What does it take to make a veteran's cards move?

[masonphillip]

This thought came to my mind as I was looking at the stat leaders so far this year.

Alfonso Soriano - 11 HRs - [phil:hq0j2kvt]320690293607[/phil:hq0j2kvt] - only auto RC in 9.5 form for $90
Lance Berkman - .406 BA 9 HRs - [phil:hq0j2kvt]300550819035[/phil:hq0j2kvt] - Chrome RCs for less than $4 each
Paul Konerko - .304 BA 8 HRs - [phil:hq0j2kvt]180657901471[/phil:hq0j2kvt] - Topps Traded RC PSA 9 for $4

What kind of seasons do these guys have to have for a significant move up to occur in your opinion?

 

[js0000001]

I wouldn't be surprised if these guys had there prices drop even still

Its an uphill battle

 

[Exposfan]

Almost everyone that wants some of those cards, has them already, or they just aren't that hard to find anymore.

 

[johnny rook]

Massive single game performances. Such as a no hitter or perfect game for pitchers.

Or a trade to the Yankees.

 

[All The Hype]

The only real way without a trade or a landmark single-game performance is to completely succeed expectations for an extended period of time. Jered Weaver was seeing some rise after his outstanding start, just like Ubaldo Jiminez last year, just like Greinke the year before.

Every now and then, a rare parallel that isn't listed very often can sell higher than 'going rate' simply when new (and often uneducated) buyers enter the market and offer/bid well over the previously developed market price.

 

[Big Mac McGwire]

I Remember back in 02 when those Soriano's were going for BIG money. Most veteran guys cards don't move in the latter part unless there creeping up on a milestone. Even when they make the HOF there really is no jump. The one guys cards who always seem to move after all these years is Ripken. His graded RC's still get good money considering the huge print runs.

but they way the hobby works, if you grew up collectin in the late 80's , early 90's, you can get all those hard to afford cards from the 60's,70's that eluded you because of your age and income. back in the day 50$ -125$ for a card was BIG money.

 

[masonphillip]

Massive single game performances. Such as a no hitter or perfect game for pitchers.

Or a trade to the Yankees.

That's a very good point, moreso than good performance over a matter of weeks for sure.

 

[sportscardtheory]

I think when people start to think that a player has a very good chance at making the Hall of Fame is when a veteran's cards will go up in price. That and major milestones. Chipper Jones comes to mind as a truly great all-time player who's prices don't reflect how good he is. Another factor is how many teams a player has been on. Players like Jones will eventually get credit for staying on one team his entire career.

Then some players can do pretty much everything right and never get hobby love. Craig Biggio comes to mind. I don't think people really understand how great he was at such a mild-hitting position.

 

[uniquebaseballcards]

This thought came to my mind as I was looking at the stat leaders so far this year.

Alfonso Soriano - 11 HRs - [phil:1xryc1u0]320690293607[/phil:1xryc1u0] - only auto RC in 9.5 form for $90
Lance Berkman - .406 BA 9 HRs - [phil:1xryc1u0]300550819035[/phil:1xryc1u0] - Chrome RCs for less than $4 each
Paul Konerko - .304 BA 8 HRs - [phil:1xryc1u0]180657901471[/phil:1xryc1u0] - Topps Traded RC PSA 9 for $4

What kind of seasons do these guys have to have for a significant move up to occur in your opinion?

The values of these cards aren't propped up by volatile, short-term investment activity like what we find in current prospects. Until investors start jumping in, or these guys suddenly become first ballot HOF material the value of their cards aren't going to move.

But investors aren't going to jump on this given short-term markets pose so much less risk...and frankly short-term markets are probably much easier to 'manipulate' or hype. On the other hand, collectors want the value of cards to remain low so they can continue to buy which will help keep prices low. And these guys aren't likely to become first ballot HOFers.

 

[SeattleSports]

Sadly, the biggest boost of a veteran is death.

 

[Topnotchsy]

Milestones are an obvious answer.

Nearly every season though, a few veterans wind up getting significant attention and their prices increase tremendously. This usually happens to a player who may be on his way to a HOF season, but has managed to avoid too much attention. An easy recent example is Roy Halladay, whose Bowman Autograph was a $50 card and not especially popular, before the attention he's received over the last couple of seasons has the card going for 7x that. Cliff Lee was another recent example. Other times it happens to the biggest name guys when they have crazy, crazy seasons and the media starts going wild with the all-time comparisons. It's happened to Arod a few of times over the last decade. It has happened to Pujols as well (I remember getting $1100 for a Pujols SPx in 2006 and his stuff overall were smoking hot.)

 

[ThoseBackPages]

Sadly, the biggest boost of a veteran is death.

that was my first thought as well.

Players "Circle of Life" for cards is pretty much this:

Hot Prospect
Starting Everyday MLBer
All-Star
Award winner
Champion
Hall Of Famer
Death

Not much else they can do to bump up their cardboard