Hottest Player To Collect...And Why?

[packs]

Originally Posted by MattyC

More desirable to whom? This is all completely subjective; there will be people who like Jeter and not Ryan. People who like Gehrig and not Cobb. Judge collectors who don't have any interest in Mantle. And on and on.

There are literally millions of cards out there for Judge and Jeter collectors though. They'll never reach the same level. For ANY career-contemporary Cobb card it's going to cost you, which is what sures up the value of his more expensive options.

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by packs

There are literally millions of cards out there for Judge and Jeter collectors though. They'll never reach the same level. For ANY career-contemporary Cobb card it's going to cost you, which is what sures up the value of his more expensive options.

I do get that the PreWar players have fewer career contemporary cards— and thus taken in the aggregate, those cards will be worth more money that the average career contemporary card of a modern player. That said, it does not mean the best card of a modern player is not as worthwhile to the collector or potentially to the investor as well, provided the latter is content to shoulder the accompanying risk.

From a strictly monetary standpoint, which is admittedly not my purview, one who bought a PSA 10 Jeter SP early on did fantastically well. And the "entry cost" of obtaining that Jeter back then was probably not even high enough to buy a nice Cobb or Ruth card. The salient point being there are all sorts of good options in terms of players and cards for both the collector and the investor. Multiple avenues for satisfaction that are neither competitive nor mutually exclusive.

Interesting case in point, for the monetarily minded: in the last year, if I paid the usual AH retail dollar to obtain a great Cobb, Gehrig, Ruth, or Shoeless Joe, I would be lucky to be able to break even on the sale of those cards today. In contrast, if I was so inclined, I could make a much greater profit on some Harpers and Judges I purchased in that very same window of time.

Another factor to consider on such a topic is how thin the air is as one progresses from 5 digits to 6 digits, and even upward. Such cards can be much harder to sell than one would think, at first blush. So there are many variables to consider, from which cards, at which prices, to investment horizon. Buying "for keeps," as it were, for a collection, really does a great job of simplifying the situation— and a great job of eliminating the headache that usually accompanies anything money-related.

[Rhotchkiss]

1. Babe Ruth (no question; unfortunately most of his cards are ugly)
2. Cobb
3. Mantle
4. Wagner (the t206 alone keeps him in popular culture)
5. Lou Gehrig
6. Cy Young (his name is mentioned each year in the award of the best pitcher)
7. Joe Jackson (so long as field of dreams and other black Sox scandal-lore is popular)
8. Walter Johnson (unbeatable record)
9. Joe DiMaggio (unbeatable record and sung about by Simon and Garfunkel)
10. Eddie Plank - bc I just picked up his t206 card and wanted him on this list (I don’t really think he belongs)

IMO, Mantle is the only postwar card (not player-card) on this list. Other players may be more iconic - certainly Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Cal Ripken- but their cards are so plentiful that I just don’t think their cards make the list.

Then of course their are iconic cards of great players 1933 Goudey Lajoie, 48 Leaf Paige, T206 Magie (error), 1914 CJ Matty, 1888 Anson, etc... but that was not the topic.

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

1. Babe Ruth (no question; unfortunately most of his cards are ugly)
2. Cobb
3. Mantle
4. Wagner (the t206 alone keeps him in popular culture)
5. Lou Gehrig
6. Cy Young (his name is mentioned each year in the award of the best pitcher)
7. Joe Jackson (so long as field of dreams and other black Sox scandal-lore is popular)
8. Walter Johnson (unbeatable record)
9. Joe DiMaggio (unbeatable record and sung about by Simon and Garfunkel)
10. Eddie Plank - bc I just picked up his t206 card and wanted him on this list (I don’t really think he belongs)

IMO, Mantle is the only postwar card (not player-card) on this list. Other players may be more iconic - certainly Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Pete Rose, Cal Ripken- but their cards are so plentiful that I just don’t think their cards make the list.

Then of course their are iconic cards of great players 1933 Goudey Lajoie, 48 Leaf Paige, T206 Magie (error), 1914 CJ Matty, 1888 Anson, etc... but that was not the topic.

