Sports Card Geek Heaven
Archive for July, 2011
Hot Auctions, Potential Sunday Afternoon Steals
Jul 31st
I’m in a little bit of a hurry so I’ll make this brief but here are the auctions worth buying this afternoon:
-2006 Bowman Chrome Autograph Jose Bautista- It’s about $5-10 under average price but even at average price these are a good purchase right now. Very undervalued.
-Awesome Goodwin Champions Jersey and Auto lot- MJ, Lebron, Hardaway, Walton and more for about 1/2 the price of a box.
-The Sacramento Kings have made some good moves this offseason and are looking good this season. 2010-11 Certified Demarcus Cousins Auto Jersey. On card autos are awesome. Anything under $30 is a solid price for this one.
-I’m not suggesting you buy this, but it’s worth a look. Oh how the mighty have fallen.
-Listed poorly and his autographs typically sell for $35-$60. $15 right now: Roy Williams Auto.
-Dwyane Wade Autograph, no idea why it is so low.
-Alex Gordon is still on fire and his Auto RC’s have been up and down all season. This is a very solid price for one and anything less than $15 is stellar.
-Felix Jones has been featured a few times on here lately and you should still be snatching his cardboard up as much as possible.
Good luck and Happy Sunday!
Morning Roundup: Potential Sunday Auction Steals
Jul 31st
-This Topps Five Star Steve Young is poorly listed and the last two have sold for $45 each. This one is still less than half that.
-The same seller has a Howie Long up for auction listed just as poorly but it is probably not too far under it’s normal price. Still a bit of a deal at this point.
-I’ve talked about him a bit in past posts but this 2008 Playoff Contenders Championship Ticket 1/1 Autograph RC of Jon Jay is absolutely a steal at current prices. It should sell for near $100 or even $125.
-2009-10 Panini Timeless Treasures Auto RC of James Harden. These are usually /299 but this is the /25 parallel. The less rare copies are usually $10-15 and this one is still only up to $4ish.
-A friendly tip from your auction finding friends at Card Geeks Blog: DON’T BUY HUNTER PENCE RIGHT NOW! His prices will come down. Don’t you worry your pretty little heads. There is plenty to go around.
That’s all we have for you this morning. We’ll be back later with more.
Prospect Spotlight: Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Philadelphia Flyers
Jul 30th
The Flyers recently signed Goalie Ilya Bryzgalov to a 9 year deal which seemingly puts an end to the chances of 22 year old Sergei Bobrovsky becoming the full time netminder in Philly. The 2010-11 rookie was very good for the Flyers in the regular season but got eaten up by the Bruins in the playoffs stopping only 35 of 39 shots faced for an .877 SV %. In the regular season Bobrovsky had 28 wins, almost 1400 saves and a .915 SV % to go along with the less than creative nickname “Bob”. Philly signed Bob before the 2010-11 season out of Russia where he played professionally for three seasons compiling stellar numbers. The Flyers are reportedly shopping Bobrovsky and he hopefully will land somewhere as a starter before the 2011-12 season begins. It seems Flyers GM Paul Holmgren would love to keep both Bryzgalov and Bobrovsky but likely will not be able to do so with the salary cap in play.
So what are the best options for Bobrovsky? The best playing time option would probably be Florida who is about to lose Vokoun to free agency. The problem with that is for card collectors who want his Autographed RC’s to appreciate in value rather than be thrown in the $1 bin. Perhaps he will be sent to Phoenix to replace Bryzgalov but that wouldn’t be a boom to his value either. Colorado could be a good spot and they desperately need a goalie but they may not have the players and/or picks Philly wants. Colorado is definitely the best option for Bob when it comes to his card values and he would get plenty of play time there but in reality the best case scenario would have been never signing Bryzgalov. Damn you Holmgren. What am I going to do with all of this autographed Bobrovsky cardboard showing him in a Flyers uniform?
