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<title>Memorabilia Information and Resources | Autographed Memorabilia | Baseball Memorabilia</title>
<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/article.xml</link>
<description><![CDATA[Memorabilia Articles and Information  - Useful Articles related to Memorabilia: Movie Memorabilia, Golf Memorabilia and much more.]]></description>
<pubDate>Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:08:52 +0000</pubDate>
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	<title>O.J. memorabilia in that hotel room? Not priceless</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/O-J--memorabilia-in-that-hotel-room--Not-priceless.html</link>
<pubDate>Sat, 13 Oct 2007 22:08:52 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
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	<description><![CDATA[


Sometime within the past year or so, the phone rang at Victor Moreno's office in Las Vegas. Moreno, president of American Memorabilia, heard the man on the other end of the line describe some items of O.J. Simpson's that he was hoping to sell. 
&quot;I remember him telling me about a suit,&quot; Moreno said Monday, &quot;but even that's not gonna go for much. I told him, 'Bruce, O.J.'s stuff is not gonna sell. It's a dead deal. It's not moving. Nobody likes him.'&quot; 
Thus discouraged, Bruce Fromong went on to seek other avenues to move the Simpson items he said he had, Moreno says. The auction-house executive forgot about the entire conversation until this past weekend -- when Fromong surfaced as one of the two collectible dealers on hand as Simpson and a band of cocktail-party cohorts, some with guns, allegedly stormed a Vegas hotel room in an attempt to recover memorabilia items that Simpson claims were stolen from him years ago.&nbsp;




One of the items Simpson thought he might get back? The suit he wore in court on the day in 1995 that he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. It is the same suit that Bruce Fromong had already tried, unsuccessfully, to sell through any number of channels, including listing it on eBay. 
The episode at the Palace Station hotel in Vegas has led to Simpson and two other men being charged, left others actively sought by law enforcement authorities, and brought before the public eye the loosely confederated world of sports and celebrity memorabilia collectors and hustlers. 
It is a place populated by -- how to put it tactfully? -- characters. 
&quot;Tom Riccio -- he's a character,&quot; says Moreno, referring to auctioneer Thomas Riccio, identified in police accounts as the man who first alerted Simpson that someone was attempting to sell some O.J. memorabilia that Riccio considered to be of questionable origin. 
Riccio is the same man who sold Anna Nicole Smith's diaries for $512,500 on eBay about six weeks after her death earlier this year. He also was ready to peddle video of Smith's 1994 breast-enhancement surgery, provided to him by the doctor who performed the procedure, before being blocked by preliminary injunction last month. He is the man who booked Simpson two years ago to sign memorabilia at the NecroComicon show in Los Angeles, a move that took a weird turn when the show's other biggest names turned out to be mostly the stars of horror and slasher films.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&quot;He's something,&quot; Moreno says of Riccio. &quot;I think his whole deal was, he was trying to help O.J. get his stuff back. But I know Riccio quite well. He's not gonna do nothin' for nobody unless he gets something out of it. Maybe he was talking to O.J. about selling it for him, I don't know.&quot; 
Whatever the motive, a profit for Simpson almost certainly won't be among the outcomes. In addition to facing six charges, including two for assault with a deadly weapon, Simpson also stands a fair chance of never controlling the items he says he went to the hotel room to recover. 
David J. Cook, an attorney for Fred Goldman, told the Los Angeles Times he will seek a court order this week to prevent the release of the items until it's made clear who actually has ownership rights -- and to stake a claim for the Goldman estate as part of Simpson's wrongful-death conviction in the case. Among the other murky details of the current Simpson case is the notion that even the police aren't yet certain what belongs to whom, and among the possible owners are collectors Alfred Beardsley and Fromong, the two men allegedly in the room when Simpson and several other men entered. 
&quot;Either Mr. Beardsley is going to walk out with the stuff or it's going to be ours,&quot; Cook told the Times. &quot;This property will never touch Mr. Simpson's hands ever again.&quot;&nbsp;&nbsp;
That's not the same as saying that Simpson-related items won't sell. A cursory glance at sports memorabilia sites reveals a plethora of O.J.-signed stuff, and not all of it comes cheap. An autographed throwback Buffalo Bills jersey is offered at $294 at one site, while another lists a signed Bills helmet from the Simpson era at $540 (Simpson's inscription: &quot;Miami has the Oranges, But Buffalo got the Juice&quot;). 
