Leaf or Elite Autos non BC auto guys

Which do you prefer for rookie autos if they aren't in chrome?

Elite longer Brand Name...and better recognized

From a collectors standpoint, I would go with Leaf. Bigger fan of the design and on-card autographs.

From an investors standpoint, I would probably go with Elite. Mainly due to brand recognition. Leaf needs to become better established before they are able to compete.

Elite is the easy choice, IMO. Proven, been around longer, etc. I only prospect, so take that for what it's worth. One thing that is important, though: as long as a guy performs, it doesn't really matter. But, I would take Elite over Leaf if those were the 2 choices.

Right now Elite is way more expensive. A Rendon Elite is over $40. You can get a Leaf /25 auto for only a bit more than that (purple /25's have gone as low as $40-$50, though some have gone higher.)

Personally from an investment perspective I've bought into Leaf big time since I think that especially for the rarer parallels they are simply way too cheap. There are a very limited number of parallels, they are all on-card, they are (IMO) gorgeous looking cards etc. Meanwhile the Leaf cards sell for far more, are very confusing as far as the parallels and have some parallels with sticker auto's. They do look quite nice as well so that is probably a matter of preference there.

If Leaf gets more accepted in the hobby, the cards could easily double in price simply based on more people liking the cards and them being so rare.

Topnotchsy said:

Right now Elite is way more expensive. A Rendon Elite is over $40. You can get a Leaf /25 auto for only a bit more than that (purple /25's have gone as low as $40-$50, though some have gone higher.)

Personally from an investment perspective I've bought into Leaf big time since I think that especially for the rarer parallels they are simply way too cheap. There are a very limited number of parallels, they are all on-card, they are (IMO) gorgeous looking cards etc. Meanwhile the Leaf cards sell for far more, are very confusing as far as the parallels and have some parallels with sticker auto's. They do look quite nice as well so that is probably a matter of preference there.

If Leaf gets more accepted in the hobby, the cards could easily double in price simply based on more people liking the cards and them being so rare.

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+1

right now, 2012, elite has the edge.

give it 3-4 years and we shall see.

as brian promised that leaf metal and valiant will be a produced every year going forward, when leaf brand becomes established, i think leaf will win out over elite in the long run

cant wait to find out!

dave

elite

For Leaf.... besides having to prove themselves over a longer period they need to do away with the 5 autos per box no base concept. If they did an 18 pack box that still yielded the 5 autos but it included base cards, parallels and other stuff like they did with the initial Razor Signature... they would be a major hit in my opinion. I know many people on this board like the auto only products but I think over the long run they need more of the traditional style boxes. Mix in the Auto only products... but having a solid product like a Leaf Metal and it has base cards... with parallels... and its all in pack form....that would help a ton.

Just my thoughts.

P_Manning 18 said:

For Leaf.... besides having to prove themselves over a longer period they need to do away with the 5 autos per box no base concept. If they did an 18 pack box that still yielded the 5 autos but it included base cards, parallels and other stuff like they did with the initial Razor Signature... they would be a major hit in my opinion. I know many people on this board like the auto only products but I think over the long run they need more of the traditional style boxes. Mix in the Auto only products... but having a solid product like a Leaf Metal and it has base cards... with parallels... and its all in pack form....that would help a ton.

Just my thoughts.

Click to expand...

Interesting perspective. Do you think that for many people it just does not have the classic pack ripping experience? Nowadays base cards really aren't that expensive, but you've made me wonder what a Leaf product for say $15 a pack with 1 auto and maybe 4-6 base cards would go for. (One problem is making a base set that does not have the same players as the auto set, because Chrome has showed that that kills any value for the base cards... although it would still have the pack opening experience, as opposed to simply opening the box.)

At first I thought the price point might be an issue, but looking at Elite where it can be found for under $100 a box with 6 auto's per box, I really don't think that that is what is holding prices of Leaf back. Right now I imagine the biggest factor is a lack of a following at the current time, though you've given me something to think about.

When grading Leaf gets the edge due to packaging.

I think it's rather obvious at this point Elite has the edge due to the factors already listed such as brand recognition and history, yet I still prefer Valiant (not Metal) over Elite. The on card auto, the limited print run, and the overall design just work better for me as a collector, and I too feel in time the tides will overwhelmingly shift in Valiants favor.

Also, I agree that making a traditional pack/box (base cards) with perhaps 2 or 3 hits per box (auto cards) would do wonders in branching out to the hobbys corners, low end buyers, and new to the hobby participants. Offering Metal and Valiant as it is now caters to a very small segment of the hobby, and perhaps this is LEAF's wheel house, but speaking in terms of overall hobby validity and acceptance, one needs to make a offering that can satisfy all corners of the hobby, to the base collectors, the low end, middle end, and high end. Both Elite (and more so Bowman Chrome) already do this with everything from base to 'super' expensive 1 of 1's. All packaged in a rather affordable pack/box configuration.

I prefer Leaf Valiant due to the look and on-card autographs. I love the design and the brilliant colors of the parallels.

Elite helped itself by having most of the base versions of the cards being on-card autos, as stickers are a pet peeve of mine and have always kept me from going after any of them. But all of the lower-numbered parallels seem to be stickers, which hurts the value a lot, IMO. I may be in the minority, but I'd rather have a Rendon on-card #'d to 653 than a Rendon sticker auto #'d to 100. Stickers, aethetically, take so much away from a card and make the manufacturer appear lazy.

I did not like the design of the Leaf Metal and haven't felt compelled to purchase a single one, even of players that I have been going after