Our thoughts and prayers go out to Jean Beliveau.  Good health, my friend.

Signed Olympic jerseys may be tougher to come by this year, as it seems Nike seriously underestimated demand for their product. There are no jerseys to be had at the wholesale level right now, and apparently no more are being produced. I had a request to provide 30 Team Russia jerseys for the wives of the players to wear in the stands, but coming up with the jerseys was an impossibility. We are doing an autograph session with Phil Kessel this week, but have no access to Team USA jerseys.  We have a handful of Canada jerseys in stock, but are debating whether or not to save them for possible higher-dollar sales down the road.

 

I am sure that Nike had vast amounts of unsold product after the disastrous 2006 Olympic hockey results, and played it extra cautious this time around.  Hopefully there will be enough jerseys available to at least come close to meeting customer demand.

 

 

 

Sports Collectors Digest (SCD) has been the sports collectibles industry publication dating back to the 1970’s. It was a must read, and I remember eagerly anticipating each week’s issue and reading it cover to cover. In its heyday, some issues were over 400 pages thick.

 

The economic downturn has obviously hit the company hard. It was not unusual for issues in 2009 to peak at 36 pages, while they rarely exceeded 50.  SCD took to accepting ads from less than reputable companies in an effort to stay afloat. This never would have happened in the old days, when all advertisers were screened and the publication diligently followed up on customer service issues.

 

I let it go the first time, but there’s no way it’s going unmentioned again. The Toronto Marlies, the Maple Leafs AHL affiliate that is also owned by the parent club, sent out an email blast in November promoting their upcoming bobble head nights. I had to send the Leafs an email, making note that 3 of the 5 players listed had their names spelled wrong.

 

Vesa Toskula (Toskala)

Terry Sawchuck (Sawchuk)

Jonus (Jonas) Gustavsson

 

Remember all the Fabian Brunnstrom hype last year? Dallas won the sweepstakes for the free agent Swedish star, and he looked like an amazing find after scoring a hat trick in his first NHL game (only the 3^rd player ever to accomplish the feat).  This year, he has one goal and eight points and has spent time in the minors.

 

We can actually play this game with a lot of players.  Last season I called Kyle Turris a “Jonathan Toews clone” and picked him to win the Calder Trophy. After a disappointing 20-point year, Turris has spent the entire 2009-10 season playing in the AHL.  Viktor Tikhonov and Mikkel Boedker also spent the majority of last season on the Coyotes roster and had huge expectations thrust upon them. Right now, both are struggling to score for the San Antonio Rampage.

 

Other players having disappointing seasons include:

 

Shawn Horcoff – 19 points in 45 games and making $5.5 million a year

Chris Drury – 19 points in 47 games

Sergei Samsonov – 15 points in 40 games (so much for his re-birth)

Dennis Wideman - -8 for Boston after finishing with a +32 last season

Chris Higgins – 13 points in 51 games for the Rangers

Jonathan Cheechoo – 13 points in 51 games for the Senators – did he really win the Rocket Richard Trophy in 2006?

Rod Brind’Amour – 12 points in 49 games

Andrew Cogliano – 12 points in 50 games

Ethan Moreau – 8 points in 49 games

Ville Leino – 7 points in 42 games; Justin Abdelkader – 6 points in 48 games – see my comments on them in “The Pond Chronicle”

 

McFarlane Toys recently released a promotional photo of Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson signing bases that are to be randomly included in packaging for their NHL 24 series being shipped in April.

My favorite part of the image is the framed autographed photo of Patrick Roy in the background.  That was actually my Christmas gift to Jonas.  He idolized Roy as a youth, and the photo is inscribed “To Jonas, Best of luck in your NHL career, Your friend, Patrick Roy”. Thanks for your help Patrick.

 

I just discovered this website - http://autographalert.com/news.html - and all I can say is WOW!!!  Some of the stories here are mind boggling.  The proprietors of the site are dedicated to exposing fraud in the autograph world.  While it focuses more on Presidential and vintage baseball and entertainment autographs (no hockey), the lessons to be learned cover the entire signature collectibles realm.

 

The great thing about this site is all their challenges and innuendo are backed up by facts.  They prove a number of well-known collectible companies to be misleading and downright fraudulent.  They give each company an opportunity to share their side of the story, but seldom receive a response.  The lesson they are trying to teach is just because a company advertises in the trade papers and sets up at the major shows, it does not make them reputable.  I have stated previously that trade papers will not disparage their advertisers, especially in this economy, since it is those same advertisers that are needed to ensure that periodical’s survival.

 

Does a PSA/DNA sticker make an item more valuable?  Read some of these stories and you will learn just how many mistakes this company allegedly makes.  Are you impressed when you see a vintage signature comes with a certificate from James Spence Authentication?  Prepare to be impressed no more.  Other companies that take a beating include R&R Enterprises, University Archives, Memory Lane Auctions, the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC) and American Memorabilia Auctions.

 

There is a lot of reading involved, but what you find will definitely change the way you think about a number of premier authenticators and auction houses, especially those that work in tandem.    

 

According to a recent survey in Card Trade magazine, 78% of all sports hobby stores reported a decline in gross sales last year.  In an unrelated story, 22% of all sports hobby store owners have been found to be chronic liars.

