Latest news with #Mantel
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Messi fakes, rare Mantles and the best buy in the hobby right now
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - MAY 31: Lionel Messi (10) of Inter Miami CF is seen warming up prior to an MLS soccer match between Inter Miami CF and Columbus Crew at Chase Stadium on May 31, 2025 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Chris Arjoon/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) The NBA Finals start tonight, Collectors. Who you got!? Hopefully not team, ' This small market Finals is bad for ratings !' The benefit of an NBA Finals lacking global superstars? A chance for a new one to emerge. And Mantel's Keegan Wagner ( with help from eBay data ) thinks that Tyrese Haliburton, recently considered overrated by his peers, is actually underrated when it comes to his collectibility market, making him THE BEST buy in The Hobby right now. Advertisement Agree? Let us know over on Mantel. And by the way! Today, the Mantel experience gets even better, as we dropped an update that delivers enhanced profile stats, a more engaging leaderboard, and improvements to DMs and photo uploads. So update your app ASAP, and if you aren't on Mantel yet, get crackin! Topps is remaking Lionel Messi autograph cards after PSA, the leading card grading co , refused to authenticate signatures from at least five Topps sets, including the high-end 2022-23 Dynasty line. A Topps collector support manager confirmed remakes were underway, suggesting the issue spans multiple cards. While Topps has yet to publicly address the situation, the scale and value of the affected cards, (there are 204 total Messi cards in the Dynasty run), has some high-end Messi collectors concerned. Memory Lane's Spring Rarities Auction tallied $5.2M, led by a record-setting $231K sale of a PSA 8 1954 Stahl-Meyer Mickey Mantle, the highest graded known example. Originally inserted in hot dog packs, the card's clean condition helped drive the price. Pre-war cards also performed well in the auction, including a 1915 Cracker Jack Ty Cobb PSA 5, which hammered for $65K. High-grade examples from the 1933 Goudey set and iconic post-war stars like Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays rounded out a deep bench of bidding action. Yesterday Topps released the 2025 Topps Sterling Baseball set, one of the most premium products the company puts out each year. This year's highlights include a Shohei Ohtani game used bat relic with matching Kanji autograph, and the Charter Member 50/50 Club auto card, marking his historic 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases season. The set also features a Willie Mays & John F. Kennedy dual cut auto 'A Moment in Time' insert, blending sports and history. Shohei Ohtani – Game-Used Kanji Bat Relic with Kanji Autograph (Topps) Restoring vintage sports jerseys is becoming an increasingly popular practice among collectors, blending craftsmanship with nostalgia to preserve game-worn history. The Athletic profiled jersey restorers bringing new life to priceless and sentimental uniforms, like a tattered Orioles jersey from the 1970s or a restored Jesse Jefferson jersey gifted to his son. As the practice gains traction, it's carving out a place in the broader memorabilia market, where sentiment and authenticity often go hand in hand. In London? Head over to the London Concours, which wraps up it's ninth year later today. The rare car event drew a record 90 vehicles to the Honourable Artillery Company's cricket pitch in central London, showcasing a wild range of collectible rides. Highlights include a rare 1963 Alfa Romeo Giulia SS, finally making its debut after a long restoration and a 1967 AC 428 Frua Spyder prototype, which took top honors in the event's AC class. In 1996, a Rolex Datejust found on a body pulled from the English Channel became the linchpin in solving a murder case that initially offered no ID, wallet, or obvious leads. Preserved by cold waters and discovered by a fishing duo off Brixham, the victim wore the watch still ticking, displaying a time and date that helped narrow the window of death. This seemingly routine timepiece ultimately identified the victim as Ronald Platt and led authorities to a man living under his identity: Canadian conman and fugitive Albert Walker. The watch's serial number, service records, and robust construction made it a forensic breadcrumb trail, underscoring that, in the world of collectibles, even a watch can carry deadly secrets. Your collection deserves a community. Download Mantel today.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Skyrocketing costs nearly sunk 'Wolf Hall.' So key players took a pay cut to save it