Is Sergei Screwed?
Saturday Morning Roundup: Players on the Move and Potential Auction Steals
Jul 30th
-This Scottie Pippen Sweet Shot Autograph is bound to end below usual price with it’s poorly listed title.
-The new Cardinals starting center fielder for the foreseeable future who is hitting over .300 and doing very well in the field has RC Autos galore that are far too cheap in comparison to his underperforming former counterpart Colby Rasmus. 2010 Bowman Sterling Jon Jay Auto.
-Even though he has added to his already bad rap with a sexting scandal recently, this guy is a potential Hall of Famer or at least an infamous player who will be a part of NBA history forever. 1999-00 Ron Artest SPX Auto RC for .99.
-2011 Topps Football RC and Veteran Variations are selling pretty well and they never fail to suck me into collecting the set. Time to start by buying a few boxes.
-As anyone with a pulse and the slightest interest in sports knows, Nnamdi Asomugha signed with the Philadelphia Eagles yesterday propelling them to the front of the leaders to win the NFC. His 2003 SP Authentic RC’s are already seeing a spike to about 140% of a week ago’s levels.
-Remember Topps Sterling? What beatiful patch cards it had in it. Check out this Stan Musial, incredible!
-Denver is a team I expect to break out this season under Tebow. They may not make the playoffs but they should do much better than last season. Eddie Royal should fit nicely with Tim Tebow in the same manner that Percy Harvin worked with Tebow at Florida. Royal Auto RC and Patches are very cheap right now and worth the risk.
-Jaguars fans will love this patch for under $10. A jumbo Maurice Jones Drew #’d to 2!
-If you aren’t into Hockey cards I’m going to suggest you have a look at the stuff being pulled from 2010-11 Ultimate Hockey and how awesome the patches are….it should make your mind up rather easily on whether to delve into a bit of hockey.
Freedom Cardboard Redux: Bryce Harper 2011 Bowman Platinum Autograph
Jul 29th
Clearly the hottest piece of cardboard that can be pulled from a 2011 Bowman product of any kind has Bryce Harper‘s autograph on it and 2011 Bowman Platinum has delivered another chance at the highly touted prospects autographs. Platinum’s autographs are much more appealing than the 2011 Bowman with a shiny finish and a great clean spot for the autograph.
While the Platinum Autographs aren’t as hot out of the gate as his base Bowman Autographs were they are very close. It’s tough to say if they will pick up steam or not but a Green Refractor Autograph /399 is listed at $450 BIN with no takers at this point. Platinum refractor autographs are selling in the $300-400 range while base Bowman autos are still in that same range most of the time.
One of the more perplexing parts of the Bowman Platinum release is the mix of live Harper autos and redemptions. Does that mean that the refractors of /399 could end up being more like /199? Or perhaps that the unnumbered regular refractors will be just as limited as the non-numbered if the redemptions don’t come back or people don’t pull them all in time to be redeemed.
The highest sale on ebay since release is $999 for a regular refractor. Considering those are selling for 1/3 that price now it’s tough to tell if that sale was honored. A Blue Refractor /99 has since sold for $735. These cards are much more visually appealing than the base 2011 Bowman and I see no reason other than sticklers to tradition that they shouldn’t be selling for more than Bowman. They come from a more expensive product, they’re still on card, they look better and look chrome-ish which prospectors love. If I could afford one I’d be all over it.
Brent Schultz is the founder of the Card Geeks Blog and longtime Jerry Rice collector. Follow his Blog and Twitter for more updates and conversation.
Morning Roundup: TGIF Edition
Jul 29th
-This Dwight Howard last sold for $39.99 and is now listed with a $30 BIN and has a poorly listed title. Currently at $16.
