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CNN Live Saturday

"Dollar Signs": Can Fun And Profit Be Derived From Collectibles?

Aired October 18, 2003 - 16:32   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Our "Dollar Signs" focus today is on collectibles, and whether both fun and profit can be derived from the things that people collect: sports bobbleheads, show business figures, art, antiques, pottery, even cigarette lighters, the ordinary things and the not so ordinary things. And our guests are two men who have been collecting each of them, trading and turning profits for years.
In Philadelphia is Mike Moran, who says his best reason for collecting is, and this is a quote, "it makes me feel good." He's an antiques dealer and editor of "Oriental Antiques and Art."

And in New York, Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia, who says part of the fun is the speculation. Now Howie, I want to start with you, because this is something that hits me close to home. I understand you have a couple of baseballs that you brought in today that you want to show us. Why don't you tell us about them.

HOWIE SCHWARTZ, GRANDSTANG SPORTS AND MEMORABILIA: Okay. The first ball, Andrea, is very topical, of course. It's a ball signed by Bucky Dent and Mike Torres, famous, of course, for the famous home run that Bucky hit off Torres in Fenway Park, propelling the Yankees into the 1978 playoffs and, of course, eventually winning the World Series.

The ball is signed by both the pitcher Mike Torres, who gave up that infamous home run, and Bucky Dent. And Dent signed it "Curse of the Bambino" and dated it October 2 of '78.

KOPPEL: OK, Cool. Now here's my question. Back in 1989, I was a Cub reporter for WJZ TV in Baltimore, Maryland. Was covering the opening game -- the all-time attendance record at Memorial Stadium was supposed to be broken. I was there during batting practice. I caught a line drive with my face that Cal Ripken hit. I have an autographed baseball with its -- with magic marker. Is it worth anything?

SCHWARTZ: With magic marker, not a great amount. You were about ten years a little early to catch a very good foul ball. Had you been at the game, Andrea when Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak record, you'd be looking at a signed ball worth $500 to a $1,000 at minimum. The fact, though, that they set a single season attendance record in '89 was nice, but the fact it was signed at that particular game brings the ball somewhere between 50 and $75.

KOPPEL: Broke my heart. Almost broke my head. Listen, let's go to some callers. We've got Linda in Arizona, who's on the phone. Linda, good afternoon. Go ahead with your question, please.

CALLER: Hi there.

KOPPEL: Hi.

CALLER: My husband purchased several bronze, silver, and gold trading cards: baseball, hockey, and football.

SCHWARTZ: Okay.

CALLER: Back in 1994.

SCHWARTZ: Okay.

CALLER: It's -- he spent about $20,000. And we'd kind of like to see if we could sell them and make some money. But we don't really know how to do that.

SCHWARTZ: Gotcha. My advice to you, Linda, in terms of collecting -- and this is my advice to as many people who are beginning collections, first time collectors and existing people who like to collect memorabilia in any sport including baseball. Try to collect autographed, signed items, because a player, an athlete, a celebrity can only sign his or her name a finite amount of times in their life.

When a card is produced, whether it be a bronze card, silver card or gold card, such as you have, it allows the manufacturer to produce as many as their will. As opposed to when an athlete signs an item, there's still a limited amount of items that a person, an athlete especially, will have the opportunity to sign in his or her life.

So, my recommendation would be to go back to the manufacturer, or the store you purchased it from, to see if they have interest. If not, obviously, seek other means in companies that specialize in those type of cards.

KOPPEL: Linda, thanks so much for your call. Mark, I wanted to ask you what is the difference -- I mean, in terms of -- I guess collecting has any number of purposes, as you were saying. It makes you feel good. But if somebody wants to collect for profit, what do you recommend?

MARK MORAN, ANTIQUES DEALER: Well, a good collecting area that we were talking about earlier -- and it's on a lot of people's minds right now is patriotic memorabilia, things having to do with not only early American history, but more recent history.

It's best to stick with quality pieces, buy the best example that you can. Do your research. Talk to auctioneers, talk to antique dealers, talk to other collectors. Make mistakes and learn from your mistakes. That's just a few good rules to keep in mind.