A second season of 'Wolf Hall' was inevitable. The first, based on Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies,' arrived in 2015, before the third and final book existed, but producer Colin Callender optioned Mantel's entire trilogy from the outset. What wasn't inevitable was the wait. 'I always knew that we would come back to it at some point,' Callender says of 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,' which premiered on 'Masterpiece' on PBS in March. 'Although I never imagined it was going to take 10 years.' 'Part of it was that Hilary took a long time to write it,' adds director and producer Peter Kosminsky. 'The first two novels were phenomenal successes. She became a celebrity almost overnight. But it was also a difficult book to write.' Mantel sent sections of 'The Mirror & the Light' to Kosminsky as she was working. He says she was daunted by the idea of reaching the end of her story about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell. Her writing was affected by the 'Wolf Hall' TV adaptation, which was nominated for eight Emmys. 'She was very open and honest that she was very influenced by the first season in writing,' Kosminsky says. 'Particularly the character of Henry.' By the time 'The Mirror & the Light' was published in 2020, returning screenwriter Peter Straughan had already adapted it. The production faced a delay due to the pandemic but was gearing up again when Mantel died unexpectedly in 2022. 'It was incredibly sad,' Kosminsky says. 'It also made me feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to bring her final novel to the screen.' 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' follows Cromwell (Mark Rylance) as he navigates the tumultuous court of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) after the death of Anne Boleyn. Although none of the actors had been contracted for a second season, the hope was that the ensemble cast would reprise their original roles. There were a few obvious hurdles: Tom Holland, who played Gregory Cromwell, was now too famous, and Bernard Hill, who starred as the Duke of Norfolk, died before production (he was replaced with Timothy Spall). 'It was particularly complicated because we wanted to bring back as many people as we could,' Callender says of scheduling the production around cast availability. 'We knew at some point that we weren't necessarily going to get everybody back, but we did pretty damn well.' 'I was always anticipating coming back,' Lewis confirms. 'Being an actor is like being an athlete: You're the sprinter and it's the 100 meters. You're going to come on set for a brief amount of time and you're going to nail it. But there might be a lot of waiting before you get to the starter's block, all coiled and energized. I was like that for 10 long years.' Everyone had aged, but Kosminsky says 'that wasn't necessarily a bad thing' because the show covers 10 years of Cromwell's life. 'Across the series the actors age by exactly the right amount,' he notes. 'In a different world with a far larger budget and a lot more time for prosthetics and CGI, we might have been able to graduate that change.' Budget constraints were a huge challenge. Over the last decade, the proliferation of streamers has meant that public broadcasters like PBS and the BBC have to fight for crew and locations and can't match their competitors' budgets. The producers had to figure out how to tell the story in a way that felt like a continuation of Season 1 'without anywhere near enough money to do it,' as Kosminsky says. 'We cut and we cut and we cut,' he notes. 'Eventually it was either shut the show down, or the producers and the screenwriter and the leading actor essentially give back most of their fees.' So, weeks out from production, Kosminsky, Callender, Straughan and Rylance gave back significant portions of their paychecks to get 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' off the ground. 'The reality is the cost of making this second season was literally 100% more, twice the amount, that it cost to make the first,' Callender says. 'It's a challenge that informs the whole of the British television industry in the high-end drama sector.' Kosminsky reassembled his original department heads, including cinematographer Gavin Finney, production designer Pat Campbell and costume designer Joanna Eatwell. The costumes had been sent back into circulation, which meant starting from scratch. 'When we came back, we all came back from a position of experience, rather than from a starting point of zero,' Eatwell says. 