Abstract:
A collection case combines a trading card with an actual piece of associated memorabilia to enhance its value. The collection case encapsulates the two items together in a protective plastic slab for safe keeping. The process results in a new collectable product of increased value.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS AND PRIORITY CLAIM  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/917,613 filed Aug. 13, 2004 (pending), which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/213,249 filed Aug. 5, 2002 (patented), which claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. §1119, of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/324,005, entitled “Graded, Game-Used Memorabilia,” filed Sep. 21, 2001 (expired), all of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to collectable memorabilia. More particularly, the invention relates to collectable trading cards.  
         [0003]     Trading cards are very popular collectable items for the sports and entertainment industries. Trading cards are often produced for baseball, hockey, basketball, football, soccer, golf, auto racing, comic characters, entertainers, and the like. A typical trading card has a photograph or image of a personality or character on a first side of the trading card, and related statistics, biographical information, or the like on the reverse side.  
         [0004]     Collecting trading cards has been an American hobby for over 100 years. For many, the thrill of collecting trading cards is also financially rewarding. The value of a trading card may vary greatly, depending on the rareness and condition of the trading card. Rare, old cards can be extremely valuable. For example, an original Honus Wagner trading card in good condition from the 1909 through 1911 T206 Tobacco Set was recently sold at auctioned for over $1 million.  
         [0005]     Due to their value, trading cards have become a significant “for profit” business. A large service industry has arisen around trading cards, offering services such as preserving and grading cards. The grading process includes determining a trading card&#39;s overall condition. Criteria used in evaluating condition typically include image centering, card cut, corner conditions, edging, surface condition, such as scratches or stains, post-production trimming, creases or folds in the card, and the like. To preserve the trading card&#39;s condition, it is often put in a “slab.” “Slabbing” a the term used to describe the process of encapsulating a card after its condition has been determined. Typically, a trading card is sonically sealed in a hard acrylic case and assigned a bar code for registration purposes.  
         [0006]     Collectors and enthusiasts also purchase game, or event, specific memorabilia, such as game-used: bats, balls, jerseys, uniforms, flags, artificial turf, stadium equipment, hockey sticks, pucks, tickets, gloves, auto part, instruments, and the like. Dealers sell these items at high costs to the consumer, thereby limiting the availability of such whole memorabilia to the average collector or enthusiast. Accordingly, some dealers divide up the whole memorabilia and sell individual pieces of such memorabilia. For example, a dealer may cut up a game used bat to sell individual miniature bats.  
         [0007]     Gluck discloses a memorabilia package in U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,532. The disclosed memorabilia card consists of a photograph with a piece of game, or event, memorabilia adhered to the surface of the photograph. The piece of memorabilia is mounted and positioned on the photograph where he image of the memorabilia appears in the photograph. For example, a piece of memorabilia such as a miniature bat manufactured from a game-used bat, would be mounted on a photograph of a batter in the location where the image of the bat would normally appear in the photograph. Unfortunately, mounting a piece of memorabilia to the memorabilia card diminishes any “collector&#39;s” value the card has, in and or itself. Thus, the value of the package is typically limited to the value of the specific piece of memorabilia itself.  
         [0008]     It is desirable to provide collectors with a collection case that enhances the combined value of its individual components. Additionally, the desired collection case would be protected from damage.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     In one embodiment of the invention a graded trading card is combined with an actual piece of associated memorabilia to enhance its value. The two items are encapsulated together in a protective plastic slab for safekeeping. This process results in a new collection case of increased value. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  illustrates front view of an embodiment of the front of a of memorabilia article in accordance with the invention;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  illustrates a rear view of an embodiment of a memorabilia article in accordance with the invention; and  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart illustrating steps for producing a memorabilia article in accordance with the invention.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates a front view of a collection case  8  according to an embodiment of the invention. A trading card  10  is shown encapsulated in a case  12 . The internal cavity of the case is divided into an upper portion  14  and a lower portion  16 . The trading card  10  is housed in the lower portion  16 . The upper portion  14  contains a piece of associated memorabilia  20 . Preferably, the associated memorabilia  20  is a piece of a game or event specific memorabilia. In one embodiment, upper portion  14  includes a grading report  18 . The grading report  18  contains such items as the card&#39;s overall grade  22 , the card&#39;s subject matter  24 , the card&#39;s publishing year  26 , the publisher  28 , the series number  30 , a brief description of the piece of memorabilia  20 , and the like. In one embodiment, the report  18  is color-coded according to the grade of the card  10 . In another embodiment, the trading card is ungraded.  
