Suddenly, Last Summer: trade with Arbitrary Crap - Pt. 1

ALMOST LIVERPOOL

Well, "just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in again !" Summer is gone as of 10:40 PM today and Euro 2012 and the London Olympics are a distant memory ...

... almost. As you see from the cards (above and below), I got some Euro hangover from my friend Martyn over at Arbitrary Crap. These are some sweet Panini Euro game cards.

Knowing that I am a Liverpool supporter, Martyn sent me a few of the guys that USED to play at Liverpool.  He also added some Panini Champions League cards:

Sami Nasri - Manchester City

Alou Diarra - Olympique Marseille

Franck Beria - Lille F.C.

Vyecheslav Malafeev - CSKA (GOAL STOPPER foil)

Eric Abidal - Barcelona

Marek Hamsik - Napoli

We featured a few of Topps Olympic cards earlier, but the Brits had there own version mad by Panini. I got the card of the greatest player NOT to play soccer at in London 2012.

DAVID BECKHAM looks like he's training for some other sport on his card. I also got a Ladies footballer and a 7-a-side footballer. Interesting, I guess ?

Martyn sent along a three unopened packs so I can try my luck at a later time.

Here is a Liverpool player from the past - EMLYN HUGHES. I like this sample as it is a cigarette card size issue. There are several companies making retro sets and reprints in the UK. I'm not a fan of reprints at all, but these retro sets are nice if you have favorite players or teams from another era and don't want to spend a lot searching or spending big money.

The last card in this group is a 1979 TOPPS sticker from the NASL logo set. What's cool about this is that the NASL is back (as a 2nd division) and so are the Earthquakes. San Jose is in 1st place and may win the league this year. I featured their top gun Chris wondolowski before in an earlier blog.

coming next: part 2 of the trade

STOKE CITY, PETER SHILTON and New Soccer Card Prices

Premier League club STOKE CITY continue their tour of the USA tomorrow night. I will be attending their game at the Citrus Bowl against USL PRO Champions Orlando City. 

I am hoping new American signing Geoff Cameron (from Houston Dynamo) will make his debut for Stoke along with City's star players - Peter Crouch, Kenwyne Jones and Thomas Sorensen. Hopefully, I will get a few photos to share of the night for upcoming blogs.

July 25 - Columbus Crew 2, Stoke City 1

July 28 - Orlando City (Citrus Bowl) 7:30 PM

August 1 - Sporting Kansas City (Livestrong Park)

PETER SHILTON -

I've added another 1975 Topps card to my collection. When I wrote about Stan Matthews having cards in 4 different decades,  I could have also added another Stoke City player - PETER SHILTON. 

1975 TOPPS Peter Shilton

Shilton played a record 125 games for England. He also added a phenomenal 1005 league matches. In total he holds the world record for most competitive matches in professional soccer. He made his card debut in the 1960's and had various issued collectables in the 70's, 80's and 90's until his retirement.

This 1975 card makes my checklist of all but one Topps Shilton cards (10 out of 11 completed). 

PRICE WATCH -

The recent ebay prices for modern soccer cards has continued to rise.

Here are just a few high lights :

2012 Upper Deck MLS Marks - Thierry Henry - $232.50

The Upper Deck autograph of the Frenchman fetched over $200 bucks even though the signature is on the "band aid" sticker. 

2008 Sport Kings Gold - Pele -  $306.00

This "on card" Gold autograph (1 of 10) from Sport Kings has been hovering around $900 bucks, so someone got a steal at a third of the price. Still one of the best cards ever to have in your collection.

2012 Futera Unique - Demba Ba - $242.22

The rise in 1 of 1 Futera autograph cards is truly interesting. Such is the wonder with the above card of Newcastle United's young star Demba Ba.  A 1 of 1 of Liverpool star Maxi Rodriguez also sold for $315.00

2001 Upper Deck Man. United - Beckham - $809.99

I made the mistake in thinking the auction had ended on this David Beckham card at around $500.00 - it was furious bidding that push it a further $300 bills ...

Next up:  vintage card prices

Upper Deck - Epic Fail - World of Sports

Trial and success ... trial and error. So goes the ebb and flow of modern trading cards. However, even a fighter knows when their beaten - they throw in the towel. Upper Deck is staggering long the ropes on wobbly feet and ready for the canvass.

The uninspired product from 2010 - World of Sports - that combined college athletes (who are suposed to be amateurs) with a mix of oddities like lacrosse and lesser know activities with MLS soccer players. The design, if it can be viewed as such, lacks total imagination. The photography, amatuerish at best ...

leaves a lot to be desired by collectors. However, the biggest fiasco is the continued sham of marketing non-existant David Beckham autograph cards. This was an issue as far back as Beck's first appearence with Upper Deck when he refused to part take in the signatures on the MLS products.

Yet, here it is (above), the "fanthom" Beckham autograph card. The sticker autograph is a left over from previous MLS sets - the actual signature is that of Luciano Emilio (below) from 2007.

Even the chase cards are a poor selection of design and photos. Kasey Keller (below)  looks to be saying "oh, no ! Its the Upper Deck photographers".

