The spring 2014 Bowman release included what were thought to be the most highly coveted 1st Bowman Chrome autos of Chicago Cubs then-prospect Kris Bryant. But as I wrote here in an article dated September 29, 2014, those 2014-year cards labeled “1st Bowman” used by Topps to promote the spring Bowman release turned out not to be Bryant’s 1st Bowman Chrome auto at all; Topps … [Read more...] about Mysterious 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Autos Surface
Analysis: Topps’ Moves With Bryant Autographs Create Questions
“Either Topps does not understand the value of its own cards, or the company is assuming that collectors are stupid. Because what’s happened is that Topps is creating risk in the marketplace, which (unless collectors are, in fact, stupid) will ultimately impact the initial value of every Bowman Chrome RC auto issued in its spring Bowman releases until the day that Topps … [Read more...] about Analysis: Topps’ Moves With Bryant Autographs Create Questions
Are 2013 Kris Bryant Bowman Chrome Auto Parallels Ready to Emerge?
In the spring 2014 Bowman release, Topps issued the highly anticipated 2014 Bowman Chrome Prospects Kris Bryant autographs, representing the first Bowman Chrome autos of baseball's Minor League Player of the Year. Bryant, the #2 overall pick of the 2013 draft by the Chicago Cubs, is expected to be in their lineup next season. Now as everybody knows, the first Bowman Chrome … [Read more...] about Are 2013 Kris Bryant Bowman Chrome Auto Parallels Ready to Emerge?
Rise of the Bowman Chrome Autograph
We spent the past couple of weeks talking about the likely impact that case breakers are having on inflating the supply of new card issues, and whether or not case breakers are good or bad for the hobby. Regardless of where you stand on the latter issue, the one thing that is clear is that increasing supply creates logistical issues of great impact for manufacturers, … [Read more...] about Rise of the Bowman Chrome Autograph
Case Breakers: Good or Bad for the Hobby?
Last week, in our discussion on Case Breakers and the Value Cycle, we noted how the rapid emergence of the case breaker has created increasing pricing pressures on the initial secondary market for new releases, squeezing case breaker profits. Worse, combined with Topps' “print to order” policy, increasing case breaker demand has also pumped up the supply of new issues, … [Read more...] about Case Breakers: Good or Bad for the Hobby?
Case Breakers and the Value Cycle
Editor’s note: What follows is an edited excerpt from The Modern Baseball Card Investor. When talking about new card issues, one thing that should be clear is that secondary market values drive the entire value/supply chain. When supply is favorable and demand is relatively high, then secondary market values are high, and thus box demand is high; collector-investor … [Read more...] about Case Breakers and the Value Cycle
The Upside of the Modern Baseball Card
“As awareness of scarcity grows, both museums and private collectors face a ‘last chance’ situation every time a major work comes up for sale. Fearing they may never have another opportunity to add a certain artist or period to their collection, they purchase without consideration of past prices.” -- Don Thompson, The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of … [Read more...] about The Upside of the Modern Baseball Card
Hwang: Scarcity, Grade Dictate Card Values; Not Age
There’s a common misconception that vintage baseball cards are valuable because they are old. But this is not the case. The reality is that the most valuable of the vintage baseball cards – such as a PSA 10 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle or the PSA 8 Gretzky T206 Honus Wagner, for example – are valuable not because they are old, but because they are desirable and because high-grade … [Read more...] about Hwang: Scarcity, Grade Dictate Card Values; Not Age
Book Excerpt: Grade Scarcity and Box Value
Editor’s Note: What follows is a second (edited) excerpt from Jeff’s book, The Modern Baseball Card Investor. The first excerpt, The Four Basic Types of Ungraded Strategies, can be found here. As of January 2014, unopened boxes of 1987 Donruss could be had for $20 to $30 per box, with multi-box lots and 20-box cases running for as little as under $20 per box. Each box … [Read more...] about Book Excerpt: Grade Scarcity and Box Value
The Four Basic Types of Ungraded Strategies
Editor’s note: What follows is an excerpt from Jeff’s new book The Modern Baseball Card Investor. When it comes to ungraded cards, players in the game generally employ at least one of four basic types of strategies: 1. Case breaker 2. Case breaker/grader 3. Boxes 4. Singles It should go without saying that in a game where autographs often come at a rate of one or … [Read more...] about The Four Basic Types of Ungraded Strategies