'That was actually quite liberating. It meant we could enjoy the project more. And not having the costumes meant we could move on and grow because the story is so different.' Ultimately, Eatwell's team made as many of the costumes 'as the budget could stand,' including all of Henry's sumptuous ensembles. 'He has to be the center of the universe, and that's what I always tried to achieve with him,' she says. 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' was shot over 84 days entirely on location in Tudor-era structures around England. The schedule was adjusted based on when the historic homes had less tourists. Some locations had been used in the first season, but others were newly accessible. Hampton Court Palace, an actual home of Henry VIII, said no to filming for 'Wolf Hall' but allowed Season 2 to use its Great Hall. 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' marks the end of the road for Cromwell, whom Lewis refers to as 'the JD Vance of the time,' and for the series itself — an experience that left everyone involved proud of what they accomplished despite the financial constraints and long time gap. 'We worried that maybe there wasn't a place for this kind of show in this TV landscape,' Lewis says. 'But, happily, we've been proved wrong. That, actually, if something's good people come and find it. It's been one of the things I've enjoyed most doing. The subject matter is intrinsically interesting. The material is endlessly deep. Aesthetically, it was so pleasing to be part of. And at the center of it is the reimagining of a very well-known, very well-documented piece of history through another man's eyes.' Get the Envelope newsletter, sent three times a week during awards season, for exclusive reporting, insights and commentary. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Skyrocketing costs nearly sunk ‘Wolf Hall.' So key players took a pay cut to save it
A second season of 'Wolf Hall' was inevitable. The first, based on Hilary Mantel's award-winning novels 'Wolf Hall' and 'Bring Up the Bodies,' arrived in 2015, before the third and final book existed, but producer Colin Callender optioned Mantel's entire trilogy from the outset. What wasn't inevitable was the wait. 'I always knew that we would come back to it at some point,' Callender says of 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light,' which premiered on 'Masterpiece' on PBS in March. 'Although I never imagined it was going to take 10 years.' 'Part of it was that Hilary took a long time to write it,' adds director and producer Peter Kosminsky. 'The first two novels were phenomenal successes. She became a celebrity almost overnight. But it was also a difficult book to write.' Mantel sent sections of 'The Mirror & the Light' to Kosminsky as she was working. He says she was daunted by the idea of reaching the end of her story about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell. Her writing was affected by the 'Wolf Hall' TV adaptation, which was nominated for eight Emmys. 'She was very open and honest that she was very influenced by the first season in writing,' Kosminsky says. 'Particularly the character of Henry.' By the time 'The Mirror & the Light' was published in 2020, returning screenwriter Peter Straughan had already adapted it. The production faced a delay due to the pandemic but was gearing up again when Mantel died unexpectedly in 2022. 'It was incredibly sad,' Kosminsky says. 'It also made me feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to bring her final novel to the screen.' 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' follows Cromwell (Mark Rylance) as he navigates the tumultuous court of King Henry VIII (Damian Lewis) after the death of Anne Boleyn. Although none of the actors had been contracted for a second season, the hope was that the ensemble cast would reprise their original roles. There were a few obvious hurdles: Tom Holland, who played Gregory Cromwell, was now too famous, and Bernard Hill, who starred as the Duke of Norfolk, died before production (he was replaced with Timothy Spall). 'It was particularly complicated because we wanted to bring back as many people as we could,' Callender says of scheduling the production around cast availability. 'We knew at some point that we weren't necessarily going to get everybody back, but we did pretty damn well.' 'I was always anticipating coming back,' Lewis confirms. 