Baseball Card Market Should Survive Mitchell Report

I found this article about the Mitchell report's affect on baseball cards very interesting:

When experts weighed in with their thoughts on the effect of the Mitchell report on the hobby, cards really weren’t part of the equation. Kevin Haake, editor of Beckett’s monthly baseball card price guide, fills that void. Like everyone else, he agreed that like memorabilia, Barry Bonds' baseball card's value wouldn’t be affected, because they already had taken the hit from all his previous woes, including the perjury indictment.

“Roger Clemens collectibles have taken a hit since the report was made public. Clemens has always had the benefit of playing for two of the most popular and widely collected teams in his career — Boston and N.Y. — but even that rabid fan base hasn’t been able to stop some of the initial bleeding that is taking place on his more widely sought-after RCs. Right now, the short term outlook for Clemens’ collectibles is that they will likely be accompanied by down arrows for a few months until the initial rush to judgment levels off. “The fact that many of the Mitchell report were common players will prove to be beneficial to for the hobby long-term. Miguel Tejada and Andy Pettitte are primarily considered ‘commons’ in the hobby despite their career accolades. Being named in the Mitchell Report certainly won’t help their popularity among the player collectors who are the most active hobbyists pursuing their cards.”
What are your thoughts?

Colonial Williamsburg's Annual Antiques Forum

When Colonial Williamsburg presents its 60th annual Antiques Forum, more than 20 of the nation's top antiques experts will share their latest discoveries between Feb. 3-7. Titled "From North to South: Regional Diversity in American Decorative Arts," the program features a comprehensive schedule of illustrated lectures and video-assisted workshops designed to survey the rich and varied heritage of early American regional antique styles before 1830. The talks will explore the period's unique ceramics, silver, textiles and paintings as well as its buildings.
The keynote speaker is cultural historian and educator Barbara Carson, who will present The Chipstone Lecture on "Cultural Diversity in Early America." Other visiting scholars include Carrie Rebora Barrett, curator of American paintings and sculpture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, who will discuss "Regional Rules and Provincial Politics: How American Painters Dodged the System." Dean Failey of Christie's New York auction house will explore "Regionalism in American Decorative Arts."The program also will include several presentations by Colonial Williamsburg curators. Ronald Hurst, who is the Carlisle H. Humelsine Chief Curator and vice president of collections and museums, will profile "Regional Traits of Urban American Furniture, 1750-1800" and detail "What's New in the Colonial Williamsburg Collection."
Advance registration and payment is required. The registration fee of $550 includes admission to program presentations, an opening reception, daily continental breakfasts, coffee breaks and afternoon refreshments as well as a closing reception and dinner. For more information, consult the original article by Mark St. John Erickson here.

Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull Comic Adaptation

Adapting comic books to the big screen is nothing new for the comic industry. When looking at Wikipedia, one can see the recent surge in comics-to-silver screen popularity among comic collectors and movie mavens alike. Marvel has had Blade, X-Men, Spiderman, and Ghost Rider adapted just to name a few. DC's list includes fan favorites Batman Begins, Superman Returns, and V for Vendetta. But in the following case, the reverse has happened. According to the January 2008 issue of The Comic Shop's Catalog, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is set to release a 96 page comic adaptation on May 22.
According to the excerpt “the intrepid Doctor Henry Jones Jr. is back in his biggest adventure yet! This time, the world-renowned archaeologist finds himself caught in a series of events that all point to a discovery unlike any other. But will his rivals in pursuit of this priceless treasure seize his quarry right from under his nose? Not if he, and a few unexpected companions, have anything to say about it! The thrill and the humor, the action and the romance, the hat and the whip—everything you love about Indy is here! This is a tale sure to please longtime fans as well as foster a whole generation of new ones!” Sounds like an interesting read to Indy fans. Be sure to add it to your collection when you pick it up!