Despite waving off Fromong on the Simpson articles last year, Moreno says he took consignment from Fromong sometime in the past on a football used by Simpson in a game -- which, from Moreno's perspective, is the only kind of O.J. gear that might still hold value. 
&quot;It needs to be mostly game-used stuff, jerseys or balls or whatever,&quot; Moreno says. &quot;Outside of the Heisman Trophy -- and those will always go for $150,000, $200,000, because people really do want to collect them -- about the only thing that's worth it from O.J. is probably his rings. 
&nbsp;
&quot;The other stuff? It just won't go. It's like I told Bruce: I kind of know this business, this auction business. The O.J. stuff is not moving. And that's not gonna change.&quot;
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
O.J. Simpson went to the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas ... without his memorabilia.
&nbsp; ]]></description>
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<item>
	<title>Autographed Sports Memorabilia Scams</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Autographed-Sports-Memorabilia-Scams.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:59:30 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Autographed-Sports-Memorabilia-Scams.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Sports Memorabilia Collecting is the closest way for most sports fans to get close to their favorite athletes and or sports teams and in has a great reminder of an amazing event in sports history. Like a game winning play in an important playoff game and having an autographed photo from those event seals that place in time forever. As far as Autographed Sports Memorabilia collecting in some cases it may be extremely difficult to obtain autographed memorabilia items on your own so an option that sports fans have is buying these items from a supplier of Sports Memorabilia items. Over the years this option has proven to be a dark and illegal option from fakes being passed on as the real thing. This is unfortunately a real problem and were you choose to obtain your Autographed Sports Memorabilia items from may be the difference between having an item that could be a valuable treasure for generations or a cheap worthless knock off. How do you protect yourself from these scams? One way to help assure you are getting the real thing is to make sure you receive an Autographed Sports Memorabilia Certificate of Authentication with every piece. Companies have really taken huge steps to make their certificates tamper or fraud proof by adding hidden watermarks and other hidden ID's that can not be copied. Another way to protect your self is watch for deals that seem to good to be true. Sports Collectibles that are extremely discounted compared to other similar items from a particular athlete. Real dealers know what the value is and they are not going to damage the market by lowering cost unrealistically. Look around for a trusted seller one that has a good reputation with previous customers, this may be one option that may be the most valuable.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Collectible Sports Memorabilia</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Collectible-Sports-Memorabilia.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:59:11 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Collectible-Sports-Memorabilia.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[COLLECTING sports collectibles or sports memorabilia, antique or modern, is limited by two factors: the money available and the space to be filled. Having determined these basic essentials, it is then a personal matter. The taste of the collector may lead to Baseball Memorabilia, Basketball Memorabilia, Football Memorabilia, Golf Memorabilia, NASCAR memorabilia, Diecast Collectibles, Bobble Heads, Hero Posters, or innumerable other things. The lucky acquisition of an admired piece may lead to a determination to get more of the same, or at least to find out what the admiration is all about. An encyclopedia definition of Sports Collecting would go something like this: &quot;The hobby of sports collecting consists of acquiring specific sports items based on a particular sporting interest of the sports collector. These sports collections of sporting things are often highly organized, carefully cataloged, and attractively displayed.&quot; A sports collectible (or collectable) is defined as a manufactured item designed for people interested in sports to collect. The term sports memorabilia usually refers to items related to sporting that can be directly connected to a recent or historical sporting event or sports personality. There are many people that collect these sports memorabilia and collectibles. Since collecting depends on the interests of the individual collector, it may deal with almost any subject including sports collectible &amp; sports memorabilia. The depth and breadth of the collection may also vary. Some collectors choose to focus on a specific subtopic within their area of general interest, for example Baseball memorabilia of the New York Yankees, Basketball memorabilia of the Los Angeles Lakers, Football memorabilia of the Dallas Cowboys, Golf memorabilia of Tiger Woods, NASCAR memorabilia of Tony Stewart, Diecast collectibles of fire trucks, Bobble Heads for any sport, &amp; posters of heroes such as Lance Armstrong. Others prefer to keep a more general collection, accumulating any or all Baseball memorabilia, Basketball memorabilia, Football memorabilia, Golf memorabilia, NASCAR memorabilia, Diecast collectibles, Bobble Heads, or Hero Posters. When the NBA, MLB, and NFL began selling their