Nonsense Newsletter #27: A Volatile NBA Playoff Market, Bowman Prospect Updates, and the Guys Check out their Local Card Scene!
Sponsored by SGC Cards gosgc.com
Greetings and welcome to another action-packed issue of the Sports Cards Nonsense Newsletter! Sit back, relax, and let us be your guides to the world of cardboard as we check out the NBA Playoff market, see what prospects are lighting it up early, and get a bit wacky with Mike and Jesse as they check out their local card store.
-J. Dudley
Contributor: John McTaggart
Volatility can be fun, right?
Quirkiness and crazy swings are all part of the thrill, right?
In the trading card business, it’s either the blessing or the curse.
And it’s something that many newbies to the hobby just aren’t prepared for, particularly when you factor in the financial aspect. It’s also a reality of the business that many veterans to the game are also ill-prepared to handle.
The so-called “ultra-modern” facet of the hobby seems to fall victim to this reality most ofter, where card values will see huge fluctuations in a very short period of time.
For example, Minnesota Timberwolves standout, Anthony Edwards, guided his squad into the postseason. This led to a rather significant uptick in the value of his 2020 Prizm base rookie PSA 10 — peaking at about $362 while the Wolves were in the playoffs, and now, a few weeks later, that exact card is down to $255, according to cardladder.com.
The most obvious difference being the team is out of the postseason.
Trae Young’s 2018 Prizm base PSA 10, hovered around $135 when the playoffs started, and now sits at around $105.
Fluctuations and slumps in the market are to be expected, but the dramatic dips and peaks so quickly, so often, are what make the trading card industry more unique than many other investments.
“It’s kinda crazy,” Robert Logan said while leafing through a value box at his LCS. “I’ve been in the hobby for about three years now, and it’s something I’ve had to get use to and accept. It makes it hard though, because you either have to have a great sense of when there’s going to be a moment for a player, or you just have to be able to buy everything beforehand, so you have it when that player or team goes off. But that can be crazy, too.”
Mike and Jesse head to Nash Cards to see their SGC grades! They reveal their grades from some of the cards they ripped from capital nonsense!
Mike and Jesse also rip some packs and find some joy!
Contributor: John Dudley
With 2022 Bowman ruling the roost as the hot new release, it’s time to check in on how some of our favorites from Bowman products past are faring in the Minors. All the players highlighted here have already had prospect cards and/or autos released in previous Bowman products. They are also all 23-years-old or under. Age ain’t nothing but a number and all that but try selling a Bowman Chrome 1st of a 26-year-old prospect to test the validity of that pop-culture advice.
There are plenty of other prospects in the minors having great seasons. This list is more illustrative than definitive in nature and is meant to highlight players off to a great start rather than provide comparative rankings. If your favorite is off to a great start and not on here, feel free to let folks know about them in the comments. Each player has their age, organizational level, and slash line (Average, OBP, and Slugging) displayed next to their name.
1. Corbin Carroll, 20, AA, .328/.458/.695 – Ok. I said this exercise wasn’t about rankings, but if it was then Carroll would be at or near the top for certain. The 21-year-old is feasting on older pitching at the AA level so far. He’s hit at every level, but his recent power development (9 HR already) elevates him to elite prospect status.
Carroll’s 1st Bowman Chrome Auto is out of the 2019 Bowman Draft and goes for around $200-$250 up from $150-$175 a month ago.
Guest Contributor: Sean Ulman
The nostalgia for sports cards, rather than potential profits, hooked me back into collecting. Covid hit this hobby with a sonic boom and smartphones were primed to spread the good fun.
It’s fair to say we’ve surrendered to our screens. The expanding marketplace is just clicks, scrolls, and swipes away.
But the experience — the search, discovery, cards in hand — that’s the same feeling my dad experienced, his dad, my daughter. Piecing together a unique collection — choice players, curated groupings, showing off cards to friends, switching up the display on my shelf, opening packs.
All the stuff I loved doing when I was 7 to 12 years old (OK 17).
But my true hobby comeback has felt even better than those classic days. There is so much I missed! So many cool sets. Players… Rasheed Wallace card, yes. Mo Rivera, a-huh, want one. Gimme both in Turkey Red, thank you.
Nearing a year in, I am still going down delightful rabbit holes, wondering the warren for a half hour or so. Then I resurface upon purchasing a Bob Gibson Topps Project 2020 card by artist Gregory Siff. Damn, that felt good. Can’t wait to ogle more of this set’s specialties again soon.
I admit the ballooned product prices were off-putting at first. Single packs (with half the cards) cost the price of an early 90’s box. And those gem mint graded 10’s? Similar minuscule odds of mining one out of my binder collections as purchasing one for rent money.
Yet I am starting to see how those are all good things that source a healthy hobby.
And I’ve found a bargain box of joy just looking at cards on my phone for free.
Ah, the iPhone. Never mind what it is hyper-changing on a massive scale. I mean, what can’t it do?
Quick Hits
NFT News- NFT- MLB announced a partnership with Sorare (pronounced so rare) to launch a hybrid NFT fantasy baseball game. Each week you get to compete in fantasy games using your NFT collection. The App has already proved popular in soccer with a Haaland card fetching $600,000!
Grading News- Big news in PSA’s ongoing reopening of services. Collector’s Club members can now submit at the Economy $50 level anytime without limit. This is a major step up from having to snag limited spaces. Read more about it along with an update on the backlog here.
Vintage News- A Babe Ruth autographed 1933 Goudey headlines Clean Sweep’s auction, which wraps up June 8, 2022. Along with the rare Ruth, the auction also showcases a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle PSA 5 and a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan PSA 8 among dozens of other items. Clean Sweep says it’s the largest in the company’s history. For more information, click here.
Pop Culture- Dr. Who Series 11 and 12 (combined) from Rittenhouse comes out next week (5/18). Fans of the good doctor will find a whopping four autos per box including one with an inscription. Bonus points as all autos are on-card.
Need More Nonsense?
The sports memorabilia market is booming. But along with that comes a rise in fraud and forgeries. Check out this article to learn from the FBI’s expert in this field and to make sure your next purchase is one you can be confident in.
7-Figure LeBron James pulled. Just in case you missed it in the thousands of posts about it online, the LeBron James triple-logoman card got pulled from Flawless. The card had a standing offer of a million, but some think it will hit five million.
Forbes has a nice guide to NBA Top Shot NFTs. If you’ve ever been curious about them, Forbes offers a great introduction to them.
Upcoming Events
The guys are back with their normal Tuesday and Thursday podcast. There will be NBA playoff talk, releases, and much more!
They will be in Boston this weekend for the card show at Fenway Park! Make sure to stay tuned into social media to catch updates from the show!
Happening on the Card Shop Live!
The Sports Card Nonsense newsletters reflect the opinions of only the authors and contributors. They are for informational purposes only and are not a recommendation for purchases or of an investment strategy or to buy or sell any assets.