All in all, Upper Deck's MLS products have been sub-quality and hardly changed in a decade of licensed production. An Upper Deck spokesperson has already confirmed that once again the Women's Professional Soccer will be part of the set for 2011.

While I have great admiration for the talent and efforts for the ladies' game (like Marta - below), I feel sorry for the purist who have to wade through these to find their favorite MLS players.

Can you imagine sifting through your pack of NBA cards and only finding WNBA cards as you search for your LeBron or Kobe ?  How about sorting your most wanted baseball stars but forced to discover lady softball players among the packs ?

I would much rather have a sub set of US players who star overseas - like Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard and Maurice Edu. (this can be done with portrait shots or national team shirts to get around the licensing issue.)

With time ticking down on Upper Deck's MLS license, it may be an opening for Panini (or even a non-licensed company like In-The-Game) to swoop in and deliver a mouth watering soccer set. I know I'll be sending in my suggestions. I would love to hear from you fans .... 

Soccer Cards Catch World Cup Prices ... $$$$$$$

It looks like World Cup fever is catching up with the soccer card collecting hobby. Several rather hefty prices have been realized for modern cards. Top of that list, in the American market, is still David Beckham. Oh, what a goof the Upper Deck people made when they omitted Beckham from the autographed sets of Major League Soccer cards.

The above 2002 Upper Deck Manchester United card - numbered # 31 of 50 - sold on ebay recently for a whopping $386.65 plus postage.

Not to be outdone by the new HEROES - Futera has made a big impact on the hobby with exclusive 1/1 autograph cards. However, the real surprise is the non-autograph cards that are bringing triple digit prices.

The French superstar Eric Cantona fetched $170.00 for his 2009 LEGEND card (above) while another English World Cup star - Bobby Moore brought $172.50 for his card (below). Moore played briefly in the old NASL during the 1970's and appeared in America with West Ham United when they played in the ISL of the 1960's summer league.

In other news ...

Reports that MLS' 2009 Most Valuable Player - Landon Donovan will go on loan to Everton F.C. for 3 months before the MLS season starts next year. He joins fellow Yankee - Tim Howard with the Liverpool club.

Another former player - ex-Tottenham, Inter and Bayern Munich player, former Germany national team coach - Jurgen Klinsmann (below -1995 Merlin pogs) is returning to the USA. He lived in California for some time. Can we speculate that he will take the New York Red Bull vacant coaching job ? Time will tell ...

In a wonderful holiday gesture, I was sent this card by a fellow blogger - 2009 Goodwin Champions Alex Ovechkin. I am happy to see other athletes in these sets but also disappointed with the lack of soccer players. The unassuming pose is refreshing in the avalanche of action shots that flood todays' sets.

PANINI to the Rescue !

The news that Topps and Upper Deck are out of the basketball card business is making the rounds. As I have adopted the enlightened thinking for my new year - I look at the possibilities, not the negative.


PANINI of Modena, Italy have been producing soccer cards and stickers since 1962. They have been involved with the making of NFL football, MLB baseball and NHL hockey issues in the 1980's and 1990's.

The European based company has also made products for Disney and Star Wars. Their annual soccer sets are made for no less than 30 countries around the globe. So it is a safe bet they know what they are doing when it comes to collectibles.


This brings me to the void that this will leave in the sports market in the USA. Since most of North American leagues are becoming global, it seems a given that soccer will take its rightful role in the American sports scene. It begs to ask what the card makers could conger if they used the designs to make MLS cards ...

Former EPL ironman Brian McBride sports a 1984 topps design in Chicago's colors.

Los Angeles' David Beckham is seen here in the 1981 Fleer style - that is if he retruns from AC Milan.

New Captain and all-time great Kasey Keller is sporting the 1991 topps for the expansion Seattle Sounders.

If only ... Upper Deck would be given a run for their money in this league.

I'm Glad it's not Just Me ...

Beckham-mania may have cooled in America, but it may be attributed to the season being over ... and that the player has been loaned to Italian League Giants - AC Milan for a few months. So the craze has shifted back to Europe.

Proof, you say ? Well, how about this: " Panini Beckham Sticker Causes Panic"
Panini, the long time producer of sports and collectable stickers has produced a special sticker not included in the set. The Italian based company offices has been inundated with over 1,000 calls a day asking for a copy of the sticker.

In a related story of money, Beckham's teammate - the Brazilian KAKA' - is wanted by English club Manchester City. They are offering $160 MILLION dollars ! Yup - and they are willing to add another $100 million dollars to entice the player to sign a contract. Can you say Cha-Ching ! ... or is that Barra-Bing-o !

Lastly, in this vein of filthy wealth - comes the headlines that Manchester United's superstar CRISTIANO RONALDO has wrecked his $300,000 (200,000 British Pounds) Ferrari on the way to training.

No problem, he just called relatives to pick him up in another one of his luxury vehicles. Is it any wonder why so many American soccer players want to earn their living in Europe ?

On a side note, this Upper Deck SP of Ronaldo autograph card went for $700.00 at auction. Who needs a stadium seat when you can get a "sports car crasher" autograph ?