**** WE WILL BE SET UP AT THE NATIONAL SPORTS COLLECTORS CONVENTION NEXT WEEK FROM 8/1 THROUGH 8/5. This year's convention is in Cleveland at the I-X Center. You can go to the shows web site at: www.nsccshow.com for directions and show hours.

We are bringing several hundred bobbing head dolls, Gibbs-Conner pieces, Kail and Hartland statues, mascot banks, pennants and much more. Please come by and say hello. We will be at booths 1901/2000.  We will also be looking to purchase, so if you have anything you are looking to sell or trade we would love to see it.

COMMENTS: I would just like to comment on a few things that have appeared in SCD (Sports Collectors Digest) over the past few weeks. One was a wonderful article about one of our favorite sports artists Fred Kail. The article gives a brief background to his start as an artist and his passion for sports. We would like to think that we were instrumental in helping with his recent popularity. Ten or fewer years ago, most collectors did not know of the works of Mr. Kail. The more we saw of his NFL figurines and banks, the more we pushed our loyal customers into collecting them. It would be fair to say, that they are now a mainstream collectible.

My second comment revolves around the front page of the 8/3/07 issue of SCD. Al Rosen (aka Mr. Mint) writes a heart warming editorial on his decision not to participate in this and future Nationals. He feels slighted because he felt he wasn't treated fairly by the committee at last year's National. His complaint revolves around where his booth was situated in relationship to the front door. "Poor baby!" I will agree that Mr. Mint has done a lot to promote the hobby, but he isn't the only one out there who has worked hard. His motives are purely selfish. There are hundreds of other dealers who are not afforded his privledges at shows. These are the dealers who toil through the whole show- not leaving after a few days when their opportunities to buy seem exhausted. These are the dealers in the back rows who are involved in the hobby not only for the financial rewards, but because they really do love the memorabilia. It's time that these dealers are rewarded with some pampering too. Sorry Mr. Mint, you'll be missed by some, but the show will go on without you (and so will the hobby).

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SPORTS RELATED RECORDS

For those of you who are old enough to have owned a record player, you know how great some of the old albums were. We had something to open, to look at, to read while listening to our favorite groups. Today, thousands of songs can be stored in an IPOD for fast easy listening. Almost everyone on the street is seen with something hanging in their ear.Maybe it's me and my old fashion ways, but it just doesn't seem as much fun as slipping one of those vinyl discs onto the turn-table and blasting some tunes in your room.I guess someday I'll enter the 21st century- but I am fighting it.

Anyway, this brings to to some pretty amazing sports collectibles. You might not know it, but there are hundreds of record albums available that relate to sports. They are not only great to listen to, but they make for some terrific display. Just about every major league team put out an album- either about their players or a particular season. You can listen to old play-by-play of some of the most historic events in sports history or listin to a great player giving instructions on how to play his game.

The best part of collecting sports related record albums- is that for the most part- they are still relatively inexpensive. Many are priced in th $20- $50 range, with very few topping $100. Some of our favorites invlove Hall of Fame players such as Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio. The records are not limited to baseball- there are numerous albums about NFL teams and games, the NBA and the NHL. There are even records concering boxing, golf and horse racing. It pretty much runs the gamut of collecting.

So the next time you are at a garage sale or flea market and you see a bunch of records- leaf through them. you may just find a sports treasure.