KOPPEL: We have another caller on the line. Opal in Iowa. Go ahead with your question for our guests, please.

CALLER: I have a bowl. I've been told -- they're soup bowls. I've been told they are finger bowls. I am 80 years old myself. But these aren't my grandma's, they're my great grandmother's. And they're brass just down to the waistline, and they're in different colors, like two pink and two yellow and like that. And I was wondering what they would be worth.

MORAN: Well, without actually seeing them, your description is very intriguing. Without actually seeing them it's hard to know exactly what kind of a value to assign them. If you have access to the Internet, there's a good site called collect.com that can refer you to a publications and books that might help you in your quest. What are they made of again?

CALLER: They're glass, but very -- they're a thinner glass. You can kind of see...

MORAN: Okay. Do you have any sense of...

CALLER: They're not a heavy glass.

MORAN: Right. Do you have any sense of the age? You said you've had them for a long time.

CALLER: Well, I'm 80, and it wasn't my grandmother's, it was her mother's.

MORAN: Okay.

CALER: It was my great grandmother's.

MORAN: I see.

CALLER: So they'd be over 100 years old, I'm sure.

MORAN: Right. I would say, if there is a good antique shop in your area, to visit one of the dealers there or go to collect.com and see if they have any reference books that might be able to give you more information.

KOPPEL: Okay. Opal, thank you so much for calling in. Gentlemen, if you would stand by. Your calls and e-mails next on "Dollar Signs." Of course, you can still send your questions to dollarsigns@CNN.com, or you can call in. That number is 1-800-807- 2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: And it's time to go back to our guest now in today's "Dollar Signs" segment on collectibles, how to indulge your hobby and maybe someday turn it into money.

In New York is Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia. In Philadelphia, antiques dealer Mark Moran, who collects Americana and edites "Oriental Antiques and Arts." Something my folks always had in their house.

Let's go to Brian in Florida. He's on the line. Go ahead, Brian. CALLER: Hi, how are you?

KOPPEL: Very well, thanks.

CALLER: I have a Babe Ruth pocketknife. It's like an ivory color. It's from Syracuse Knife Company from Syracuse, New York. It says Babe Ruth, and then it has like a little glass side with a batter.

SCHWARTZ: Right. It's an item that was produced, from my recollection, in the early to mid-1940s. I've seen probably about 100 to 150 examples of that particular pocketknife. Obviously, a signed item would have been a little better for you value-wise there, but the pocket knives I've seen, value-wise somewhere, go between $1,000 and $1,200.

And generally, we've really touched upon in the antiques field, vintage items, and there is certainly a consistency between antiques and sports memorabilia in that the vintage items, as Mark touched upon, the best examples are really what you would want to collect. And certainly, the older items are items that obviously are less, are extremely scarce, and obviously less available to the public. So certainly, you know, keep on to those vintage items.

KOPPEL: Okay. Brian, thank you for your call. We have another caller, Natasha, who's calling us from Newfoundland. Good afternoon, Natasha. Go ahead.

CALLER: Yes. I have a ringer that goes onto the wash tub.

KOPPEL: A ringer that goes onto the wash tub? You mean like an old fashioned wash tub?

CALLER: Yes.

KOPPEL: Any other defining characteristics?

CALLER: Well, it's 110 years old.

KOPPEL: Okay, Brian.

MORAN: Well, I was thinking that I'm embarrassed to say that I remember my mom using one of those. And I think -- the thing to look for on the ringer is a brand name. Does it have any maker's name on it at all?

CALLER: Yes. But I don't know what's written on it.

MORAN: Okay. As you might guess, even a 110-year-old ringer would have limited appeal to -- for many collectors, although I'm sure that there are people out there who are looking for those things.

For instance, someone might want a salesman's sample, a piece for that was taken around by salesmen to demonstrate. They're very small. And, you know, that is the kind of thing that someone who was looking for, you know, early washing or early manufacturing materials might be looking at. But as far as a value on it, I don't think you're looking at a whole lot of money for that.

KOPPEL: We're probably talking, what, the 50 bucks that I get for my Cal Ripken baseball?

MORAN: Yes. Well, and 50 might be pushing it a little bit.

