I am an autograph hound as I have mentioned a number of times on here, and therefore, I seek out opportunities to add more to my collection. Every year, right after the draft, I send out one group of letters to draft picks with the hope of securing something back. This year, I had a pretty nice group of rookies to send to, and with the help of Chemgod over at Bad Wax, I was able to get some good leads on addresses with the lockout preventing normal sending situations from happening.

Luckily for me, the only one I really wanted to come back, was in my mailbox as I walked in the door yesterday. It turned out amazing, and I am glad I chose the card I did to send.

Check it out:

I absolutely love that Ponder inscribed this card, as it made it that much more awesome for my growing collection. It isnt the first time I have gotten something back from a player, but it is one of the coolest I have received. My other successes have included guys like Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jared Allen, and Greg Jennings, but only the Kareem had “to Adam” on it. The others went into a box, while the Kareem is displayed proudly. I value the personal touch that much more than just the auto.

Ponder still has just as likely of a shot to be terrible as he does to be great, but at least Ill have a nice addition to my collection either way.

Back in the mid 1990s, cards were not what they are today. Certified autograph cards were so incredibly rare that many collectors didn’t even consider them to be an option in their collecting habits. Then, as if with a strike of lightning, Upper Deck released it’s UD Game Jersey card in 1996, and everything changed. Since then, Jersey cards have gone from the rarest of the rare, to the crappiest part of many collector’s box breaks. It has gotten bad enough that many products have base cards that are now worth more than the jersey cards, a sad fact of the overabunance of the way these cards are created. Due to this fact, I will say something that I have said many times before, non-autographed jersey cards need to go.

Don’t get me wrong, there are always exceptions to this rule, but for the most part they are a part of this hobby that needs to be taken out of the equation – at least in terms of the “hits per box” part of it. I don’t want a product to go around claiming four hits per box, when only one of them is an autograph. Jersey cards are so worthless these days, mainly thanks to companies like Panini/DLP, that its not even worth mentioning in product solicitation. I DON’T CARE, and from what the sales numbers are showing, neither does anyone else.

Hell, even the patch cards don’t break 10 bucks these days, and that is a true testament to what is going on in the hobby today. Companies like Panini need to understand that you cant continue to create products the way they do, its not 2003 anymore. This goes even further into the debate over rookie relic content as well, because even the presence of “RC” in Beckett’s off base and stupid price guide cant help get more value for these cards on the secondary market. I have talked at length about the reason collectors are pissed these days, and product content is a big reason. No one likes opening a $100 box and getting $20 worth of cards, its human nature. Even though EVERY box cant have 100 bucks worth of stuff in it, EVERY box should have SOMETHING. When Panini, Topps and UD overload products with scrub autos and crap jerseys because the cost of big name autos and licensing has become a huge problem, that’s where a change needs to be made.

It is actually quite unfortunate that game used jerseys don’t carry more weight anymore. Its even more pathetic that a piece of something so close to the game we love has no value to people. It should have value, as just about every collector collects because they love the players on the cards themselves. Game used relics are the truest connection we have other than a signature. Yet, because of exploitation of a good idea, the stale scent of desperation has started to waft over many of the products that hit shelves. The pieces in the cards still matter, it’s the way they are created that has been a major factor in the demise of this concept.

Not every jersey card is worthless, but 99.9% of non-autographed jersey cards are. For every Jim Thorpe swatch card, or every Lou Gherig, there are 10,000 like the ones that are 2-3 of the box hits in 95% of Panini’s product calendar. Even their top product of the year, National Treasures employed THOUSANDS of horrifically designed jersey cards that carry little to no value. This is in a product that costs over $400 MSRP, completely inexcusable.

Bottom line is that there needs to be a shift or the ability to create good affordable products will disappear. Once this happens, it will be a short time before the industry dies. Although the hobby will always be around, the industry has a much more definite lifespan for this reason. The solution comes in the form of both product content, checklist and most importantly design, as poorly designed cards that opt for cost savings over quality damage everything that is built by good products. The phrase is “you have to spend money to make money,” but not everyone gets how deep this concept runs in the process. As long as a lazy approach reigns supreme in any company, the death certificate of the industry has another letter transcribed on it. How much longer until the whole document is filled out?

I don’t mean to be Chicken Little here, but we are getting to a point where a sky falling mentality is becoming commonplace over Beckett’s “ALL IS WELL, DAMMIT!!!” approach. Perception is reality in most industries, and I would say that perception and reality are slowly moving closer to each other.

Although Panini still creates the content of their products like its 2003, its pretty obvious the hobby has moved on from that era of collecting. No longer are jersey cards worth any money, and numbered inserts are definitely not worth any money, even with low production runs. Back in the 1990s, that wasn’t the case, as drastic overproduction of products led to some rare inserts being worth more money than ever, even more money with the lower numbered ones.

Donruss was the master of gaudy looking rare inserts, ones that collectors chase to this day. The more prestige the player has, the more sought after the rare inserts become. That doesn’t mean the lesser players don’t have appeal, crazy as it may seem, as low production scrub cards also carry huge price tags some times. This situation has never been more apparent than with a recent jaw dropping sale of this extremely rare Michael Jordan insert out of Fleer Metal Universe.

