Monday Jan 11, 2010

The Brill Report: Upper Deck Counterfeit

By Bob Brill

Where does it all end? Court documents show Upper Deck counterfeited Yu-Gi-Oh cards after for years telling the hobby and the world they were doing everything they could to stop fake YGO cards from coming in from China. Oh by the way where were the fake UD YGO cards coming from? China, where else.


The only thing the courts have now to decide is how much UD must pay Konami for making the fakes. A US Federal Court judge in Los Angeles ruled on the case and said the two parties did not "dispute that UD caused the unauthorized manufacturing of unauthentic YGO trading cards." During the testimony five UD employees took their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.


The fact so many of us, whether dealers, journalists or gamers stood by UD over the years; and actually rooted out fake cards and reported them to UD; and by the same token UD stood up and claimed they were going after counterfeiters is so much of a slap in the face to everyone associated with the hobby, it just stinks. No one in his right mind now would ever deny writer/author Pete Williams claim UD reprinted tons of French NHL cards during it's early years while denying the same.


No one in his right mind would ever doubt UD placed fake vintage autographs in many of it's trading cards, likely without knowing they were fakes. They did by the way settle after several years their case with Kevin Demitros who bought an UD card for $85,000 only to learn at least two of the autographs were fakes. Terms of the deal were not disclosed but Demitros lawyers did get him lots of product and we understand at least one really nice card it's believed he got was on eBay. Of course if he did get lots of high end product as part of the settlement he would have gotten some nice high end cards it is fair to say.


This particular case of YGO fakes and the admissions and the fifth amendment pleas serve to put another nail in the coffin of a once great hobby and certainly into the coffin of a company once known as "the collector's choice."


The current dispute over YGO and the court's ruling, despite UD counter suits against Konami, brings -- in the minds of collectors -- everything UD does into question.  

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Saturday Nov 07, 2009

The Brill Report: The NFL; Less is Good?

By Bob Brill

  First off, let me thank you the readers for the overwhelming response to last week's column! Wow. We've never had so much response to any column we've ever written and the amazing thing is it ran 9-1 in favor of the position we outlined.


  While some of the faithful were a bit surprised the column took a political tone (Meg Whitman former eBay chief running for California governor) they none the less responded and with fervor. A couple of readers were not even hobby folks but rather people who ran across the column for one reason or another and threw in their opinion. The California primaries are next year so we'll have to see where it goes and what the voters do. Oh, by the way, those opinions expressed here were totally that of the author and not Sportsbuy.com. Thought we'd throw that in just for grins.


  Now on to this week's topic; The NFL and when the next shoe drops. Any day now we expect to hear something from the football licensors regarding the number of licenses they will have regarding NFL football cards. Will it be down to one? Will there be three as there are now? Will it be only two? Let's delve into a little history.


  It was 1989 when Pro Set (the official card of the NFL) came into being with Lud Denny leading the way. He got himself tied to a couple of John's working for the NFL (under the old NFL Properties division) which handled merchandising. Eventually those two John's were fired in disgrace as the NFL allegedly found them dipping into the perverbial cookie jar. Now to this date no one has been convicted and no charges have been filed but there is some good circumstantial evidence basically showing a couple of guys making lots of money on the back end supporting Pro Set, while their bosses were kicking in money to a company heading into bankruptcy. It's not that the owners were clean either but we will leave it at this for the moment.


  In a previous column years ago I wrote and got comment from at least three card makers that they basically had their arms twisted to kick back some "extra" product to certain inviduals in return for these licenses. No names were given but the same people were targeted. Only the then-Fleer VP we spoke to called me a "muck raker" for reporting the story. Of course he was the guy who got the license for the then "Official NFL Trading Card; GameDay." Wow! No conflict there, huh?


  Well the real life story is the NFL and the NFLPA (the Players Union) were battling each other in court over lots of things and while the owners had lots of money to burn, the players did not. They figured out if they licensed trading cards they could basically finance their lawsuit against the owners. So they did. They gave a license to every Tom, Dick and Wild Card who wanted to print trading cards and the money rolled in.


  At one point there were no less than 16 companies making NFL trading cards. Some with only the permission of the NFLPA. Of course as time went on Wild Card, Pro Set, Pinnacle, Collector's Edge and even the Ted Williams Card Company fell by the wayside. Even unique Action Packed was swallowed up by Pinnacle which ended up owning many of those brands. Finally there were only three.


  We have Upper Deck, Topps and Donruss/Panini/Leaf et al. Somewhere along the way someone at Upper Deck really ticked off the guys at the NFLPA. One insider told me "The PA loves Donruss and Topps and if the PA decides to go down to just two licenses Richard (McWilliam CEO of UD) will find a big surprise waiting for him."


