Rip

Al C.risafulli · #1 08-29-2021, 01:14 PM

Lots of good examples here, but from a purely hobby perspective, I just keep going back to Brien Taylor and Todd Van Poppel, whose card prices rose to then-astronomical levels based on their promise, but who never had their promise materialize, for a variety of reasons.

As a young kid, we chased rookie cards from Bob Horner and Willie Wilson for similar reasons, with similar results.

Also, John is as nice a man as there is in the hobby, and if I had a dollar for each time I worded something awkwardly, I could quit my day job.

-Al

Peter_Spaeth · #2 08-29-2021, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Al C.risafulli

Lots of good examples here, but from a purely hobby perspective, I just keep going back to Brien Taylor and Todd Van Poppel, whose card prices rose to then-astronomical levels based on their promise, but who never had their promise materialize, for a variety of reasons.

As a young kid, we chased rookie cards from Bob Horner and Willie Wilson for similar reasons, with similar results.

Also, John is as nice a man as there is in the hobby, and if I had a dollar for each time I worded something awkwardly, I could quit my day job.

-Al

In that same timeframe I recall Phil Plantier temporarily generating a lot of interest.

BobC · #3 08-29-2021, 01:34 PM

What about Brian Piccolo?

wolf441 · #4 08-29-2021, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

In that same timeframe I recall Phil Plantier temporarily generating a lot of interest.

The king of hype for me as a teenager in the late '80's was Greg Jeffries '88 RC with the Mets. His rookie card at the time was going for more than Yaz's rookie card. I remember arguing with a friend how illogical that was. Even if everything broke right for Jeffries, could he possibly have had a higher career ceiling than Yaz?

BobC · #5 08-29-2021, 02:16 PM

And speaking of lost potential, there's also Ernie Davis.

luciobar1980 · #6 08-29-2021, 02:16 PM

Geez Louise guys. I don't think the OP wants anyone to die. He maybe could has stated it a little more eloquently, I'll admit that. But I think it is an interesting topic.. a young rising star as hyped as a Zion. What would happen to his prices, god forbid something happened to him. Pretty morbid but an interesting thought experiment.

D. Bergin · #7 08-29-2021, 02:41 PM

Here's a thought experiment.

Bo Jackson

Remarkable hype, remarkable talent.

There's been a healthy resurgence in Bo cards and memorabilia the last couple years or so, as nostalgia and myth-making have kicked in.

For a couple decades however, you could have picked up all the early era Bo cards (Baseball and Football) you wanted, for very little investment. He had been essentially written off as a novelty by collectors.

Now, go back to 1990 or so. What if instead of dislocating his hip in a playoff game at the end of the football season, he had died in a plane crash or other incident, and we never saw his painful decent into irrelevancy on the baseball field?

He'd be a real life Roy Hobbs, without the comeback. The stories people would tell would be remarkable. His cards probably would be in the stratosphere right now.

Eric72 · #8 08-29-2021, 03:19 PM

Imagine if an arm injury didn�t prematurely end the career of Nolan Ryan. He only gave us 27 seasons; however, they sure were something to watch.

Peter_Spaeth · #9 08-29-2021, 03:23 PM

Not that anyone collects him but