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10-11-2008, 11:59 AM
Posted By: <b>Bruce Dorskind</b><p>The All-Stars of Baseball Cards<br /><br />By BETH DECARBI<br /> <br />In his latest book, Joe Orlando has created a scrapbook of sorts for sports fans. Inside are images of Babe Ruth when he was thin and Yogi Berra when he had hair. One can also find Smokin' Joe, Shoeless Joe and Broadway Joe inside. In short, it highlights all the big sports trading cards with none of the chewing gum.<br /><br />View Interactive<br /><br />"Collecting Sports Legends: The Ultimate Hobby Guide" ($34.95, Zyrus Press Inc.) is more than a sentimental journey. Mr. Orlando is president of PSA and PSA/DNA, trading-card and sports-memorabilia authenticating services -- and he's an avid collector himself.<br /><br />"I collect some items related to the greatest catchers of all time," he says. "When I was in college, I became very serious about playing baseball. That's when I was a catcher. And that experience changed my life, in particular playing that position. So that stayed with me."<br /><br />In his collection, among other things, are game-used bats from Yogi Berra and Carlton Fisk, as well as a game-used glove from Johnny Bench. Perhaps his most cherished item is an original, unsigned photograph of Josh Gibson, a catcher and power hitter in baseball's Negro Leagues.<br /><br />CALLING ALL COLLECTORS<br /><br />Got an interesting sports collectible that needs a valuation? Email photographs and a detailed description to beth.decarbo@wsj.com. Be sure to include your name, hometown and a daytime telephone number (phone number for verification only). Because of the volume of submissions, we will be unable to respond to all email.<br /><br />"Collecting Sports Legends" offers a history of trading-cards, plus tips for rookie collectors. And because coveted cards increase in value over time, Mr. Orlando explains how to ensure that they're authentic and to prevent fading and wear.<br /><br />The book begins with Mr. Orlando's ranking of the 20 most important cards in the hobby. His ranking isn't entirely scientific, "but it's a combination of popularity, scarcity and impact on the hobby -- how symbolic is this card?" he says.<br /><br />We've detailed the top-five cards from his list and added a twist: a little quiz to test your knowledge of trading cards.<br /><br />Write to Beth DeCarbo at beth.decarbo@wsj.com