**Thanks to everyone who participated in our June 29, 2007 auction. The action was fast and furious and it made for a very successful auction. We hope all the winners will be happy with their new additions to their collections. If you would like to view all the Prices Realized, just click on the Auction Results button at the top of the page. Our next auction is tentatively scheduled for August 24, 2007. Please keep an eye out for our preview in a couple of weeks. It promises to have something for everyone.

**We will be leaving for this year's National Sports Collectors Show in Cleveland at the end of this month and will be set up there between August 1 and August 5. We will be actively looking to buy any sports memorabilia and we'll also have our usual selection for sale. If you are planning on going, please make sure to stop by our booth to say hello. We look forward to seeing you all.

This week's Blog topic is about sports related board games. There is a terrific book authored by Dr. Mark Cooper titled "Baseball Games- Home Versions of the National Pastime- 1860's-1960's". The book was published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. in 1995. There are close 160 pages filled with pictures, text and a price guide. If you get a chance to purchase this book, we feel it will be a great addition to your library.

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SPORTS RELATED BOARD GAMES

As a kid growing up in the 50's/60's in the Northeast, playing board games occupied a good portion of our free time, especially during the cold winter months. Many of the games were based on T.V. shows of the time or had themes relating to war or finance. But our favorite board games to play were always the ones related to sports. These games could be strategy baseball games like Stat-O-Matic or APBA or more skillful games like Electric Football or Nok-Hockey. They were a great source of killing time and staying out of trouble.

If we forward time 40 years, we find that many of these games have become popular with collectors- and for good reason- many of these games are stunning. The covers of the boxes may show actual athletes, teams or have graphics that are very displayable. Sports board games were produced from the late 1800's right up to present day. Some of the early games can bring thousands of dollars in auction. Price is determined by condition, the looks of the boxes & accessories and of course the rarity.

Although there are some great looking football, hockey, basketball, horse racing and boxing games, as usual the baseball board games are the most highly sought after. There are some amazing player endorsed games. Some of the early endorsed games come from Hall of fame greats like Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. Baby Boomers will probably remember games endorsed by Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roger Maris and Sandy Koufax.

One of my personal favorites (I wonder why?) is a game called Challenge the Yankees. The game is just a masterpiece to look at. The box cover has an incredible litho of the old Yankee Stadium and shows action scenes of stars Mickey Mantle, Elston Howard and Tom Tresh. As great as the box cover is, the game pieces are equally impressive. There are 50-player picture cards- 25 Yankees and 25 All-Star players from 1964/65. The cards by themselves can often bring high prices from card collectors. Other game pieces include a playing field (with the Yankee logo) and a scoreboard. It is one of the most asked for games by collectors.

So, take a look in your parents attic or basement, they may have saved one of these fine games. We think you'll find that not only do they display well, but they also play well too. It's a nice way to pass time on a cold winter's day.