Last year the trading card and memorabilia market in
Wisconsin was "soft like a marshmallow," but since then, the
hobby market has been in a state of "Packer-mania," according to
Paul Arnold of the MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL. Steve Pemper, the
owner of Milwaukee-based Ball Four Cards, said while in year's
past, only 30% of Ball Four's sales were from Packers items, this
year, "it's been 90%, more than 90%." With the rise in sales has
come a rise in the asking price of Packers players who sign for
card shows and an increase in forged Packer autographs (Paul
Arnold, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 9/25).
MEMORABILIA NEWS & NOTES: The auctioning of balls from Paul
Molitor's career hits Nos. 2,961 to 2,990 has raised more than
$40,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Minnesota and
Minnesota's Camp Heartland (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE,
9/26)....USA TODAY's Michael Hiestand looks at the memorabilia
business. According to Nielsen Market Research, new baseball
card sales rose 8% in the year ending July '96, compared to a 44%
drop the year before (USA TODAY, 9/26). . ...SI's Gerry Callahan
on the memorabilia fervor after the sale of Eddie Murray's HR
ball: "What if a healthy Mark McGwire is going for 62 next
season? At each ballpark he visits, the bleachers will look like
the set of a Mad Max movie. ... If the apocalyspe is not upong
us, surely it is near" (SI, 9/30 issue).