Jackie Robinson surely lands somewhere in the top 10 most collectable players of all time and probably top 5 on my list

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by Gobucsmagic74

Jackie Robinson surely lands somewhere in the top 10 most collectable players of all time and probably top 5 on my list

I think Jackie is top 3-5 all time iconic baseball player (hell athlete), no doubt, and I basically state as much in my initial post. I just think that there are so many of his cards out there that when it comes to player-cards to collect for investment (and I think this thread intended investment) I think the much less populous, prewar studs are the ones to collect. But, admittedly I am totally biased bc I love the old old and rare stuff.

Regarding old vs new- nobody wins that fight. Everyone has their opinions. The good news is we are all on the same team bc whether it’s a t206 Wagner, a 1952 Topps mantle PSA 9, or a 2017 Judge, they are all cards and their success keeps the hobby and investment relevant and thriving. Go cards (regardless of era)!

[joshuanip]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think Jackie is top 3-5 all time iconic baseball player (hell athlete), no doubt, and I basically state as much in my initial post. I just think that there are so many of his cards out there that when it comes to player-cards to collect for investment (and I think this thread intended investment) I think the much less populous, prewar studs are the ones to collect. But, admittedly I am totally biased bc I love the old old and rare stuff.

Regarding old vs new- nobody wins that fight. Everyone has their opinions. The good news is we are all on the same team bc whether it’s a t206 Wagner, a 1952 Topps mantle PSA 9, or a 2017 Judge, they are all cards and their success keeps the hobby and investment relevant and thriving. Go cards (regardless of era)!

Modern cards are vintage’s hope for new blood. Kids want heroes not history. That’s in the modern cards of judge trout and now Ohtani. Got no dog in this fight except I hope modern cards stay popular for my vintage collection.

[joshuanip]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think Jackie is top 3-5 all time iconic baseball player (hell athlete), no doubt, and I basically state as much in my initial post. I just think that there are so many of his cards out there that when it comes to player-cards to collect for investment (and I think this thread intended investment) I think the much less populous, prewar studs are the ones to collect. But, admittedly I am totally biased bc I love the old old and rare stuff.

Regarding old vs new- nobody wins that fight. Everyone has their opinions. The good news is we are all on the same team bc whether it’s a t206 Wagner, a 1952 Topps mantle PSA 9, or a 2017 Judge, they are all cards and their success keeps the hobby and investment relevant and thriving. Go cards (regardless of era)!

Modern cards are vintage’s hope for new blood. Kids want heroes not history. That’s in the modern cards of judge trout and now Ohtani. Got no dog in this fight except I hope modern cards stay popular for my vintage collecting

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by joshuanip

Modern cards are vintage’s hope for new blood. Kids want heroes not history. That’s in the modern cards of judge trout and now Ohtani. Got no dog in this fight except I hope modern cards stay popular for my vintage collecting

You can say that again.

[orly57]

"Interesting case in point, for the monetarily minded: in the last year, if I paid the usual AH retail dollar to obtain a great Cobb, Gehrig, Ruth, or Shoeless Joe, I would be lucky to be able to break even on the sale of those cards today. In contrast, if I was so inclined, I could make a much greater profit on some Harpers and Judges I purchased in that very same window of time."


Are you referring to a green Cobb or his rare postcards? Probably not. How about a 25 Exhibits Gehrig? Doubt it. A 14 cj joe Jackson? Naaaaa. Sounds to me like a straw man card you choose to compare to two particularly hot modern players. How many "hot" cards a year ago are worth far less today? New cards are like penny stocks: you can make a good profit if you sell at the perfect time. But like high risk stocks, if you hold on for too long, you can get burned. Even if the cards of the greats do stabilize a bit, they are safer than Cody Bellinger. I'm not sure that your hypothetical Cobb, jjax, and Gehrig cards would be hard to sell at a profit.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Sure in hindsight those three cards look great. But it's usually hindsight, how many people here were smart enough to stock up a year or two ago?

Has a red Cobb appreciated much? An E95? An M116? If you paid AH high retail could you really sell those at a profit for the most part?

