Hunter Ceramic Championship Steins
Keep those Championship moments alive forever!!


As a sports fan, there is nothing better than winning a championship. You start the season with the highest of hopes, a fresh start to a new season. Who knows? Maybe this will be the year!! You follow every game, every play, celebrating each big moment and you agonize over every loss, no matter how big or small. This stuff keeps you up at night because this is YOUR team! Then, as the season is winding down, you have a shot for the playoffs. Maybe this will be the year!! You hang on every game and every moment even more than before. You go through all the rituals, sit in your lucky chair, eat your lucky snacks, wear your lucky shirt, whatever it takes to get your team that championship ring. Then, you’re in! You make the playoffs, then it all starts over again……multiplied by ten!!! You have a chance. Could this really be the year? Yes it can!!!

The playoffs are an emotional roller coaster. One nail biting moment after another. You’re up, you’re down. A break here and a break there and suddenly, you’ve made it to the finals. A chance for the ring, for bragging rights, a chance to be a champion. Maybe this will be the year!! Then it happens. All of your joy, all of your agony, all of your sleepless nights, your anxious moments pay off. Your team fulfills your every hope and dream and rewards YOU with a title. You are on top of the world. You are a champion. Yes, this IS the year!!!

It has been a season like no other, one that you will never forget. How will you remember it? How will you display your pride? What will you have to show for all of the blood sweat and tears you put into your never ending love and support of YOUR team? Do you want a T-shirt that will fade and tear over the years? A hat that will end up getting lost or make it’s way into the yard work clothes pile? How about a bumper sticker for your vehicle that will peel and fade? I would hope not!! This is YOUR team we are talking about, your CHAMPIONSHIP team. They and YOU deserve better!

One of the best commemorative and collectible items you can buy is the classic Hunter Championship Stein. The ceramic stein that is famous for it’s natural color and bright gold accents. The team logo and colors of your championship team are displayed on the front with the season and/or playoff results detailed on the back. With proper care, the colors will not fade or peel so your championship pride can shine on year after year. A great way to remember the big comebacks, the classic games and all of the memories that made this a season you’ll always remember. It’s the next best thing to having the championship trophy right there with you in your office, game room or bar.

It doesn’t matter if you display your Hunter Championship Steins high on a shelf for everyone to see or have them on your desk to hold your pens, pencils or other things you hold dear to your heart. It doesn’t matter if you are celebrating a Super Bowl victory, a World Series, a Stanley Cup or a NBA Championship. There is no better way to have all the scores, memories and team pride right at your fingertips like a quality Hunter Championship Stein. Display them all or the simply the one that is most important to you. Do not accept cheap imitations. After all, this is YOUR team, and you are a champion! You deserve the best, you deserve a Hunter.




COLLECTING AUTOGRAPHS


Every sports and entertainment fan has their favorite players, drivers and celebrities. Even though our dreams may have been to be as famous as our favorite stars, there is nothing like being able to meet them in person. For those of us that are lucky enough to do that, there is no better way to remember the occasion than by a photograph and/or an autograph.

The key to collecting autographs in person is really quite simple. The most important factor is to be polite. Most athletes and stars are willing to sign if you are courteous and polite, which includes key words like “please” and “thank you”. Even though they may be famous, they are very much just like you and desire to be treated the same way that you would like to be treated yourself. Nothing works better than kind words and a big smile.

Another thing to remember is to respect their privacy. If they are out to dinner with their family, it is not the best time to ask for an autograph, especially after the waiter has just brought their meal. Remember, they value time with their family just as you do. In these instances, be patient. Wait until they leave the table for a minute and don’t be afraid to let them know you did not want to interrupt their family time. Another time may be when the meal, movie or event is over and they are in the process of leaving. Remember to also be quiet because not everyone may recognize them like you, their biggest fan. Be discreet and show appreciation for their time.

A great way to meet your favorite athletes is after the game as they board the team bus or when they are getting in their cars to go home. It is important to remember if they won the game, how they individually performed or how they feel physically as all could be a factor in your success in getting an autograph. If they hit a game winning home run that takes them to the playoffs, your chances might be better. If they made a critical mistake that cost the team the game, your chances might be more difficult. Be understanding. Also, be aware of security. Most lots have security to protect the players from the public so, do your homework and check things out before you waste your time waiting for something that might be impossible to get.

Another common way to meet your favorite athletes that are away from home is in the lobby of the hotel that they are staying in. Try to get a general idea of when they may have a little free time or when they might be leaving for practice and/or the game before they board the team bus. You will be surprised how well they respond to seeing a big fan all decked out in team colors on the road and many players will sign and pose for a quick picture. Again, be aware as many hotels beef up security to protect players from harassment. Don’t be a nuisance and spend all day loitering around the hotel lobby. You don’t want the memories of your special day to involve the police!

Also, make sure you have a favorite item for them to sign. A ball, hat or jersey is some of the most popular items as are game programs and photos. A key thing to remember is to always have a backup item as many players are under contract for the items they sign. If they can’t sign the jersey, have a hat or something else ready for them. DO NOT hand them a box of items and expect them to sign them all. Players are most likely to sign for the true fan and not someone they feel will have the items on E-Bay before the game is over. If the only reason you seek autographs is to make money, please stay at home and leave room for the true fans.

It is also important to have something to write with. In most cases, a fine tip permanent marker is best. The most popular is a Sharpee, which is available in numerous colors and styles. They also seem to work best on hats, jerseys and most fabrics. However, if it is a baseball that you want signed, nothing works better than a ball point pen as Sharpee’s tend to bleed a bit on baseballs. Some people like to have autographs personalized, for example, “To John”. This is great for your personal collection but if your Great Grandchildren decide to sell it, it could bring down value and demand a bit. It is always best to remain simple.

