Some Olympic stories from our recent autograph signing with Bruins star Patrice Bergeron. 

Bergie’s roommates in Vancouver were Sidney Crosby and Shea Weber, his 2005 World Junior teammates.  Each Canadian player was given up to 6 tickets per game, but requests had to be made by mid-January.  The players had to buy their own souvenirs.  Luckily there was a store set up in the Athletes’ Village, so the players did not have to spend four hours in line like most consumers.  While their daytime itineraries were pretty full with practices, meetings, and video sessions, the players were able to spend a lot of time with friends and family, usually after games.  Since Team Canada games started at 5:00 p.m. local time, games were finished before 8:00 which allowed for plenty of down time. 

 

After the gold medal game, Bergie said most players partied at Molson Canadian Hockey House for a while, before dispersing to do their own things.  He was up all night and got no sleep before he boarded a plane the next morning. 

Jonas Gustavsson told me that he received so much swag (t-shirts, caps, etc.) as a member of the Swedish Olympic team; he couldn’t carry it all home.  So he left a duffle bag full of goodies in his room when he checked out of the village.  AAARRRGGGHHH!!!  I lectured him that if a similar situation should ever arrive, to call me and I will send a personal valet to help him carry his items.  I love that kind of stuff, and can’t believe it went to waste.  How cool would it be to have an actual Team Sweden Olympic track suit or the like?

 

I told Patrik Elias this story, and he told me he did the exact same thing.  Elias bought so many souvenirs for people that he had to leave a pile of his Team Czech Republic goodies behind due to lack of space in his luggage.  I’m thinking whoever was responsible for cleaning out those rooms made out like bandits.

 

I learned that as a bowler, the aforementioned Gustavsson is a pretty good hockey goalie.  I was privileged to watch The Monster take on teammate Fredrik Sjostrom in a friendly post-season bowling match while they were stranded in Toronto awaiting the volcanic dust to clear over Europe.  Sjostrom beat Gustavsson by the menial score of 89-83.  Jonas told me he was just warming up, and I commented that was a good thing, since I didn’t think he could score any worse.

The 2010 Boston Marathon was won by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot in a course record time of 2:05.52, breaking the previous record of 2:07.14 set by Kenya’s Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot in 2006.  Believe it or not, the two men are not related.  Wouldn’t that be akin to Wayne Gretzky’s scoring records being broken by another man from Brantford named Wayne Gretzky?

An oldie but a goodie – Clark, the Canadian Hockey Goalie.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdf4GeT4ELA

Hopefully everyone has received Frozen Pond’s spring mailing over the past few weeks.  We are offering the largest selection of 2010 Team Canada Olympic signed items available anywhere, and these items are HOT!!!  For those yet to receive a hard copy, a digital version is available at http://www.frozenpond.com/download/fp_spring2010.pdf.

A hearty “Mazel Tov” to our friend Vinnie Lecavalier on the birth of his first child.  Victoria Lecavalier was born May 3 and checked in at 6 pounds, 12 ounces.  She will be eligible for the NHL Draft in 2028.

Speaking of Vinnie, please enjoy this story about Frozen Pond friend Hayden Allison’s recent encounter with his favorite player.

A Bobby Orr rookie game-worn jersey recent sold at auction for the astounding price of $191,200 U.S. How long until a Sidney Crosby jersey surpasses this amount?

There are a lot of rumors circulating about the short term viability of Upper Deck.  The company that once dominated the sports card industry is now fighting for its survival.  They lost their license from Major League Baseball in 2009, but continued to produce cards regardless.  This resulted in a lawsuit that cost UD over $2.4 million in settlement fees.

 

This came on the heels of another settlement with Konami, where UD admitted they stole intellectual property by fraudulently manufacturing and distributing Yu-Gi-Oh cards without a license.  That settlement was also rumoured to be well into seven-figures.

 

Upper Deck also lost their basketball and football trading card licenses, as well as their exclusivity to produce NHL hockey cards.  This has left the company with only a fraction of their previous revenue streams.  Players are complaining about not getting paid for autographs signed, and the MLBPA went so far as to “strongly advise” players not to return any signed cards to UD until payments were brought up to date.  The union also recommended against signing any new agreements with the company.

 

The above happenings coupled with the fact that UD laid off a good percentage of their staff makes you wonder how long they can continue to operate.  Established in 1989, Upper Deck helped revolutionize the trading card industry and became the most powerful player in the history of the sports collectibles hobby.  But some bad decision making and rumors of inappropriate business dealings has haunted them in recent years.  Look for Panini America to take over as the new company of choice for hobbyists.

Panani did make a brilliant move by hiring Al Muir as their hockey brand manager.  The former editor of Beckett Hockey Magazine has kept a low profile since being unceremoniously let go almost two years ago.  Muir has been in the industry as long as anyone and is extremely knowledgeable of the marketplace.  I’m expecting great things from this company.

 

The NHL Alumni took all the sticks from an end-of-season Leafs game and auctioned them off to raise money for their internal charities.  I love examining results such as these, because they are a near-exemplary “apples to apples” comparison of player popularity.  Here are the results:

 

Beauchemin - $300
Bozak - $151

Caputi - $110

Exelby - $132

Giguere - $215

Grabovski - $211

Gunnarsson - $142

Gustavsson - $721

Hanson - $142

Kaberle - $210

Kessel - $253

Komisarek - $142 (game-issued)

Kulemin - $170

Mitchell - $110

Orr - $120

Phaneuf - $1050 (plus helmet)

Schenn - $170

Stalberg - $130

Wallin - $100

 

Not counting Phaneuf, whose selling price was skewed due to the inclusion of a helmet, is it surprising that Jonas “The Monster” Gustavsson’s stick sold for almost 2.5X as much as the next popular Leaf?  Not to me.

This one is rated PG13, but had to be included here since it involves two of my favorite things – Hank Azaria and baseball.  It is also unbelievably hilarious.

http://www.funnyordie.com/hank_azaria

It’s nothing to do with anything, but I really like this song - Fireflies, by Owl City.  Not a huge fan of the video though. (I think this blog has set an all-time record for number of included links.)

 

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.