PART 1 ♦ PART 2 ♦ PART 3 ♦ PART 4 ♦ PART 5 ♦ PART 6 ♦ PART 7 ♦ PART 8 ♦ PART 9 ♦ PART 10 ♦ PART 11 ♦ PART 12 ♦ PART 13 ♦ PART 14 ♦ PART 15 ♦ PART 16

The convention always kicks off on Wednesday afternoon with a special VIP event. I'm not sure "VIP" is the right word — when I think "VIP," I think of velvet ropes being lifted and $500 bottles of Belvedere being ordered, not two lifelong bachelors haggling over the price of a PSA 6 Mickey Mantle card from 1958. But for an extra "VIP" fee, you get a VIP badge ("look, I'm a VIP!"), some limited edition cards and an advance look at everything for sale that week. This old-school pinball machine from the 1950s sold within the first 20 minutes on Wednesday. You know, because anytime you can splurge on something that's exceptionally heavy and isn't fun to play, you have to do it.

One of my favorite pieces: an authentic 1966 Packers clubhouse sign featuring all their title flags up to that point (on sale for a crisp $2,900). We Oooohed and Ahhhhed at this one for a few minutes before remembering that we weren't Packers fans.

These prophetically vintage "Juicemobiles" football cleats were going for $150. You always forget how famous O.J. Simpson was before he may or may not have brutally murdered his ex-wife and a waiter.

I thought this picture said it all. Did I look around for a framed "Tiger's 18 Holes" collage featuring 18 autographed photos of every bimbo who claimed to sleep with him? Yes. Yes I did.

One of three uncut sheets known to exist from Topps' 1969-70 basketball set. It's a $40,000 piece. If I ever owned something like this, I would get it framed, hang it in my living room, then annoy everyone who visited my house about it. Do you understand how cool this is? DO YOU? Nobody made basketball cards from 1962 to 1968! You're looking at the rookie cards for future Hall of Famers like Kareem, Havlicek, Reed and Frazier, as well as the first Topps cards for Wilt, Oscar and West! I NEED YOU TO BE MORE FUCKING EXCITED PLEASE!!!!!"

If you thought the Tiger market is suffering, check out poor Alf. It's over. He can't even go on Celebrity Rehab to extend his 15 minutes.

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