Lastly, if you are in the majority and are purchasing an autograph from a dealer or online, be sure to request a “certificate of authenticity” or even a photo of the person signing the product. Most reputable autograph dealers will have these items. That way you can be assured that the item you are buying is authentic. Forgery is and always will be the biggest problem in collecting autographs. If you are not getting them in person, protect yourself. Always do your homework, ask for proof and documentation and always live by the rule that if it seems too good to be true, it usually is.


There’s No Time Like “Game Time”


We all have different ways we show support for our favorite sports or racing team or driver. Some wear hats. Some wear fancy jackets made of satin, wool and leather. Maybe a simple
T-shirt or sweatshirt works best for you. Even though there are many fans that support the same teams, most fans don’t want to look and be like everyone else. Everyone looks for that unique way to set them apart from the rest of the crowd. They want people to look at them and say, “that person is a REAL fan”.

One of the most unique ways to show support for your favorites in any sport is with a quality wrist, belt or pocket watch made by Game Time. Game Time offers many designs for men, women and child fans of all ages with prices to fit any budget. All offer officially licensed team logos with many designs in official team colors. They also have a limited lifetime warranty, quartz movement and are water resistant. Deluxe styles are also available with 2-tone band and face, 23K gold or platinum embossed logos for superior quality.

It doesn’t matter if you just want to look stylish or look like the team owner, there is a Game Time watch for you and everyone you know that has a favorite team or race driver. Watches of quality, style and value. The only thing better is a championship ring!

Let’s face it, when it’s “time” to “watch” your favorite team, There is no time like Game Time.

Die Cast Sports Collectibles – Heavy Metal Fun

For many years, collecting sports items was limited to cards, jerseys, autographs and items that were directly related to the sport.  Die cast sports items were available with most relating to auto racing.  They were naturally a perfect fit to the die cast market that was mostly automobiles to begin with.  Sure, Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Corgi collections were already in full swing with a great selection of product and availability, but die cast collectibles in the other major sports like baseball and football were hard to come by.  This was easy to understand because there was no true relation between these sports and motor vehicles, right?  Wrong!!!

The beginning of the movement for die cast items from racing into the other major sports began in 1989.  The Baltimore Orioles wanted to have a unique promotional giveaway for their fans at one of their games.  They contacted and did business with a small company in York, PA that many of us know as White Rose Collectibles.  White Rose literally “stepped up to the plate” and delivered an existing Matchbox Model A Ford with the Orioles Logo and year printed on the side to given away to fans.  This Oriole item, being so unique, was a big hit with fans of all ages.  Die cast had now started to become a sport collectible.

Starting in 1990, White Rose began to produce these collectible Model A Ford trucks for all Major League Baseball and NFL teams.  Popularity was still a bit unknown so the production run of approximately 10,000 per team was limited to hobby, toy, card and gift stores and was not available to most of the mass retailers.  All of these tucks were officially licensed and were available with the appropriate team colors and logos.  The year of the model, 1990 in this case, was also printed on the door panels.  Printing the year on the vehicles is what made these trucks a true collector’s item.

Each year the color scheme would change a bit to keep the items fresh.  Then the vehicles themselves began to change to really enhance the collectibility of the product.  Again, all models still had the year printed on them and production still remained limited.  Since these were still Matchbox models, these also became a “cross over” collectible to main stream Matchbox collectors.  The mid 1990’s brought the addition of a few of the most popular NBA teams but, there was still nothing for the hockey collector to this point.

That all changed when White Rose got the license to produce mini Zamboni’s, the machine that cleans the ice surface at all ice rinks and a machine that has an unusual popularity with hockey fans in general.  All NHL collectors now had their item!  Even though it was not an official Matchbox item, the Zamboni WAS directly related to the sport and was a HUGE success with fans.  As with past items, the official colors and logos were employed in the design as well as, the year of production.

Die cast now had a much bigger presence in the sports collectible marketplace.  As years passed, other models and styles were added to the line that included tractor trailers, tandem trailers and helicopters, to name a few.  As popularity increased, so did the attention of the bigger sports companies and White Rose was eventually purchased by Fleer, Inc.  Fleer continued to add to the line to also include muscle cars, fighter planes and more classic vehicles.  A year or so ago, Fleer was bought out by Upper Deck, Inc. which has continued to enhance the die cast line of products.  Even though the companies change, the vehicles and production quality continue to improve.  All vehicle designs continue to change from year to year but many still have the year printed on them.  They all still have a limited production runs to further protect their collectibility.

Racing fans will always be the biggest die cast sports collector’s.  For this reason, they also have the widest variety of product that ranges in price from a few dollars to limited production vehicles that cost a few hundred dollars.  Also, as in other sports, scale models in all sizes are available to satisfy the needs of all collectors.  Manufacturers such as Winner’s Circle, Revell, and Action (now Motorsports Authentic) keep collectors of all ages and budgets happy.  Race cars are continuously updated to reflect changes in sponsors, drivers, color designs and various promotions, such as movies, that keep the racing die cast collections fresh.

In all, it doesn’t matter what sport you enjoy or what driver you follow.  Die cast collectibles are a fun and unique way to display your support.  Limited production runs, variety of vehicles and ever changing designs help protect the value of your collection and yet offer a choice that keeps every collector happy.  I doesn’t matter if you are in the winners circle or hoisting a World Series trophy, die cast collectibles are heavy metal fun!!!