  Well it looks like decision time might be around the corner and Upper Deck keeps losing licenses. They no longer make MLB Trading Cards or NBA Trading Cards. They sort of have an exclusive on NHL trading cards and they make NFL cards, for now. If indeed, in a dwindling market for sportscards, there is a cut it is likely going to be the boys from Carlsbad.


  Now don't go feeling sorry for McWilliam and his team. They have worked hard and secured lots of licenses for collegiate sports, NCAA, minor league guys and of course hockey. And they still have exclusive rights to Jordan, Lebron, Sid the Kid and Ovechkin. Not bad, oh and of course the only golfer anyone cares about; Tiger Woods. So it ain't so bad.


  The NFL has never allowed players to be exclusive with any one company so while UD has the likes of Favre, Manning and more it's not like those guys can't sign for pay for someone else. Yes it could come down to the fact the company which started the "Hobby" trend by making cards "for collectors" might just be the first one out of the shrine when it comes right down to the big boys and trading cards for 2010 going forward.


(DENVER & THE STEELERS) -- For those of you who know me well you know I'm from Pittsburgh and an avid Steelers, Pirates and Penguins fan. Monday brings my annual trip to Denver where a friend of mine has season tickets for the Bronco's. Each year he invites me to see a game of my choice and the last couple years it has been the Steelers. The guys is a good friend and he puts me up, takes me to dinner and handles my transportation. Really though he loves me to come because I have never gone to a game in Denver the Bronco's lost. I can't stand any team which plays my Steelers and I hate to see them lose. I almost didn't go this year because my Steelers are holding tough in an effort to repeat for the Super Bowl. I can't not go though, so think good thoughts for the Doc (my friend) and my hook up with Stadium Cards owner Mike Fruitman who will be there too. May I go home with a Steeler win under my belt.


(PATTI WAGGIN BOOKS) -- Just an update on my new book "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale." I'll be doing signings in NorCal shortly. Oakland I'll be at the Uptown Theatre Nov. 16, Chico at the Barns & Knoble Nov. 17, Sacramento's Avid Reader Books on Nov. 18 and at Russo's Books in Bakersfield on Nov. 19. If you are close by please come on out, buy a book and have some fun. I'd love to meet you. Check the website for times and addresses. You can contact Bob at any time at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com


 


 


 

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Thursday Aug 27, 2009

THE BRILL REPORT; MAKING 1991 DONRUSS HOT AGAIN

By Bob Brill

We are going to start a campaign to make lots of older, crap cards valuable again --- even more valuable than they ever were. Are you ready. We will need everyone to participate and no cheating please.


What is a box of 1991 Donruss Baseball cards worth today? A dollar a box and you over paid? How about 1989 Topps Baseball? 1992 Upper Deck? 1991 Leaf? Or the ultimate 1990 Score Baseball? If you took a box of each and paid $5 for the lot you would be wasting your money as it now stands.


So how do we rectify this situation? The answer is easy. The basic rule of thumb when it comes to collectibles is as follows;


"If everyone can have it, nobody wants it but if few people can have it everyone wants it!" Very simple Brill 101.


So the way to make those products and everything else with few exceptions from 1986 through 1992 worth something is to make it scarce. We are prepared to do this with your help. You have to help or you will not benefit. There of course will be those who will try to take advantage of the situation and not participate hoping to score big. Screw them! They are the same scum bags who have permeated this hobby for decades and only when they die a fossil's death and are extinct will their foul stench drift off into the sunset and the word "flip" will be useless in modern society.


Here is what we will do. We will set up a warehouse (any volunteers?) with cooperation of someone in the hobby. A huge warehouse. The space will need to be donated. Then we encourage everyone who has a financial interest (all of us) in this hobby to send every box and single of all baseball products from 1986 throu 1992 to this warehouse.


You won't get paid, you are giving it up! You will pay the shipping. The people recieving it will not get paid for storing it. When the warehouse is full and only then we will destroy the cards. Crush them, burn them, drop them in the Mississippi River. I don't care just legally destroy them.


Then we will do it again and add in football products from 1990 Pro Set and Score and Topps thru 1991 Football with exceptions such as Stadium Club. When the warehouse is full again, we'll destroy those. Burn baby Burn, sink baby sink and chop man oh man, chop. Singles too remember?


This will make a pretty good dent especially if we get the 100,000 caseload target for the two warehouses. By destroying 100,000 cases of products including singles we will take so much crap off the market it will be unbelievable. Sets too, dump them for burning.