Because the regular base set was so over produced, and this card is numbered to a tiny 50 copies, its easy to see why this card carries value. However, I don’t understand why it carries THAT much value, especially when you consider that it is from a dead brand with a dead product. 1990s rare inserts have cult following among the collectors that chase scarce cards, and it is crazy how much people are willing to pay, especially for a card that if produced today would not be worth anything. I guess that is where my understanding has to stop, as it is definitely a matter of supply and demand. People go ape shit over these ridiculous looking cards, much in the same way that people lose their minds over ridiculous vintage clothes or cars.

Here are some other crazy examples:

1998 Emmitt Smith Donruss Crusade Red /25

1998 Brett Favre Donruss Crusade Red /25

1997-98 Michael Jordan Z-Force Super Rave /50

Another big example of this insert phenomenon goes back as early as the Brett Favre 1000 Stripe RC out of 1991 Wild Card Football. These cards were so utterly rare that even then it got huge money for the bigger guys. It entitled the collector to 1000 copies of the 1991 Favre rookie, and that is why it is exceedingly rare. Some of them were redeemed and destroyed, others are probably still in the unopened boxes. Regardless, they bring a crap load of money when they surface on eBay.

If two main lessons can be learned from this it is that 1) contrived/forced scarcity has ruined this phenomenon, and 2) its never going to go back to the way this was, so we shouldn’t try. Panini must not have gotten the memo on number two.

Every so often, you come upon a situation that just plays incredibly well into your hand. This past weekend was one of those situations, and after waiting almost 5 months for it to happen, im bummed a little bit that it happened so quickly. Let me preface my experience with a little background because I think it gives more clarity to everything that happened.

I was going to be attending the Tristar Show regardless of who was appearing, but once I found out that Adrian Peterson was signing, it became a religious pilgrimage to see the Purple Jesus. If you have clicked on the link on the side and viewed my collection, you know that I am a HUGE autograph collector, and even huge-er Adrian Peterson collector. I have limited my collection to only autographs and higher end singles, and as a result I have collected everything from an Inscribed Football to his iconic SP Authentic Autograph Patch RC. Not to toot my own horn, but I would say there are only a handful of higher end Peterson collections out there, and I am definitely proud of that.

All that being said, I have a borderline ridiculous need to have at least one experience meeting my favorite players. I have gotten to meet Joe Mauer three separate times at different events, and I met Kirby Puckett a few times too. Each time I have been a fan of a player, Harmon Killebrew, Kevin Garnett, etc, I have found a way to meet them. Peterson was a little different, as most football players are, mainly because of my not living in Minnesota anymore. Not that he was readily signing everywhere in the Twin Cities anyways, but I didn’t have the same access living in San Antonio or Los Angeles. That all changed when I found out that Tristar was able to get him to sign in a place I could easily make the trip to go.

That is when my mind started to run wild with the possibilities. I knew that I had some stuff that I wanted to get signed, and I KNEW that it HAD to be personalized.I have so many Adrian Peterson autographs, paying for another non-specialized item would not really add anything to my collection. Also, because I have a personal preference towards personalized autographs, it was a no brainer. The question was, what and how many items was I going to do.

After looking at my paypal account, I figured I had enough money to buy 2 autographs and 2 inscriptions. It was a CRAPLOAD of money, but I figured it was better than buying packs/boxes and ending up with junk that I don’t want. Funny enough, I ordered so shortly after they went on sale that I ended up with show ticket 0000001 and auto tickets 1 and 2 for Peterson’s line. That was cool, but more on that later.

My options for the signature were simple, Jersey, Ball, Helmet or Photo. I had the 12″ action figure too, but the area for him to sign wasn’t optimal, so I decided against it. Since I already had an autographed jersey, and because they are expensive to prepare for display, I knew that I was going with something else. I also already had a ball and a helmet, and both were also a lot of extra added cost to the cost of the signature. Therefore I wanted to get a photo, if not only because it provides a ton of room for him to write all the stuff I wanted him to sign. Matt Lange had sent me a print of an awesome picture he had taken on the sidelines of the 2010 opener, so that was perfect because it would be a one of a kind signed photo, and I purchased another from Photofile to complete the process.

As the date moved closer, I started to reconsider my item choice, but the busy nature of my life lately prevented me from acting on that hesitation. After seeing the amazing results people had with their full size helmets, I may have made a less favorable, but still acceptable choice considering the circumstances.

I left for Houston on Saturday night and checked into the hotel around 11pm after a HORRIBLY boring 3 hour drive. Houston was nice and actually cooler than San Antonio, but really, temperature was the least of my concerns. I went to bed with anticipation and woke up early to get a head start on the day. I drove the 20 mins to the Reliant Center and was very impressed with the initial setup of the show. It was in a dedicated building with a ton of space, and very easy access to the venue. I arrived before the show actually opened, but there was already a pretty long line of people waiting to get in. Tons of the collectors there were wearing either Texas A&M gear, Steelers gear, or Vikings stuff, so I easily fit in just right in my Vikings polo.

