There was a lot of flipping going on at the National Sports Collectors Convention. Collectors snapped up their free promo and redemption cards at the show, then made a dash for eBay, where they hoped to turn some of that Chicago-exclusive cardboard into cash.
There were near riots over Topps’ 2013 Bowman Platinum NSCC rookie card promotion. Dealers, as 
always, jumped in the line before the doors even opened to VIPs who bought Platinum boxes and dutifully got in line as soon as they could, only to be shut out when the day’s quantity of 100 was exhausted (which didn’t take long).
The customers weren’t happy but by Saturday, Topps had figured out a way to avoid some of the ugliness.
There’s already a bustling market for those NSCC exclusives, especially the Yasiel Puig cards.
Leaf packed a six-card Puig set together for VIPs and those, too, are moving at a rate that puts a little of that $125 back in the pockets of those who bought the deal.
The ‘card that never was’ of Babe Ruth created by PSA to promote a collection of 1914-15 Cracker Jack cards on display at the show and the new book on those issues was a surprise hit. Limited to 500, collectors online seemed to want it bad. Several sold for $75-100 over the weekend and bidding remains strong on the others that are currently available.
Ruth had joined the Boston Red Sox by 1915 but didn’t have a card in the set.
Panini was busy during the show, both with their trade-up redemption program and giveaways. Numerous sets and singles from their Chicago offerings are being offered on eBay.
Upper Deck inserted some autographs in its giveaways, including a Ken Griffey Jr. that was pulled at the show and sold for something just south of $200. Several regular cards are available for $2-5 each.
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[…] for enthusiasts looking to celebrate their sport. On this very web site, I read of collectors auctioning of Yasiel Puig cards given out at the National Sports Collectors Convention within minutes of acquisition. Only last month, my wife and I too stood in a line of rabid […]