Of course some of those scumbags will hold onto a few cases hoping to make a big strike when there is a demand for this stuff but so what. People will remember who they are. Now if you have 100 boxes, keep a box or two, or say 5% of what you have. If we get 80% of this stuff includings singles and sets into the dumpster can you imagine what that will mean for the rest of the stuff. Can you imagine paying $150 for a box of 1991 Donruss Baseball?


It will be a great scenario. Now here is what we need; who wants to donate a warehouse? More than one is fine. Call me, or better yet email me at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com  Let me know if you have a warehouse you'd like to donate for this stuff. You can't keep it, you can only store it until we find a way to fill it and then destroy the contents when it is full.


As soon as we get the warehouse locked in, we'll start telling the public and dealers where to send the stuff. We are serious!


Lou Brown don't you have a warehouse we can use? Dave Bronson, how about it? Edge Man? Hamps? Dave & Adam? C'mon boys pitch in and win one for the hobby. Think of all the publicity we'll get for the hobby. Maybe just maybe someone can figure out a way to recycle the cardboard and save a tree.


C'mon and pitch in!


(UPPER DECK/TOPPS HOCKEY) -- Topps is coming out with a new hockey product licensed by the NHL in time for the coming season. It is not really a trading card product as Upper Deck still has the exclusive rights to the NHL. It is a licensed gaming product but we're sure fans of key players will collect their favorite player's game piece anyway.


(UD TO SUE TOPPS?) -- At least one publication, Sports Business Daily, is saying Upper Deck may sue MLB over the exclusive rights give to Topps to make baseball cards. As we reported here weeks ago the NFL is being sued over a similar decision when it comes to caps and the US Supreme Court is set to hear the case. A suit against baseball however has lesser legs to stand on due to MLB's standing with Congress. Congress long ago and the courts upheld it in 1972, ruled baseball is immune from anti-trust monopoly status because of its importance to America.


(CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU) -- Major league baseball has crossed the line by issuing a license for caskets and urns to stuff your ashes into. It's basically the ultimate fans way of saying "Yes I can take it with me." You'll be dead! You can't cheer from the grave and your team won't care anyway! You will be dead! MLB has licensed Eternal Image with the rights to offer team logo caskets for $4500, team logo urns for $800 and team logo headstone medallions for $200. The urn comes with a baseball on the lid which can be signed by your favorite player or you and kept for posterity. I repeat; YOU'LL BE DEAD!


(PENNEY'S FOR YOUR DREAMS) -- Dreams Inc., slash Mounted Memories is hooking up with JC Penney for an on-line sports collectibles presence sometime in October. The on-line deal will tie the two together for fan collectibles such as mugs and stuff to apparel where the real money is. JCP did at one time carry collectibles such as signed items from The Score Board but dropped out when everyone else did. Now they are coming back in the on-line arena at www.jcp.com. The hook will be so strong you will see World Series collectibles the night after the event.


(CARD STORE DAMAGED IN FIRE) -- It is St. Johns, Canada where Maverick Sports and Collectibles has been standing but not so much anymore. A fire in the building next door led to damage as well at the sports store. Owner Andrew Corbett said it was the second time in five years his store caught fire. He expected heavy damage to his merchandise in this one.


(LUG NUTS AGAIN) -- Press Pass announced it's bringing back race-used lug nuts for its Main Event card product. Lug Nuts were the very first ever "game used" items when Press Pass debuted it years ago. Victor Shaffer, who invented the concept, is no doubt laughing somewhere.


(TOPPS DISCOVERS CREDIT) It only took them 50 or so years but Topps is finally giving dealers something they've cried for, for years. A second credit card on file, and Discover. The company will now start taking Discover cards with dealer purchases and in addition dealers can have a second card on file in case the first is full. Dealers fought for this for years but Topps management refused preferring to lurk in the dark ages. The company still does not take American Express. Upper Deck does.


You can reach Bob Brill through his website www.pattiwaggin.com or via email directly at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com. Patti Waggin is the name of a long dead burlesque queen and any day now Bob's book on her will hit store shelves. "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale" is basically Patti's story and that of her husband baseball player Don Rudolph through photos and letters from fans. Two other books are planned. Bob will be signing September 24th at 5:30pm at the Ventura Museum in Ventura, and at Book Soup in West Hollywood on Sunday October 18, at 2 p.m. Check the website for details.


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Thursday Aug 20, 2009

TBR: Vintage Clubhouse Signatures to the Pro's

By Bob Brill

I was listing a bunch of baseballs on eBay and on my website www.pattiwaggin.com this week in anticipation of finally selling them. They are all baseballs certified by JSA, Jimmy Spence, and all either team signed or single signed to people I own the rights to. In doing so it again occurred to me even in the 1960's when a player got a team signed ball he couldn't be sure all the sigs were real.