basketball, baseball, and football jerseys in stores during the 1980s, game used jerseys also became a hot item among sports memorabilia collectors. Former NBA player Dennis Rodman was famous for taking off his jerseys and throwing them to the stands after his games were over. Michael Jordan is probably the basketball player whose memorabilia is most sought after by collectors. Today&rsquo;s stars include Ben Roethlisberger, Shaquille O'Neil, Nomar Garciaparra, etc. These players seem to be pushing the already popular area of sports collectibles and memorabilia to a new level of acceptance to the public. Collections can take the form of a single item such as a signed baseball, football, or basketball. Collections can also take the form of a series of items, such as jerseys from each member of a particular baseball, basketball, or football team. A NASCAR collection of hats from different drivers is very popular. Golf balls with different logos are especially popular. The cost of any sports collectible memorabilia item is directly proportional to the popularity of the sports figure with which the item correlates. The more popular the sports figure, the more money the sports collectible memorabilia item will demand. The whole sports collectible memorabilia industry is driven by supply and demand. The more demand the higher the price and vice versa. Also, the more supply of an item, the lower the price. Sports cards would be a good example. Only so many of certain cards were ever made. Those carry a higher price than those that were made in bulk. Quality is a very big determining factor in the price of any sports collectible memorabilia item. In general, the better the quality, the higher the price.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Collecting Jack Daniel Memorabilia</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Collecting-Jack-Daniel-Memorabilia.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:58:47 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Collecting-Jack-Daniel-Memorabilia.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Jack Daniel is a Tennessee whiskey distillery and brand known for its unique square bottles and black label, Old No.7 Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey. Their whiskey has stayed the same for more than 100 years and the company is based in Lynchburg, Tennessee. Some of the really older Jack Daniel memorabilia consist of stoneware jugs stenciled &quot;Jack Daniel Whiskey Lynchburg, Tenn.&quot; (c1865-1870). These jugs are about 15 inch high, glazed dark brown and sand and come in 1, 2 and 3 gallon capacity. Another type has a cream glaze, stenciled in dark blue on the jug &quot;Jack Daniel Old Time Distillery Lynchburg, Tenn.&quot; (c1880-1885). A third type is glazed dark brown over cream and stenciled &quot;Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Old No. 7 Lynchburg, Tenn.&quot; (c1890-1895). Jack Daniel began using &quot;Old No. 7&quot; as a product name in 1887 and mystery still surrounds its origin. Other Jack Daniel memorabilia include embossed and labeled glass whiskey bottles many of which have been reproduced by the company and made available to collectors. Old advertising printed in newspapers and magazines are very collectible. However, the early jugs, bottles and advertising are very hard to find. If you love Jack Daniel&rsquo;s Old No. 7 Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey and want to turn your game room into a unique show place then decorate it with reproduction Jack Daniel Memorabilia. All Jack Daniel merchandise has the official Jack Daniel logo. Each piece is finely crafted and of high quality. What type of Jack Daniel reproduction memorabilia is available? Jack Daniel custom nostalgic mirrors are a perfect way to accessorize any room or office. These custom mirrors are offered in a variety of designs and sizes. Then you could then add a tournament style Jack Daniel game room dartboard. Other popular items include a pool table light, tin saloon signs, drinking glasses and shot glasses. You can even dress the part with clothing such as t-shirts, belt buckles, sunglasses and hats. Don&rsquo;t forget their famous southern barbecue sauce. Reproduction items can be found on the Jack Daniel web site. But why pay full retail when you can get new and used reproduction items on eBay at great auction prices. Glyn Farber has published a catalog of all known Hickey Brother Cigar Store Tokens and co-authored a book about Louisiana Trade Tokens. In addition he wrote several articles for The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) and The National Token Collectors Association (NTCA). Glyn has been a devoted collector of Louisiana Trade Tokens, Louisiana collectibles and Lake Charles, LA postcards for almost 40 years.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Tiger Woods Memorabilia</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Tiger-Woods-Memorabilia.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:58:21 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Tiger-Woods-Memorabilia.