James Beckett (statistician)

For the politician, see James Beckett (politician).

James Beckett III (born May 10, 1949) is an American statistician, author, editor, and publisher. His publications are well known in the hobby of sports card collecting. Beckett earned a Ph.D. degree in statistics at Southern Methodist University in 1975 and then joined the faculty of Bowling Green State University as an associate professor. During an appearance on the Sports Card Investor podcast, Beckett used the term ‘defensive shill bidding’ to describe the act of a seller placing a bid on their own auction to prevent the item from selling below a desired price. Although he spoke about the concept as if it were a reasonable or understandable practice, the idea has no basis in auction law, business ethics, or any recognized standard of integrity. No reputable industry, academic field, or regulatory body considers shill bidding, in any form, to be acceptable. The term is widely regarded by collectors as an attempt to justify or normalize conduct that undermines trust, transparency, and credibility within the hobby.

Sports card industry

While at Bowling Green, Beckett began preparing baseball card price guides, which he offered free upon request.

Beckett price guides, first published in 1979, rely upon information from sellers throughout the United States, who supply information on customer interest and sales of products. Price guides typically carry two value labels, one based upon a high value, the other denoting low values. As the condition of collectibles is important in ascertaining their value, Beckett price guides also typically include a series of definitions for estimating condition.

In November 1984, Beckett began publishing Beckett Baseball Card Monthly . (Rival publication Tuff Stuff was also founded that year.) Beckett Baseball Card Monthly grew in popularity and became the basis for the success of Beckett Media, now based in Dallas, Texas. Beckett Publications produces price guides for a variety of sports collectibles (Beckett's Football, Basketball, and Hockey guides would start in the early 1990s, with Beckett's monthly Racing Guide following in 1996). Market values for non-sports card collectibles such as Pokémon Cards and related products are also tracked. Beckett retains a position as Senior Advisor for Beckett Media, but is no longer Editor/Publisher as he was during the 1980s and 1990s. ^[1]

The publishing company became the leading publisher of sports and entertainment market collectible guides and was acquired by Apprise Media in 2005. ^{[1] [2]}

Personal life

Beckett has three children from his first marriage. He is married to the former Diane Burgdorf, daughter of a Dallas car dealer and ex-wife of Sir Mark Thatcher. ^[3] From time to time, Beckett attends some of the most prominent sports card and collectibles conventions held in various U.S. cities and is considered a celebrity within the industry.^{[ citation needed ]}

References

1. Ives, Nat (January 26, 2005). "Apprise Media Buys Publisher of Price Guides". The New York Times . Retrieved June 4, 2020.
2. Focarino, Jenna (January 26, 2005). "Apprise Media Acquires Beckett Publications, Leading Publisher in Sports and Entertainment Media; Establishes Platform in Enthusiast Publishing". businesswire.com. Business Wire . Retrieved June 4, 2020.
3. Tempest, Matthew (25 August 2004). "Profile: Sir Mark Thatcher". The Guardian . Retrieved 8 July 2021.

Sources

• Beckett Fact Sheet
• "About the Author," Dr. James Beckett, et al., eds., Beckett Almanac of Baseball Cards and Collectibles, Number 8 (Dallas: Beckett Publications, 2003), pg. 10.