Case in point. As you may know I own the rights and most of the estate of Burlesque Queen Patti Waggin and her husband Don Rudolph. Rudolph was a journeyman pitcher who had a wonderful minor league record and a mediocre major league career. In the estate I found many autographed team balls from both the big leagues and the minors. There were all-star photos signed, baseballs signed and all sorts of great stuff. I had JSA certifiy all of it.


When it came to the 1961-63 NY Yankees signed baseballs I was appalled by the fact Don Rudolph, a major league pitcher was given baseballs with clubhouse signatures. Mantle, Maris, Howard and occassional others would not sign baseballs given to colleagues. Not always true because a couple of the items were signed by the likes of the M&M boys.


I did notice most of the bad teams, and Don played for some of the worst, didn't mind signing. The early 1960's Washington Senators were good. Gil Hodges, then managing, could have passed. However, his autograph on the one baseball I listed was one of the most beautiful sigs I've ever seen. The likes of Woodie Held, Rich Rollins and Dick Donovan usually signed and happily.


The 1962 Indians baseballs I had were similar. On one Sam McDowell, Johnny Romano and Barry Latman were clubhouse signatures. On another only McDowell wouldn't pen is name. A local friend of mine was the Indians clubhouse keeper in 1964 to about 1966 and he admitted he was the "clubbie" signer for that team.


"I usually signed for Birdie Tebbits, the manager and the starting pitcher," admitted Billy Malone. "For the most part the mid-60's Indians were good about signing but Birdie was usually too busy and the starting pitcher rarely signed on the day he was pitching, so I had to, management ordered me to."


Malone went on to explain it was part of his job and usually under direct orders from management to finish the team signed baseballs given to sponsors of the club. Car dealerships, furniture and department store executives all wanted a signed baseball. Some got a "Billy Malone."


Everyone in the hobby knows about Charlie "The Brow" for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Johnny the clubhouse boy in Boston among others. Few folks know some players wouldn't sign balls going to players. In the case of the minor league baseballs we didn't run into any clubbie sigs but then again in the minors it was something to do between long bus rides, I guess.


One thing about Rudolph he signed when asked. I recently got a call from a older man who heard about the book coming out, "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale," and wanted to tell me about Don's kindness. Elliott Caine said he met Don at a minor league game in Indianapolis and got an autograph. Don became his favorite player right then and there. He continued to write to Don and Don continued to write back, sending him a post card from the big leagues in 1963 and encouraging the youngster.


He said he was always very enlightened by the fact this major league player whom he'd met in the minors put his on his Christmas Card Mailing List. He said for years he continued to get cards at Christmas signed by Patti and Don! That was pretty cool.


The minor leagues are still probably the best place to get a signed ball finally surpassing Spring Training. You just have to hope some of the guys on the baseball make it and make it big. Even in today's world this is a tough proposition.


 (NEW WEB SITE) Authentic Sports Collectibles is offering web sites affiliate like marketing similar to Google Ads. The site, which specializes in everything under the sun (some underpriced, much of it overpriced) offers competing websites the opportunity to flag some business for it and then pays a small commission if the sale is made directly from your site to theirs. Interesting concept if it works. However if you are selling the same thing as them how does it help you?


(UD OVECHKIN DEAL) Upper Deck still reigns in its element. The company inked NHL MVP Alexandre Ovechkin to an exclusive deal. Since it is the only company allowed to make NHL trading cards how exclusive can it be? It does mean when it comes to autographs and such stuff, he'll only be doing UDA for pay.


(QB WHO? WHERE?) Brett Favre in Purple and Mike Vick in Green? Now that is something I didn't figure on ever seeing in the NFL outside of a dream which turned into a nightmare. This last week we were treated to Favre coming out of retirement and signing with the hated Vikings and the hated Vick actually getting a contract in the NFL and inking with the Philadelphia Eagles. I always thought he should have signed with Cleveland so he could get boo'd by "the Dog Pound."


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You can reach Bob at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com. His book "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale" is due out any day from Schiffer Books. You can order it on line or on Bob's Website at www.pattiwaggin.com where you can also see some of those wonderful baseballs he talked about.


 


 


 

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Thursday Aug 13, 2009

The Brill Report: Upper Deck Goes Back to School

By Bob Brill

If you needed more evidence the new trading card market is in the tank just look to the latest movements in the category. Consolidate, eliminate and now reach in places you would not have reached for if the market were strong. Upper Deck, on the heels of it's losing its Major League Baseball License, signed a deal to take over much of the collegiate card market with the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC).


The tell-tale sign is the quote from CEO Richard McWilliam in the company press release.


"The move strengthens Upper Decks already firm position as the industry leader in delivering the most sought-after rookie cards in the market."


