There are definitely different things that drive people toward this hobby that we are part of. For some it is the memories of the players they watched as kids, or the players they heard about from their their parents.
For many others, it is about collecting the cards of a player while they are playing. In some ways it is a another way of being a fan. Some get season tickets, some buy jerseys and gear of their players. Some play fantasy baseball. Some like to collect cards of those players.
Regarding this specific card, Bowman Chrome has long been the premier option for Rookie cards and rookie autographs of modern players. "Long" is of course relative, but it has been so since the late 90's, so close to 20 years. When it comes to the rookie autographs, you have a simple, elegant design, a limited print run, an autograph from the player's "rookie card" season, and you have reason to be very confident the autograph is authentic.
The set has parallel versions and this is the only style that is limited to a single copy (and there is in general a big following for "superfractors".)
Would the card be a good investment at $150,000-$200,000 or more? It is speculation at best (in my opinion). Is Trout the best player (at this stage in his career) of the last 20 seasons along with a player who is very marketable? It's hard to argue against that. I believe only Barry Bonds in his steroid days has ever had a 5 season stretch with finishing in the top 2 in MVP voting. Trout did that in his 1st five seasons.
And for some, that's exactly what they want to collect.
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