Jim Rice of the Red Sox was the most valuable player in the American League in 1978. He is now an analyst on NESN.

Journal files

A collection of things for collectors to do as the shows and signings schedule heats up while the late summer weather cools down.

RICE SIGNS TODAY: Jim Rice, who dominated American League hitters during 16 seasons with the Red Sox, will sign autographs today from 4 to 6 p.m. at Your Sports Memorabilia Store in Newport (170 Thames St.). The 1978 A.L. Most Valuable Player, Rice offered a glimpse of his future as a hitter when he earned Rookie of the Year, MVP and triple crown honors in 1974 with the Pawtucket Red Sox. The PawSox are among the strongest advocates of Rice’s election to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He’s a studio analyst with NESN’s broadcasting team. Check www.yoursportsmemorabiliastore.com for details.

CELTICS’ RONDO: Rajon Rondo will do his first public autograph signing since his Boston Celtics won the NBA championship when Sure Shot Promotions brings the young point guard to the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, N.H. The signing is on Saturday at noon. Check www.sureshotoromotions.com.

THE SNOW KICKER: John Smith, the New England place kicker best remembered for “The Snow Plow Game” in December 1982 in Foxboro, will be signing autographs from 1 to 3 p.m. next Sunday at a “Great Pulls” collectors show at the Mitchell Memorial Club in Middleboro, Mass. (29 Elm St.) That “Snow Plow” game lives in Patriots history because a convict on work release in the stadium grounds crew used a plow to remove snow and make Smith’s field-goal attempt easier. For updates, call (508) 977-2398.

BRUINS GLADIATORS: A quartet of rough, tough former Boston Bruins dubbed “The Gladiators” will sign autographs on Saturday at Phil Castinetti’s Sportsworld in Saugus, Mass. (1268 Broadway). The signers will be Hall of Famer Cam Neely, Lyndon Byers, Chris Nilan and Jay Miller. The four amassed a total of 8,126 minutes in various penalty boxes during their NHL careers, a sin bin residency tantamount to about 135 full games. Available at the noon to 2 p.m. the event will be limited-edition gladiators prints (numbered to 300, and priced at $135 signed by the four). Check www.sportsworld-use.com for updates.

CONLEY & SATCH: Douglas Keating will have both Gene Conley and Tom “Satch” Sanders signing autographs (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at his Sunday, Sept. 21, show at the Mansfield, Mass., Holiday Inn (Forbes Blvd. & Route 140). Showtime is 8:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. Conley is the only athlete to earn world championships in two sports — the 1957 World Series as a pitcher with the Milwaukee Braves, and three NBA titles as a center with the Boston Celtics. His 11-season baseball career included two years with the Red Sox. Sanders’ 13-season NBA career included eight championships with the Celts (only two players — Bill Russell with 11 and Sam Jones with 10 — won more).

SHEA GOODBYE: That what MAB Celebrity Services is calling its Saturday, Sept. 27, autograph signing in New Jersey, to commemorate Shea Stadium’s final season as home of the New York Mets. The autograph table will include Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Yogi Berra, Darryl Strawberry, Jerry Koosman, Ron Swoboda among others. Deadline for mail-order requests is Sept. 22. Call (973) 808-1740 for details.

PHELPS CARDS: The 2005 Upper Deck card picturing Michael Phelps, with the Olympic champion’s autograph highlighted in a previous Collectors Corner, eventually sold for $4,050 to the highest of 40 bids on eBay’s online marketplace. A 2004 Leaf Fans of the Game Phelps card offered by the same Santa Monica, Calif., seller went for $550 after 20 bids.

R.I.P. KILLER: Collectors can memorialize Killer Kowalski, one of wrestling’s all-time favorite villains, with a trading card and an action figure among his most popular collectibles. Kowalski, who died a week ago, is pictured on card number 6 in a 1991 Wrestling Legends card set by Imagine, Inc. The action figure is number 12 in a Classic Superstars series. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound gentle giant operated a pro wrestling school in Massachusetts after 30 years in the ring as a prototypical bad guy.