College cards have never ever been considered "Rookie" cards by anyone, especially the self proclaimed authorities on the subject, the price guide magazines. The term "RC" does not and will not appear in price guides for trading cards not licensed by the major sport and league. These cards have been and always will be "first" cards of a player, but never his "rookie" card.


The move shows the desperation of another card company trying to regain something it has lost. By adding college baseball players to it's package officially, Upper Deck is sending out the message it will look to try what Donruss has done somewhat sucessfully the last couple of years. Make baseball cards with draft picks and minor leaguers with no logo's and add in retired players.


The difference is Upper Deck has the right to use current major league playes in it's sets but without team logo's and MLB trademarks. It's license with the MLB Players Association allows it. Does it allow these major league players to appear in sets with non-union members however? This has always been a sticking point with the union.


Remember Barry Bonds dropping out of the union contract for baseball cards? The union said he could appear in any set the company wanted as long as no other current players were in the set. Well that says a whole lot. Topps eventually worked out a deal to bring Barry back as an insert somehow by himself with Barry as the ONLY player in the set. Remember the Barry Bonds chase to 714 cards? Topps overpaid a bundle for that mistake.


So what will Upper Deck do? Will they make players from college and retro college players (which they now have the right to do) and put them in stand alone sets? Yes, this is a given. These will be sold at stadiums, college book stores, college publications and more. Will the company also mix in some of those players into MLBPA sets it puts out? Without the logo's you might wonder if the union will allow it. No matter what UD does, the union will take a cut and with dwindling baseball card products on the market they will still be looking for their cut. We'll have to wait and see.


What does it mean for companies such as SAGE which is putting out a 2009 College Draft Picks Football Series, several of them? Sage basically with 6 autographs per box is selling autographs of players coming out of college who are willing to sign with a small company. With UD's autograph dollar power will Sage be on a short leash and will the company survive? It survived Press Pass because it created a niche. Upper Deck has the money to do that niche better.


A few years ago UD got the wrong idea when it got the license to make USA Baseball Player cards. They thought they could put these USA players into certain sets as "Rookies" but soon found out there are only specific uses for USA players allowed and what amounts to the Olympic team put a stop to it. Topps had already given up the license with USA.


Don't get this wrong because it looks as if UD will also be joining the draft pick market in a different way in both basketball and football. There will be other players too which means track, swimming and women's hoops. This all gives UD more autograph potential, cheap autograph potential as well as cards for "Americana" style sets.


If times were good Upper Deck, Topps and Donruss would not be going after college trading card licenses. The products were crap when they came out in the early 1990's and while it is believed UD will make much better cards than were made then, they are still college cards. Each college has a strong fan base who buy apparell, teddy bears, pencils and anything else with a logo on it. They do not necessarily buy "trading cards." It is a different animal and while they will translate into gift sales they will not translate into collector sales to any strong degree. The wide variety of schools will probably translate into a few big name schools.


You can count a dozen key places before you get to second tier. There are only so many Notre Dame, Penn State, USC, Michigan, Florida and Texas fans before you move into the next level of fans. Don't get me wrong all schools have their rabid fans. Will they be enough to warrant making trading card series or is "any additional money which comes into the pot good money," the stretch of an idea here?


The license kicks in during 2010. Upper Deck, Topps and Panini hope the market turns before then. If it does and dramatically, a collegiate license may just be history.


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(CARLSBAD) -- Another $50 pack of trading cards from Upper Deck. Prominent Cuts has 6 boxes in a case, 5 packs in a box and 4 cards in a pack. Cost for dealers is just under $30.  Retail would normally be $50. This means there are 120 cards in a case. In the old days they wondered if people would buy cards if they jumped from 40 cents a pack to 50-cents. Then UD came along and broke the $.99 pack barrier and a new order was formed.


(TIGER WOODS) -- Does the renewed play of Tiger Woods in the majors mean a return to the good old days when his Rookie card shot into the thousands of dollars? Look out Tiger is on a roll and already his memorabilia is beginning to attract attention again. The cards should follow.


(WASHINGTON) -- The Supreme Court will look to the expertise of Sonia Sotomayor in an upcoming case involving the NFL. The case could but not likely reflect on the exclusive deal given to Topps over Upper Deck to make baseball cards. The justice, in earlier times, helped settle baseball's labor problems. Now she will help decide Needle vs. the NFL. Needle makes hats and the NFL gave another company the exclusive right to make caps. Sounds like anti-trust and what does it mean for Topps/Upper Deck? Probably not much since in 1922 Congress granted baseball anti-trust exemption as our National Pastime. It was upheld back in 1972.