[orly57]

Agreed Peter. I chose 3 cards that have gone up in value in order to illustrate the same flawed argument that Matty made by choosing two modern cards that have gone up in value. Both modern and vintage will have cards that stay the same or go up substantially in a year. You can't cherry-pick a couple of good examples from one side in order to strengthen your argument. Modern cards fluctuate far more. Sure, the e95 hasn't budged, but it hasn't tanked the way a bust prospect card would.

[MattyC]

Flawed argument? Not at all. The problem is that your defensiveness over what you collect (invest in) blinded your eyes to even seeing my rather innocuous point.

That point was simply this: there are many paths to the goal of collecting and investing satisfaction. My statement was fact, depending of course on cards chosen. And it proves that not one sector of our shared hobby is the sole answer, or a better answer than another.

I think you need to search inward, if it bothers you to know that a card of someone other than Cobb (even, GASP, a modern player) may generate more hypothetical dollars within a certain period of time, if the sale is timed properly. And of course to realize funds from a modern sale, it must be timed— whereas a long dead or retired player does not have that risk. That is no revelation.

You also seem to overrate the ability to flip the cards you selected. Where modern player cards can be bought and sold in a day trading fashion with substantial price swings in the comparatively short term, try winning one of the cards you highlighted in a top AH and selling it a month or two later, let alone a week. In that short a time span, it is hard to profit. There are different potentialities and exploitable facets to all types of card: the older and newer, the thinly traded and highly liquid.

End of the day, choices like a Cobb rare postcard are fantastic if that is what one likes to collect— such a card is also a great store of value now and into the future. Yet depending on one’s predilections and investment goals, if any, there are certainly other equally worthwhile cards. Accept that.

[orly57]

I think that maybe if you read some of my past few posts, you will find that I've been very vocal about supporting any form of card collecting: modern or vintage. I hope the hobby flourishes on all ends. As for my post, well, you made an intellectually dishonest argument and I pointed it out. It's really that simple.
Speaking of "searching inward," judging from your posts, it appears that it is you who is overly sensitive about your modern cards. You flip out on anyone who disagrees with you. You nearly imploded when someone pointed out there are 24,000 Trout cards on eBay. Settle down. It's only cards.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by packs

There are literally millions of cards out there for Judge and Jeter collectors though. They'll never reach the same level. For ANY career-contemporary Cobb card it's going to cost you, which is what sures up the value of his more expensive options.

They dont have to reach the same level. If you bought 100 93 SP Jeters 10 yrs ago you will have done well for yourself. You dont need to flip Cobbs to do well. Thats where I'm coming from ....thats what i thought this thread was about. *shrug* So, maybe buy some undervalued Ryan RC or some 2013 Judges and see what happens.



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[rats60]

Originally Posted by Hxcmilkshake

They dont have to reach the same level. If you bought 100 93 SP Jeters 10 yrs ago you will have done well for yourself. You dont need to flip Cobbs to do well. Thats where I'm coming from ....thats what i thought this thread was about. *shrug* So, maybe buy some undervalued Ryan RC or some 2013 Judges and see what happens.



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I am curious as to the time frame and price you think they were 10 years ago and what they are now. I know at some point more than 10 years ago when I was doing shows they were over 100.00 each and looking at EBay today, I see plenty of them selling for less. So, if there was profit to be made on Jeter, it is just fluctuation in price. On the other hand A-Rod SP rcs were also over 100, how did you do on those investments? I sold all my Mcgwire rcs for 100-200 back in 1998. Do you think those buyers are happy with their investments?

Modern cards are a game of hot potato. You have to get in at the right time and out at the right time. Even Hofers can see a loss if you aren't careful. Non-Hofers are pretty much guaranteed to lose you money long term. Of course there are a few exceptions such as Michael Jordan or Tom Brady whose cards just keep going up. I thought this thread was about who to buy and not lose money on. If that's the case, then Ruth, Cobb, Wagner and Gehrig are the best bets.

