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- Woj's Cell Phones, Carlsen's Jeans Garner Big Bids
Hey, Collectors.
Don’t forget- only one week left to earn entries into our giveaway for a box of Pokemon Prismatic Evolutions ETB. To enter is simple- refer a friend to Above the Mantel, with more referrals equaling more entries. You can track your progress and find out all of the details at the bottom of today’s email.
If only you had Woj’s old iPhone at your disposal…
via Dapps Bounty
Adrian Wojnarowski just turned his old work clutter into a nearly $18,000 payday for St. Bonaventure’s basketball NIL fund. The former ESPN insider, now working as the GM for Bonnie’s basketball, teamed up with Dapps Bounty to auction off a collection of past press credentials and iPhones that led to Woj Bombs including the one used to break Kawhi Leonard and Paul George’s move to the Clippers ($5,000) and the phone that he used to break the news that the 2020 NBA season was being suspended due to Covid-19 ($3,250). Still available? A chance for you and 5 friends to win dinner with Woj himself, where maybe he’ll give his unfiltered view of the Luka to the Lakers trade.
Newly imposed tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico and China have led PSA—the hobby’s grading giant—to temporarily stop direct submissions from those countries. PSA stated that the added costs were too much to absorb, with a $1,000 card submission now carrying a tariff that could be as high as $250. Canadian collectors still have options, with PSA’s Halifax drop-off center and authorized dealers providing a workaround, and PSA is working to find solutions in China as well. Yesterday grading company Beckett shared that their operations are currently unaffected by the tariffs.
Imagine finally making the big leagues—then realizing someone else owns the only baseball card featuring a piece of your debut jersey. That’s the reality for today’s MLB rookies, thanks to Topps’ debut patch cards, a one-of-a-kind collectible that’s turning both fans and players into treasure hunters. MLBers are going to great lengths to get back their cards, offering season tickets, memorabilia and meet-and-greats. Outfielder Joey Loperfido went so far as to sign his debut patch card with the words ‘DM me’ in an effort to get the card back, which actually worked—so if you happen to pull a debut patch, be ready—because your best offer might be coming from the player himself.
Leave it to Magnus Carlsen to turn a dress code controversy into a headline-grabbing charity moment. The five-time world chess champion made waves at the 2024 World Rapid and Blitz Championships when he withdrew mid-tournament after officials deemed his Corneliani jeans inappropriate. The world’s No. 1 player then listed the denim in question on eBay, promising to donate proceeds to the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. The auction closed this week, with a top bid of $36,100- money which will be used to support chess clinics and mentorship programs here in the US.