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[Tiger Woods is nothing short of a phenomenon. No one has dominated a sport as difficult as golf more consistently than Tiger Woods. So as you would expect, Tiger Woods memorabilia is extremely popular. As you guessed, whenever you reach a &quot;Michael Jordan&quot; status in any sport, there are tons of fraudulent sellers that are waiting to forge your signature. For example, Tiger Woods is known to not sign golf balls in public, yet you will find a lot of signed golf balls online -- especially on eBay. A few years ago Tiger Woods signed an exclusive autograph contract with Upper Deck who is known for charging up to $2000 for a framed autographed photo of Tiger. Tiger Woods knows that some people approach him on the golf course for autographs in an effort to gain inventory to sell online which is why he refrains from signing things in public. In order to preserve the value of his autograph, Tiger Woods will often times ignore requests to sign autographs. Sometimes this hurts the innocent bystander who genuinely wants Tiger Woods' autograph for their own collection, but unfortunately that is life in the world of autograph collecting. When large companies get a hold of a major athlete it is both good and bad. The good part is that the value of the autograph is upheld through the company setting prices in the market. The bad part is it puts memorabilia out of reach for the average person as not many people can afford a $1000 Tiger Woods autograph. If you are in the market for a Tiger Woods piece of memorabilia the best thing you can do is make sure you're getting the real thing. Do your research online and you will find out pretty quick who is selling the real thing and who is peddling forged autographs. When you are buying and autographed item that exceeds $1000 you need to stick with reputable companies who give authentic certificates of authenticity with all items.]]></description>
</item>
<item>
	<title>Sports Memorabilia</title>
	<link>http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Sports-Memorabilia.html</link>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Oct 2007 22:57:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category>Memorabilia</category>
<guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.MemorabiliaBug.com/info/Memorabilia/Sports-Memorabilia.html</guid>
	<description><![CDATA[There is a huge interest in sport memorabilia, and sports-related items include signed commemorative photos, baseballs, footballs, basketballs, pucks and jerseys. A Google search of companies hawking these items comes up with almost 5 million businesses! Some of the items on offer cost thousands of dollars. Where there are so many eager and gullible customers, fraud is sure to appear. A Sand Diego federal judge who recently sentenced several sports autograph forgers to prison said, &quot;Life, liberty and the pursuit of the national pastime, has been undone&quot;. The prosecution stemmed from an FBI investigation called Operation Bullpen, which closed down a professional criminal organization that forged and sold bogus autographs. 60 search warrants were served, more than 2 dozen people arrested, and a warehouse with 10 million dollars worth of forged merchandise was seized. The ring leaders received 3 years in prison and forfeiture or assets to the IRS. Both current and &quot;vintage&quot; items were involved. Any sports fan who has a signed souvenir may now want to question its authenticity. Phil Halpren, the assistant U.S. attorney who worked to prosecute the forgers stated that fraud is so pervasive in the sports memorabilia market that unless you personally see an item being signed by the athlete, odds are greater than fifty percent that it is fake. The most athletes most well-known the the public are popular with forgers, too. Halpren said, &quot;If you are looking at a Mark McGuire signature, it's alost a guarantee, 99.9 percent it is a forgery.&quot; Certificates of authenticity can be fabricated just as easily as the collectible item they supposedly validate, so this is no protection. Vendors are fighting back in an effort to maintain the integrity of the market. Disney, which owns ESPN, will begin next year to auction signed sports memorabilia online. Disney says it will authenticate the signatures with holograms encrypted with the item's identifying information and package seals, videotaping the entire process. Sophisticated forgers can even produce holographic seals which appear, on casual inspection, to be real. However most forgers are amateurs, and the more sophisticated the anti-forgery system, the less likely criminals are to attempt to copy it. Baseball and football are most popular in America, but a few famous hockey players such as Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr are popular targets for forgery as well. With all the items available, both off and on the internet, fans can avoid a lot of fraud by using common sense. For example, a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth selling for $500 is obviously a fake, because such a price is unbelievably low, too low for real market conditons. Also, it pays to know a little bit about the development of baseballs and pens. If you see baseballs supposedly signed in the '20s and '30s with Sharpie pens, these are obviously fake, because these pens were not invented yet in that era. To quote Phil Halpren : &quot;I have seen Babe Ruth balls signed on a Bobby Brown American League President ball. So, you know, he was president in the early '80s. That's impossible to have been done. But someone did it.&quot; So, while it's enjoyable to own a peice of sports history, the motto to follow is : buyer beware. Unless you are a professional trader who knows how to authenticate merchandise, don't buy an item strictly for its potential resale value, because you may be disappointed by what you eventually get for it. Buy an item you personally like and intend to keep, and don't spend thousands of dollars. This ensures that you will be happy when you look at your purchase, without the lingering doubt that you have wasted a large sum of money on something of dubious value.]]></description>
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