SIDEWAYS GLANCE WHAT'S THAT PIECE OF CARDBOARD WORTH TO YA?Byline: - Tom Hoffarth --The book: ``The Top 200 Sportscards In The Hobby.'' --The author: Joe Orlando, editor of Sports Marketing Sport marketing (or "sports marketing" in the US) (1) the specific application of marketing principles and processes to sport products (e.g., teams, leagues, events, etc.) and (2) the the marketing of non-sports products (e.g., cigarettes, beer, long-distance phone service, etc. Report and vice president of Professional Sports The examples and perspective in this article or section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. Authenticator. Forward by former Dodgers pitcher Tom Candiotti --The essential info: 452 pages, $24.95., Odyssey Publications. Available online at www.psacard.com (with $4 shipping). --The pros: Why are some cards more valuable than others? What makes them important? How tough are they to find? In a country crazy for lists, this kind of book was bound to happen. The author, a noted collector himself, picked the brains of experts around the country to compile this hardback, giving everyone from the novice to the expert a look and description of which cards mean the most these days. In chronological order and by sport, the book covers each card with a two-page spread. From the ``crown jewel'' T206 Honus Wagner Even better, it goes beyond baseball to include many rarely seen NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= cards (like '61 Fleer fleer intr.v. fleered, fleer·ing, fleers To smirk or laugh in contempt or derision. n. A taunting, scoffing, or derisive look or gibe. Jerry West and Elgin Baylor), football (a '52 Bowman of Frank Gifford while at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. ), and even golf ('98 Tiger Woods). --The cons: The card industry is already one giant conflict of interest, and this is a perfect example. Because this is authorized by the Laguna Niguel-based company that does professional grading of cards for those who think they need such a service, the book reeks of self promotion. Each card pictured has a PSA (Professional Services Automation) An information system designed to organize, track and manage all opportunities, work, resources, costs, revenues and invoices to improve the productivity and efficiency of the workforce. grading number to reinforce the idea that the company knows what a great card is and isn't. Fact is, most cards can be graded by the individual if he uses the instructions in the Beckett monthly guides available in most hobby stores. Aside from the typographical errors, the book also does a disservice to those who'll never own one of these cards. All the pictures are in black and white. The handful of color pages in the back shows each card again in all their glory, but they're so small it's just insulting. The book then concludes with 15 more color pages - filled with advertisements for companies that want to buy your cards. Hey, it's all a business. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: no caption (book: ``The Top 200 Sportscards In The Hobby'') |
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