More Sterling Jackie Robinson's

The new 2009 Topps Sterling boxes are filled with even more Jackie Robinson goodness. Check them out below.
Above and below are booklet cards featuring multiple patches and bat (or stadium seat) pieces. The below card also has Roy Campanella.
I really the large vintage Dodger patch card below of Jackie.Below is the Jackie Robinson base card.

Blog Kiosk: 1/31/2010

• Mark's Ephemera shares some Orel Hershiser cards he received recently.
• Jackie Robinson Topps Tribute auto was pulled earlier this month. UPDATE: Ya know... the more I look at this autograph the more I questions its authenticity. Of course, that is just my opinion and I'm no expert, but I have seen a bunch of them in person and in auction catalogs from sellers I trust over the years. I don't know, maybe I'm getting oversensitive to the authenticity issie that seems to be in the forefront of todays hobby.)
• eBay Fee Changes starting March 30th!

  No Insertion Fees for Auction-style listings when you list your item with a start price under $1—up to 100 listings per month. Pay only if your item sells.

• Yup! A lawsuit is brewing between Upper Deck and MLB/Topps.
• Nice find Wrigley Wax! He post a great cartoon found on the back of a 1955 Topps card. Little did they know that the Dodgers would win the World Championship later that year. I guess you can call that karma.
  
• Tom Hoffarth writes a great post celebrating Ernie Harwell's birthday. Did you know he was the first broadcaster traded for a player when the Brooklyn Dodgers GM, Branch Rickey, traded a catcher for him. He then departed for the Giants broadcasting booth which led to an opening for Vin Scully in Brooklyn.
  
• Check out this great interview Sports Locker did with the John Evers about the Merkle Ball.
  
• Topps has teamed up with LTL Prints to make large wall graphics (similar to Fatheads) that include Garbage Pail Kids. Imagine a 7ft. image like the one below on your wall.
• No more 5-second rule- it is now a 30-second rule. (Hat Tip: Dodger Thoughts)

  The results prove, according Goettsche and Moin, that you can wait at least 30 seconds to pick up wet foods and more than a minute to pick up dry foods before they become contaminated with bacteria.

• Mario Lemieux has offered to buy the Pirates.
  
• How to report the news.

Restraining Order?

A new rumor has just come out on the Blowout Cards Forum. Supposedly, a restraining order has been place on all new Upper Deck Baseball products related to an infringement on Major League Baseball Properties and Topps exclusive license on the trademarks.

Anyone know more about this?

Has MLBP filed a cease and desist order or have they only, so far, asked wholesalers to stop selling the product?

As you may know, the newly release 2009 Upper Deck Ultimate includes some cards with photos that clearly show team emblems. This would seem to be in violation of the exclusive license signed between MLBP and Topps. See some examples below.

A Sterling 2009 Jackie

Topps just released their high-end Baseball card product called 2009 Sterling and, already, the key Dodger find is up on eBay. It's a Jackie Robinson triple-patch auto "1 of 1" card. Awesome, just awesome. Already it is over $1,500.00 in heavy bidding.

BTW, these boxes (which usually has just about 5 cards in it) will run you over $200 each so they certainly aren't for the weak at heart.

Ultimate Dodgers

Upper Deck recently released their 2009 Ultimate Baseball product (a little strange considering it's already 2010, but I digress) and it has already proven to consist of some incredible cards. Check out the video below to see what I mean.

Now keep in mind that boxes will run for about $85.00 - $95.00 for just 4 cards. So they aren't cheap.

Of course, who cares about Beckham and Jeter found on the video above on this blog, so let me get to some Dodgers I found on eBay last night.The above Kemp card is a quad-patch card with a Kemp signature. I really like the "Ultimate Inscription" card of Kemp the best, though. "Go Dodgers."
Here is a James Loney large patch card..

Upper Deck and Konami Settle

Have you ever gone through a jury selection process, been selected to sit on the jury, listen to opening arguments, even hear a bit of the questioning and answering, and then be summarily dismissed the next day. I have and it sucks. Not because you get to go home earlier than expected- that was the only good thing. It sucked because I had mentally prepared myself to lay judgment and was denied the opportunity to sit with my peers to make that decision. I felt like my job was not done.

Well, this is kind of what happened in the trial between Konami and Upper Deck earlier this week.

News has come indicating that the Upper Deck vs. Konami lawsuit is over and a settlement has been made- specifics not disclosed. Surprisingly, Upper Deck later on declares victory.

I say surprisingly because one thing is clear.

Last month, United States District Judge Valerie Baker Fairbank ruled that Upper Deck counterfeited over 600,000 cards from the Yu-Gi-Oh! trading card game, and was liable to the Japanese company for damages.

So, the trail that had started with jury selection and opening statements was only about what amount of damages would be due to Konami, not whether Upper Deck was wrong in its actions.

Anyway, Upper Deck released the following statement post settlement.

Upper Deck is pleased to announce that it has come to a successful resolution with Konami over their year-long dispute regarding Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards. On the eve of trial, the court issued several rulings in Upper Deck’s favor which eliminated and gravely threatened many of Konami’s monetary claims requests. These rulings sent Konami and its attorneys into retreat as Konami’s case was disintegrating. These events, and these events alone, provided the framework for the case to be resolved after opening statements were presented to the jury.

Read the rest here. I'm curious what rulings Upper Deck says hurt Konami's damages claims. Anyway, as has been already reported on Beckett.com Upper Deck is to make it's first multimillion dollar payment on Friday (today?).

Unfortunately for Upper Deck their time in the courtroom will probably not be over as Major League Baseball Properties has already thrown out an opening salvo in a oncoming licensing dispute. I'll be sure to write more about this upcoming Baseball card war.