         [0014]      FIG. 2  illustrates a rear view of a collection case  8  according to an embodiment of the invention. In one embodiment of the invention, identifier  34  is visible on the back of the grading report  18 . The identifier may include a serial number, bar code, or the like. In one embodiment, the identifier  34  is further included in the front view of the collection case. The grading report  18  includes the grading details for trading card  10 . The card is preferably graded on image centering, card cut, corner condition, edges, surface condition, post-production trimming, creases or folds and the like. In one embodiment, the piece of memorabilia  20  is visible from the back of the collection case  8 .  
         [0015]     The case  12  is preferably made from hard acrylic, Lucite, or the like and is substantially clear. In one embodiment, each face and edge of the encapsulated trading card  12  can be viewed through the case. Case  12  preferably has internal stays  32  to prevent the trading card  12  from moving. Minimizing internal movement insures that case  12  does not damage the trading card  10 . The case  12  is preferably designed such that it can be stacked for storage without scratching any viewing surface.  
         [0016]     The case  12  consists of a front portion  34  and a rear portion  36 . In one embodiment, the two portions  34 ,  36  lock together to encase and protect the trading card  12  and piece of memorabilia  20 . Preferably, an inner sleeve is utilized to protect the trading card  10 .  
         [0017]     The piece of memorabilia  20  is preferably related to the trading card  10 . For example, the piece of memorabilia  20  may be portion of the uniform worn by the player depicted on trading card  10 , or a portion of ball or puck used by the player depicted on trading card  10  during a game. Other examples of suitable pieces of memorabilia  20  include, for example, pieces of a bat, jersey, uniform, flag, artificial turf, stadium equipment, outfit, hockey stick, ticket, glove, auto part, instrument or the like. For non-sports related trading cards, the pieces of memorabilia  20  may be, for example, a piece of a guitar pick or the like used by the entertainer depicted on the trading card. In a preferred embodiment, the piece of memorabilia  20  fits within a ⅝-inch square. Preferably, the piece of memorabilia  20  is purchased directly from the athlete or entertainer, an agent, or licensed memorabilia dealer to ensure authenticity.  
         [0018]     In one embodiment, the collection case  8  is provided by a five-step process. As shown in  FIG. 3 , to produce the collection case  8 , trading cards and associated memorabilia are purchased (step  100 ). The associated memorabilia is preferably a game or event related article, such as the bat used by the player on the trading card, the jersey worn by the player depicted on the card, a game ball used by the depicted player, or the like. In one embodiment of the invention, a certificate of authenticity accompanies the piece of memorabilia. Next, the trading cards are graded (step  120 ). Preferably, an independent grading company grades the trading cards. The trading cards are preferably graded on a scale from 1 to 10 in half-point increments, where 10 is the highest score. A report for each graded trading card is produced by the grading company. The associated memorabilia is divided or dismantled so that a piece of the associated memorabilia can be combined with the trading card (step  130 ). In one embodiment, an archival photograph of the associated memorabilia is taken before the memorabilia is divided into approximately ⅝-inch squares or pieces (step  130 ). Preferably, a certificate of authenticity accompanies each divided piece of the associated memorabilia. After the associated memorabilia is divided into smaller pieces, individual pieces are combined with its associated trading cards (step  140 ). The trading card and piece of memorabilia are encapsulated in a case. In one embodiment, a grading report is encapsulated together with the trading card and piece of memorabilia in a hard acrylic case, which is sonically sealed and assigned a bar code or other serial number. The bar code or other serial number is preferably used for registration purposes. Preferably, a certificate of authenticity accompanies the encapsulated product to authenticate at least the graded trading card. In one embodiment, the certificate of authenticity for the divided portion of the game-used memorabilia also accompanies the encapsulated product.  
