Donruss has brought the hardwood to the gridiron in their upcoming release of 2008 Playoff Contenders Football. Three of this year's top NBA Rookie Draft Picks - O.J. Mayo, Michael Beasley, and Derrick Rose - will be included in the product. They will appear atop Rookie Ticket Autograph cards as part of the 2008 Playoff Contenders Football Set.
Beckett issued a press release Wednesday Afternoon announcing the expansion of their popular BGS Grading Service. Beckett Grading Services (BGS) will be expanding its portfolio of services to include ‘83-86 Star Company basketball cards beginning next week. The move was initiated through a request from The Schonco Sports Collection to have BGS grade their inventory of Star Company basketball cards prior to its release onto the market.
The Star Company was the exclusive licensed distributor of NBA cards in the early 1980s, and their limited edition sets feature some of the earliest and most valuable Michael Jordan rookie cards available. In the past BGS has been hesitant to grade this product due to the large percentage of counterfeits and reprints in circulation. It is for this purpose that Beckett has enlisted the help of Steve Taft, one of the foremost experts on Star Company cards. Taft will train BGS staff members on the nuances of grading cards from this highly sought after brand.
This new BGS service will be available to the public on December 1st. The service will encompass all unbagged Star Company basketball card singles that were produced between 1983 - 1986. This includes the three mainstream sets, insert sets, subsets, promotional sets such as "Crunch 'N Munch" and "Gatorade", and 5x7 oversized cards. BGS will no offer public grading of bagged sets at this time, though they may offer it at some point in the future. Graded cards will carry a label designating it as part of The Schonco Sports Collection inventory.
"Best of the Best" and "Magic Johnson" sets will only be graded out of the Schonco Sports Collection. This high profile collection will include some of Jordan’s early cards as well as many key sets like 1984 Boston, Dallas, Detroit and Philadelphia team sets. They are expected to demand a significant level of interest (and money) from collectors when they hit they the market.
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 1985 Star Co Dr J Moses Malone Basketball Cards US $14.99 |
 1986 STAR CO MICHAEL JORDAN SEALED BAG SET GAI 9 MINT US $308.00 |
 1986 STAR CO JOSE CANSECO SHARP 15 CARD SET US $.99 |
 1984 Star Co LARRY BIRD 11 Boston Celtics RARE US $2.50 |
 1985 Star Co Isiah Thomas Record Assists Card287 US $7.99 |
 1985 Star Co Kareem Abdul Jabbar Card173 US $14.99 |
 1986 Star Co Set Dale Murphy Braves US $6.00 |
 1985 Star Co Kareem Abdul Jabbar 5x7 Card REDUCED US $14.00 |
 1985 Star Co Magic Johnson 5x7 Card REDUCED US $19.00 |
Topps has announced plans for their latest vintage themed sports card product, 2008-09 Topps T-51 Murad Basketball. This is the third new vintage sports card product that Topps has announced in the last 2 months - the others being 2008 American Heritage Baseball and 2008 Topps Mayo Football. 2008-09 Topps T-51 Murad pays tribute to 1914 T-51 Murad , which has the distinction of being the first set of basketball cards ever produced. Currently due for release at the end of December, hobby boxes of 2008-09 Topps T-51 will contain one guaranteed autograph hit and one guaranteed relic hit per box.
2008-09 Topps T-51 Murad
Estimated Release Date: December 31st, 2008
Price: $70 - $75 per Hobby Box
Hobby Box Configuration: 24 Packs / 7 Cards per Pack
Every 24 Pack Hobby Box Contains:
Donruss issued a press release early Wednesday Morning announcing the signing of former Boston Celtics Star Forward Kevin McHale to a multi year deal that will have the NBA Hall of Famer appear in, and autograph cards for, various Donruss Trading Card Products. The deal marks the first time McHale has reached an autograph agreement with a trading card company. McHale has already completed his first card signing for Donruss. Trading Cards bearing Kevin McHale's certified signature will denut for the first time ever in Donruss' upcoming release of 2008 Americana Sports Legends.
Scott Prusha, the Marketing Director at Donruss, weighed in on the exciting development, "It's amazing that in a very competitive basketball market that Donruss has been able to bring collectors two Hall of Famers (Dick Vitale being the other) that have never had certified autograph card. We are excited to be bringing McHale's first certified autographs to our products, giving another reason for collectors to pick-up Sports Legends."
