The future of 1st Bowman Chrome cards (when there is a later autograph)

[Topnotchsy]

When Bowman Chrome starting producing signed cards of players they had previously had unsigned cards for, the market seemed to favor the first card released. Then things shifted and the 1st Chrome card became close to worthless in many cases (for example, I remember a David Price Gold Refractor going for under $50 at a time when he was pitching really, really well).

I was wondering what you thought the long term potential of these 1st Chrome cards is? Obviously right now prices on many are very cheap because they are not being targeted. Do you think that will always be the case? Do you think there will be a split between the really rare ones and the more common ones?

 

[corockies]

Funny you mention the David Price. I picked up a PSA 10 '07 Gold Refractor of him for my collection because I thought the price was way cheap. Long term? I think they will be desirable for high caliber players / players who have hall of fame careers.

To me there's something special about gold refractors over any other color since it's been the staple insert in Bowman Chrome the longest.

 

[longbomberz]

I typically pull out any of these types of cards from wax I break and pick them up cheaply when I can and just stash them away. I've had luck moving these kinds of cards in lots when guys get hot. I think I got like $75 for something like 10 chrome and 15 paper of Oscar Taveras last spring. Nothing life changing but worth a little bit of time to sort and stash.

More to the point of your question, I don't think they'll ever be worth all that much anymore but are still worth stashing of the right guys particularly in bulk.

 

[rsmath]

I was wondering what you thought the long term potential of these 1st Chrome cards is?

I'm not a prospector -- or one who watches auctions with an excitement similar to how girls get excited for Justin Bieber or One Direction -- so it's my thoughts rather than proof.

I'd like to **think**, other than for Team USA 1st Bowman Chrome autos, that a MLB uniform 1st Bowman Chrome auto card would be a card that could see value increases as it's potentially their first cert auto card and it's their best penmanship-quality auto of their career before they start cheating collectors with shortened sigs.

 

[Topnotchsy]

I'm not a prospector -- or one who watches auctions with an excitement similar to how girls get excited for Justin Bieber or One Direction -- so it's my thoughts rather than proof.

I'd like to **think**, other than for Team USA 1st Bowman Chrome autos, that a MLB uniform 1st Bowman Chrome auto card would be a card that could see value increases as it's potentially their first cert auto card and it's their best penmanship-quality auto of their career before they start cheating collectors with shortened sigs.

I definitely think that the early signed cards will be highly desirable (although people seem to prefer a 1st Chrome Auto even if there were other, earlier signed cards.) My question is whether this will mean that the 1st Bowman Chrome (unsigned) card that predates the signed ones will have value...

 

[bear0555]

Because MLB killed the Rookie Card, and there has been time for the hobby to figure things out, the Bowman Chrome autograph has taken over as the card to get. Everything else is secondary and I dont expect this to change in the near future.

 

[predatorkj]

Because MLB killed the Rookie Card, and there has been time for the hobby to figure things out, the Bowman Chrome autograph has taken over as the card to get. Everything else is secondary and I dont expect this to change in the near future.

Not for those of us who prefer the guy's first licensed MLB card. Or for those of us who'd prefer that over having to pay a fortune for a guy who may turn out to be really mediocre after a few years. It'd still be the card to eventually own. But IMO, there are cards that were too high when they came out and remain so. For that I have to stick to whatever I can get.

 

[Boo Radley]

Great timing, I've been thinking about this for a few weeks now.

I'm a proponent of the first card, whether it's auto or not. I'm also a proponent of USA cards, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority. I grew up collecting in the 1980s so this whole "it's his USA card so it doesn't really count" thing is just beyond my comprehension. If it's a MLB licensed set, it counts. I can't imagine people saying that the 85 Topps McGwire wasn't his rookie because it's a USA card. Same thing for the USA cards in the Topps Traded sets of the late-80s/early-90s.

I understand why MLB wanted to put the kibosh on prospect mania but just because they release a statement that says "it's not his rookie until we print RC on the card" doesn't mean I'm going to follow that. Of course, that's the beauty of a hobby -- we can all determine on our own how we want to participate in it.

Arthur

 

[rsmath]

I'm a proponent of the first card, whether it's auto or not. I'm also a proponent of USA cards, but I'm pretty sure I'm in the minority.

I love the USA cards, too, but in picking up some cards for guys with local ties for my PC (not for prospecting), I've found their true "1st Bowman Chrome" auto card with the player in a USA jersey is cheaper to acquire than that same player's first Bowman Chrome auto in a MLB uniform.

that's why I say you might have to not hold out much hope for auto prices to increase as the player's career takes off if their 1st Bomwan Chrome auto card is a USA card -- and instead for price appreciation focus on the first Bomwan Chrome auto card featuring them in a MLB uniform.

 

[Boo Radley]

I love the USA cards, too, but in picking up some cards for guys with local ties for my PC (not for prospecting), I've found their true "1st Bowman Chrome" auto card with the player in a USA jersey is cheaper to acquire than that same player's first Bowman Chrome auto in a MLB uniform.

that's why I say you might have to not hold out much hope for auto prices to increase as the player's career takes off if their 1st Bomwan Chrome auto card is a USA card -- and instead for price appreciation focus on the first Bomwan Chrome auto card featuring them in a MLB uniform.

Oh I completely agree with you, I just gave up on looking at the hobby as any kind of investment, per se, a long time ago. I'm quite happy with the way the market has dictated the value of the cards to be as it saves me some money.

Arthur