         [0019]     The collection case  8  is manufactured using a trading card  10  and piece of memorabilia  20  desirable to consumers. Trends in the memorabilia industry and consumer feedback are used to determine the collection cases to be produced. Preferably, the collection cases  8  are produced in specific series. A series of collection cases will may be identified by sport, release date, roster of athletes, memorabilia type, and the like.  
         [0020]     As noted above, various criteria are considered when grading a trading card. For example, the criteria may include the edges of the card, the centering of the printing on the card, the corners of the card and the surface of the card. The grading criteria employed in one embodiment of the invention are presented in APPENDIX A. Half grades combine features of the grade above and below the actual half grade given to a particular trading card. Other grading considerations include combining aspects from specific grades to create a hybrid grade.  
         [0021]     A collection case  8  ( FIGS. 1, 2 ) can be extremely valuable. For a retailer to offer a high value collection case  8  to a consumer at an affordable price point, as well as derive multiple sales, a marketing technique is used called the “hidden purchase program.” In one embodiment, each series of collection cases comprises a group of cases with different “book” values. In other words, each series contains a varying percentage of different valued cards, allowing the consumer the possibility to acquire a very expensive card at a low retail price. These cards, referred to as “chase” cards, are randomly inserted in the series. Since the retail packaging is sealed, and only lists the athletes in that series, the consumer does not know which athlete is in the package until purchasing and opening the package. In one embodiment, the odds of a specific card being in the package are printed on the package. Preferably, the retail packaging is opaque heat sealed Mylar. In one embodiment, an electronic article surveillance tag is embedded in the Mylar. Additionally, the collection case, which is in the Mylar heat-sealed package, is further sealed in a clear blister pack with a hangtag. Each series or production run has a specific number of production units. Each series is sport specific with a set number of chase cards. The effectiveness of this concept is evident in today&#39;s multi-million dollar trading card industry.  
         [0022]     The collection case  8  is distributed through various marketing channels and are marketed for sale in retail stores, television or cable shopping channels, proprietary Internet websites, and/or third party Internet auction websites.  
         [0023]     Although the present invention was discussed in terms of certain preferred embodiments, the invention is not limited to such embodiments. Rather, the invention includes other embodiments including those apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Thus, the scope of the invention should not be limited by the preceding description but should be ascertained by reference to the claims that follow.  
       APPENDIX A  
       [0024]     For a card to receive a grade of “10,” the centering of the image on the card must be 50/50 all around on the face of the card and 60/40 or better on the back of the card. Additionally, the corners of the trading card must be perfect to the naked eye and mint under magnification and the edges of the card must be perfect to the naked eye and virtually free of flaws under magnification. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “10” has no print spots, flawless color, is devoid of registration or focus imperfections, has perfect gloss, and is devoid of scratches and metallic print lines.  
         [0025]     For a card to receive a grade of “9.5,” the centering of the image onto the card must be 50/50 in one direction, 55/45 the other direction on the face of the card and 60/40 or better on the back of the card. Additionally, the corners of the trading card must be mint to the naked eye, but slight imperfections are allowed under magnification. The edges of a “9.5” graded trading card are virtually mint to the naked eye. However, a small amount of wear to the edges of the card is allowed under intense scrutiny. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “9.5” has a few extremely minor print spots detectable only under intense scrutiny, deep color, perfect gloss, is devoid of registration or focus imperfections, and is devoid of scratches and metallic print lines.  
         [0026]     For a card to receive a grade of “9” the centering of the image on the card must be 55/45 both ways on the face of the card and 70/30 or better on the back of the card. Additionally, the corners of the trading card must be mint upon close inspection but a speck of wear is allowed under intense scrutiny. The edges of the card must be virtually mint to the naked eye but unobtrusive specks are allowed on the borders of the card. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “9” has some printing specks or one minor spot, very minor focus or color imperfections, clean gloss with one or two tiny scratches, and one faint, unobtrusive metallic print line is allowed. Any tiny scratches on the surface of the card should be barely noticeable to the naked eye.  
