Mike D. has collected cards for over 35 years, since he bought his first pack of Topps at the corner store in 1987. His fandom, collecting interests, and contributions to Cardlines center around baseball in general and the Baseball Hall of Fame specifically.
Mike‘s collecting focus is centered on graded cards, mostly rookie cards, of Hall of Famers and future Hall of Famers. Lately, he’s been enjoying dabbling in graded minor league cards. A collector/investor with a “buy and hold” approach, Mike takes the long-term view with his collection.
In any given major league season, there are typically around 35-40 active players who will make baseball’s Hall of Fame. Some of these are rookies getting their first taste of the majors. Others are young superstars in their prime. And a few are players who aren’t done quite yet, but have already punched their ticket…
Bo Jackson was an icon who transcended sports. While his career was short, the two-sport superstar was on top of the world for a period of time. Bo Jackson’s rookie cards remain popular with collectors and fans to this day. But what are the best Bo Jackson Rookie Cards? Join us to explore. Bo Knows…and…
Here at Cardlines, we are Baseball Hall of Fame enthusiasts. We like writing about Hall of Fame Voting, The Hall of Fame and PEDs, current hitters and pitchers who are sure-fire Hall of Famers, and other current hitters and pitchers who are on the path to the Hall of Fame. So, we’re excited to dig…
Penny sleeves have been a ubiquitous part of the hobby for many decades and a vital part of safely storing your collection. Penny sleeves can feel like such a standard hobby offering that you may think that no matter which ones you buy, they’re all the same. To explore this premise, we bought a bunch…
![What You Need To Know About The 2022 Topps Museum Collection Release [Updated w/Checklist]](https://cardlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-Topps-Museum-Collection.jpg)
With one autograph or memorabilia card, plus one parallel per pack, the 2022 Topps Museum Collection offering is similar to the last few iterations of the product, and consistent with its reputation as a fairly hit-centric product. These were originally slated for a June release, but were delayed to September. Are they worth the wait?…
The 1970s were a wild ride, and that extended to the baseball diamond. 1974 was no different. President Richard Nixon resigned. The world population hit 4 billion. The Rubik’s Cube and Dungeons & Dragons debuted. On the baseball diamond, the story of the year was Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s career home run record. …
Topps Finest Flashback is back in 2022, offering a homage to the mid-90s Finest design. But what hits can be found in the product? Let’s explore the inserts, refractors, and autograph hits you can chase in 2022 Topps Finest Flashbacks! Check eBay for the latest prices of 2022 Topps Finest Flashback boxes 2022 Topps Finest…
On August 28th, 2022, a 1952 Topps card, graded by SGC a 9.5 was sold by Heritage Auctions for a new all-time record for a sports card of $12.6 million. The record-breaking card? It isn’t a rookie card. It’s not particularly rare (although high-grade copies are). In fact, it’s actually a double print. Despite that,…
September is a big month. School is back in session. The temperatures start to cool down a bit. The baseball regular season is two days from completion. The NFL season gets underway. And there’s some exciting sports cards auctions during the month If you missed our article on August auctions here on Cardlines, you can…
In any given major league season, there are typically around 35-40 active players who will make baseball’s Hall of Fame. Some of these are rookies getting their first taste of the majors. Some are young superstars in their prime. Some are players who aren’t done quite yet, but have already punched their ticket to Cooperstown…
Japanese imports have long been popular in Major League Baseball. No, I’m not talking about Toyota or Honda, but players from the NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball), Japan’s major leagues making the jump to North America and playing in major league baseball. Check out prices for hobby boxes of 2022 Topps NPB on eBay The long…
A look at the penny sleeves and why they are a vital component of storing and taking care of your cards.
The 1970s were a transformative decade in US history, and that extended to the baseball diamond. 1973 was no different. Skyrocketing gas prices. Runaway inflation. I know, it’s hard to imagine! The Paris Peace Accords ended the US’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Secretariat won horseracing’s Triple Crown, and Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs…
If you spend much time talking about sports cards, either in person or online, you’re bound to come across the expression “eye appeal”. We previously explored eye appeal here on Cardlines.com in our article “Eye Appeal and Value: Finding That Eye-Candy.” Eye appeal is worth continuing to explore. What is it? How important is it…
The 1970s were a transformative decade in US history, and that extended to the baseball diamond. 1972 was no different. Nixon went to China. The A’s won their first of three straight World Series. Baseball was still the undisputed national pastime, as American as pie, which is appropriate as Don McLean made “American Pie” the…
The formula for Topps Clearly Authentic 2022 is simple. One pack per box, one card per pack. That one card? Made of acetate, autographed on-card, and encased. This premium offering cuts out the fluff and brings just the hits. While clearly an ultra-modern, high-end product, the product does pay homage to two vintage Topps sets,…
The baseball card hobby, historically, is really built on the idea of completionism. Cards were more to entice collectors to buy more of something…more tobacco, more cigarettes, more gum, or more candy. Collectors bought more product in order to complete their card sets. Even once cards became the primary “product”, completing a set was usually…
2022 Topps Gypsy Queen has a lot to offer. You can read more about the set in our 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Review And Checklist to dig deeper into the variations and parallels included in the set in our 2022 Topps Gypsy Queen Guide to Variations and Parallels. But wait, there’s more! Today we’ll explore…
