The 2008 Season is Almost Underway!!!

Wow! it seems like its coming at us at light speed. With the recent release of the 3rd edition it as seem to have jump started many things for us. The books are already selling quickly and we have already begun work on the 4th edition. We're beginning to learn of teams that will be doing cards for the 2008 season. I just received an email from Scott Prusha, Marketing Director for Donruss-Playoff and he says that both the New York Dragons and the Dallas Desperado's will have team sets produced from Donruss. Although we haven't learned of any details on how they'll be distributed, he does say that as soon as they become available he will get the details to us and we'll have sample cards that we will post. They'll probably be like last years Dallas set that gave one card per home game away to the first 5,000 fans.

As for us, BMP, we have reset our company goals for the next three years and are focused on the task at hand. Our goal is and will continue to help bring the sport/hobby of Indoor and Arena Football into every home in America.

With each edition, our vision of what is to come for Indoor/Arena Football and their trading cards changes slightly for the better. Each year more teams are doing cards and each team continues to produce a better product. To produce a quality product that collectors are willing to embrace, there is no cheap way out. Teams that produce quality cards pay a higher premium.

We have enjoy grading each set as they become available throughout the year in our "Product Preview" section, we started this just before the 2007 season and have had only positive responses from it. Collectors can get a feel for what to expect with these sets and to be honest when a set is selling for $30 each, I'd like to know a little something about what I'm buying before I shell out the money for a few sets.

Lastly, we're considering bring aboard another writer, we think that he'll have another creative perspective to add to the hobby. We are hoping to add specific individuals for the specific areas of the hobby to increase content and attention to detail. Thanks again to all the fans and collectors for your support!!!

Donruss to Release Arena Football Team Sets

Every year another major trading card manufacture takes their turn at producing trading cards for the AFL. In past years these rumors would generally amount to not much more than just that, rumors. Like many things in the AFL, this began to change in 2003. Donruss released it's first 9-card All Star AFL Standout set, 2004 saw Upper Deck produce their commemorative ArenaBowl XVIII card as a preview to the follow-up 2005 90-card league set which included insert jersey, autograph and dancer cards. The Upper Deck Company continued their allegiance with the AFL and expanded it's 2006 league set to include 190 cards and as many inserts cards as any Upper Deck set on the market. In 2007, with no league set being produced Donruss stepped back into the arena promoting a highly sought after Dallas Desperado's set that were a home game giveaway and with the popularity of that promotion Donruss has decided to continue what they have started.

The 2008 season will see Donruss produce team issued sets for the Dallas Desperado's and The New York Dragons of the Arena Football League. At this point we have no other official details. Our best guess is that it will much like last years Dallas promotion which was a home game giveaway to the first 5,000 fans, each week one was given away and the balance of the set was given away at the playoffs. As a fan and a collector I am really looking forward to these sets in addition to any other 2008 team sets. I especially want the Dragons sets since I lean that way!

Anyone know of any other sets?

Order Now!!!

The 3rd edition is available to order, we didn't realize the process would go so smoothly. The 3rd edition can be purchased directly through our online website store or from AuthorHouse. We have teamed up with AuthorHouse Publishing to handle most of the leg work. They will be doing everything from the intial press release and printing to shipping. If you prefer, you can also purchase the 3rd edition through your local book store (Borders, Barnes & Nobles, Walden, etc..) as well as nearly all online buying sources, however if you chose to do that then you will pay full retail of $13.95 and the issue will not be available for retail sale until after March 1, 2008. We hope that this strategy will free up time for research and developement for the upcoming issues.

As you know, no other publication offers fans and collectors more up-to-date and accurate information in the world of Indoor/Arena Football cards than us and we will continue to improve so that the collectors have the most reliabe source available on the market.

3rd Edition Just a Few Weeks Away!!!

We just received word that the 3rd edition of The Official Indoor And Arena Football Trading Card Guide will be available for purchase within the next few weeks. An official press release will be sent to many media outlets throughout the U.S. and Canada. The 3rd edition will have a price increase to $13.95 retail however, if you visit our site you can purchase the 3rd edition at a reduced price of $10.30, that's more than 25% off the retail cover price. Stay tuned, I'll keep the blog updated as to when things transpire.

Third Edition Just at One Month From Release

One month until the release of the third edition and kickoff to the 2008 season. We are excited about this year and have begun uncovering 2008 sets, check out our reviews as they become available at www.bm-publishing.com/ . With nearly 5,000 Indoor and Arena Football cards included in the third edition, along with college and player page cross-references this edition will be available to purchase at most online book sources and retail establishments throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as our own online store. An official press release will be issued within the next few weeks.

This edition will be slightly larger than its previous issues and will include 140 pages of photos, descriptions, checklist and the most up-to-date market values available to collectors of Indoor and Arena Football trading cards. This editon is all about content, content, content.

Thanks to all the fans, collectors, team and league staff for the solid support you have shown BMP in helping us bring the game of Indoor and Arena Football into every home in America.

10 Seasons of Indoor Football

As the 2008 season begins to take shape for Indoor Football we realized one thing, it's the 10th anniversary of Indoor Football. In 1998, Richard Suess formed the Professional Indoor Football League (PIFL). Starting with 8 teams, the league suffered some hardship along the way yet was able to finish the season with 6 teams competing for it's inaugural championship game.

Although this league folded short after the 1998 season, the PIFL was the league that opened the door for other "indoor" football leagues and players throughout the U.S. Players now had an alternative to the alternative.

A few players took advantage of the opportunity to play in the new league and made the most of it. 1998 League Offensive Player of the Year, Green Bay Bombers QB Jay McDonagh, went on to have a successful career in the Arena Football League, while Louisiana Bayou Beast WR Michael Lewis left the indoor/arena game and became the NFL's poster boy for "hard work will pay off". Lewis has spent the last 7 seasons in the NFL, most recently with the San Francisco 49ers.

Since the emergence of the "Indoor" game many leagues have sprouted up, giving hard working football players across America and internationally, an alternative to the alternative and these players have been taking advantage of these opportunities for the last 10 seasons!

Arena Football - Pro Football Hall Of Fame

That last post with the vintage video reminded me of a photo that I have from a recent visit to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame where in the newly added Arena Football section was the origanal envelope that Jim Foster designed the league on. I thought that this too was a great piece of history and thought I'd share it. If you haven't been to the Pro Football Hall Of Fame in Canton, Ohio then you are really missing out on an unbelievable experience. If anyone has any other vintage or historical pieces they'd like to add, feel free.

This is a cool video that I picked up from the arenafootball.com message boards, I thought I'd share it cause I appreciated it. It is an Arena Football League highlight reel dating back to 1986. I put a few other AFL/Indoor videos on our youtube account. http://www.youtube.com/BMPublishing

Welcome Back

After some time away, I am back. It may take me a little bit to get reacquainted with this blog so bare with me. I’m excited about the third edition and all the thing that it brings. We’ve made tremendous strides in the last few years with our publication and we hope to continue to bring the fans and collectors of Indoor and Arena Football the most reliable and up-to-date source on the market.