-The New England Patriots went and got even better yesterday. Of course they also got a couple headcases. New England is just the type of place for these guys to straighten out and give their all to win a Super Bowl. I have to say I like their chances at this point. Ocho Cinco will be great for Brady and the addition of Haynesworth makes it so New England has two of the best if not the top two Nose Tackles in the NFL. Neither move will likely have much of an immediate impact on the new Patriot’s card values. Ocho Cinco could see a nice increase through mid-season to the postseason should the Pat’s get there. Someone did snag a 2001 Playoff Contenders Auto RC for $100 BIN yesterday which is about $50 more than they usually sell for. Recommendation: Avoid anything other than SPA, Contenders and SPX for 2001 CJ RC’s unless you are getting a great deal on it.
-Kevin Kolb is officially an Arizona Cardinal. His RC’s have been so expensive all along that there isn’t much room for growth if he does well with the exception of a Super Bowl appearance or victory which would of course send any RC to new heights for a QB. His Contenders are usually $40-$50, SPX $30-$40, and SPA anywhere from $80-$125. The SPX is an ugly card, SPA is nice if you get a good patch but those will cost you and the Contenders has limited room to grow. His Bowman Chrome Auto for $25ish may be your best bet as it could get to $50 if he has a good season while the others may only net you 25-30% from the same stellar performance.
-Vince Young was released. Yawn. His cardboard still sells like he is a starter somewhere awful but clearly he is not. I’m sure he will get a chance somewhere but until then avoid his RC’s.
-Mark Trumbo had 5 RBI’s and continues to build his strong resume for AL Rookie of the Year. His 2004 Donruss Elite RC Autos are still usually in the $10 area and well worth an investment. Kendrys Morales drew much more value when he was hot for the Angels. 2004 SP Prospects will cost you a bit more but is the more sought after RC.
-The talk about Hunter Pence has heated up lately with the Phillies a major player in trade talks. If they get him you should expect an immediate jump in value with a bit more to come later if they make the Playoffs. Pence is another guy with the 2004 Donruss Elite and 2004 SP Prospects combo of RC’s. The SP will currently cost you anywhere from $60-80 and the Elite is pretty hard to find but when it does pop up it is usually in the $30-40 range. He also has 2007 Bowman Chrome and Bowman’s Best Autos with the RC logo that run a touch under $20 currently. SP Prospects or Bowman Autos would probably be your safest investments at this point.
-Ryan Callahan, Forward, signed a nice three year deal with the Rangers worth roughly $13 million. His RC’s are still only worth about 13 cents however. Callahan was a Team USA Player and has been undervalued since his RC’s were released in 2007-08. Young Guns, Hot Prospects, Ice, SP Authentic…there’s an option for every price range and I suggest picking up a couple.
Afternoon Auction Watch: The best deals to be found ending tonight!
Jul 28th
-2010-11 Score Denis Savard Recollection Auto 4/5-Master Set Collectors will like this one for sure. It’s pricey but it could probably be flipped pretty easily if you find the right buyer. Also it doesn’t show up in “2010-11 Score” searches
-For those who like to only buy RC’s with the official RC Logo here is one of Jay Bruce’s best. Now is a great time to buy him because he has gone a bit stale lately but will bounce back and the Reds have a great chance at the Playoffs. It’s about 1/2 the price of the last one that sold at $15 + Shipping.
-Don’t buy this Jurickson Profar or any others at his current prices. It will cost you more for his prospect auto than it will for Major League All-Star Elvis Andrus RC Auto. Craziness.
-An underrated Justin Verlander Auto RC. Sweet Spot are very attractive cards and this one is a steal compared to normal price levels.
-If he stays healthy this season you’ll be happy you picked up just about any Earl Bennett you can get your hands on. This one would be an especially good deal at $8.
-Great set, great look, great player, great auto. This only about $5-10 under normal levels but it’s worth a shot at grabbing it for a reduced price. Bob Gibson Greats of the Game Auto.
-2000 SPX Randy Moss Dual Winning Materials Auto. Fantastic looking older set with a great on card auto of a future Hall of Famer. It’s a steal at under $30 right now as well.
