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BALTIMORE, MD - MARCH 31: Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox greets Trevor Story #10 during player introductions prior to the game between the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Monday, March 31, 2025 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Paul Kim/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Paul Kim via Getty Images
Before we get super-weird (as is tradition), I want to shout out Topps Celebration, which came out late last week and is now being mini-price gouged by re-sellers. I think the fervor will die down eventually as people realize what’s actually inside the box isn’t so much “cards that are worth a lot of money!” as they are “cards that are a lot of fun and you probably prevented actual kids from buying these because you are a soulless animal.” I could be wrong. We opened a couple and they were basically a pack full of joy.
I won’t pay a reseller $89.99 for it. I will grab a couple when the boxes settle down to $50.
Something I noticed while perusing Cheers card inscriptions this week: Christopher McDonald spells “Red Sox” as “Red Socks (view on eBay).” And then he doesn’t (view on eBay).
So now, of course, I stare at the ceiling at night asking myself how does one determine which Christopher McDonald Cheers card is more valuable: The “Socks” or “Sox” version? My hunch is “Sox” is the rarer version based on how many “Socks” ones I’ve seen (the sold results are all over the place - check it out on eBay). Plus the correct version above has him writing a truncated “Chris” and the signature looks a little more fatigued, so maybe someone toward the end of his signing whispered to him, “hey man, it’s spelled S-O-X.”
On the other hand, “Socks” could be considered the “error” version, and that might have a little more cachet for collectors. I love error cards; everyone loves error cards!
As part of our “Commitment to Something Close To Excellence” here at Mail Day, I went back and watched the entire “The Endless Slumper” episode and the Sox/Socks thing is not a referential joke to the character or plot. So there’s that!
At $50-60 each, I could just buy both and see what happens. Or I could buy neither and save my money for food and clothes for my family. TBD.
I know we talk a lot of Cheers cards here, but the set is fascinating.
Anne Schedeen made a crossover ALF reference in her autograph (view on eBay). She played the mom in ALF and did a guest spot on Cheers. Its current asking price is $150.
And Ernie Sabella threw a “Hakuna Matata” on his (view on eBay) — he was the voice of Pumbaa in “The Lion King.” It’s currently $70.
Okay, enough Cheers… for this week. On to a cabaret performer/theater critic who lived to be 103!
I’m a history buff and a JG Auctions frequenter, which can sometimes be a dangerous combination. In their latest “Entry Level Collecting” offering they have an interesting piece that I cannot figure out if I want or not. Because I’ve bought weird stuff before just to have weird stuff, and this is on that line.
It’s hard to not be intrigued by Eric Bentley just from his bio on the site (and his Wikipedia page makes him intriguing-er) but what caught my attention was how he signed this piece as “autographed by” and then dated it.
He also gave the postcard a “Bentley 7.5” grade later in life.
It’s currently at $10 (and then JG’s ridiculous fees and shipping make it about $20), I’m not sure it’s worth it for the oddity of it all… but if I end up going for more things in this auction, it might just have a home. Maybe.
There’s a 22-year-old pitcher in the Cardinals organization, Tink Hence, who was just put on the 60-day IL. It’s notable because Hence was in a position to get called up this season “if he can stay healthy.” He’s been battling injuries since being drafted, so this is just another groan in a series of Hence-related groans, making him a frustrating prospect to follow – as you can see by his declining card prices (view on eBay).
It’s very easy to lose patience with a young pitcher who gets hurt a bunch, but Hence is a potential stud with a high K-rate and low WHIP – and there are plenty of ways he can get into the rotation once he’s healthy.
His autographed Bowman Bests are hovering around $8-$11. Since we’ve inadvertently created a “this costs about $50” theme today, buy six and see what happens!
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