Kobe. When he died, I heard there was price gouging. I didn't go look, but in the last month or so I did. Prices still high, I was impressed.
So then I went looking at Lebron prices. Figured they'd be high. Um, yeah. They were much higher than I would have thought! My Bowman RC is now a big time card!
And it isn't just basketball, even baseball cards are popping!
Andrew McCutchen 2005 Topps Updates & Highlights looks like they are going for $8+ for raw, ungraded copies on COMC. Is that for real? I think I have several in a box somewhere...
And pretty much anything graded seems to be going for astronomical prices. What do you think of this?
But all of that is just some minor ridiculousness.
Which brings us to....
Mike Trout
I have heard mention of Trout rookies going for absurd prices, and several people have made comments about Trout RC's in passing here on my posts. Since I had not looked in my big box of keepers in detail for a while, I grabbed the box and flipped to the Trout section.
An unassuming Trout RC stared back at me. Kind of bland, couldn't be worth the big bucks.
But I was excited, and went to Ebay to look at completed sales and....
Holy %#&@%&!!!
Here is the card I have:
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| 2011 Topps Update |
The copyright on the back is 2011, so not a reprint. I have no idea where I got it, likely at a card show many years ago. I never spend real money on singles, so I can't imagine that I spent over $5 for it. Talk about a good purchase!!
So here is the thing. I know that many of us bloggers are not big on selling their cards. To those who feel that way, I apologize, but I need to at least think about the possibility of selling this card. Possibility, not certainty. And really, I am leaning against it right now. But if I could get the kind of moolah that they have been selling for, then my financial situation might demand it.
One reason to sell...
It seems like the current influx of money into the hobby may not be sustainable. What do you, my wonderful readers think of that idea? Could we be in a bubble, destined to pop? Or could the prices keep rising? Could the prices level off soon but not deflate? I'm wondering if, in 5 or 10 years from now, that these prices might be a fraction of what they are now.
On the other hand...
I really do see Jordan and Trout being a lot like Mickey Mantle, with their reputations in the hobby keeping their card prices afloat regardless of the rest of the hobby. And it is definitely possible, even if the prices plummet, that I would never be able to put my hands on this card again.
If I did decide to sell, it looks like I would definitely need to get the card graded. It looks pretty good to me, but I have never graded a card before, and besides the expense, I would be worried that it would come back a 7 or something.
Looks like there are 3 real grading companies out there. I looked at them and Beckett looks the most affordable and quickest on the turnaround. What do those of you who have experience with the grading process think? (It also looks like the grading companies are swamped. Could everyone be jumping to grade while the prices are so high? Can I get a 'duh'?)
Maybe I could find a place where I could trade it. Anybody got a 2012 Trout RC and a beat up Hank Aaron RC? Just kidding, but kinda not? Turning it in to a large number of smaller cards that I really want but would never be able to buy has it's appeal too.
Ugh, this isn't nearly as fun as going through dime boxes!! But I don't want to make a bad decision when the stakes are this high.
Any advice?? Oh, and what other cards/players do I need to look up and see how they have gone through the roof?????
If you're going to sell Trout, get it graded.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Trout's going to remain valuable even after the bubble pops (and it will). It was going for big prices long before this.
Exactly the kind of honest and informed opinion I need. Thanks. Of course, I'd like to hear everyone else's!
DeleteI struggle with this decision myself. I sold my Mike Trout auto far too soon, but I do have a Bowman Chrome RC and I often wonder if I should sell it. If not now, when? I'm kind of surprised that the fact there are no sports going on is increasing the demand for sports cards. I assumed it would be the opposite. The players we thought would break milestones and records have less of a chance to do so now - so maybe sell the cards you're considering selling would be my advice. Though I haven't committed to doing so myself (yet)
ReplyDeleteAnother well considered opinion. Thanks! And you are definitely right, no sports should be driving down demand. Except I guess boredom and missing sports must be driving it right back up.
DeleteCongrats on finding the Trout.
ReplyDeleteI don’t know much about grading, but I do remember The Junior Junkie did a post about graded ‘89 UD Griffey rookies and basically what he said was that unless the card graded at an 8.5 or better, then it wouldn’t have much demand (or something like that. I read the post a few years ago).
The whole thing with cards selling at such high values is confusing to me. I have been fortunate during these times to still be working, same thing for my wife. This means we have a little buffer right now, while others aren’t so lucky. I don’t know if there are people in the same situation as myself who are buying cards now, and if that means this will dry up as the pandemic is over with. Perhaps it’s just these TV things driving card prices up due to increased demand. If that is the case, I think prices will come back down for most players. With a guy like Trout, he is a once in a generation star, and I would just go with your gut. If you really need the money, sell it. If you really can’t part with it, don’t. You can usually find another way to get by. If you end up having to sell it and really regret it, I have a ‘11 Trout Update card, and I’m not really a Trout fan, so maybe we could work out a trade or something.
Night Owl just posted something about McGwire and Sosa cards going up in value. I read somewhere that anything 20 years or older relates to 99% of the population, so some of these stars from 20 years ago I could see going up. Perhaps guys like Griffey, Frank Thomas, maybe Maddux and Piazza could trend up. Just my random guesses.
Yes, I am confused too. Crazy, but I guess I don't understand the world as well as I think I do. And Griffey seems like the best bet for the big price bump in a few years. Thanks for the encouragement!
DeleteI am not the best advice person for this. I hoard and don’t sell. But I try to get one rookie of every player regardless. Nice find on the update. That’s a dream card for me. (If you do decide to trade it, let’s see what we can do lol)
ReplyDeleteSeems like a good perspective to me. Thanks for the advice! And I will keep you in mind if I want to trade it, but I imagine trading that would be hard!
DeleteWow. Talk about living the dream. I've searched my rookie card box at least a few times hoping each time that I somehow missed this Trout. I've given up any hope of ever own a copy, but it's okay. There are a few bloggers out there who own them, so I'll get my fix by reading their blogs.
ReplyDeleteYou are such an optimist Fuji!
DeleteJudging by the way people fall over themselves for that kid, I don't see Trout's rookie going down in value, that is unless he suffers a career altering/ending injury in the next year or two. I've been selling quite a few cards as of late, things that have skyrocketed in price thanks to everyone going crazy with "investment fever". I figure that some of it may increase in value in the next few years, but most of it won't, and I'm not a big fan of speculating, so I figure if I can get a decent price now, I will, as I can certainly use the money now. If other people are more comfortable playing the waiting game, I say more power to them, but I prefer to strike when I think that the iron is at it's hottest.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. Making good money??? I can definitely see your point of view. Generally I am more of a hoarder and it takes something like the current boom to make me go into selling mode.
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