Kevin McHale will appear on a number of different cards in 2008 Americana Sports Legends. McHale's 2008 Americana Sports Legends base card will showcase him playing for his alma matta, the University of Minnesota. McHale will also be featured on two different autograph insert cards. He will appear alongside fellow Hall of Fame Legend Larry Bird on a dual autographed card in Signature Connection Combos. McHale will also appear in Signature Connection Triples. The latter insert will have will feature McHale alongside former Celtics teammates Larry Bird and Robert Parish.
McHale, who was enshrined the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, helped the Celtics win three NBA titles, in 1981, '84 and '86. A seven-time All-Star, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history in 1996. McHale currently hold the distinction of have the ninth highest field goal percentage in NBA history, with a career shooting percentage of 55.4%.
2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends is currently scheduled for nationwide release on December 10th.
Topps has released the list of player redemptions for 2008-09 Topps Letterman Basketball Lottery Pick Patch Card Redemption Program. Topps randomly assigned each of the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery picks a letter (A-J). Redemption card holders will be able to redeem these cards for a letter patch card of the corresponding player listed below. All redemption cards will be serial #'ed out of 25. Collectors will receive one letter patch card of the player's name for every redemption card received.
Redemption cards were placed in one of every four master boxes of 2008-09 Topps Letterman.
Redemption Card "A"
Brandon Rush, Indiana Pacers
R-U-S-HRedemption Card "B"
O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies
M-A-Y-ORedemption Card "C"
Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers
G-O-R-D-O-NRedemption Card "D"
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwoves
L-O-V-ERedemption Card "E"
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder
W-E-S-T-B-R-O-O-KRedemption Card "F"
Michael Beasley, Miami Heat
B-E-A-S-L-E-YRedemption Card "G"
D.J. Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats
A-U-G-U-S-T-I-NRedemption Card "H"
Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets
L-O-P-E-ZRedemption Card "I"
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
R-O-S-ERedemption Card "J"
Jerryd Bayless, Portland Trail Blazers
B-A-Y-L-E-S-S
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 2007 08 Topps Letterman Basketball SEALED Hobby Box US $115.01 |
 2008 Topps Letterman Basketball Steve Nash refractor US $.99 |
 2007 2008 Topps Letterman Basketball Complete Base Set US $99.99 |
 2007 08 TOPPS LETTERMAN HOBBY BASKETBALL BOX US $159.99 |
 2007 08 TOPPS LETTERMAN BASKETBALL HOBBY BOX US $165.99 |
 2007 08 TOPPS LETTERMAN BASKETBALL HOBBY 8 BOX CASE US $1,299.99 |
It took a year, but Greg Oden will make his rookie debut this week when the Portland Trailblazer's season tips off. Oden was the first pick in the 2007 draft, but suffered a knee injury the following summer.
Without Oden, the Trailblazers managed to reach 41 - 41, but missed the playoffs for the fifth straight year.
The last time a rookie waited this long with this much potential was David Robinson. "The Admiral" brought a San Antonio team back to respectability and eventually helped turned them into NBA champions. David Robinson took the Spurs from 21-61 the year before he arrived to 56-26 the following season (an NBA record turnaround at the time).
Is Greg Oden the next David Robinson? That's probably not a fair comparison, but Trailblazer fans are hoping. Oden's rookie card prices are still pretty fair. Take a look at his cards before the season is in full swing. If Portland can finish at .500 without Oden, where will they finish with him?
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 lebron jameschris paulgreg oden 3 card rookie lot US $.99 |
 2007 08 34 RC ROOKIE GU JERSEY CARDS LOT W GREG ODEN US $19.38 |
 allen iversonlebron jamesgreg oden rookie card lot US $.99 |
 2007 2008 Topps Greg Oden Mint Rookie Card 1 US $.99 |
 06 Topps Greg Oden Rookie Card US $.99 |
 GREG ODEN 2007 08 TOPPS ROOKIE CARD 111 BLAZERS US $.99 |
 2007 2008 Topps Greg Oden 1 Rookie Card Mint Blazers US $.99 |
 GREG ODEN 07 08 Topps RC Portland MINT HOT ROOKIE CARD US $.99 |
 2007 08 TOPPS ROOKIE CARD GREG ODEN TRAIL BLAZERS US $.99 |
Following the success of Donruss Americana - one of Donruss' most popular non-sports trading card releases in recent memory - the trading card giant announced plans to expand the Americana Line into the sports card market by way of 2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends. Donruss Americana Sports Legends will feature over 150 of the world's greatest athletes of the past and present. The product will include base cards, autographed cards, and memorabilia cards from Hall of Fame Baseball, Football, Basketball and Hockey Players. Collectors can also expect an interesting mix of Olympic Heroes and Tennis, Track, boxing, golf, racing, soccer, and wrestling legends to be infused throughout the 2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends base and insert sets.
