Magic, Jerry West and Rare Wagner Cards to Appear at Long Beach Expo

Basketball Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Jerry West and famous jockey Laffit Pincay Jr. will sign autographs on Feb. 9, at the Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Sports Collectible Expo.

There will also be a one-of-kind exhibit of nine of the famous and valuable T206 series Honus Wagner baseball cards, including the finest known surviving example, graded PSA 8, that is currently owned by Arizona Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick. The combined market value of the nine, early 20th century Wagner cards is estimated at more than $10 million.

The upcoming appearances of Johnson, West and Pincay mark the return of autograph guests for the first time in more than a decade at the three-times-a-year collectibles event held in the Long Beach Convention Center, 100 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, Calif.

The Long Beach Expo will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The sports autograph sessions will be on Saturday, Feb. 9, beginning with Pincay at noon, West at 12:30 p.m. and Johnson at 1 p.m. Autograph fees are $29 for Pincay, $99 each for West and Johnson, with a combo rate of $179 for both. Inscriptions will be available for an additional $25.

Members of the Laker Girls will perform cheerleading routines and sign free autographs at the show at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

"The exhibit of the nine T206 Wagner cards from private collections and dealers will be the largest public display of these legendary 1909-era baseball cards ever assembled in California. The exhibit also will include a game-worn Wagner jersey from the Hall of Fame player's 1913 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates," said Long Beach Expo President Cassi East.

The first 100 people to visit the Collectors Universe Collectibles Display (booth No. 828) will receive a limited-edition gift compliments of Memory Lane. Children ages 12 and under can take a photo with a T206 Wagner card between 3-5 p.m. daily during the show.

The three-day show also will feature multi-million dollar exhibits of rare coins, including a $2.5 million 1913 Liberty Head nickel that was unsuspectingly stored in a closet for four decades after the owners were mistakenly told it was a fake.

The Long Beach Coin, Stamp & Sports Collectible Expo is open to the public for buying and selling sports memorabilia, gold and silver, rare coins, vintage paper money, rare stamps and other collectibles and estate jewelry. There will be daily drawings to give away to a lucky, registered visitor a five-ounce silver commemorative Panda medal specially-created for the show by an official mint under the People's Bank of China.

Many of the 300 dealers attending the show will offer free, informal appraisals for the public. There will be educational seminars and collector's club meetings, and Heritage Auctions will conduct a public auction of rare coins.

Public admission is $8 (good for all three days); $6 for members of any coin or stamp club; $4 for seniors 65 and older and for children ages 8 to 16. Free admission for children ages 7 and younger. More admissions discount information and a Schedule of Events are available online at www.LongBeachExpo.com.

For additional information or to pre-purchase autograph tickets, contact Cassi East by phone at (949) 567-1332 or email at LBExpo@collectors.com. During the show, call (562) 499-7455. The appearance of Magic Johnson at the Long Beach Expo is courtesy of Prince Marketing Group.