moonshot figures of overproduced products. The “Big Boom” of this ‘era’ ran between 1986-1993. During that time in the early 90’s, housewives covered their home furniture with Hummel miniature figurines, antiques and a variety of other shelf-sitters.  Their husbands collected U.S. Coins, vintage toys, and stamps.  Their daughters turned their rooms into shrines to porcelain horse figurines or seashells while their young sons avidly hoarded baseball cards, marbles, Pokémon cards, Comic Books, or G.I. Joe action figures.

   There was a push and shove in the market as time went by, and the faith and love in the Hobby and Collectibles sub-category began to wane, in part, due to the result of over-production and dissatisfaction with where prices had gone (more commonly, prices had not appreciated due to excessive production). People held firm to their pride and refused to settle for less than what they wanted in terms of specifically needed items. Another issue was that folks naturally want things done yesterday, and quite often, desired items were almost never in the locations where they were needed. Stores with antique collectibles that were sought after by many individuals were not being found, as many shops had little or no publicity and even those with some publicity were confronting other issues occurring in a flooded market with wide distribution, namely, lack of trust.

   “What could make our market soar again?” folks wondered. Even the big boys in the market were losing, as a result of the fog of this era, due to the way things were going. So what was the way forward they pondered? Many ideas were put forward , all in a bid to awaken the somber giant. Some ideas were simple, like to slash production and offer more exclusive sets. Some examples during this time was the Topps Tiffany elite glossy offering, which was mimicked by Fleer on one level and by Score on a similar level. The increasing use of the Internet was a shot in the arm for the collectibles industry and the ability to find what you need wherever it is located. Some other ideas were more forward-looking, and ideas began brewing and had not truly percolated until many, many years later.

Then came Cryptocurrency:

   Out of these days, there was a need for something more substantial and wide-spread and effective.  Cryptocurrency, or for example, Bitcoin (or BTC, which is the most popular of all Cryptocurrencies), had a slow start. In it’s infancy, you could barely buy a snack using BTC, even as it boasted back then to already be what it is popularly known as today, which is “the universal currency”. In the present day, Cryptocurrency boasts the most reliable, fastest and efficient way to make payment and receive your items.

   The interesting thing is that ever since its inception, there has not been one breach in the servers nor any incidents with unforeseen circumstances occurring, which would have forced many of us to think of Bitcoin as unsafe. Based on the topic at hand, public domain blocks are created for companies with strict registration patterns which can always be trusted, placing them in a position where they can not only be seen by the general market,  but also trusted by all that see them.

   Building on this, there are very impressive developments, with some major players now accepting Bitcoin, for example, Overstock, Expedia, and Dish, are among many other retailers being added daily. This has started to catch the attention of some major players in the collectibles/hobbies sub-market, and they have started following the same path. The results have been stunning in terms of their profit, ability to bring on more staff, and the new-found trust of customers, as well as the influx of customers strictly preferring to use Cryptocurrency.

   The result? The collectibles market is once again rising to its rightful place in the world markets, again, with the help of Cryptocurrency at the foundation of it all. Many of us in the same line of business, seeing the trust and the exciting positive outcomes stemming from accepting payments in Cryptocurrency, began looking into the feasibility of implementing it as another option/form of payment. 

   This brings us to an exciting moment for us, where we are officially sharing our own Cryptocurrency news:

   We here at CardboardandCoins.com are glad to announce that we have decided to adopt Cryptocurrency as a form of payment, with an option to use Coinbase or some other method, directly to our Paxful Wallet. We already accept PayPal, Amazon Payments, Credit Cards, and various other payment methods, in addition to Bitcoin (we are amenable to even accepting Ripple coin/XRP and a few other Cryptocurrencies...just ask). Remember, in addition to any coupons you use on our site, you still get 5% off additional when using Bitcoins/Cryptocurrency.

  How do you pay for your order using Bitcoin? When you arrive at checkout, look for the payment option titled,
"*** BitCoin Accepted *** (with a 5% price discount!!)"

  From there, it's just 3 Simple Steps to easily make a payment securely and instantly using Bitcoin (BTC)...

Step 1: Remit Payment for the cart amount, less 5% discount, to our Paxful BitCoin Wallet (address provided at checkout screen).

Step 2: E-mail us at info @ cardboardandcoins.com with your reference #, the items you purchased, and any discount codes you have used.

Step 3: We confirm payment, securely pack your order, and Ship your items. It's that simple!

   We've always had the pleasure of offering you the best of everything in the collectibles market, and are providing you with the platform of not only viewing what you desire, but also paying for it with no worries or concerns about the payment used, as the Bitcoin option is now live and working on our site during checkout. Now you can get all you've ever wanted for the right price and at the right time, all in one place. So don’t let anything hold you back from getting the collectible items that you love, whether it’s baseball cards, sports cards, Pokemon Cards, U.S. Coins, or Comic Books…it’s all accessible at your fingertips and on your own terms!!


REMEMBER:
Have a great week, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com


Tags:

bitcoin, btc, cryptocurrency, hobbies, collectibles, baseball cards, ripple, currency, coins, pokemon, comic books, doge, dogecoin

#bitcoin #btc #cryptocurrency #hobbies #collectibles #baseballcards #ripple #currency #coins #pokemon #comicbooks #dogecoin #doge