by Mike Fruitman
When it came time share what was hot in the hobby shop this week, I was all set to give 2012 Bowman Signatures NFL the exclusive on the hot list. With one autograph per pack and being the first licensed signed cards of Andrew Luck and RG3, it should have been an easy call.
Then 2012 Topps 2 MLB arrived and changed everything.
While we are still moving boxes and packs of Bowman Signatures, it looks like the second series of Topps will be drinking its milkshake at least through the weekend.
The moment my store sent out its email about them landing, we have been flooded with calls and visits from customers who could not wait to pull rookie cards of Yu Darvish, Bryce Harper and many others. With one autograph or relic in every regular box and three autographs or relics in each jumbo box, the jumbo boxes seem to be a bit hotter, but both are flying off the shelf.
Collectors are also rushing in so they can be part of the Topps 2 wrapper redemption program. The first people to send in either 50 hobby pack wrappers or 14 jumbo pack wrappers will get their share of the 10,000 hobby Gold Rush packs from Topps. With chances at Darvish, Harper, Griffey and other player autographs, box breakers are not wasting any time sending in their wrappers. My shop even went so far as to provide envelopes to shoppers that wanted to get a jump on other collectors and get their wrappers in the mail today.
2012 Bowman Signatures NFL is moving incredibly well both by the pack and by the box with some of the singles moving for eye popping figures. An autographed red ink RG3 signed card closed on eBay for a remarkable $999! Other impressive single sales include a Luck/Griffin dual auto /25 that closed at $600 and a Luck auto /15 that ended at $540.00.
With 2012 Panini Prestige being pushed back a week until the 27th; it looks like Bowman Signatures will have another week to remain the only fully licensed 2012 release on the collecting turf.
Since both the NBA and NHL playoffs are upon us, thanks to Kevin Durant and Jonathan Quick, 07/08 releases from both sports could not be hotter. We are having many customers asking for Upper Deck releases from Durant’s rookie year since they had the exclusive to his rookie autographs.
Mr. Quick seems on the verge (if he hasn’t already by the time you read this) of leading the Los Angeles Kings to their first ever Stanley Cup win. While Upper Deck had the exclusive to his rookie cards, he sadly did not make it into many of their releases from that year. You only can find his rookie cards in that year’s SP Authentic, Ultimate Collection and Be A Player. A fast peek at Ebay shows some of his cards ending at: $325 for his limited SP Authentic RC /100 and $150 for his Ultimate Collection. What makes these numbers even more impressive is that neither of these rookies was signed.
Sadly in a week, the NHL season will be over, but with products like these hitting and the playoffs in full swing, owning a card store can be a Gold Rush of its own.
Mike Fruitman owns Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, Colo. You can read his column here every week, focusing on what products are selling best in hobby shops. Enjoy new arrivals and big hits from Mike’s on Twitter. Mike’s is always looking for more friends on Facebook and you can email him at [email protected]