KOPPEL: All right, Natasha. Sorry about that.

We're going to go to some e-mails, gentlemen. I'd like to go to one from Ethan in Brighton, Massachusetts. And he writes, "I have a set of original negro league pennants. I was given to them by my uncle who would come across a couple of sets. He sent the other 2 Cooperstown Hall of Fame. They're in beautiful shape with all tabs still attached. They are definitely vintage and completely original. Is it possible they are worth anything?"

Howie?

SCHWARTZ: Absolutely. Negro League memorabilia is becoming increasingly popular in the last ten years. Everyone from Buck Leonard to Cool Papa Bell, and a lot of the negro leaguers, if you look in the Hall of Fame have been inducted, especially recently.

Each year, you'll see a different Negro League player has been inducted into Cooperstown. The pennants themselves are wonderful because they were available before the major leagues came around. They tend to go for, depending on the condition of the pennants and the team, of course, somewhere between $250 -- and I've seen one of the Black Yankee pennants go for up wards of $2,000.

The negro league autographs on those pennants, I've seen fetch increasingly more amounts of money. We have on our site, on Grandstand Sports, the site, a thing where you can put in the info of what your item is, and we'll appraise it for you for free, which is a nice feature that we offer.

KOPPEL: Absolutely. We're going to go onto another e-mail. This one from Kenny in New Jersey. He writes, " I have 2 lampstands which appear to have special collector's value. They are made out of clay, have a beautiful picture on the front. There's also a gold trim around the oval shape picture, but I couldn't find any autograph. How do I get this assessed?"

Mark?

MORAN: Well, I think, when he says clay, I'm assuming that he means that they're ceramic. Without, you know, more of a description, it's hard to get an idea of the value. I would say, again, a site like collect.com or to look on the Internet for someone who deals in vintage lighting, that might be the best way to go.

If you're, you know, going to be in the vicinity of Atlantic City tomorrow is the last day of the huge Atlantic City Antique Show, and there are hundreds of lamp dealers there who would be -- I know would be glad to share their expertise with you. I can't remember where the caller -- or where the e-mail message came from. KOPPEL: He's from New Jersey actually.

MORAN: That's perfect. Sunday is the last day of Atlantique City. It's at the convention center. I think it's just $10 to get in on the last day.

KOPPEL: Terrific.

MORAN: There are hundreds of dealers in vintage lighting who would be happy to share their knowledge.

KOPPEL: Sounds like good advice.

Let's go to one more e-mail. This one comes from someone who didn't sign their name, but he says, or she says, "I've been a long time Redskins fan. I was out yard saling a couple of weeks ago and found a small box of cards. It was only $3 so I bought. I was surprised to find a Topps Darrel Green rookie card and a Joe Theisman rookie inside. How much would they be worth?"

Howie?

SCHWARTZ: Well, chances are, if they were at a yard sale, the condition of the cards would not be wonderful. In cards, the most important issue to determine value is the condition. Darrell Green and Theisman's rookie cards from the late 70s, early 80s, I think book for somewhere between $40 and $80 respectively.

Of course, if it's at a yard sale, that would be in mint condition. If they are obviously in less condition, you would have to go a few grades down, my guess is somewhere between 15 and $25 for each card.

KOPPEL: All right Howie, thank you for that. More of your calls and e-mails right after the break. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Welcome back. Once again, our "Dollar Signs" experts on collectibles, our antiques dealer Mark Moran in Philadelphia, who says collectibles with a patriotic motif are popular now.

And in New York, Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia, who says get items signed by players you think will one day be in the Hall of Fame. I tried, but I didn't do very well, I guess.

Guys, does it take a lot of money to invest up front in order to get memorabilia that would actually be worth something down the line? I mean, it doesn't work like wine, does it?

SCHWARTZ: I'll answer that first, Andrea. Absolutely. And you need to really spend your money wisely. As you touch upon an introduction, you really want to concentrate on athletes in various sports who are either in the Hall of Fame already or speculating that they certainly, due to their current statistics, will get into the Hall of Fame. That's really for the barrier, which increases a player's value in the collectibles market.

KOPPEL: Mark?

