Pin Highlight: 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four Press Pin

Whether its pure laziness or just an effort to pinch pennies, pins handed out to the press for specific sporting events many times look quite similar to the ones you’d purchase at the souvenir stands.  This can result in mass-produced pins being sold as their much harder to come by press pin counterparts.  A good example of this can be seen when it comes to the 2015 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four pin.

Press pin

Mass-produced pin

At a quick glance you can see how someone might mistake one version for another.  The NCAA logo on the mass-produced pin has silver coloring around the letters “NCAA”.  The press pin does not have this, just white lettering.  A solid silver-colored ring also circles the entire blue NCAA logo on the mass-produced pin.  The silver-colored ring fades out near the top of the circle on the pin issued to the press.  Looking at the font used for “2015” and “INDIANAPOLIS” you’ll see some major differences.  The mass-produced pin’s is thicker and plain white whereas the press pin font is thinner and a shiny metal color.  Those spikes on the left-side are a bit sharper on the mass-produced pin as well.

When it comes to press pins its important to know what you’re buying.  The price difference can be significant.

Fantastic Four Trailer

With Fox already having the X-Men, and Marvel Studios doing the whole Inhumans thing.  I hope the Fantastic Four is being approached at a different angle to separate itself from everything else out there.

Famous Fabrics Fab Four Redemption Up For Grabs During The ’13 National

In the latest ’13 National news…

After August 3rd, one lucky collector will be the owner of this Famous Fabrics Fab Four Redemption quad autographed card.  That’s right.  This is one card with the signatures from all the Beatles members – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.  Last year Famous Fabrics included 90 redemption cards within boxes of their Music, Music, Music product.  Each one of these redemption cards contain a serial number, and starting last November Famous Fabrics began announcing 10 numbers every month.  If your redemption card’s serial number was announced, unfortunately you’re not the winner.  As of right now, 10 numbers still remain.  During the 2013 National Sports Collectors Convention Famous Fabrics will eliminate the remaining 9 numbers leaving the last one to the winner.

Has your serial number been called yet?

Josh Gibson Cut Signature Highlights Leaf’s 2012 Sports Icons

Last year it was “Shoeless Joe” Jackson.  This year it will be Josh Gibson.  Leaf Trading Cards is bringing back their Four Leaf Clover redemption cards within 2012 Leaf Cut Signature Edition Sports Icons.  Anyone who pulls a Josh Gibson Four Leaf Clover redemption card has the chance to win this beautiful cut signature pictured above.  Gibson’s one an only other cut signature ever inserted into a product was almost a decade ago in 2003 Upper Deck SP Legendary Cuts.  He is considered one of the best catchers and hitters baseball has ever seen.  Gibson played in the Negro Leagues and never made it to Major League Baseball.  Three months after he passed away, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.  His signatures are very rare and demand insane prices when they become available.

You can look for 2012 Leaf Cut Signature Edition Sports Icons near the end of July.  Each box comes with a slabbed cut signature.

The estimates Leaf puts on the high-end “hits” like the Gibson and Jackson cut signatures are no where near what they will sell for.  The Jackson cut sold for $26,290.00 and the estimate was around $90,000.00.  The Gibson cut is estimated at $40,000.00 to $50,000.00, and I just don’t see this card going for that kind of money, especially if the Jackson cut didn’t even break $25,000.00.  Both signatures are ultra rare, but Jackson’s autograph is much more difficult to find considering he barely knew how to read or write.  Gibson on the other hand was a smart guy and if he hadn’t played baseball probably would have been and electrician.  Neither autograph is easy to find, but I believe Jackson’s to be worth more.

Card of the Day: Gino Torretta 1993 Classic Four Sport Auto

Card of the Day: 1955 Topps All American Four Horseman #68