Any story behind them?
Following on from the 'modern era' cards article I thought I would pick up a few 'old school' trading cards- this time in the shape of 1965 San Diego Chargers player cards - Pat Shea, Lance Alworth, Dick Westmoreland, Rick Redman, Emil Karas and Bob Petrich. I recently got into the NFL and these old cards appealed - if only as a nice keepsake.

What exactly are they?
Literally as described above - old school 1965 Topps trading cards - from the team I have decided to follow - the San Diego Chargers.

Are they Rare?
The fact they are 47 years old would suggest that over time less and less of these will be in existance however you can still find them now - and unlike the modern National Treasure type lines I have no idea how many were ever made. Given you can log online and pick these up on online stores and ebay - the answer I would say is no - they are not rare.

Will they be back?
Not the 1965 ones - but Topps make trading cards this very day!

Where can I get them now?
Vintage Trading card stockists and well known auction sites!

And Finally
A nice piece of nostalgia - these won't cost you the world - and its a piece of history to keep hold of.
There is something special about these cards - they've already had a timeline of owners before they even reach you.

Any story behind them?
It's been a while since my last post - with holidays and then work commitments taking focus I've been a bit busy - so busy in fact that I haven't brought any new items in. Since I last posted the NFL season has got into full swing - and it got me thinking about some trading cards I picked up - the cards in question Panini National Treasures 2011. I do have a number of these however the ones in focus are the limited number material autograph cards.

What exactly are they?
Limited numbered cards - the ones in question here are -
 
Taiwan Jones - Autograph Materials - Limited to 99
Alex Green - Autograph Materials - Limited to 99
Jordan Todman - Autograph Materials - Limited to 99
Jerrel Jernigan - Autograph Materials - Limited to 99

And

Chad Henne - Century Material Autograph - Limited to 10 (3 of which I own)

Are they Rare?
The numbers tell you the answer - if its out of 99 that means only 99 of these exist - one pack (box) of National Treasures only hold 8 cards - and they don't come cheap! So in short - some are yes - others not so much.

Will it be back?
You bet - these are National Treasures 2011 - following on from the 2010 series - expect 2012 cards to come out next year.

Where can I get them now?
Trading card stockists and well known auction sites!

And Finally
Well worth a look at - why not take a gamble and pick up some of this years rookies and watch their value soar if they perform well.

Any story behind it?
You'll know by now my favorite film trilogy is Back to the Future - and when I heard there was a movie props and wardrobe auction taking place that featured items from the film, the chance to bid was too good to turn down. So I set myself up with a plan to bid on 3 of the items - and if I won excellent - if not I would have to wait and see if any items ever surfaced again......


What exactly is it?
You know that scene in Back to the Future 2 where Marty McFly goes to the future to stop his son ruining his life and enters Cafe 80's? Well the folks that made the film made sure every detail was covered - including the menu at Cafe 80's itself. I ended up winning 1 of my 3 planned bids - missing out on a Hill Valley Police Car Door Emblem and Biff money. The auction I did win was for 34 production made slides from the dishes served at Cafe 80's - all based around 80's icons - example dishes are 'Reagan Scramble' & 'Gorbachev Goulash'.
The slides come with a Cetificate of Authenticity.

Is it Rare?
Collecting Back to the Future props and wardrobe can be a very expensive - and the price certainly reflects the rarity. Before this auction I have never seen anything like these - and I don't think I will anytime soon. Chances are others exist - but I doubt very much if they will surface.

Will it be back?
It was never out there to begin with - the items aren't sold in shops or online - these are rare and limited production items.

Where can I get one now?
As it turns out there were duplicates of the slides I won - so - I will be listing the duplicates via a well known auction site in due course.

And Finally
The slides are date stamped 'April 89' - pretty cool given the fact it shows their time in history.

My plans for the ones I own are to frame them - with a photo of the slide in its 'blown up' form next to it.

Entry number three - and with Olympic fever at an all time high here in the UK it was only a matter of time before it featured on my blog - and there seemed no better day to write about it that the day after my visit to the Olympic Park.

'Various London 2012 items' - Tickets, programme, coin and T-Shirt

Any Story Behind it?
The UK is buzzing - in particular London - and on August 6th 2012 I was fortunate to take a trip to the capital and visit the Olympic Park, take in some sports and pick up some fantastic items - these items may be mass produced - but one things for sure the value to me is right up there with some of my best collectables.