(AFL) -- Does the demise of the Arena Football League mean those few trading cards Upper Deck and others put out will become valuable? Not likely except for a few guys who might make it in the NFL, but what will become valuable are things such as stickers and front office letterhead which were likely shredded on the way out the door.


(VENTURA, CA) -- For those of you who might be interested in getting a signed copy in person of "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale," Bob Brill will be doing a signing in Ventura on September 24th, a Thursday night at the Ventura, California Museum downtown on California Street. It will be at 5:30. Books will be available at a discounted price if you want to purchase and the autographs are of course, Free! Such a deal. You can contact Bob at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com for more information or go to our web site www.pattiwaggin.com to find out more. The Special Edition books may not be ready by then, but if they are we will have them as well.


 


                       


 


                                           


 

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Thursday Aug 06, 2009

The Brill Report: MLB Takes Chunk Out of Upper Deck

By Bob Brill

  Upper Deck is exclusive with hockey, Panini is exclusive with basketball and for all intents and purposes now Topps is exclusive with baseball. Major League Baseball (the league not the players association) has in one swift blow relegated Upper Deck to the status of Donruss Baseball. In a surprise announcement, just one month after the MLBPA (Players Union) renewed the license for Upper Deck to continue to make baseball cards, the league (MLB) pulled the rug out from under UD by granting Topps an exclusive license for logos and trademarks.


  Not in 30 years has one company had such exclusivity when it comes to baseball trading cards and the effects on Upper Deck could be just short of devastating. The top man at Upper Deck hasn't endeared himself to the leagues and PA's in many years and when UD lost the right to make basketball cards it became the last card company to handle licenses for all four major sports.


  Evidently MLB likes Michael Eisner better than Richard McWilliams and with Eisner's track record and promise of returning collecting to younger collectors, MLB was sold. When Eisner first bought Topps over objections from McWilliams, he promised kids would again be the target ala Disney his old firm. Despite targeting kids in advertising, UD continued to make higher and higher dollar products aimed at Diamond Club Collectors and the dwindling base of well heeled collectors. The economy has not sustained such a move.


  Donruss, and now Panini, has gotten away with making logo-less baseball cards by putting in lots of autographs from minor leaguers and retired players.


  "It just proves you don't need the logos to sell baseball cards," one collector expressed to TBR. "Who cares about logos?"


  Purists do and those purists will collect Topps any day over Upper Deck. So for the moment Upper Deck only has the NFL and NHL as full blown licenses. If the NFL chose to eliminate one of it's licensees, a possibility but not a probability, insiders tell TBR it would be Upper Deck. Such a move would seriously cripple the company in the trading card business.


  Upper Deck and McWilliams are loaded with other ventures so don't cry any crocadile tears for the folks at Sea Otter Place. They still have a strong line of memorabilia, good gaming products and Upper Deck International. Although with it's European and Latin American distribution, Panini will give UD more than a run for it's money. Actually UD would be chasing Panini in most markets.


  This is the not the first time the discussion of UD and no MLB came up. Over the years there were several instances where the league or the players union were not happy with the California card maker. Rumors persisted they would lose a license or at best be slapped with a fine or other restrictions. However, to see the company which founded itself as the collector's friend in 1989 actually lose out to Grandpappy Topps is pretty hard core.


  For his part McWilliams is a multi-millionaire who among other things owns a small commuter airline and while he's had his personal problems, he does put in his days at the office. Unlike the early days, UD has become less of a revolving door for it's staff. Several key people have been there for a longer time than many others. With the fortunes of Upper Deck trading cards slowly dipping into the same Pacific Ocean it sees out McWilliams office window, one could not blame them if they began looking and deserting what could be a sinking trading card ship.


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 (MALIBU) -- JAKKS Pacific inked a deal to sublicense a hot product. The company has the rights to make UFC toys and now is sub licensing the making of the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) to Round 5 Corporation. Now both companies have the rights to the growing MMA pool of players.


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(MORRISTOWN, NJ) Upper Deck, the most litigous of the companies in the industry is being sued by a man who says he sent 6 Pin Flags to UD so Tiger Woods could sign them under the UDA program, and they got lost. Robert Zafian, co-owner of Green Jacket Auctions, is suing UDA for $40,000 after the company admitted, according to his attorney, the flags were recieved and signed but then probably lost. He says UDA promised to pay him $200 per flag which it considered the extent of its liability. He claims they were worth much more, and signed were worth around $40,000.


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 (HOUSTON) HLT&T Sports is going after MLB charging Baseball is trying to put the company out of business and reneging on a deal made years ago. HLT&T repackages sports cards and has been selling them for decades including in sports stadiums. Since 2000 the company has sold it's wares at more than 15,000 games and even World Series. It claims it asked MLB Properties many years ago if it was okay and got the nod as long as it did not use logo's and trademarks on the packaging. Now MLBP wants it stopped. The company wants damages in excess of $200,000.