'Being an actor is like being an athlete: You're the sprinter and it's the 100 meters. You're going to come on set for a brief amount of time and you're going to nail it. But there might be a lot of waiting before you get to the starter's block, all coiled and energized. I was like that for 10 long years.' Everyone had aged, but Kosminsky says 'that wasn't necessarily a bad thing' because the show covers 10 years of Cromwell's life. 'Across the series the actors age by exactly the right amount,' he notes. 'In a different world with a far larger budget and a lot more time for prosthetics and CGI, we might have been able to graduate that change.' Budget constraints were a huge challenge. Over the last decade, the proliferation of streamers has meant that public broadcasters like PBS and the BBC have to fight for crew and locations and can't match their competitors' budgets. The producers had to figure out how to tell the story in a way that felt like a continuation of Season 1 'without anywhere near enough money to do it,' as Kosminsky says. 'We cut and we cut and we cut,' he notes. 'Eventually it was either shut the show down, or the producers and the screenwriter and the leading actor essentially give back most of their fees.' So, weeks out from production, Kosminsky, Callender, Straughan and Rylance gave back significant portions of their paychecks to get 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' off the ground. 'The reality is the cost of making this second season was literally 100% more, twice the amount, that it cost to make the first,' Callender says. 'It's a challenge that informs the whole of the British television industry in the high-end drama sector.' Kosminsky reassembled his original department heads, including cinematographer Gavin Finney, production designer Pat Campbell and costume designer Joanna Eatwell. The costumes had been sent back into circulation, which meant starting from scratch. 'When we came back, we all came back from a position of experience, rather than from a starting point of zero,' Eatwell says. 'That was actually quite liberating. It meant we could enjoy the project more. And not having the costumes meant we could move on and grow because the story is so different.' Ultimately, Eatwell's team made as many of the costumes 'as the budget could stand,' including all of Henry's sumptuous ensembles. 'He has to be the center of the universe, and that's what I always tried to achieve with him,' she says. 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' was shot over 84 days entirely on location in Tudor-era structures around England. The schedule was adjusted based on when the historic homes had less tourists. Some locations had been used in the first season, but others were newly accessible. Hampton Court Palace, an actual home of Henry VIII, said no to filming for 'Wolf Hall' but allowed Season 2 to use its Great Hall. 'Wolf Hall: The Mirror and the Light' marks the end of the road for Cromwell, whom Lewis refers to as 'the JD Vance of the time,' and for the series itself — an experience that left everyone involved proud of what they accomplished despite the financial constraints and long time gap. 'We worried that maybe there wasn't a place for this kind of show in this TV landscape,' Lewis says. 'But, happily, we've been proved wrong. That, actually, if something's good people come and find it. It's been one of the things I've enjoyed most doing. The subject matter is intrinsically interesting. The material is endlessly deep. Aesthetically, it was so pleasing to be part of. And at the center of it is the reimagining of a very well-known, very well-documented piece of history through another man's eyes.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Preserving greatness: Tony Gwynn's iconic memorabilia hits the auction block with The Realest
Tony Gwynn, 'Mr. Padre,' is a San Diego legend. Known as one of the greatest and purest hitters in MLB history, he left an indisputable legacy with a career .338 batting average, over 3,100 hits and eight batting titles. He spent his entire 20-year career with the San Diego Padres and was praised for his loyalty and professionalism. A student of the game, Gwynn's devotion to the sport was well noted during his playing years. He was known to read the game deeply and took inspiration from Ted Williams , the last player to hit over .400 in a season. Gwynn was no slouch himself - his .338 average is the highest since Williams retired. Advertisement 'In a sport defined by milestones and statistics, Tony Gwynn stands alone,' DJ Skee, CEO of The Realest, said. 