Insider's Secrets Of Sportscard Investing, Vol. 1

Beginning with the ludicrous claim that "this video is electronically encoded to detect unauthorized [italics ours] copying," this mistitled program offers some very good information on the subject of baseball card collecting from dealer/collector Mike McGuire. Unfortunately, the production values are not only substandard, they're further hampered by cheesy special effects and hokey skits. McGuire talks about grading and card protection, the various card companies and card overproduction, the best trade publications to aid the would-be investor, the investment differences between boxes and singles, the importance of unopened sets, buying and selling cards, and avoiding counterfeits, among other topics. A detailed section covers "Mike's Best Buys in the 90s," some 20 recommended cards for investment purposes, which are purportedly good picks through 1997. The program concludes with a summary by Mike and his co-host Greg, which includes the suggestion that viewers can make wholesale card purchases by "making up a business name" and getting a tax number. I don't know about Pennsylvania, but in my neck of the woods we call that fraud. Not recommended. (Available from: Peak Performance Group, 211 Barrett St., Clark Summit, PA 18411.)