Beckett Baseball Magazine Hops On the Bandwagon

[predatorkj]

I will say this...

Now, if there were some collectors out there living under rocks, everyone in the hobby not only knows about him but the fact that he has cards out and that he will have more out very soon.I know a lot of folks here knew that but I doubt all of the hobby did.It will be interesting to see what his stuff does but I would sell any extra stuff if I had it.Keeping stuff for your PC or to complete a set is one thing but if you have a stash of this dude and figure holding onto it for a while, even though you could most likely make a humongous return on your investment, could prove costly.We all know beyond a shadow of a doubt there is no way in hell this kid can come in and live anywhere close to the expectations.I mean...seriously what would this kid have to do?Hit 100 homers in a season?Have an OBP of 1.000?The kinds of things he would need to be able to do to sustain any kind of a high price for his cards would be damn near impossible.


Sorry for the rant.I am pretty sure a lot of people on this board know everything I mentioned above but dang!I have no idea how people can spend the kind of money they do on cards and not have any forethought.Hell...we have all overspent on things from time to time.I'd wager I spend more money on Bagwells than any of you would (minus aprimo,trevor,and frikativ of course)but at least I know what I am getting into.I have a super hard time believing people are paying this much money for cards of a kid who hasn't been able to drive for more than a year now.I can understand a prospector buying in low but I just never thought the hype of a player who has done nothing would reach this level and get this insane where collectors would go this far.Even the kind of money Wossa spends on his collection seems like a far safer investment.Sometimes people do some very odd things... :?

 

[thefasterblade]

Hey JP, just wanted to say thanks again for helping me locate one of those Harpers when I was looking for one back in February.

 

[predatorkj]

Or maybe because we are in low enough to take the gamble?

Greed

Or because it's a part of a complete set and we don't want to sell yet?

They will be half the price when the hype fades

Or because some of us actually realize that the televised AFLAC game creates a ton more hype, to people who still have yet to see him play?

The Aflac game will not create anywhere NEAR the buzz of the SI issue. The only people that watch Aflac games already know most of the players before the teams are even announced

or because we realize that at this point, and in the near future, Bryce Harper only has 55 total auto cards available to the entire world market?

Another reason to sell now. Once he has more cards the USA won't carry nearly as much clout.

Or because we don't need to justify why we still have them to anyone?

That answer I respect, just don't understand.

Choose any or all of the above for your answer....

I guess being a budget collector my views are different from many of you that can afford to leave money on the table. You must know that his prices WILL drop when he 1) is not the next big thing, 2) has more cards to choose from, and 3) fails to live up to the ENORMOUS hype.

In my years of following sports very closely almost no one has ever lived up to this kind of hype. Every year there are a couple guys from various sports who's hype is in the clouds. The only ones that have ever lived up to the crazy projections are Lebron and A-rod. Both of whom are flawed. EDIT: maybe sid crosby has too but I don't follow hockey enough to really know for sure.

I'm not trying to make any personal attacks with my OPINIONS, I just don't understand why anyone would be holding his cards. For example, I am a HUGE Lance Berkman fan. He is by far the best hitter I have had the privilege to watch every day and I love the fact that he is 100% Texan. But, last year when he was leading the galaxy in every statistical category I reluctantly sold off my entire collection. Since then I have added a BC International Refractor BGS 9.5 for less than I sold my BGS 9s and I even sold an 8.5 for more.

I wouldn't call waiting until the opportune time to sell greedy.I mean...if you had those Berkman's you spoke of but you figured he might get even better and maybe win the triple crown or something else...you're going to tell me you would still sell them all?Come on now.Maybe some but not all.But the thing is...I still think if you have the chance to make a zillion times more than you paid...unless its a 1/1 or something that you just can't get rid of...you'd be a fool not to.But I can understand not breaking up sets.I mean...say you paid $10 for a card for your set and all of a sudden it goes for $100 and you know it will come back down to $50 later...sure you can sell.But how many of us will actually save $50 of that profit to buy another one in the coming months?It would most likely end up elsewhere.So if you intend on owning a copy either now or in the future...why play that game?The key to this is owning something you don't necessarily need to have back in your collection.And who knows...what if he does not come down a whole lot?What if that $100 card only comes down to $75 and stays there?Then what?All that for basically $15 profit?Seems like an awful lot of crud to have to worry about.If you got a complete set of something...I'd keep it together unless the prices get so high(I figure we are talking base cards here) that you can sell the card and get so much of a return that you can pay some things off.