Players Represented in the Set Include:
Ted Williams, Larry Bird, Cal Ripken, Nolan Ryan, Dan Marino, John Elway, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Pete Rose, Don Mattingly, Jim Brown, Joe Montana, Knute Rockne, Dick Vitale, Bill Walton, Dean Smith, John Wooden, Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Phil Esposito, Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Serena Williams, Jim Courier, Martina Navratilova, Jake LaMotta, Bas Rutten, Randy Couture, Bruce Jenner, Jennie Finch, Michelle Akers, Jeanette Lee, Ron Turcotte, Pete Weber, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, and many more.
Collegiate Legends Patches:
Embroidered NCAA patches complete with on card autographs, from a number of collegiate legends such as Tom Seaver (USC), Reggie Jackson (Arizona State), Robin Roberts (Michigan State), Jerry West (West Virginia), Oscar Robertson (Cincinnati), Lisa Leslie (USC), Randy Couture (Oklahoma State), John Wooden (UCLA & Purdue), and more.
Certified Cuts
Some of the greatest names in sports history signed notations from their crowing moments within this insert. The cards feature a trapped cut signature numbered to 100 or less from players such as Jerry West, Larry Bird, John Wooden, Dick Vitale and Richard Petty.
Signature Connection Multi-Signed Cards:
These cards feature signature combinations from the likes of Jim Brown/Mike Powell, Bo Jackson/Deion Sanders, Al Unser/Richard Petty, Bill Walton/John Wooden and Al Unser Sr/Al Unser Jr among others.
2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends is scheduled for release in December. The MSRP will be $10 per five-card hobby pack. Additional pictures of this exciting upcoming release can be found here.
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 2008 Donruss Americana 106 Kurt Russell 10 250 US $.99 |
 2008 BEARINGTON BEARS LIBBY LIBERTY PATRIOTIC AMERICANA US $18.95 |
 Tony Gwynn 2008 Donruss Threads Americana Jersey 100 US $.99 |
 17 2008 Donruss Americana Sports Legends Basketball Lot US $.99 |
 2008 DONRUSS BASEBALL AMERICANA ERNIE BANKS CARD US $.99 |
 2008 Donruss Americana 2 Peter Mayhew auto suit 250 US $10.49 |
 KAREN ALLEN 2008 DONRUSS AMERICANA 2 AUTO 97 100 US $5.50 |
 ARIELLE KEBBEL 2008 DONRUSS AMERICANA 2 AUTO 08 50 US $7.48 |
 2008 Donruss Americana Shawn Pyfrom Swatch 046 250 US $.99 |
Topps' most recent Rip Party featured a case of soon-to-be released 2008-09 Topps Treasury Basketball. This video prompted us to take a closer look at the product. The strongest points of this product include Inserted Rip Card, an abundance of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird Autographed Cards, and a relatively low price tag of $70 - $80 per hobby box. These benefits are outweighed by the fact that Topps has reduced the Rip Cards inserted in the set to glorified lottery tickets - probably more so then any other card product to date. Of the many thousands of Rip Cards produced for the set, 429 of them will literally contain U.S. Currency. Each of these lottery tickets....er... "Rip Cards" will include either $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 or $1000. Further blurring the line between where this product is a collectible hobby product or a dressed up low stakes casino game is the inclusion of of 15 Rookie cards that are literally made of 14k gold. These gold medallion cards each have a print run of 25.
My recommendation - wait until a better basketball product comes out to spend your money on. If you simply cannot resist chasing some cash carrying Rip Cards do yourself a favor and buy an actual state run lottery ticket. The jackpot will be much higher, the cost will be much less, and you will still have plenty of money left over to buy a high quality basketball product when one comes out a few months down the road.
Release Date: 10/1/08
18 packs 5 cards per pack