What exactly is it?
Actually numerous things - 
 

• My ticket for the Handball at the Copper Park - this allowed me to see South Korea vs. Denmark and Team GB vs. Iceland.
• My ticket for the Water polo at the Water Polo arena - this allowed me to see Team GB vs. Montenegro and Spain vs. Italy.
• My ticket for the Orbit - this allowed me to get views of the Olympic Stadium and London.
• My ticket for the Volleyball - this would have allowed me to see two of the evening
  games however getting to Earls Court would have got me home too late.
  

Also -

• The Official Programme for 'Day 10'
• A 50p coin - with the Handball Logo on the back from The Royal Mint
• A Handball London 2012 T-Shirt - that was sold as a Venue Exclusive - sold only at London 2012 events.
  
  

And finally......

• My ticket from the football - that had an event in my home town of Coventry - it allowed me to see Senegal take on the UAE.

Is it rare?
In theory no - the coin, t-shirt and programme are all mass produced - however the further away we go from London 2012 the rarer they will get - programmes will be thrown out, coins spend and t-shirts worn away - so ask me this in 30 years and it will probably be a different answer! The tickets are a bit more unique - there is only 1 seat assigned to that number but
you still won't get much money for a ticket stub - but again - ask me this in 30 years and the answer may be different!

Will it be back?
After the Olympics - no.
Once its gone its gone for good - London 2012 is a special event - and I don't think I will get to go to another Olympic games in my lifetime - certainly not a home one!

Where can I get one now?
Tickets are still being sold online on the Official London 2012 ticketing site - however you have to be quick as really its only a handful that are put on each night. Used tickets can be found on eBay - as can coins and programmes and T-shirts. Of course you could always pick these items up from the venues if your lucky enough to go to the games too!!

And Finally
I can say I have had an Olympic experience - it was great to go to the games and something I
will never forget - plus I found another sport I enjoyed - Handball!

Generation inspired!

Entry number two - and I figured why not continue with the Back to the Future theme - I have a few things set to come in that BTTF fans are bound to love - a little hint is Cafe 80's - but more about that in the next few weeks. Back to todays entry - and today we get into the world of art. The item in question is - 
 
'2015" Print by Phil Gibson

Any Story Behind it?
Its pretty clear that I like Back to the Future - and the range of collectable items from the film is endless. Earlier this year I was in an inspired mood to purchase some art work - and after a few hours spent browsing various websites and ebay I came across this gem - a print by an artist named Phil Gibson - entitled '2015".

A few clicks later it was mine.......

What exactly is it?
Its a limited edition print by Phil Gibson of the famous Nike shoes and Mattel Hoverboard.

Is it rare?
The answer in short to this is yes...... limited to just 55 prints there won't be many of these left if you don't pick one up soon.

Will it be back?
Unlikely - unless of course the artist decides to commision some more.

Where can I get one now?
Two places - firstly eBay - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Back-Future-McFly-2015-Print-Phil-Gibson-Hoverboard-Nike-Air-Mag-DOC-/160654177610 - however accroding to the stats as of writing  just 3 remain at the bargain price of just $24.
Equally you can visit Phil direct on his website - http://www.mycultcanvas.com/

And Finally
Some of the details glow in the dark! Brilliant!
I have this item framed with this numbered card that is provided with it in the corner.
Very cool item if your a BTTF fan!!
Nice to own a 1 of 55 item!!

We figured we would start small with our first entry – small but with something that has massive collectability!

Purchased just over a month ago the first entry from our adventures in collecting is a –

Time Machine Restoration Team Mission Patch.

Any story behind it?
We all love Back to the Future – I don’t think I have ever met someone who dislikes the films.
Writer and producer of the film - Bob Gale - is currently restoring the iconic DeLorean ‘A’ car from the film – from what I understand once the car has been fully restored it will be put on permanent display at Universal Studios Hollywood in a indoor facility – making sure it will forever remain in top condition and intact.

This patch commemorates this event taking place.

What exactly is it?
Pretty simple really – it’s an embroidered souvenir patch - The patch is close to 5’’ in size.

Is it rare?

You bet! They were produced in a limited run of just 200 and sold via the excellent BTTF.COM / BTTF.NET store – you’ll note I used the term ‘were’ – that’s because they are all sold out!

At a price of just $22.88 and needing to be purchased before the clock tower struck at 10.04 PM on Monday 25th June 2012 time has finally ran out on getting this item!

Will it be back?
The run of the initial 200 has now gone – perhaps in the future more will become available – but the 200 have gone for good.

Where can I get one now?
Ebay is going to be your best bet – although you’ll end up paying more than the initial $22.88!

And finally
It’s a cool item – especially if you’re a Back to the Future fan – I love the films (as you’ll see with my posts over time) and this item fits perfectly into my collection. My patch is numbered 166 out of 200 - what numbers have other people got? Feel free to comment if you have one!