Nonsense Newsletter #24: What Started It All For You? Rookie Redux in the NBA, Mike and Jessie on Larry & More.
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We’re back with yet another scintillating edition of the Nonsense Newsletter! This week we discuss what started this whole crazy adventure for you? Mike and Jessie pontificate about Larry Legend (and giveaway some Clearly Donruss) on YouTube, and we give you the 4-1-1 on the Rookie Redux!
Contributor: John McTaggart
I’ve spent quite a few weeks penning columns about who to watch, what to watch, and just how to maximize your return on investment in the hobby.
I’ve done my best to make each of these columns one filled with reason and research, and try and give each of you some insight into what I believe and why.
Today, however, I’m turning away from this type of thing, and turning the tables a little bit to shine the spotlight on each of you.
The climate of today’s hobby is undoubtedly awash in profits, numbers, statistics, and the potential of the aforementioned.
We, myself included, spend many hours camped in front of a computer or iPad trying to out-guess the fates and find that next superstar in the making, that next Tom Brady or Juan Soto or Stephen Curry.
We factor in all the variables we can muster and then search for the best deal on a card, confident, hoping we can turn that card around sooner or later for a healthy return.
This is all good, believe me.
Mike and Jesse are back with another video and another giveaway. The guys rip some brand new Clearly Donruss football and have a new giveaway.
Ryan from Breakout Cards goes to a Florida card show. Finally, Mike gets excited talking about some Larry Bird rookie cards.
NBA Rookie Redux
Contributor: John Dudley
While the NBA Playoffs are raging, most of the better rookies in the league are at home. This is a great time to snag some of your favorites as basketball fans focus on the guys still playing. This is a quick look at the top performers from the year and the guys to watch out for based on stats from this year. I broke this down into three tiers and only included three players in each so don’t consider this a comprehensive ranking.
The Sleepers
These guys have been overlooked, but clever collectors might want to take a second glance at them. Think of these guys as potential role players on good teams or potential future All-Stars if things break right.
Davion Mitchell’s season numbers aren’t great, but he averaged a double-double the last two weeks of the season averaging 17.1 points and 10.1 assists. That leap might be due to his work ethic which has been compared to Kobe’s. Definitely hyperbole, but that high praise has collectors seeking out Mitchell’s cards. Bargains are drying up fast.
Jalen Green and Cade Cunnigham are the best scorers in the class, but Isaiah Jackson had a higher per 36 scoring average at 19.8 points per 36 minutes. Throw in a per 36 rebound rate of 9.9 and a stunning 3.5 blocks per 36 and it’s clear Jackson could be a big deal if he can produce like this in a role with more minutes. Jackson auto rookies can be found for as low as $20.
Quick Hits
Pop Culture
Next week sees the release of Rittenhouse’s Lost in Space card set paying tribute to the Netflix show instead of the original. It’s interesting to see a smaller property make it cardboard and I’m curious what else we might see if this does well. The product is pricey but looks loaded with each box having seven autographs including at least one dual autograph.
Vintage
Those were days, right? Buy a dessert — get a baseball card on the box. Behoove it or not, that wasn’t out of the ordinary back in the 1950s. The Royal Desserts company did just that from 1950-52, and now these cards are sought after. Read more about it here.
Grading News
BGS 10s are extremely rare as are Bowman Chrome Red Refractors. Throw in an autograph and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and you’ve got a recipe for a record-breaking auction. Vladito’s 2016 Bowman Chrome Red autograph rookie went for a stunning $552,000. The card was just shy of the elusive Pristinet 10 Black Label with a 9.5 on corners.
Need More Nonesense?
Rare Ruth Card on Display.
One of the rarest and earliest Babe Ruth baseball cards is included in a new exhibit at the Ruth Birthplace and Museum in Baltimore, Maryland, starting Friday, April 15.
For more information on the exhibit, click here.
Memory Lane to offer part of Gordon’s Collection
A portion of the late Manny Gordon’s collection is slated to be included in an upcoming Memory Lane Spring Auction. Gordon, one of the hobby’s most notable collectors, passed away in 2020.
For more information on the auction, click here.