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You can reach Bob Brill at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com and don't forget to look on line at your favorite bookseller, or in your favorite bookstore for Bob's new book, "Fan Letters to a Stripper: A Patti Waggin Tale." The book, about the life of burlesque queen Patti Waggin, who was married to former White Sox and Senators pitcher Don Rudolph, will be on book shelves within two weeks. If you can't find it you can order both the basic book and/or the limited collectible edition (only 200) through the web site www.pattiwaggin.com.


 

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Thursday Jul 16, 2009

Wal-Mart: The Great Satan or Hobby Guardian Angel?

By Bob Brill

  The answer to the question above depends upon who you ask but you will probably get more votes for the man with the horns from business owners and suppliers while consumers will vote for the angelic hosts. The issue is "Green" today and while the word is so over used in our current society Wal-Mart is going gung-ho green. An announcement this week basically laid it on the line to suppliers, if you read between the lines, "Go Green" or "Go Elsewhere." The issue is really the power of the world's largest retailer to force the issue, and the hobby has already had a large taste of Wal-Mart's generosity.


  You may remember when the hobby was hotter than hot dealers would race to Wal-Mart for the latest Upper Deck version of it's trading cards. Wal-Mart was given the same cards with different packaging and a totally different insert set. Remember racing across the floor to beat other dealers to the few boxes the store had on the shelf of this "variation" of the current product.


  The perfect example of Wal-Mart/Sam's Club power came in 1996 when the company got the exclusive on Topps Chrome Basketball. Wal-Mart went to the NBA and said they needed something different from the norm and the NBA said "okay."


  "We went to our oldest partner and said what can you come up with," one NBA official told The Brill Report several years ago. "Topps said the only thing it had which could fit was the new 'Chrome' Basketball."


   Done Deal! Of course this was the year of rookies such as Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson. Those boxes peaked at the NBA All-Star Game week. They were selling for $800 a box!! Thank you Topps, thank you Wal-Mart. An exclusive for Wal-Mart driven by some key people in the industry set a standard no hobby store could imagine.


  One card company official, who had previously worked in the commissioner office at MLB and is no longer in the industry told me something at that time which literally blew me away.


  "One Wal-Mart official told me that Wal-Mart's plan was to become America's Hobby Store," said the former card company VP on condition of anonymity. "And they can achieve it if they push it."


  Wow. Not only the power of such a company but the arrogance. The record of how many mom and pop businesses, retailers were forced out of business by Wal-Mart is long and proven. Small towns left in the dust when a giant Wal-Mart forced the small stores out of business by undercutting prices, only to be left with nothing when Wal-Mart bailed because the area was not profitable -- the news reports in history are filled with them.  


  In the 1990's a Wal-Mart in the South was fined heavily when the state attorney general realized and could prove the company was guilty of predatory pricing. In other words under cutting prices and losing money to undermine another competitor. There is nothing illegal about losing money in the USA, but there is if you do it to damage a competitor and drive them out of business. Wal-Mart paid a fine which likely put only a slight ding in that days profits.


  Now Wal-Mart officials, advancing on a plan announced in 2005, are pushing forward. The idea they have come up with is a good one, an excellent idea. A new standard for clothing and other items now must list what went into the manufacturing down to the chemical. How much of what chemical was used in making the item, was there too much plastic packaging used to ship the diapers? Also each supplier must answer a 15 question survey about their business practices as it tends to reflect on the environment.


  For instance a question such as "Have you set publicly available greenhouse gas reduction targets? IF So what are they?" There will be some balking because of proprietary concerns but this is Wal-Mart. You want to sell to Wal-Mart you play by their rules.


  Case in point with the hobby. You knew we were going back there. In the 1990's Wal-Mart was finding an ever increasing amount of theft at it's sports card counters, including shrinkage. Shrinkage is an industry term which basically means "employee theft." Employees were stealing hot sports card items to sell to waiting dealers who in turn would jack them up to the consuming public.


  Wal-Mart officials decided something had to be done. Either get the sports cards out or find a way to reduce the losses from shrinkage. They offered this solution to the card companies; Wal-Mart will only pay for what is rung up through the register. If someone steals it, including an employee, touch luck, the card manufacturer eats it. At a time of shrinking sales, closing card stores and fewer outlets this would serve to severely hamper the manufacturers. Most pulled out choosing to leave Wal-Mart behind.


