ESPN .COM article on the National

[baines3]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/intro/090805

[shafrancollectibles.com]

Thanks for posting the link - interesting article/photos which show the beauty and the absurd in the industry. He is obviously (by his own admission) a novice collector as he belittles the memorabilia industry several times in his captions but he also is correct in pointing out some of the trivial items for sale and the generally ridiculous prices put on them.

It always amazes me when people immediately denigrate an item just based on its price tag, as he did with the Ruth and Gehrig photos. Is $21,000 too much for them - sure - but he misses the point that it is possible to own items signed by baseball's best ever - try buying a Picasso, Monet or Van Gogh some time!

[kudu]

Some of the captions on the gallery photos are classic:

- "Put it this way: There are sausage fests, there are mega-sausage fests and then there's the National Sports Collectors Convention. You have a better chance of meeting your future wife in an all-male penitentiary during a Gay Pride parade."

- "Part of me wanted to buy this, then walk around the convention holding it with a crazy look on my face while screaming at people, "What are you looking at? HUH?" By the way, how has this painting not appeared in an "MTV Cribs" episode yet? Or has it?"

- "That's a check endorsed by Mother Teresa. Would have been funny if it was made out to a liquor store. (Pause.) Wait, am I going to hell for that joke?"

[joelsabi]

anyone know how to contact this clemente dealer?

[mbrieve]

Another espn.com article about the National:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=lukas/090805