-Guy Lafleur Auto listed without Auto in the title. Usually sells in the $40-50 range. Pick it up for much cheaper with this one.
-2004 Bowman Lee Evans and Larry Fitzgerald Dual Auto . These were very rare and this one is listed poorly. Snag it!
Prospect Spotlight: Deck McGuire, RHP, Toronto
Jul 28th
A 22 year old drafted 11th overall in the 2010 MLB Draft, Deck McGuire is off to a fine start in his first professional season. Averaging almost a K per inning his first 100 IP, McGuire is 7-4 with a 2.75 ERA for Class A Advanced Dunedin in the Florida State League. He is a natural competitor like Roy Halladay. He just wants to pitch and win games. That type of attitude has led him to holding runners to .178 with runners in scoring position this season. McGuire continues to progress and hopefully will be moved up to AA before the end of the year since he is a little old for the FSL.
Investors should take advantage of the fact that he is in hobby wasteland Toronto and could go relatively unnoticed. Chances are his cards will slowly decline as we roll into the fall and winter. Be sure to buy as many of them as you can at as low of a price as possible BEFORE the Baseball America Prospect Handbook is released for 2012. He surely will be a Top 3 Toronto prospect and that alone will cause a little bit of a spike in his values. It probably won’t be enough of a spike for you to make a bunch on your investment so I urge you not to purchase any of his cards unless you’re in it for the long haul. We’re talking two years at a minimum.
With that being said he has a bevy of solid RC Autographs to pick up. I’ll list them with average prices and a “buy” price which is the marker at which you should start buying them.
2010 Bowman Chrome Auto: $5-7 , BUY: $5 or less
2010 Bowman Chrome Base RC: Lots of 20 for less than $5, BUY: NOW
2011 Bowman Platinum: Doesn’t matter, don’t buy them. 2nd year autographs that are only drawing bids because it’s a hot new product.
2010 Bowman Sterling Auto: $3-5, BUY: NOW
2010 Donruss Elite Auto: $3-5, BUY: Only in lots. This will easily be his least valuable autograph.
Morning Roundup: NFL Moves and Their Card Impact
Jul 28th
Let’s start with a quick recap of moves/resignings of NFL Players and what impact it will have on their cards:
Reggie Bush, Miami, -No change. To realize any gain on his cards from current prices there is going to need to be some major stats put up.
Sidney Rice, Seattle- Seattle has a very nice fan base when it comes to cards. There will be an immediate spike with potential for a much larger spike should he perform well.
Donovan McNabb, Minnesota- Another chance at a deep playoff run or even a Super Bowl in Minny should push McNabb’s cards higher. Particularly his 1999 SPX Auto RC, which already made a move to the $60 range.
Matt Hasselbeck, Tennessee- Meh, no change. This is more important for it’s negative impact on Jake Locker’s prices as a lot of people wanted to see the rookie play ASAP.
Kyle Orton, Miami(Potentially)- Granted he is a veteran so the optimism may be limited but Chad Henne’s Auto RC’s were by no means cheap and he wasn’t even very good. If Orton does well look for a huge jump. The reason there may not be an initial move is because Orton’s SP Authentic RC’s already sell in the $25-30 range.
Steve Breaston, Kansas City- There probably won’t be a huge move and Breaston most likely won’t get to return kicks of any kind in KC but his impact will definitely be felt. Should Dwayne Bowe make a big deal out his free agency KC will easily let him go leaving Breaston to potentially be a #1 in 2012. His SP Authentic Autograph RC’s currently sell for about $5, look for an immediate bump to $7-8 with potential for more as KC loves their football team.
Bob Sanders, San Diego- Not much impact card-wise but if he stays healthy the Chargers will have a scary secondary with him and Weddle patrolling.
