What’s Hot: New Products Pump Up an Already Strong 2017

It’s just a few days before Christmas and pretty much from 10AM – 8PM each of the last few weeks it has been total non-stop action at the shop. It is fun enjoying this time of the year as the collecting hype has carried over from Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger infused MLB with some very collectible rookies, the 17/18 NBA rookie crop is finally starting to play like it was promised to do, Jared Goff is pretty much singlehandedly saving 2016 NFL product sales, the ghost of Deshaun Watson’s first few games has helped keep 2017 products above cost and the last of the 16/17 NHL products are helping us withstand a less than stellar 17/18 rookie selection.

In other terms, it’s a REALLY GOOD TIME to own a card store aside from the Broncos having the worst year I can remember since moving to Colorado in 1988. Lots of collectors put packs and boxes onto their holiday wish lists and fortunately their significant others are making a point of honoring those requests.

Of course my regulars are still coming in as well and quite of a few of the products on this installment of the Hot List were expected to be here.

1) 2017/18 Panini Prizm NBA – Yeah, this one was pegged to be #1 on this list well before it landed. Collectors were clamoring for it months ago and it was harder to get than a Democratic vote for anything proposed by our current President. Fortunately I was able to acquire four cases at cost and selling them helped cover a few months’ worth of my shop’s lease. I just snagged another case for nowhere near cost, but I don’t think it will last long.

2) 2017 Panini Playoff NFL – OK, here’s one that you might not have seen coming, but with most of the recent NFL releases hitting in the $150 – $200 range,

I’m blowing through these boxes with one autograph and one relic card in each. Many are being sold to holiday shopping wives who aren’t exactly geeked to drop close to two Benjamins on a box of cards. It sold well for me in 2016 at the same time for much the same reason and while I haven’t moved through a bunch of cases, I’m glad that I bought a few.

3) 2017 Bowman Draft Picks & Prospects MLB – Both the jumbo versions with three autographs and super jumbos with five signatures have been flying fast.

I’ll admit, I don’t read Baseball America religiously and don’t usually recognize names of some of these prospects until the fourth person asks for them at the shop. Fortunately, an incredible group of my collectors do and many of them like to buy by the case instead of just boxes.

4) 2017 Panini Elite Extra Edition MLB – Many of those same shredders who are grooving on Bowman Draft Picks have also been checking out EEE. Instead of the three to five autos, EEE makes up for its lack of an MLB license with at least seven prospect autographs and two relic cards in each box. Ronald Acuna is the biggest driver in the release and if he makes good on his early promise, lining up some extra boxes or cases might be a good idea for most shop owners.

5) 2017 Bowman’s Best MLB – Best arrived Wednesday and it has already sold well enough to appear on this list. With a great track record, four autographs per box and an impressive rookie/prospect selection propelling it, the seven cases I started with might have the same fate that most of my 2017 releases enjoyed.

I’m sorry for the abridged version of the Hot List. Things have been so insane at the shop that I did not even have enough time to send an email to my collectors to let them know that 2017 Panini Optic NFL is here and it’s been a long time since I could say I dropped the ball on sharing a new arrival like that. All things considered, I’ll take staying as busy as I have been lately over sending out emails just about every day.

I’ll be spending some time soon working on the annual Mikey Awards since it’s my favorite piece of the year to write. Before then, I hope you all were bad enough this year to have had fun, but good enough to get all that you asked for.

Mike Fruitman owns Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, CO. His column focuses on what products are selling best in hobby shops. He’s got thousands of cards for sale on COMC.com under the ID cardmn5150. 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]