[Peter_Spaeth]

If you happen to catch them VERY early a modern player's cards can of course go way up. But once they have a strong year or two, or are considered an elite prospect, the market seems to price them as though they already have had a HOF career and it seems (to me anyhow) there really isn't that much room to grow. Perhaps a bad example because of overproduction, but look how cheap Pujols rookies are for the most part -- and he is about to get his 3000th hit to go with 600 HR, very few careers are going to match that.

[bigfanNY]

I started going to baseball card shows in 1973 I was 12 and most of the people in the room looked like adults to me. I met some other kids Rob lifson stands out. And it seemed like a long time until that changed but in the mid 1980's kids made up at least half of the crowd.
Now there were collectors of every type I knew guys who would not buy a card newer than 1920. I knew a lot of collectors who collected Goudey's and play ball's as kids who loved 1930's cards. I grew to love them too. It was very personal stories of games guys went to Gehrig Joe D Dean Hubbell ( William's but I don't many red sox fans) Teams they saw 35 tigers gas house gang 36 thru 39 Yankees. Then Mantle and May's
Card collecting is a personal thing. Those guys who collected in the 30's are very old now or passed on. And those sets do not get the attention they once did. I see that happening one day to the 50's and so on. Baseball has trouble drawing kids. Not my kids they go to games. But they don't collect. I collect more memorabilia now than cards. Things change over time but iconic cards are just that not just name but image. Wagner Ruth 33 Cobb t206 52 Mantle rookie is best example Jackie 47 Griffey rookie. They will always endure. I hope..

[BobC]

As of right this moment, i would have to say Ohtani cards. There's a new Bowman product just being released right this week i think that has a 1 of 1 superfractor (or some similar designation) rookie card of Ohtani's in it that already has a standing offer of $60,000 for it, even before it is pulled from a pack. As long as it grades at least a 9.5 and Blowout Cards gets it by May 11th, as I understand the conditions. And as the old saying goes, "all boats rise with the tide", so all Ohtani's other rookie cards are going ballistic right now.

As pointed out by other posters though, with these modern cards your best bet is to get them directly from packs, if possible, and then quickly dump them for a big profit. This is exactly why the Breakers are in control of the new card distribution market out there and why Topps and Panini are gearing their products to create these manufactured rarities that drive modern collectors insane with prices and values. It is essentially nothing more than a legalized form of gambling in my opinion.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Not bad for a guy with a 4.40 ERA so far.

[Hxcmilkshake]

Originally Posted by rats60

I am curious as to the time frame and price you think they were 10 years ago and what they are now. I know at some point more than 10 years ago when I was doing shows they were over 100.00 each and looking at EBay today, I see plenty of them selling for less. So, if there was profit to be made on Jeter, it is just fluctuation in price. On the other hand A-Rod SP rcs were also over 100, how did you do on those investments? I sold all my Mcgwire rcs for 100-200 back in 1998. Do you think those buyers are happy with their investments?

Modern cards are a game of hot potato. You have to get in at the right time and out at the right time. Even Hofers can see a loss if you aren't careful. Non-Hofers are pretty much guaranteed to lose you money long term. Of course there are a few exceptions such as Michael Jordan or Tom Brady whose cards just keep going up. I thought this thread was about who to buy and not lose money on. If that's the case, then Ruth, Cobb, Wagner and Gehrig are the best bets.

Jeters on ebay less than $100?? Do send me a link

And you can overpay on any card and lose $$$

What about guys out there that are undervalued? With some luck you can do ok.. buy em cheap, raw, slab em, etc.....thats why I say Ryan in a previous post...Lemieux, Messier (in NY especially) and even Gretzky in the hockey world...

Value!

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[rats60]

Originally Posted by Hxcmilkshake

Jeters on ebay less than $100?? Do send me a link

And you can overpay on any card and lose $$$

What about guys out there that are undervalued? With some luck you can do ok.. buy em cheap, raw, slab em, etc.....thats why I say Ryan in a previous post...Lemieux, Messier (in NY especially) and even Gretzky in the hockey world...

Value!

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Just go to EBay, type in 1993 SP Derek Jeter, then sort by completed auctions and lowest price. There are plenty that have sold for less than 100.