'But with Tony, it was always more than just success on the field. He represented a mindset, an era, and a way of carrying himself that brought unmatched precision, humility, and joy to the game.' A Curated Tribute This month, The Realest has put together a Tony Gwynn auction special , featuring some of his rarest memorabilia. It's a can't-miss for Gwynn collectors. On Mantel, users have shared their love for Gwynn through their collections - such as a 1984 Fleer Tony Gwynn Auto - but these new pieces bring something special to the table. Below are some of the featured items in the auction. Silver Bat Awards: 1987 & 1994 (Courtesy of Mantel) The Silver Bat is awarded to the player with the highest batting average, and Gwynn was no stranger to it — winning it seven times over his career. Two of the most monumental came in 1987 and 1994. Advertisement In 1987, he led the league with a .370 batting average, 218 hits, and had a career-high 56 stolen bases —potentially one of the best seasons by a Padre ever. In 1994, Gwynn was batting a remarkable .394 before the season was cut short due to the strike. Many believed he could have reached .400 had the season continued. Averaging the seasons around it, he essentially hit .400 over a 162-game stretch. Some call it the closest we've come to a .400 hitter in the modern era. (Courtesy of Mantel) 'This auction includes the Silver Bat awarded for that season, along with the one from 1987,' Skee said. 'These are Tony's actual awards, released for the first time by his estate.' Currently sitting at $10K ( 1987 auction ) and $11K ( 1994 auction ) respectively, both bats are expected to run up big numbers. Advertisement 1991 Rawlings Gold Glove Award (Courtesy of Mantel) This award, Gwynn's fifth and final Gold Glove , recognized him as one of the big league's best defenders. It symbolizes his well-roundedness — he could hit and play defense. In 1991, he ended the year with a near-perfect .990 fielding percentage, eight assists, and two double plays turned, showing consistent performance on both sides of the game. His defensive excellence was a reminder that Gwynn's greatness wasn't limited to the batter's box. 2000th career hit baseball (Courtesy of Mantel) Gwynn's 2,000th hit came on a ground ball that snuck between shortstop and second base in a game against the Rockies on Aug. 6, 1993. What makes this item even more special is that exactly six years later, on the same day, Gwynn notched his 3,000th career hit. It's a poetic stat line: two major milestones, same date, same guy. The kind of story only baseball delivers. That date also happened to be his mother's birthday, adding to the personal significance. This is the first time the item will be heading to auction , offering collectors a chance to own a milestone full of sentimental value. Advertisement 200th Hit Baseball of the 1987 Season (Courtesy of Mantel) As mentioned, Gwynn's 1987 season was one of the greatest seasons by a Padre. This ball represents his 200th hit that year, which also set a club record with 13 triples. On the ball, Gwynn left notes about the record and a message stating, 'My 3rd time in 4 years with 200 hits or better' - a testament to his consistency as a hitter. A Legacy Worth Preserving These pieces curated by The Realest highlight major moments from one of baseball's most beloved players. Gwynn was a consistent hitter, a reliable fielder, and a true ambassador of the game. 'At The Realest, we see ourselves as caretakers of legacy,' Skee said. 'We've worked closely with Tony's family to preserve these moments in ways that can be felt, respected, and experienced for generations to come. These artifacts don't just commemorate his greatness - they remind us what it means to play the game and live life the right way.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark is back in action and auction: 7 massive 1/1s at auction right now
It's a great time to be a Caitlin Clark collector . Her return to the court has spurred an onslaught of auction listings. Search eBay and you'll find a sea of $200,000 "Buy It Now" listings for rare Clark cards, but what's happening right now is unique: seven of her best 1/1s, arguably the most iconic Clark cards in existence, are live in auction houses at the same time. This kind of perfect storm almost never happens in the hobby. The WNBA season has started, attention is high, and the biggest Clark collectors are gearing up to fight for what could be some of the most important cards of the decade. The Caitlin Clark Effect We see rookie frenzies every year, but Clark feels different. She isn't surrounded by the usual speculation or uncertainty. She is, by nearly all accounts, a lock to be one of the greatest to ever step on a WNBA court. There hasn't been this much certainty around a player since LeBron