MORAN: Yes, it is possible to invest in quality antiques without a whole lot of money changing hands, as least to begin with. You know, in our business, it's in our interests to have an educated buying public, to know what they're buying so that they can buy with confidence because people who buy with confidence will spend more money.

We were talking about, just briefly, about patriotic items. There's one piece that I picked up at the show in Atlantic City, and it's this little carved eagle made out of walnut from the 1940s. If someone wanted to begin a collection with a patriotic motif, this would be a perfect place to start. It was $65.

It's, you know, 20th Century American folk art. It was done by a carver in New Jersey. And the theme of the eagle, of course, is very popular. But in a broader sense of patriotic memorabilia, Americana this is a wonderful little piece at a good price that would appeal to many collectors.

KOPPEL: We have a call on the line. Martha is joining us on the phone from Wisconsin. Good afternoon.

CALLER: Good afternoon to the three of you. Mr. Schwartz, back in '98, in San Diego, Green Bay Packers played Denver. Denver won that thing, but someone made up six footballs before it was over and made Green Bay the winner. And also, one of those had their schedule for the year. Well, I have that one. At the time I purchased it, it was worth $298. Has it gone down any or maybe gone up?

SCHWARTZ: When you say, Martha, that they made six footballs, are these footballs signed by the Packers or the Broncos?

CALLER: No.

SCHWARTZ: So it was just basically pre-printed. Is that what you're saying?

CALLER: Yes.

SCHWARTZ: I don't really see a great amount of value in that, Martha, because, obviously, there are no original signatures on that exact football.

CALLER: If I got -- excuse me. If I got Bart Starr to sign that would it be worth anything?

SCHWARTZ: It's funny you mention that, Martha, because my recommendation to you and to the viewers is, when you have a good limited edition item that doesn't existingly have signatures on it, start there. Think about how you can enhance the item and make it more valuable. Bart Starr, Paul Horning, legendary Green Bay Packers.

Obviously, it wouldn't hurt to put Brett Favre on there. Obviously, Ahman Green of the current team. But really look to enhance your collectibles by getting them signed if they're not already done so when you picked up the item, Martha. Definitely. I would highly recommend you getting him to sign it.

KOPPEL: Martha, thank you for calling us. We have another e- mail -- and speaking of getting things signed, this one comes from Caron in Naples, Florida. He writes, " I have a baseball signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers circa 1945, including Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Walt Alston..." I don't know anything about this stuff Howie, but that sounds like it's worth something.

SCHWARTZ: Yes. He's a little bit off in the year. Jackie Robinson didn't reach the Brooklyn Dodgers until 1947. In '46, he was with the AAA affiliate, the Montreal Royals for Brooklyn. So the '45 is actually a '47 ball, which was Jackie Robinson's rookie year. He had Walter Alson and of course, he mentions Pee Wee Reese.

You're actually very lucky it is a '47 ball. Because that is one of the most sought-after team signed balls in the entire industry. The ball, depending, obviously, I haven't seen it, but if it was in mint condition, you're looking at a ball worth somewhere between $4,000 and $6,000. In poor condition, obviously, it would decrease from there.

But the '47 Dodger team and the '55 team, which is the only year Brooklyn ever won the World Series and the Dodgers ever won in Brooklyn, are the two most sought-after dodger balls in the entire world.

KOPPEL: Wow! I think you just made somebody happy there in Florida, Howie.

SCHWARTZ: Considering the qualities there, absolutely.

KOPPEL: Howie schwartz and Mark Moran. I wish we had more time. I know there are lots of questions out there. Hopefully, they can log onto the Web sites and get some answers. Thank you both for coming in.

SCHWARTZ: Thank you, Andrea.

MORAN: My pleasure.

KOPPEL: And CNN's lineup this afternoon includes Pope John Paul II, who's profiled next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

Then at 6:00 eastern, more CNN live Saturday. The president's Asia tour live from Bangkok.

Then at 7:00 eastern, Republican Senator Norm Coleman sounds off on aid to Iraq. And the president's meeting with California governor- elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I'll be back after a quick break with today's top stories.

END TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com





Collectibles?>


Aired October 18, 2003 - 16:32   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
ANDREA KOPPEL, CNN ANCHOR: Our "Dollar Signs" focus today is on collectibles, and whether both fun and profit can be derived from the things that people collect: sports bobbleheads, show business figures, art, antiques, pottery, even cigarette lighters, the ordinary things and the not so ordinary things. And our guests are two men who have been collecting each of them, trading and turning profits for years.
In Philadelphia is Mike Moran, who says his best reason for collecting is, and this is a quote, "it makes me feel good." He's an antiques dealer and editor of "Oriental Antiques and Art."

And in New York, Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia, who says part of the fun is the speculation. Now Howie, I want to start with you, because this is something that hits me close to home. I understand you have a couple of baseballs that you brought in today that you want to show us. Why don't you tell us about them.

HOWIE SCHWARTZ, GRANDSTANG SPORTS AND MEMORABILIA: Okay. The first ball, Andrea, is very topical, of course. It's a ball signed by Bucky Dent and Mike Torres, famous, of course, for the famous home run that Bucky hit off Torres in Fenway Park, propelling the Yankees into the 1978 playoffs and, of course, eventually winning the World Series.

The ball is signed by both the pitcher Mike Torres, who gave up that infamous home run, and Bucky Dent. And Dent signed it "Curse of the Bambino" and dated it October 2 of '78.

KOPPEL: OK, Cool. Now here's my question. Back in 1989, I was a Cub reporter for WJZ TV in Baltimore, Maryland. Was covering the opening game -- the all-time attendance record at Memorial Stadium was supposed to be broken. I was there during batting practice. I caught a line drive with my face that Cal Ripken hit. I have an autographed baseball with its -- with magic marker. Is it worth anything?

SCHWARTZ: With magic marker, not a great amount. You were about ten years a little early to catch a very good foul ball. Had you been at the game, Andrea when Cal broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak record, you'd be looking at a signed ball worth $500 to a $1,000 at minimum. The fact, though, that they set a single season attendance record in '89 was nice, but the fact it was signed at that particular game brings the ball somewhere between 50 and $75.

KOPPEL: Broke my heart. Almost broke my head. Listen, let's go to some callers. We've got Linda in Arizona, who's on the phone. Linda, good afternoon. Go ahead with your question, please.

CALLER: Hi there.

KOPPEL: Hi.

CALLER: My husband purchased several bronze, silver, and gold trading cards: baseball, hockey, and football.

SCHWARTZ: Okay.

CALLER: Back in 1994.

SCHWARTZ: Okay.

CALLER: It's -- he spent about $20,000. And we'd kind of like to see if we could sell them and make some money. But we don't really know how to do that.

SCHWARTZ: Gotcha. My advice to you, Linda, in terms of collecting -- and this is my advice to as many people who are beginning collections, first time collectors and existing people who like to collect memorabilia in any sport including baseball. Try to collect autographed, signed items, because a player, an athlete, a celebrity can only sign his or her name a finite amount of times in their life.

When a card is produced, whether it be a bronze card, silver card or gold card, such as you have, it allows the manufacturer to produce as many as their will. As opposed to when an athlete signs an item, there's still a limited amount of items that a person, an athlete especially, will have the opportunity to sign in his or her life.

So, my recommendation would be to go back to the manufacturer, or the store you purchased it from, to see if they have interest. If not, obviously, seek other means in companies that specialize in those type of cards.

KOPPEL: Linda, thanks so much for your call. Mark, I wanted to ask you what is the difference -- I mean, in terms of -- I guess collecting has any number of purposes, as you were saying. It makes you feel good. But if somebody wants to collect for profit, what do you recommend?

MARK MORAN, ANTIQUES DEALER: Well, a good collecting area that we were talking about earlier -- and it's on a lot of people's minds right now is patriotic memorabilia, things having to do with not only early American history, but more recent history.

It's best to stick with quality pieces, buy the best example that you can. Do your research. Talk to auctioneers, talk to antique dealers, talk to other collectors. Make mistakes and learn from your mistakes. That's just a few good rules to keep in mind.

KOPPEL: We have another caller on the line. Opal in Iowa. Go ahead with your question for our guests, please.