         [0027]     For a card to receive a grade of “8” the centering of the image on the card must be 60/40 or better on the face of the card and 80/20 or better on the back of the card. The corners of the card should be sharp to the naked eye, but slight imperfections are allowed under close examination. The edges of a card with a ranking of “8” are relatively smooth borders with allowable chipping visible to the naked eye. The surface of the card has minor print spots, minor color or focus imperfections, solid gloss with minor scratches detectable only upon close inspection, or a subtle metallic print line.  
         [0028]     For a card to receive a grade of “7” the centering of the image on the card must be 65/35 or better all around on the face of the card and 90/10 or better on the back of the card. However, very slight diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the trading card can show minor wear on two or three corners. The edges of a “7” graded trading card exhibit slight roughness, minor chipping or very minor notching. The surface of the trading card has a few noticeable print spots or minor speckling, minor color or focus imperfections, very minor border discoloration, a very minor wax stain on back, solid gloss with a few minor scratches detectable upon close inspection, or a few metallic print lines.  
         [0029]     For a card to receive a grade of “6” the centering must be 70/30 or better all around on the face of the card and 95/5 or better on the back of the card. However, diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the trading card can be fuzzy, but should be free of dings and fraying. The edges of a “6” graded trading card exhibit moderate roughness; moderate chipping or minor notching is allowed. The surface of the trading card has a few noticeable print spots, minor color or focus imperfections, minor border discoloration and color or focus imperfections, minor wax stains or extremely subtle ink marks, a relatively solid gloss with minor scratches, but devoid of scuffing. Additionally, the surface of the card can have noticeable metallic print lines.  
         [0030]     For a card to receive a grade of “5,” the centering of the image must be 75/25 both ways or better on the face of the card and 95/5 or better on the back of the card. Slight diamond cutting is allowed. Additionally, the trading card has four fuzzy corners and some notching or a minor ding and the edges have noticeable roughness but no layering. Very slight notching or noticeable chipping of the edges is allowable. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “5” has noticeable print spots, minor color or focus imperfections, minor border discoloration, minor wax stains or very light ink mark. Some gloss has been lost from the surface due to minor scratches, but the surface is devoid of scuffs.  
         [0031]     For a card to receive a grade of “4” the centering of the image must be 80/20 both ways or better on the face of the card and 100/0 or better on the back of the card. Moderate diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the card show slight notching, layering, or moderate dings. The edges of a card with a ranking of “4” are chipped, notched, or slightly layered. The surface of the card has heavy print spots, hairline creases, moderate color or focus imperfections, moderate border discoloration, moderate wax stains, very light ink mark or tape stain, a good deal of gloss lost from surface, very minor scuffing or an extremely subtle tear in the form of broken surface paper.  
         [0032]     For a card to receive a grade of “3” the centering of the image must be 85/15 both ways on the face of the card and 100/0 or better on the back of the card. Moderate diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the trading card are slightly rounded or noticeably notched with slight layering. The edges of the card have heavy notching, moderate layering, or heavy chipping. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “3” has heavy print spots, very minor creases, noticeable color or focus imperfections, noticeable border discoloration, noticeable wax stains, light ink mark or tape stain, very little surface gloss, minor scuffing, or a minor tear.  
         [0033]     For a card to receive a grade of “2” the centering of the image must be 90/10 both ways on the face of the card and 100/0 or off-cut on the back of the card. Noticeable diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the trading card are noticeably rounded or heavily notched with moderate layering. The edges of the card are severely chipped, notched, or layered. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “2” has severe print spots, noticeable creases, noticeable color or focus imperfections, noticeable border discoloration, heavy wax stains, moderate ink mark or tape stain, a surface devoid of gloss, noticeable scuffing, or a noticeable tear.  
         [0034]     For a card to receive a grade of “1” the centering of the image must be 100/0 or off-cut on the face or the back of the card. Heavy diamond cutting is allowed. The corners of the trading card are heavily rounded or heavily notched corners with moderate layering. The edges of the card exhibit destructive chipping, notching, or layering. The surface of a trading card that receives a grade of “1” has severe print spots, heavy creases, severe color or focus imperfections, heavy border discoloration, severe stains, no original gloss, heavy scuffing, or a severe tear.