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If you are one of the lucky you live in an area with great hobby shops and card shows. The hobby is no fun if you do it on your own. This is the kind of thing that has to be shared. That sharing can be father and son or collector to collector. Your local scene has a lot to do with your level involvement and fun. I live in Atlanta and quite honestly, it isn’t what it used to be. Yeah, we have weekly shows but it almost seems like the people frequenting these shows are stuck in previous decades and are often out of touch with the card market as it is. The only dealers who have in demand stuff want way more than market for it and that prevents buying. The good news is that Atlanta also has three hobby shops that are pretty good. The shop that this site owns, FCB Sports Cards Comics and Games, On Deck Sports Cards in Lawrenceville, and Champions in Kennesaw. All three of them have a different feel and offer something unique to collectors. I really wish I could say the same thing for shows.
The big show in the sports world this week was the crowning of the first freshman trophy winner Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M. It’s no surprise that he pops up #1 on this hot list even though he does not have a single card.
#1 Johnny Manziel Jerseys, Footballs and Helmets
His freshman year was absolutely amazing. Historic in that he’s the first freshman to ever win the Heisman award. If you were at the scene at the downtown athletic club you would have seen a pen in his hand as he left and entered the facility. I wouldn’t be surprised if he signed some during the actual ceremony.
People who were prepared and willing to brave the event as his items are amazingly expensive these days. Those who gotten them previously and already had them on ebay saw a spike from already inflated prices. Mini helmets hitting $200 is crazy as hell. I just hope ebay seller magicmomentmemorabilia isn’t paying the player for these autographs as it would be a shame to see such a great player violate NCAA rules and have to pay for it at this point in his career.
#2 Wil Myers Bowman Chrome Autographs
Blockbuster trades almost always make cards go up when there are prospects involved. Obviously if a Yankee prospect loses his pin stripes it has a negative affect, but often times the market can react favorably to team moves. Part of this is the increased attention paid to the prospect with baseball writers all the sudden bringing the prospect to front and center of the hot stove season. Another part is the fan base of the new team now has cards to acquire.
Rays fans get ready for Wil Myers as the trade from KC to Tampa happened last night sending WD40 (Wade Davis) and James Shields to KC for Wil Myers, Mike Montgomery and Jake Odorizzi. It sent the already expensive Wil Myers bowman chrome autograph from $60 to $75.
#3 Cryptozoic Walking Dead Season 2 Boxes
As exciting as sports cards are there is really no comparison between the appeal of them vs the appeal of movie memorabilia. Companies like Rittenhouse and Cryptozoic have capitalized on TV show licensing with products like The Big Bang Theory, Warehouse 13, James Bond and this second release of The Walking Dead. These boxes are selling to a special kind of crazy as a factory cost $55 box is selling for $150 on the open market. It’s not that crazy when so many cards from season 1 are worth about what a box is selling for. I always make sure my orders for The Walking Dead are large.
#4 David Wilson Topps Chrome Autographs
New York is truly the biggest stage in the sports world. Things that happen there just seem to have more of an impact than anywhere else. David Wilson’s day would have stood out no matter where it happened from. One does not simply ignore a 327 yard day. However one writer jokingly was not impressed and thought that Wilson could do more in the back-flip department.
Sports card collectors were impressed as the cards doubled in price with this weekends game. They aren’t fetching huge value with a spike from $25 to $45. These cards still have a long way to go as $50 is mere chump change for these beautiful black camo autographs. I would keep an eye on his role in the Giant offense and if this is going to lead to any serious playing time.
#5 Bo Jackson PSA 10 Rookies
Those that weren’t watching sports in the early 90′s can’t really grasp how great Bo Jackson was. The whole “Bo Knows” campaign was a huge part of pop culture and a rare case where talent exceeds the hype. Bo was the real deal and if it weren’t for a dislocated hip no NFL rushing record would be safe.
This spike comes as a result of ESPN coverage in a 30 for 30 special that coincidentally is the brain child of sports card collector Bill Simmons. I wonder if he is aware of his concepts affect on the sports card market? The ESPN spike is a real thing as his 1988 Topps rookie in PSA 10 format could be had for $65 before the show. Now a few collectors are paying over $100 with the new hype. Look for the next episode to cause a similar sports card spike. You could do pretty well buying and flipping.
#6 Nick Foles Topps Chrome Autographs
It’s the roller coaster ride that is the 2012 Philadelphia Eagles and Foles is one of the prime players. He looks to have supplanted Michael Vick for good as he led the Eagles to a rare victory by calling his own number on a goal line play.
This was an all around good game played by the new Eagle signal caller and gave Philly fans something to look forward to in a season that they would just rather forget. If all works out Foles is the quarterback of the future there and his cards would only go up from here. His refractor autographs went from $30 to $40 and have a lot of room to grow.
#7 Panini Prime Cuts Patch Autographs
Great is the void in 2012 high end products. It’s so great that people are even willing to chase unlicensed cards of their players as long as it’s from a known source. It’s no secret that Panini has not done much right in the way of sports cards this year. Limited is one of the worst return products I have ever seen. Prime Cuts seems to be an exception to the Panini failing at 2012 sports card release rule as these singles are selling for big money. This Griffey in the picture brought $450. That’s not what it would have brought if it were a Topps card, but it’s a good start.