CALLER: I have a bowl. I've been told -- they're soup bowls. I've been told they are finger bowls. I am 80 years old myself. But these aren't my grandma's, they're my great grandmother's. And they're brass just down to the waistline, and they're in different colors, like two pink and two yellow and like that. And I was wondering what they would be worth.

MORAN: Well, without actually seeing them, your description is very intriguing. Without actually seeing them it's hard to know exactly what kind of a value to assign them. If you have access to the Internet, there's a good site called collect.com that can refer you to a publications and books that might help you in your quest. What are they made of again?

CALLER: They're glass, but very -- they're a thinner glass. You can kind of see...

MORAN: Okay. Do you have any sense of...

CALLER: They're not a heavy glass.

MORAN: Right. Do you have any sense of the age? You said you've had them for a long time.

CALLER: Well, I'm 80, and it wasn't my grandmother's, it was her mother's.

MORAN: Okay.

CALER: It was my great grandmother's.

MORAN: I see.

CALLER: So they'd be over 100 years old, I'm sure.

MORAN: Right. I would say, if there is a good antique shop in your area, to visit one of the dealers there or go to collect.com and see if they have any reference books that might be able to give you more information.

KOPPEL: Okay. Opal, thank you so much for calling in. Gentlemen, if you would stand by. Your calls and e-mails next on "Dollar Signs." Of course, you can still send your questions to dollarsigns@CNN.com, or you can call in. That number is 1-800-807- 2620. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: And it's time to go back to our guest now in today's "Dollar Signs" segment on collectibles, how to indulge your hobby and maybe someday turn it into money.

In New York is Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia. In Philadelphia, antiques dealer Mark Moran, who collects Americana and edites "Oriental Antiques and Arts." Something my folks always had in their house.

Let's go to Brian in Florida. He's on the line. Go ahead, Brian. CALLER: Hi, how are you?

KOPPEL: Very well, thanks.

CALLER: I have a Babe Ruth pocketknife. It's like an ivory color. It's from Syracuse Knife Company from Syracuse, New York. It says Babe Ruth, and then it has like a little glass side with a batter.

SCHWARTZ: Right. It's an item that was produced, from my recollection, in the early to mid-1940s. I've seen probably about 100 to 150 examples of that particular pocketknife. Obviously, a signed item would have been a little better for you value-wise there, but the pocket knives I've seen, value-wise somewhere, go between $1,000 and $1,200.

And generally, we've really touched upon in the antiques field, vintage items, and there is certainly a consistency between antiques and sports memorabilia in that the vintage items, as Mark touched upon, the best examples are really what you would want to collect. And certainly, the older items are items that obviously are less, are extremely scarce, and obviously less available to the public. So certainly, you know, keep on to those vintage items.

KOPPEL: Okay. Brian, thank you for your call. We have another caller, Natasha, who's calling us from Newfoundland. Good afternoon, Natasha. Go ahead.

CALLER: Yes. I have a ringer that goes onto the wash tub.

KOPPEL: A ringer that goes onto the wash tub? You mean like an old fashioned wash tub?

CALLER: Yes.

KOPPEL: Any other defining characteristics?

CALLER: Well, it's 110 years old.

KOPPEL: Okay, Brian.

MORAN: Well, I was thinking that I'm embarrassed to say that I remember my mom using one of those. And I think -- the thing to look for on the ringer is a brand name. Does it have any maker's name on it at all?

CALLER: Yes. But I don't know what's written on it.

MORAN: Okay. As you might guess, even a 110-year-old ringer would have limited appeal to -- for many collectors, although I'm sure that there are people out there who are looking for those things.

For instance, someone might want a salesman's sample, a piece for that was taken around by salesmen to demonstrate. They're very small. And, you know, that is the kind of thing that someone who was looking for, you know, early washing or early manufacturing materials might be looking at. But as far as a value on it, I don't think you're looking at a whole lot of money for that.

KOPPEL: We're probably talking, what, the 50 bucks that I get for my Cal Ripken baseball?

MORAN: Yes. Well, and 50 might be pushing it a little bit.

KOPPEL: All right, Natasha. Sorry about that.