  It worked for a while too until more and more card stores started closing and the industry began losing buyers as fast as it could make more cards. One of the solutions to get the card company back into Wal-Mart was the invention of a little white trading card sized piece of cardboard with a detector device inside. Inexpensive this worked well. Trying taking an unopened pack of cards out of a Wal-Mart without paying for it and if this randomly inserted device is inside bells and whistles and sirens explode. If you paid for the pack and wondered what in the world this card was you'll now understand.


  The new index Wal-Mart is going to use is just the beginning and it will save the company lots of money, should eventually cost consumers less and will take another bite out of suppliers. WM's answer to that is eventually they will save because the cost to make these items will eventually drop as well. The bottom line is they will have to comply because as one former president of Fleer told The Brill Report long ago, "I'm not going to ignore the largest retailer in America." That was then and this is now as they are the largest in the world.


  So will Wal-Mart eventually decide trees are too important and force the manufactures to make cards out of something else? Too much cardboard and too much plastic is no good. How about cards made out of soy? Too much?               


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JACKO LIVES: Upper Deck will put Michael Jackson insert cards into 2009 UDx Baseball. The cards will feature caricatures of Jackson's performing highlights. The pop icon died last month kicking off a world wide memorabilia sell-off and scramble for Jackson items.


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UPPER DECK JOB OPENING: No Richard McWilliam is not retiring. The company does have an opening for a high end techie who can speak fluently in Dutch and English. The latter combination may be harder than the former. It involves UDI or Upper Deck International and is seeking someone with five years of experience with some of it in management. Salary? It doesn't say so lets move on, here to what it does say for the position; ASP .net developer (both front & back). Contact jobsude-AT-upperdeck.com Good Luck.


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BOB GIBSON FIRE BALLING AGAIN: During his playing days his job was to make a baseball look like a pea on it's way to the plate. Now he's getting on in years and because he says the market is strong for premium memorabilia he's giving some of his to Legendary Auctions to sell July 31st. It includes his championship ring and several awards. Some of the money will go to BAT-Baseball Assistance Team to help older players down on their luck.


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 SPORTS SUPPLY: Never heard of these guys until now but they sure offer a lot of signed items as well as unsigned with the pitch not unlike "you too can be a cybersports memorabilia dealer." We saw the Autograph-Supply ad and went to the site to see thousands of signed and unsigned items by team and player name. The first thing you see is them selling you helmets and bats and balls to get signed, then they offer you signed items as well in case that doesn't work, or takes up too much time, or, more likely wasn't lucrative enough for the time you put in.


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PLAYBOY GRADED: Okay now they've done it! CGC or Certified Guaranty Company is going to start slabbing and grading Playboy as well as Sports Illustrated. Ralph of Ralph's Comics in Ventura, CA whose been here for over 35 years and who hates slabbing comics told me "it really defeats the purpose of the comic book; you can't read it." He's right and now you tell me you are going to slab Playboy? Sorry that is sacreligious. I own the rights to a famous burlesque star, Patti Waggin, who appeared in a 1955 issue of Playboy called "The Stripper Goes to College." It was about how a student running for student body president brought her in for a unique get out the vote campaign. The story appeared in Playboy that October. If you find it in mint condition you are telling me you will slab it so no one can read it? How about we go a step farther and create a plastic holder just to slab the centerfold?


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DR. PRICE WHERE ARE YOU: Not much of a story but we can't pass up this photo.


 Yes this is Dr. Brian Price in his ad for the new Hockey Card series from In the Game. He asks where were you in "72 a great year in Canada for the sport on ice. He did become a dentist, found it boring and later became the owner and rebirth-er of Parkhurst and other products. He now owns ITG and splits his time between Toronto and Boca Raton, Florida. The hair is Price-less!


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 DROTMAN ON THE NFL POD: My good friend Doug Drotman at Drotman PR continues to handle the NFL Player of the Day program as it enters what undoubtedly will be another winner year. It is THE best hobby shop program and the best supported. This is the 10th year the NFL has supported the program and if you own a hobby shop and don't participate you are missing out on a wonderful program which is easy to run. You have until July 30th to sign up.


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Don't forget to check out our web site, www.pattiwaggin.com and pre-order one of our new books; "Fan Letters to a Stripper; A Patti Waggin Tale. " We feel you will really enjoy this book and besides I need the money. So pre-order from our site or check it out on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble or anywhere good books are sold. If we sell enough our second book in the series will be published as well. So go do it, now! NO hard sell, but place your order, operators are standing by and it won't cause any negative side effects such as heart disease, asthma, pink eye, IBS, excessive coughing, vomiting or any other rare disease. Buy Now, and Buy Often. The Holidays are coming. And Join the Patti Waggin and Don Rudolph Fan Clubs.


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Bob Can be reached at bob.pattiwaggin-AT-gmail-DOT-com


 


 


 


 


 


 

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