Key to Elway card value is centering

Dear Babe: I have a Topps John Elway rookie card (No. 63). – Dick Demuth, Grand Island, Neb.

Beckett and Tuff Stuff's top prices for an Elway rookie card are $80-$100. A recent check on eBay showed ungraded Elway cards in "mint" condition selling for $30-$60. Generally, PSA 9 cards were selling for $80-$120. A couple of PSA Gem Mint 10 graded cards sold for $1,925 and $1,775. The key to the card is centering. Many of them are off-center with more white on one side, on top or on the bottom. Far more graded cards were being sold than their ungraded counterparts. That's probably because the Elway card, along with the 1984 Marino rookie card, has been counterfeited. The easiest way to spot fakes is to check out the black lines that are part of the borders. On the fakes, the corners have sharp 90-degree angles. The originals are softer and more rounded. Also, in the Broncos logo on the bottom right, there is a blue line under the horse that is easy to see. The original does not have a blue line.

Dear Babe: I have a letter that Ty Cobb wrote to my dad in 1926. It is typewritten on Detroit Baseball Company letterhead. – Alice Smith, Decatur, Ga.

Although the note at the bottom could have hurt the value, your dad hit the nail on the head when he wrote, "This signature may be valuable some day. He was a very famous ball player." Even though the subject matter of the letter is about articles apparently describing Cobb's youth and not his baseball playing, the letter is valuable because it is "earlier than normal," said Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for www.MastroAuctions.com auctions in Chicago. The letter is worth $1,500-$2,000.

Dear Babe: I have a baseball signed by Mickey Mantle. – A.A., Shasta Lake, Calif.

Mantle continues to be among the most popular players when it comes to memorabilia. Decent, single-signed Mantle baseballs have moved into the $500-$1,000 range, according to Brian Marren, vice president of acquisitions for www.MastroAuctions.com auctions in Chicago; Mike Heffner, president of www.lelands.com auction house in New York, and Mike Gutierrez, consignment director for Heritage Auctions (www.ha.com) in Dallas.

Dear Babe: In 1993 I purchased an inaugural Mighty Ducks program for the first game against the Detroit Red Wings. The program is stamped "Oct. 8, 1993," and numbered 670/3,000. It is still in its protective sleeve. I paid $25 for it. – Bill McCarthy, Corona, Calif.

"It seems that there was a low number of programs printed and that they were numbered really helps," said Bill Campbell, of Selkirk, Manitoba, a hockey memorabilia consultant. "Depending on the demand, I wouldn't be afraid to put a $100 price tag on the program." Campbell noted that first-game programs for the Winnipeg Jets are selling at $150. "And they are getting very difficult to find."

Dear Babe: I have an autographed photo of Ted Williams. – Robert Hayes, Atlanta

It's hard to pin down a value without knowing the size of the photo, its age and whether he is in uniform. Tuff Stuff lists a signed 8x10 Williams photo at $400.

Dear Babe: I found a copy of Black Bass Fishing by Robert Page Lincoln published in 1952. – Marcus Anthony, Murphy, N.C.

This is pushing the limit for sports memorabilia. Nonetheless, I checked out a few online book sites (Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Alibris) and found the book offered for $4.99 up to $60. Of course, those are just books for sale. I have no idea if any ever sell. I would really be surprised to see it selling for anything above $20, but I have been wrong before.

Dear Babe: I have a Chief Knockahoma bobbing head doll with a gold base that was purchased in the late 1960s. "Atlanta" is printed across the front. – Betty Moore, Toccoa, Ga.

"If it is a gold-based Atlanta Braves bobbing head (issued in the late 1960s), it is worth between $125- $175 depending on its condition," said Lou Criscione of www.insidetheparkcollectibles.com and author the SCD’s Go Figure column.

Dear Babe: I have an ashtray from the 1967 American Football League All-Star Game. It was a gift from the brother of an Oakland Raiders player. – Fred Benham, Atlanta

The ashtray is a notch or two above your average souvenir if it was a player gift. If that's the case, it's probably worth $100-$200, said Mike Heffner, president of www.lelands.com auction house in New York. If it's a souvenir that was available to the general public, the value plummets.