We're going to go to some e-mails, gentlemen. I'd like to go to one from Ethan in Brighton, Massachusetts. And he writes, "I have a set of original negro league pennants. I was given to them by my uncle who would come across a couple of sets. He sent the other 2 Cooperstown Hall of Fame. They're in beautiful shape with all tabs still attached. They are definitely vintage and completely original. Is it possible they are worth anything?"

Howie?

SCHWARTZ: Absolutely. Negro League memorabilia is becoming increasingly popular in the last ten years. Everyone from Buck Leonard to Cool Papa Bell, and a lot of the negro leaguers, if you look in the Hall of Fame have been inducted, especially recently.

Each year, you'll see a different Negro League player has been inducted into Cooperstown. The pennants themselves are wonderful because they were available before the major leagues came around. They tend to go for, depending on the condition of the pennants and the team, of course, somewhere between $250 -- and I've seen one of the Black Yankee pennants go for up wards of $2,000.

The negro league autographs on those pennants, I've seen fetch increasingly more amounts of money. We have on our site, on Grandstand Sports, the site, a thing where you can put in the info of what your item is, and we'll appraise it for you for free, which is a nice feature that we offer.

KOPPEL: Absolutely. We're going to go onto another e-mail. This one from Kenny in New Jersey. He writes, " I have 2 lampstands which appear to have special collector's value. They are made out of clay, have a beautiful picture on the front. There's also a gold trim around the oval shape picture, but I couldn't find any autograph. How do I get this assessed?"

Mark?

MORAN: Well, I think, when he says clay, I'm assuming that he means that they're ceramic. Without, you know, more of a description, it's hard to get an idea of the value. I would say, again, a site like collect.com or to look on the Internet for someone who deals in vintage lighting, that might be the best way to go.

If you're, you know, going to be in the vicinity of Atlantic City tomorrow is the last day of the huge Atlantic City Antique Show, and there are hundreds of lamp dealers there who would be -- I know would be glad to share their expertise with you. I can't remember where the caller -- or where the e-mail message came from. KOPPEL: He's from New Jersey actually.

MORAN: That's perfect. Sunday is the last day of Atlantique City. It's at the convention center. I think it's just $10 to get in on the last day.

KOPPEL: Terrific.

MORAN: There are hundreds of dealers in vintage lighting who would be happy to share their knowledge.

KOPPEL: Sounds like good advice.

Let's go to one more e-mail. This one comes from someone who didn't sign their name, but he says, or she says, "I've been a long time Redskins fan. I was out yard saling a couple of weeks ago and found a small box of cards. It was only $3 so I bought. I was surprised to find a Topps Darrel Green rookie card and a Joe Theisman rookie inside. How much would they be worth?"

Howie?

SCHWARTZ: Well, chances are, if they were at a yard sale, the condition of the cards would not be wonderful. In cards, the most important issue to determine value is the condition. Darrell Green and Theisman's rookie cards from the late 70s, early 80s, I think book for somewhere between $40 and $80 respectively.

Of course, if it's at a yard sale, that would be in mint condition. If they are obviously in less condition, you would have to go a few grades down, my guess is somewhere between 15 and $25 for each card.

KOPPEL: All right Howie, thank you for that. More of your calls and e-mails right after the break. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KOPPEL: Welcome back. Once again, our "Dollar Signs" experts on collectibles, our antiques dealer Mark Moran in Philadelphia, who says collectibles with a patriotic motif are popular now.

And in New York, Howie Schwartz of Grandstand Sports and Memorabilia, who says get items signed by players you think will one day be in the Hall of Fame. I tried, but I didn't do very well, I guess.

Guys, does it take a lot of money to invest up front in order to get memorabilia that would actually be worth something down the line? I mean, it doesn't work like wine, does it?

SCHWARTZ: I'll answer that first, Andrea. Absolutely. And you need to really spend your money wisely. As you touch upon an introduction, you really want to concentrate on athletes in various sports who are either in the Hall of Fame already or speculating that they certainly, due to their current statistics, will get into the Hall of Fame. That's really for the barrier, which increases a player's value in the collectibles market.

KOPPEL: Mark?

