Hello fellow card maniacs! (that’s how I start my weekly email to customers that’s been going out for 10+ years).
It was a banner week for high-end collectors last week with Panini National Treasures NFL, Upper Deck Exquisite NFL, Topps Five Star NFL and Topps Museum Collection MLB hitting in a three-day span. While I did not break my UPS carrier’s back, my credit card got quite the workout. Clearly the manufacturers do not get together and devise the best release schedule to help hobby shops and collectors, but that is another matter.
Check out the results of a box of 2014 NT NFL from our shop.
As they said so eloquently in Highlander, “there can be only one” and since we are still on our first case of Museum, Exquisite is keeping whatever is under it free of dirt, we did not even order Five Star so we could stock it for a bunch less today from another dealer, it appears that National Treasures is the winner by default.
I like this box a bit more thanks to Peyton Manning’s autograph.
Since 2006, National Treasures has filled collectors’ minds with some of the sweetest possible rookie patch autographs and this year is no exception. The big names are of course in there, Johnny Manziel, Derek Carr, Mike Evans, Sammy Watkins, Odell Beckham (almost a week after release and oddly, Rookie Premier Autograph cards have been slow to show up on eBay), Teddy Bridgewater, Blake Bortles and more.
We hosted a case break with 2014 National Treasures the day after release:
The Materials Signatures checklist is even more jaw dropping with players like Brett Favre, Joe Namath, Jerome Bettis, Barry Sanders, Tom Brady, John Elway and more offering autographs to 49 or less.
Panini is delivering some 1/1 cut signatures of some NFL legends in this product and while I have not seen any of these gems yet, someone out there will be pulling cuts from Walter Payton, Red Grange, Johnny Unitas, Jim Thorpe, Al Davis, Brian Piccolo, George Halas, Tom Landry and many others that we only saw in black and white footage.
Rams fans will remember Merlin Olsen, a member of the great “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line 45+ years ago (see left).
Getting a lot of interest and putting themselves in the running for card of the year are the Leather And Lace football relic cards /4 that are the NFL equivalent of Sweet Spot relic cards from days gone by. Thirty-eight of the top rookies made the cut for this insert set and hats off to anyone who completes this gem. Hey for 2015 Panini, if you care to bring back the world’s longest card again, feel free to put together a 6 foot long version of this gem and I’ll just hand you the Mikey Award for coolest card of the year.
There are only another 20 or so other relic or autographed sets to go around with National Treasures, but it is selling well enough without each of them getting lauded over. Besides, it is late and the conclusion of A Million Ways To Die In The West is approaching and I could not possibly miss the thrilling ending.
As for the rest of the top 5 selling sports card boxes, this ol’ card shop owner is selling lots of…
2) 2014 Bowman Chrome regular and jumbo MLB. While Kris will not officially be a member of the major leagues until Friday, the secret is out and the lines are long.
3) 2015 Upper Deck NFL. Collectors are lining up to shred what might possibly be the last standard NFL release from this California card company. With 3 autographs per box, we had our first Winston autographed card of the year pulled just yesterday.
4) 2015 Topps Tribute MLB. Recall shmecall. High end box busters are still busting through whatever we bring in and the autographs look real and they are fabulous.
5) 2014/15 Upper Deck 2 NHL. In spite of not having a monster rookie to push it, we are blowing through cases of this product. Insert your own “people in Colorado must be high” joke here, but I’m serious. Really!
Mike Fruitman owns Mike’s Stadium Sportscards in Aurora, CO. Normally, 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]
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