Time and time again so many of you declare that because of a given player's statistics, awards, rings, and dominance, their baseball cards and collectibles should be priced accordingly. I'm here to tell ya that's not what it's all about.
Yes, the star players that are the most intensely collected all have statistics and awards that set them apart from many, though often not all the super stars. Who the man played for, his personality and his intermingling with the fans will play a dramatic part in how he is perceived and then how intensely desirable his cards and collectibles will be.
How that former player handled himself with his adoring public at the card convention autograph appearances has played a pivotal part, like it or not. Whether a former player knew it or not, or what his attitude was about the whole thing, the guy was on the stage before his public once again, and if he loved his fans, like Brooks Robinson or Mickey Mantle, there were consequences to his collectibles. If the player was an udder asshole to his adoring fans, their hearts were broken, they became EX-adoring fans, they sold their collections of that player, and they naturally did not keep their hurt and pain all to themselves.
Some players I believe hurt the values of their collectibles because they were so mercenary about wanting better money for their cards (Stan Musial), or because they rarely did any autograph shows at all. I'm probably wrong about the latter, yet when you refuse to see your fans, they'll just start to thing you really don't like them and they'll either resent you for it, or just quit caring about you. Just my nickel pack's worth, buddies.
---Brian Powell