 

[Jaypers]

Hey JP, just wanted to say thanks again for helping me locate one of those Harpers when I was looking for one back in February.

No problem. What did you pay for it? Do you still have it?

 

[DRav87]

Never mind Sports Illustrated -- now THIS is hype! :mrgreen:

While that certainly is hype, I don't see how a regional cover of a niche magazine with limited circulation trumps a national cover of an iconic publication.

Actually the SI Cover was regional as well.

 

[thefasterblade]

Hey JP, just wanted to say thanks again for helping me locate one of those Harpers when I was looking for one back in February.

No problem. What did you pay for it? Do you still have it?

I paid $200 and sold it when things got hot.

 

[trevordchi]

Seeing as how he currently has barely any, and even after the AFLAC game he won't have much more, this gives those who own his cards a rather large amount of time until he is drafted to decide when to unload.

This makes some sense to me but at the same time he won't get drafted for a year. If you sell now there will be plenty of time b/t now and then to pick stuff back up at a fraction of what it is selling for now and you will be able to load and unload multiple times w/o a TON of risk. I just don't see the advantage of holding right now unless you like having a couple cards for card shows or trade bait, and even then I can only understand holding the base stuff. I don't know why anyone would still have his high end stuff. There is a great possibility it will never reach these heights again.

 

[Jaypers]

Seeing as how he currently has barely any, and even after the AFLAC game he won't have much more, this gives those who own his cards a rather large amount of time until he is drafted to decide when to unload.

This makes some sense to me but at the same time he won't get drafted for a year. If you sell now there will be plenty of time b/t now and then to pick stuff back up at a fraction of what it is selling for now and you will be able to load and unload multiple times w/o a TON of risk. I just don't see the advantage of holding right now unless you like having a couple cards for card shows or trade bait, and even then I can only understand holding the base stuff. I don't know why anyone would still have his high end stuff. There is a great possibility it will never reach these heights again.

Except the hype machine surrounding him is only going to increase, not decrease, as D-Day 2010 approaches. For this reason, I don't see his cards dying down (much, if at all) as long as the media talks about him. The S.I. cover was likely only the tip of the iceberg.

 

[NECpilgrims8]

Seeing as how he currently has barely any, and even after the AFLAC game he won't have much more, this gives those who own his cards a rather large amount of time until he is drafted to decide when to unload.

This makes some sense to me but at the same time he won't get drafted for a year. If you sell now there will be plenty of time b/t now and then to pick stuff back up at a fraction of what it is selling for now and you will be able to load and unload multiple times w/o a TON of risk. I just don't see the advantage of holding right now unless you like having a couple cards for card shows or trade bait, and even then I can only understand holding the base stuff. I don't know why anyone would still have his high end stuff. There is a great possibility it will never reach these heights again.

I am sure you will still say it's greed, but how many Harper UD autos have you seen listed as of late?

There were about 5-6 listed, in total, at the time of the SI issue. JP has the only one listed right now and Brett sold the only IHOW auto /5 to be seen since release.

With the AFLAC game yet to be played and the USA tourney not even going on yet, what motivation is there to sell at this moment? I will wait for him to be in the headlines again before I list mine for sale.

 

[trevordchi]

Seeing as how he currently has barely any, and even after the AFLAC game he won't have much more, this gives those who own his cards a rather large amount of time until he is drafted to decide when to unload.

This makes some sense to me but at the same time he won't get drafted for a year. If you sell now there will be plenty of time b/t now and then to pick stuff back up at a fraction of what it is selling for now and you will be able to load and unload multiple times w/o a TON of risk. I just don't see the advantage of holding right now unless you like having a couple cards for card shows or trade bait, and even then I can only understand holding the base stuff. I don't know why anyone would still have his high end stuff. There is a great possibility it will never reach these heights again.

I am sure you will still say it's greed, but how many Harper UD autos have you seen listed as of late?

There were about 5-6 listed, in total, at the time of the SI issue. JP has the only one listed right now and Brett sold the only IHOW auto /5 to be seen since release.