 

Upper Deck Authenticated is offering customers the opportunity to obtain signatures from some of the biggest names in sports.  You can send in your own items to be signed by players that rarely participate in this kind of undertaking.

Rough pricing is as follows (per signature):

 

Michael Jordan - $750-$1,500

Tiger Woods - $1,500-$1,800

Kobe Bryant - $650-$850

LeBron James - $650-$800

Ken Griffey Jr. - $250-$350

 

Interested parties must also adhere to the following guidelines:

The following items will not be allowed to be sent in as part of the Exclusive Signature Program
1. Game Used Items
2. Artwork, original or reproduced.
3. Cross-sport equipment (i.e. Baseball for Michael Jordan, footballs for Tiger Woods)
4. Any Washington Bullets/Wizards memorabilia
5. Golf Balls
6. Pin Flags from Tournaments not won by Tiger Woods
7. Jerseys that do not feature the athlete’s current number
8. Sports Illustrated Magazines
9. Equipment that has been part of an Upper Deck limited edition or core release
10. Trading Cards, Upper Deck or otherwise

 

Talk about a bargain.  What do I do this month, pay down my mortgage or get my Tiger Woods baseball cap signed?  Provided of course that the baseball cap has not already been part of an Upper Deck limited-edition.

 

Card collectors may be interested to know that Inkworks has ceased normal business operations.  They hope to continue producing non-sports sets in the future, but for now have shut down all existing projects.  This includes planned sets for Ghost Whisperer, Lost, Smallville, and Doctor Who.  The company also holds/held licenses for:  Buffy, Angel, Supernatural, X-Files, Twilight, The Spirit, Aliens vs. Predator, Shrek, Jericho, Veronica Mars, Charmed, Naruto, Kung Fu Panda, and most importantly - Family Guy.

 

The CFL played the Grey Cup on November 23, 2008.  The CFL named their coach of the year on March 3, 2009.  I realize it takes a while to count the ballots, but that is ridiculous.

Last week, Serena Williams was voted the 2008 WTA player of the year.  Are they aware it is the end of March/2009?

A plea from the family of legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden.  The 98-year old HOF’er is recovering from pneumonia that put him in the hospital.  His family has asked that collectors and fans please refrain from sending him things to sign, as he is no longer able to facilitate such requests.

A couple of weeks ago on American Idol, Randy Jackson twice confused Olivia Newton John with Elton John, and was not corrected by any of the other judges.  Is it true these guys know as much about music as PSA/DNA does about authenticating autographs?

 

Bad news for all you Facebook addicts out there that have a number of hockey players included on your “Friends” list.  It is not really them.  I have spoken with several players who have profiles on the popular social networking site, and they have all let me know that they are not the ones corresponding with fans, who are instead being duped by imposters.  These are most likely harmless acts with no victims, but impersonating someone else could still be construed as a crime.  Obviously some people have far too much time on their hands.

 

A Babe Ruth McFarlane “Super Chase” figurine, limited to 3 copies, was auctioned off last week for the ridiculous price of $13,600 U.S.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2009-McFarlane-BABE-RUTH-SUPER-CHASE-Blue-variant-3_W0QQitemZ290304077394QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item290304077394&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A13%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1309

 

I would normally make a comment about “money better spent”, but I think it is always good for the hobby when there is this much demand for a modern keepsake.  Besides, the buyer may be a big hockey fan.

 

For all you card sharks out there looking to raise money for a good cause, the Shoot For A Cure celebrity poker tournament takes place on May 8^th in Toronto.  You can look forward to sitting at a table with a hockey legend while raising funds for this worthwhile organization.  Please click the link below for more details. 

 

So free agent collegian Christian Hanson is going to sign with the Maple Leafs.  Do you think he’ll be appearing at Frozen Pond anytime soon after the story I wrote about his father, regardless of the fact that it is completely factual?

 

I remember giving this kid a TON of autographs in his pre-teen years, as he was a huge goalie fan and I used to make Dave Hanson happy by always getting a “To Christian” signed photo when I was with Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, etc.  Let’s see if the rookie will remember any of this once he signs his first contract.

 

Reader’s Mailbag -

 

How do you decide what players to bring in to Frozen Pond to sign autographs?

 

It is basic economics – supply and demand.  If we deem there to be enough demand from our customers, than we will bring the athlete in.  Any hot young player is a no-brainer, since existing supply will be negligible while demand will be huge.  Sometimes we are way off in our projected demand (see – Dustin McGowan), but usually we come pretty close to our estimates.

 

There are other players we bring in simply because we want to start a relationship.  It never hurts to bring in a John Mitchell or a David Perron because their upside is huge and we will already have a foot in the door for future dealings.  More often than not these types of signings have turned out to have fruitless returns, but when the risk is low, it never hurts to try.

 

Do some players keep saying no, even though you try to get them to come in?

 

Yes – but not a lot of them.  Some, such as Bob Gainey, have made it abundantly clear they have no interest in doing an autograph session, so I do not bother following up.  Others, such as Rod Gilbert, have had bad experiences previously but have left the door open for a possible signing in the future.  These are the guys that I stay in contact with.

Some players I have approached that have absolutely zero interest include Ken Dryden, Leo Boivin, George Armstrong, and Paul Kariya.