MORAN: Yes, it is possible to invest in quality antiques without a whole lot of money changing hands, as least to begin with. You know, in our business, it's in our interests to have an educated buying public, to know what they're buying so that they can buy with confidence because people who buy with confidence will spend more money.

We were talking about, just briefly, about patriotic items. There's one piece that I picked up at the show in Atlantic City, and it's this little carved eagle made out of walnut from the 1940s. If someone wanted to begin a collection with a patriotic motif, this would be a perfect place to start. It was $65.

It's, you know, 20th Century American folk art. It was done by a carver in New Jersey. And the theme of the eagle, of course, is very popular. But in a broader sense of patriotic memorabilia, Americana this is a wonderful little piece at a good price that would appeal to many collectors.

KOPPEL: We have a call on the line. Martha is joining us on the phone from Wisconsin. Good afternoon.

CALLER: Good afternoon to the three of you. Mr. Schwartz, back in '98, in San Diego, Green Bay Packers played Denver. Denver won that thing, but someone made up six footballs before it was over and made Green Bay the winner. And also, one of those had their schedule for the year. Well, I have that one. At the time I purchased it, it was worth $298. Has it gone down any or maybe gone up?

SCHWARTZ: When you say, Martha, that they made six footballs, are these footballs signed by the Packers or the Broncos?

CALLER: No.

SCHWARTZ: So it was just basically pre-printed. Is that what you're saying?

CALLER: Yes.

SCHWARTZ: I don't really see a great amount of value in that, Martha, because, obviously, there are no original signatures on that exact football.

CALLER: If I got -- excuse me. If I got Bart Starr to sign that would it be worth anything?

SCHWARTZ: It's funny you mention that, Martha, because my recommendation to you and to the viewers is, when you have a good limited edition item that doesn't existingly have signatures on it, start there. Think about how you can enhance the item and make it more valuable. Bart Starr, Paul Horning, legendary Green Bay Packers.

Obviously, it wouldn't hurt to put Brett Favre on there. Obviously, Ahman Green of the current team. But really look to enhance your collectibles by getting them signed if they're not already done so when you picked up the item, Martha. Definitely. I would highly recommend you getting him to sign it.

KOPPEL: Martha, thank you for calling us. We have another e- mail -- and speaking of getting things signed, this one comes from Caron in Naples, Florida. He writes, " I have a baseball signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers circa 1945, including Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Walt Alston..." I don't know anything about this stuff Howie, but that sounds like it's worth something.

SCHWARTZ: Yes. He's a little bit off in the year. Jackie Robinson didn't reach the Brooklyn Dodgers until 1947. In '46, he was with the AAA affiliate, the Montreal Royals for Brooklyn. So the '45 is actually a '47 ball, which was Jackie Robinson's rookie year. He had Walter Alson and of course, he mentions Pee Wee Reese.

You're actually very lucky it is a '47 ball. Because that is one of the most sought-after team signed balls in the entire industry. The ball, depending, obviously, I haven't seen it, but if it was in mint condition, you're looking at a ball worth somewhere between $4,000 and $6,000. In poor condition, obviously, it would decrease from there.

But the '47 Dodger team and the '55 team, which is the only year Brooklyn ever won the World Series and the Dodgers ever won in Brooklyn, are the two most sought-after dodger balls in the entire world.

KOPPEL: Wow! I think you just made somebody happy there in Florida, Howie.

SCHWARTZ: Considering the qualities there, absolutely.

KOPPEL: Howie schwartz and Mark Moran. I wish we had more time. I know there are lots of questions out there. Hopefully, they can log onto the Web sites and get some answers. Thank you both for coming in.

SCHWARTZ: Thank you, Andrea.

MORAN: My pleasure.

KOPPEL: And CNN's lineup this afternoon includes Pope John Paul II, who's profiled next on "PEOPLE IN THE NEWS."

Then at 6:00 eastern, more CNN live Saturday. The president's Asia tour live from Bangkok.

Then at 7:00 eastern, Republican Senator Norm Coleman sounds off on aid to Iraq. And the president's meeting with California governor- elect Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I'll be back after a quick break with today's top stories.

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