Wicked Websites for 'Wicked' Toys

Warning, Collectors-

If you happened to score one of Mattel’s new ‘Wicked’ dolls, whatever you do… do NOT follow the URL listed on the toy’s box. A collectible toy Only Fans of the broadway musical could love, hit store shelves with a URL pointing not to the movie website, but to a porn site instead. Mattel moved swiftly to pull the product, though of course, not before some ended up on eBay. Prices have come down from the initial frenzied high, now hovering around 2x the toy’s original $24.99 MSRP, but given Above the Mantel is a family-friendly publication, you’ll have to forgive us for not including the link to buy the toy here.

OK! Let’s change the subject.

Reds’ Ring from Black Sox Series Leading to Green

The lore of the 1919 Black Sox scandal, with Shoeless Joe Jackson and the Chicago White Sox throwing the World Series in a deal with the mob, focuses so much on the losing team that we wouldn’t blame you for forgetting which club actually won. But now, thanks to an auction for one of the few surviving championship rings given to the Cincinnati Reds, collectors can celebrate the winners, too. The ring, one of three believed made (most players got pins), earned by shortstop Larry Kopf, is part of the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory Live Auction at Hunt’s, ending on Saturday, with the top bid at press time sitting at $9,900.

Sports Collectors Daily has the full story.

Card Never Meant for Public Sells for Presidential Sum

How is it that a Topps card, printed in 1990 featuring a Yale baseball player who only suited up for two years in the 1940s, sold for nearly $15,000 Tuesday night? Because the Bulldog on the card is none other than George H.W. Bush, the 41st President of the United States, and the card was never meant to end up in the hands of the general public. Of course in card collecting (as in politics), things don’t always go as planned, and to-date, 140 of the cards have been graded and many have sold, with Tuesday’s sale netting the 2nd highest price ever for the card.

For more, read Will Stern’s latest at cllct.

A Whopper of an Advent Calendar Coming to BK

Next week Burger King will release an Advent calendar packed with more than $100 worth of goodies, including some rumored collectibles. Each calendar will have 12 items ranging from nods to menu items like Chicken Fries and the Whopper, to nostalgic ties like the Burger King Kids Club. We don’t give investment advice here as policy, but our intrepid Mail Day writer, JR Fickle, might already be camped out at his local BK to grab as many of the $19.54 Advent calendars as they’ll sell. For more oddball collectibles news and opinion, Mail Day is a must-read every Tuesday.

The Community Growing The Hobby (Us!)

I’ll leave you with this. Earlier this week I sat down with Fan Arch and Doctor Collectible to talk about everything we’re doing to build Mantel. I always love talking to Doc, not just because he’s one of the most consistent wearers of Mantel merch, but because he’s also one of the nicest guys in the hobby. His kindness may have lulled me into teasing some Mantel news before I was supposed to, so give the video a watch if you want the scoop.