With the AFLAC game yet to be played and the USA tourney not even going on yet, what motivation is there to sell at this moment? I will wait for him to be in the headlines again before I list mine for sale.

I just don't see what he could do in the Aflac game or USA tournament that could come anywhere close to approaching the hype he got from the SI article. Unless he drops 3 HR in the Aflac game or hits .500 in the USA tournament prices won't go any higher than they already are. BUT, he will get an Aflac card and another USA set.

I respect your position and I'm sure even if you hold "too long" you will still make good money on your investment, I just think the risk is not worth the possible reward.

 

[Vagrant]

I have never, ever, in my life, ever.... seen people more obsessed with somebody else's money. If JP wants to hold onto the guy until he turns into the next Mickey Mantle or Kevin Maas then he has every right in the world to do so without justification. He was smart enough to get in early, get out of most of his stuff at a handsome profit, and still have a few to hold.... what's the issue here?

People calling him greedy? LMAO! If he's greedy for trying to maximize his profits on a sale then everybody here is greedy.

What I smell is three parts jealousy and one part of your own missed opportunities.

Not that I wouldn't mind a little Harper love myself..... but try to be reasonable folks.

 

[Rickzcards]

Maybe I should sell my auto ball I have from him and capitalize on the hype.

 

[predatorkj]

Maybe I should sell my auto ball I have from him and capitalize on the hype.

Wait...you have an auto'd ball of his?How'd you come by that?I asked on here a while back about getting autographed baseballs of kids you know are going to the majors and was told it was a dumb idea and it was creepy and stupid.Even though the very same kids did in fact get drafted.I was told to"let them grow up". :lol: ::facepalm::

Congrats on the ball.Probably a nice thing to have about right now.

 

[kentuckyderby]

I wonder if it will be more difficult for that one member who might play college ball with him and offered free signed balls of Harper to get them if this popularity continues

For as many USA cards I own, it sucks (for me) that I never dipped into Harper. Was just too expensive for my blood

 

[Jaypers]

Maybe I should sell my auto ball I have from him and capitalize on the hype.

Wait...you have an auto'd ball of his?How'd you come by that?I asked on here a while back about getting autographed baseballs of kids you know are going to the majors and was told it was a dumb idea and it was creepy and stupid.Even though the very same kids did in fact get drafted.I was told to"let them grow up". :lol: ::facepalm::

Congrats on the ball.Probably a nice thing to have about right now.

 

[Rickzcards]

Maybe I should sell my auto ball I have from him and capitalize on the hype.

Wait...you have an auto'd ball of his?How'd you come by that?I asked on here a while back about getting autographed baseballs of kids you know are going to the majors and was told it was a dumb idea and it was creepy and stupid.Even though the very same kids did in fact get drafted.I was told to"let them grow up". :lol: ::facepalm::

Congrats on the ball.Probably a nice thing to have about right now.

Jaypers is much nicer than mine. I got it from him on 6/6(I think it was that day) when he was at the Las Vegas 51's to throw out the first pitch. At the time when he asked me my name it didn't even occur to me that he was going to personalize it. Afterwards someone told me I should have told him my name was ROY.

 

[predatorkj]

Maybe I
Jaypers is much nicer than mine. I got it from him on 6/6(I think it was that day) when he was at the Las Vegas 51's to throw out the first pitch. At the time when he asked me my name it didn't even occur to me that he was going to personalize it. Afterwards someone told me I should have told him my name was ROY.

Nice but man...too bad he horse shoe'd you.You know this kids got hype when he wants to personalize and horse shoe you.

 

[Rickzcards]

Maybe I
Jaypers is much nicer than mine. I got it from him on 6/6(I think it was that day) when he was at the Las Vegas 51's to throw out the first pitch. At the time when he asked me my name it didn't even occur to me that he was going to personalize it. Afterwards someone told me I should have told him my name was ROY.

Nice but man...too bad he horse shoe'd you.You know this kids got hype when he wants to personalize and horse shoe you.

Actually I had JP Arrencibia sign on the sweet spot about a half hour before I knew that Harper was going to be there. Had I known he was throwing out the first pitch the ball would have been just for him. Next time I'll bring a few balls to be signed.

 

[lisu]

I found 4 base cards today.