I connected with a lady in line who obviously had more money than God to throw around. The reason I say this is because she had things that I was surprised she was able to obtain. She had two game used Peterson jerseys (purple and white), a full size helmet with Peterson’s special facemask, a priority pass, and a bag full of other stuff. I was most impressed with the jerseys, because Peterson is notorious for buying up as many of his game used ones as possible. She had spent close to 10 grand on the entire package, and it was definitely something to be seen.

I started walking through the show and was surprised by how much of the show was dedicated to autographs over cards. There were only a handful of dealers selling wax, and just a few more selling singles of something produced in the modern era. Vintage was there in force, which was really the only disappointing part of the entire show. Im not really a card collector nor a vintage card collector, but I absolutely loved all the autographs that were available there. At most shows, its easy to tell when a dealer is a douchebag from all the fakes, but for the most part, everything in houston looked great. I was also surprised by how much Packers stuff there was, even more than the Texans or Cowboys actually. Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers were everywhere, as was the rest of the guys who make their retirement living signing at shows.

My favorite part of everything I saw was the sports artwork available at a few different tables on the floor. Usually, sports artwork is either really good and REALLY expensive, or really bad and really cheap. This was the first time I saw great stuff for great prices, and settled on switching out my photofile Peterson pic for a sweet lithograph of a painting done by one of these dealers. I am so glad I did, because it really turned out awesome.

After milling about for an hour and a half, I met up with Jason from Field Level View and shot the shit. He had brought a whole bunch of cards to trade, and I worked out a quick deal for a Kyle Rudolph patch auto out of Rising Rookies. I also spent some time talking with Tristar guys about the show, all of which were extremely nice and helpful on everything. Before I knew it, it was 12pm and my cue to head over to the autograph pavillion.

Peterson was supposed to start signing at 12:15 but an extended wait at the photo booth held things up. I met some cool people waiting for them to call numbers, including people who had flown in specifically for this opportunity. I saw Peterson on his way over from the photo booth and was literally shocked at how ripped he was. Without sounding even creepier than I just sounded, the guy was a freaking beast. I would not want him running at me full speed on his way downfield. He sat down and they started calling numbers. I was the first one behind the priority pass people, and was very happy I got to see some people get their stuff signed before committing mine without expectation. Much to my shock, he started signing everything with a care and deliberation that was usually absent from athletes signing at shows. He took the time to chat with each person, signed their item as carefully as possible, and even posed as the collectors photographed him signing their stuff.

My turn was next and I walked up and handed my ticket to the handler. He asked what I wanted signed, and I explained exactly what I wanted. He was nice enough to ask what color I wanted it signed in, and I told him which pen for which picture. The results were great, and I shook his hand as I walked away. Even though hyperbole usually surrounds the description of his handshake, all of it was true. It was like shaking hands with Superman. That’s the only description I have of it.

After gathering up my stuff and letting it dry, I went over and talked to some people about getting one of my photos framed. He had some tremendous work on display and gave me a deal I couldn’t pass up. In fact, he did ten times the work of Michael’s for a fourth of the price. I cant wait to get it, I will showcase it as soon as it comes in a few weeks. Should be awesome.

When I decided against waiting to meet Arian Foster, I left around 1:30 to head back to San Antonio. It was a great experience and worth every penny. It makes me that much more excited for August and the Chicago National, as I expect Tristar will be as amazing of a host for that as they were for this. Thank you to them for a once in a lifetime experience, as I believe it easily could be something I put near the top of my list of sports attendance.

Sorry for the long post and the tiny and blurry pics, my camera (of course) broke the night before. Cell cameras just arent what I need them to be, unfortunately.

As if the look, content, and design of 2011 Elite werent bad enough to drive the price down to epic lows, the posting of the 1/1 Cam Newton autograph wont do it any favors. The card was posted on eBay yesterday with an ASTRONOMICAL price, and much like the seller describes, this is THE card of the product. Elite has suffered some major set backs in price because of how terrible the cards look compared to previous years, but this could be the one card that doesnt get affected by the downturn.

In fact, this is one of the only 1/1 cards that have been posted so far, as most of the 1/1s posted have been the terrible printing plate autographs that are new this year. Yes, in addition to owning the actual disgusting looking cards from this set, you can own the worse looking plates used to birth these demons from the factory. Wonderful. Sign me up.

Here are the others so far:

Vincent Brown Status Auto 1/1

Tyler Sash Status Auto 1/1

Peyton Manning Status Auto 1/1 – The ONLY reasonably good looking card subset in this entire product. Cool inscription.

The Newton will most likely sell for around 1000 dollars, but that will definitely drop as better looking chase cards are released. Panini would love no more than for Elite to stay at 95 bucks a box, but with Prestige already below 60 bucks a box on eBay, things are not looking good this product’s chances. For the first time ever, the presence of a terrible design and awful pictures has dropped the secondary market selling point of a set, something that has rarely ever affected things before.

With Topps ramping up with amazing looking products one after the other, Panini had better get off their ass and start looking for ways to win back the people they lost during this release.