Bruce Gradkowski, Cincinnati- Even when he was starting, and winning some games, in Oakland he couldn’t gain much value and you shouldn’t expect anything different in Cincy. If you want to take a shot his RC Auto’s are all usually under $5 at auction.
Desean Jackson, Philadelphia Holdout- Maybe I’m picking on this guy because I think he is a complete idiot but I can’t see this holdout working out well for him. He’s going to get fined $30k daily and if he comes out and gets hurt or underperforms this season it will hurt him even more. He has a reputation and this only further cements it. Maclin is basically the same type of player as him. If he tries to squeeze too much out of Philly they may just deal him.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee Holdout- Another guy who is kind of an idiot but very talented. At least CJ has a monopoly on his position for his current team rather than what DJ has going on. The holdout will probably have little to no effect on his card values which are already sky high.
The Best deals and coolest cards in auctions ending today:
A very nice patch on this SP Authentic RC Auto of the new Dallas Cowboys starting RB still only at $40.
New Minnesota Viking QB and future Hall of Famer Donovan McNabb has a 1999 SPX Auto RC ending today. These don’t pop up all that often, but are far from scarce, meaning you shouldn’t wait around for your opportunity to get one.
He threw a complete game last night but has had a bit of a rough season. Mike Pelfrey’s XRC Auto should still be worth more than $3 each right? A lot of 4 is at 11.99 right now.
Yes it’s an Upper Deck Redemption but this card could be very, very cool when/if you get it. It’s at about half of what it should cost for an Alexander Ovechkin autograph card and it’s from a popular set.
24 hour auctions almost always mean STEAL! 2008 SP Authentic Ray Rice Auto Patch only at $32 right now. Anything less than $65 on this patch is a deal.
Another 24 hour potential steal! 2004 Bowman Autographs Philip Rivers, $44 currently, is a very rare autographed RC. It is card #113 in the set and is regarded as a true RC Auto despite it’s rare nature.
A quad auto, rush listed, for less than $25 at the moment. 2009 Topps Rookie Premiere Beanie Wells/Lesean McCoy/Knowhshown Moreno/Donald Brown.
2009 Certified Auto Dual Jersey Mark Sanchez for about half the normal price currently. He is also making a media splash right now for being a sweetheart and restructuring his contract so his teammates can sign for more.
Today’s goofy card award: I don’t know why but this Larry Walker autograph cracks me up.
2010 Bowman Chrome Draft Picks Box Break: “Eh”
Jul 27th
There have certainly been much worse boxes broken of this product. The main source of my dissapointment was the lack of colored refractors.
Here is what I pulled:
Autograph: Yasmani Grandal, C, Reds
Refractors: Eric Young Jr. RC, Jameson Taillon Prospect, Gary Brown Prospect
Base Bowman Parallels: Daniel Nava Blue /399
Not a single international, my only numbered card was the Nava. Not an exciting bust to say the least. All of the base and inserts will be added to the list of cards my readers can request for free HERE.
There are plenty of autographs I would have liked less than Grandal and I’ve always been a Hurricane fan so this doesn’t hurt to bad to pull a $10-15 autograph from an $80 box. I would have been happier with this.
I was rather disappointed when I discovered he has a chrome autograph in the exact same set. Usually Topps waits at least one more set release to screw over the value of their base chromes, apparently not in 2010.
I had never heard of Gary Brown until the night before my break when people were going off about him on Twitter. That made it a bit cooler to pull this card but I must say the bitterness of not even pulling a veteran colored or xfractor was a bummer. The different colors are the entire reason I open this product. I’m not a big case buster so I won’t be putting together 20 count lots of chrome RC’s to sell so most of the value from these types of breaks is lost on me. Also I was extra bummed to find out he has an autograph in the same set just like Taillon. The value of a chrome and it’s many parallels is sinking quickly with most players having RC Autographs.
Anyway, I did my part on this one by breaking baseball which I don’t normally do. On to hockey, which product should I break?