James. Advertisement Clark is already reshaping the sport. And her cards? They're reshaping the women's hobby market in ways we've never seen before. That belief is fueling some big bets. Rhomel Joshue Gutierrez , known as GucciRips on Whatnot and Mantel , owns one of the seven cards up for auction. "If someone told you that you could go back in time and buy one of LeBron James' best rookie cards, would you do it?" he said. "Everyone talks about a 'generational talent.' But much more rarely there comes along a game-defining talent, someone whose legacy is culture shaping. Women's basketball will be defined as the era before Caitlin Clark and the era after." Another collector, Val Coleman of Valcano Cards on WhatNot , pulled the Black Finite 1/1 in a break and still remembers the moment. "I sounded like a screeching bird," the WNBA season ticket holder said. "I booked a flight that night to Michigan to pick it up in person. The seller drove two hours to meet me at the airport." Advertisement Val even plans to use some of the auction proceeds for animal rescue efforts. 'After that I just want to give back, I want to help out family and friends, and make sure I can continue selling cards to the amazing WNBA community on WhatNot. I am known for wild giveaways and freebies, so this will certainly help!' So, which cards are we talking about? The Top 7 Caitlin Clark 1/1 Cards Currently at Auction 1. 2024 Panini Prizm Draft Picks Black Caitlin Clark ROOKIE AUTO 1/1 PSA 10 GEM Current Bid: $8,725 | Platform: Fanatics Collect | 2 Days Remaining One of the most hyped Clark cards on the market, this pristine Prizm Draft Auto 1/1 pairs rarity with an elite grade. The black parallel and auto make it a grail-level collectible. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 2. 2024 Panini Instant WNBA Blue Viper Caitlin Clark ROOKIE AUTO 1/1 #1 PSA 10 GEM Current Bid: $1,325 | Platform: Fanatics Collect | 2 Days Remaining This Panini Instant 1/1 captures Clark in her Indiana Fever uniform debut, released in real time after her first pro moments. A stunning auto on a unique parallel. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 3. 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Throwback Signatures White Sparkle 1/1 - PSA 9 / Auto 10 Current Bid: $16,000 | Platform: Goldin Auctions | 11 Days Remaining This rare White Sparkle Prizm 1/1 features a clean blue ink auto and a bold throwback design. Pulled from elusive White Sparkle packs, it's one of her rarest Fever-year cards. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 4. 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Signatures White Sparkle Prizm #SG-CC Caitlin Clark Signed Rookie Card (#1/1) - PSA GEM MT 10, PSA/DNA GEM MT 10 Current Bid: $18 | Platform: Goldin Auctions | 9 Days Remaining This rare White Sparkle Prizm 1/1 features a clean blue ink auto and an incredible 10 / 10 on grading. Pulled from elusive White Sparkle packs, it doesn't get much better than this. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 5. 2023-24 Bowman Chrome University SuperFractor #34 Caitlin Clark Rookie Card (1/1) - BGS 9 Current Bid: $3,000 | Platform: Goldin Auctions | 11 Days Remaining This pre-WNBA SuperFractor highlights Clark's collegiate dominance in a shimmering 1/1 foil finish. A perfect blend of prospecting and proven greatness. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 6. 2024-25 Panini Prizm WNBA Clark-Mania! Autographs Gold Vinyl Prizm #CLM-CC Caitlin Clark Signed Rookie Card (#1/1) - PSA GEM MT 10, PSA/DNA GEM MT 10 Current Bid: $17,000 | Platform: Goldin Auctions | 25 Days Remaining One of the best looking insert autographs you will ever find. These Clark-Mania! inserts were exclusive to '24 Panini Prizm WNBA Premium Box and extremely rare. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) 7. 2024 Panini Prizm WNBA Black Finite #145 Caitlin Clark Rookie Card (1/1) - PSA 9 Current Bid: $66,000 | Platform: Goldin Auctions | 25 Days Remaining Arguably Clark's top Fever-era rookie, this PSA 9 Black Finite 1/1 is the crown jewel of the current auction run. Dazzling, rare, and already a six-figure contender. View Auction (Courtesy of Mantel) Whether you're a seasoned WNBA collector or just discovering the hobby through Caitlin Clark, this moment feels special. It's rare to see a player command this much attention so early, and rarer still to have 7 of her most coveted 1/1s all hit the market at once. And while the total sell price of these cards will rival some country's entire GDP you don't need to own one to be a part of the fun. Chase one of this year's rookies or find a card you love on eBay .
