New Topps Cards to Feature the Hand Print of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.

As the baseball card industry continues to evolve, Topps Trading Cards has taken it to a new level by introducing this “Touched by Greatness” hand print card. Using a batting glove, sponge, and a little black ink, Cal helped to create a truly one-of-a-kind piece of memorabilia! You can look for these “Touched by Greatness” cards in Topps 2012 Update Series.

Click the link below to see an exclusive behind the scenes video of Cal "Hand-Printing" these cards yesterday!

http://www.ironcladauthentics.com/info/Videos

2012 Orioles - Why Not?

One of the greatest surprises of the 2012 baseball season has been the Baltimore Orioles 24-14 record. Although it’s early in the season, it makes you start to wonder if this team could actually contend after 14 straight losing seasons.

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Autographed Adam Jones Baseball

One of the main reasons for the team’s hot start is center fielder Adam Jones. Hitting in the middle of the Orioles lineup between Nick Markakis and Matt Wieters, Jones seems to be playing to his full potential. Jones currently leads the Birds in all major offensive categories and is among the league leaders in both Runs and Home runs

Another big part of the turnaround is the Orioles bullpen. Led by closer Jim Johnson and his league leading 13 saves, Johnson has finally given the Orioles the stability at the back end of the pen’ they desperately needed. Other additions such as Pedro Strop, Darren O’Day, and Luis Ayala have played major roles in getting the ball to Johnson in close games.

Many Orioles fans may remember a similar season in which the Orioles went from worst to first. The year was 1989 and the slogan was "Why Not?" For those of you who are not familiar with that season, check out the video posted below:

The World's Largest Baseball Collection

Here's a neat story I came across the other day. Dennis Schrader of St. Petersburg, Florida currently holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of autographed baseballs in the world! His collection is in currently in the process of becoming a new exhibit at the St. Petersburg Museum of History! Looks like Spring Training baseball fans will soon have a new stop on their Florida vacations!

You can Check out Dennis Schrader's website at http://www.littlecooperstown.com/

A Triple Crown Winner in 2012?

As history has shown us, one of the most difficult achievements in baseball is winning the Triple Crown. Since 1878 only 15 batters have won it, with the most recent winner being Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. Could 2012 be the year another hitter FINALLY takes the Triple Crown title? Well one month into the season, two of the game’s best hitters are off to great starts!

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Matt Kemp Autographed 16x20

Coming into today Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers leads the American League in Homeruns, RBIs, and Batting AVG. Hamilton is also coming off a recent 4 HR game performance, in which he is only the 16^th player ever to do so in Major League history.

Matt Kemp of the Dodgers also has a great shot as he comes into today leading the NL in Homeruns and Batting Average. He only trials his teammate Andre Eithier by a few. The fact that Kemp has such a high on base percentage and that Eithier hits behind him, Kemp could be working against himself for the Triple Crown!

It’s only May and I know it may seem a bit premature to think that a Triple Crown could actually happen (I think back to the Votto/Pujols race from 2010 on this one), but its fun to think about. One thing’s for sure, these two players are putting on a showing that they are both legitimate MVP candidates. If one does come away with the Triple Crown, the question is what else could this lead to in their careers? Of the 15 Triple Crown winners, 13 are in the baseball Hall of Fame. If Cooperstown is the case for Hamilton and Kemp, memorabilia collectors who grab their items now will be happy they did!

Sports Propaganda Artwork Mixes Old Time Feel with Today’s Stars

One really unique item that’s new to Ironclad is this Joe Mauer Sports Propaganda Print that’s been signed by Twins All-Star Joe Mauer.

The print, which is limited edition of 200, is 17x21 and features Joe Mauer in his catching gear with the slogan “Always Ready”.  The artist of the piece, Chris Speakman, hand makes each of the screen prints making them extremely rare. The idea for the “Propaganda” style of artwork comes from inspiration of various war-like rivalries around sports as well as propaganda art from the 1940's. Chris also made some limited edition Cal Ripken Jr. pieces for us that are still available through our website, ironcladauthentics.com.

To check out more of Chris’s artwork, visit his website at www.sportspropaganda.com.

Joe Mauer – Ready for a Healthy Year of Baseball

Last week, Myself and the rest of the Ironclad staff had the opportunity to do a private signing with Twins catcher Joe Mauer. Joe was excited to sign for us as well as the several items that were sent in by his loyal fans. The items that were mailed in included baseballs, personal photos, bats, and jerseys. Joe was even able to sign and inscribe a pair of his game-used cleats for us that he wore during the 2007 season!

One thing that stands out from the signing was Joe’s overall excitement for the 2012 baseball season. Having already played in a few spring training games, he has yet to experience any set-backs health-wise and should be ready to go when opening day arrives! I expect a big year for Joe and hopefully that will result in a winning season in Minnesota!

Next up: A signing with the Ironman Cal Ripken Jr. and his brother and former double play partner, Bill Ripken

Team-Signed Memorabilia

When it comes to collecting autographed football memorabilia, kickers are typically not high on the priority list. Although the kicker may have made a pro-bowl or had the highest field goal percentage in the league, they typically aren’t coveted as much as a quarterback or wide receiver. The reason for this is easy; kickers aren’t popular. Same goes for a middle reliever in baseball. Although these players are important role players and essential to a team’s success, they are never going to be as popular as the quarterback or starting pitcher. However, this all changes once a team wins a championship. This is because of the popularity in team-signed sports memorabilia. Whenever a team wins a Super Bowl or Championship of some sort, memorabilia from that team often becomes extremely popular and valuable.

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1970 World Series Champion
Team Signed 16x20 Photo

Acquiring all of the autographs for a team-signed item is often challenging for the collector. Today’s sports world is filled with free agency and trades, which have players switching teams constantly. After the Cardinals victory over the Rangers in the 2011 World Series, several key players, such as Albert Pujols and Edwin Jackson, have joined other teams. This makes it extremely difficult for collectors to find and collect all of the signatures needed to complete a World Series piece. This becomes even harder when players begin to retire and are out of baseball.

Occasionally, a collector’s show will have a reunion type show where they will bring in several members of a championship team. A good place to find these shows is www.mab-celebrity.com.

Although many will argue that collecting the signatures in person is more fun, the simplest way to acquire a team signed collectible is to buy one from a reputable memorabilia dealer. Although they are in most cases expensive, it guarantees you a piece of memorabilia that will only increase in value over time. Check out some of our team signed memorabilia at www.ironcladauthentics.com.