Category Archives: Basketball

Sports Card Hotlist for March 3rd 2013

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With the release of 2013 Leaf Metal Draft Football, prospecting seems to be more relevant in the sport more than ever. Maybe you haven’t noticed it yet, but come draft time, you will start to notice by the rise in prices for these NFL Draft standouts. If you own any of these cards, you may be rooting for them come NFL Pro Day on March 27 and even more closer to the draft.

I have also included baseball prospects that were also featured on Jaypers’ FCB Prospect Hotlist and I encourage you to reference that as well if you are into prospecting baseball. I also encourage you to join the FCB forum if you are not already on it, and to also participate in weekly Hotlist suggestion threads to ensure that the hottest cards on the market make this list. 

Panini National Treasures#1 2012 Panini National Treasures

Panini released its high-end baseball product last week; something comparable to Topps Sterling with cards that include bat knobs from baseball legends. Many Hall of Famers are located in the product. All cards in the eight-card box are an autograph or memorabilia card. Also, a booklet card is guaranteed in each box. The product reminds me of the old Diamond Kings with high-end relics and autographs.

Because of the products slick look, premium patches, and notable names, the product has been hot. An Ichiro 1/1 relic sold for $228 at auction. This Walter Johnson relic sold for $710.

2013 Topps Heritage#2 2013 Topps Heritage Retail

Because Topps Heritage has hit retail stores before it hits the hobby stores, single cards are selling for a premium price because they are the first listed. With a 1964 Heritage design, the cards look sharp and will include twice as many autographs than last year’s product.

Dual rookie cards such as the Manny Machado and Dylan Bundy card are selling for as much as $26. Other base singles are selling for $5, when they will probably not even sell a week from now.

 

 

Carlos Rodon#3 2012 Panini USA Carlos Rodon Autographs

Rodon was on the Hotlist a couple of weeks ago, but that was before Carlos Rodon struck out 16 his last outing for the NC State Wolfpack against Florida Atlantic. Rodon only ranked 8 on Jaypers’ Prospect Hotlist on Saturday, but he has even heated up even more since.

Rodon’s Panini USA autograph /399 sold for $67 when a lot of two sold for $76 the other day. These could have been had for $15-$20 at one point a couple of months ago.

 

 

Geno Smith#4 2013 Leaf Metal Draft Geno Smith Autographs

Prospecting football now seems to be realistic with Leaf’s new release featuring NFL Draft prospects in their college uniforms. West Virginia’s quarterback Geno Smith seems to be the hottest card in this product.

Smith will most likely be the first quarterback drafted this year, and this is the number one reason why his cards come at a premium price. His base autographs are selling between $40 and $66.

 

 

Stephen Curry#5 Stephen Curry Autographs

After putting up 54 points against the Knicks on Wednesday night, he set the season high for points in a game. He made 11 three-pointers and was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line. Curry was in the zone on Wednesday.

Curry’s autograph cards were instantly popular after his record-setting game. The buy-it-now was being clicked on eBay immediately after. His 2009-10 Elite autograph sold for $20 previously and jumped up to $30 after his performance. This premium patch from 2009-10 National Treasures sold for a whopping $999 the other day.

Jedd Gyorko#6 2011 Bowman Chrome Jedd Gyorko Autographs

After blasting three homeruns in just 18 at bats in spring training, Jedd Gyorko is off to a hot start. He will make his big league debut this year, most likely at second base because he is blocked by Chase Headley at third. His autographs sold last week in the $20 range and are up to $30 this week.

Chris:  He’s also been all over every prospect publication we have done on this site since Spring Training.

 

 

Jackie Bradley#7 2012 Bowman Chrome Jackie Bradley Jr. Autographs

Bradley has impressed many scouts and executives in the Red Sox organization this Spring with his speed, athleticism, and defense. He is batting .533 in 15 at bats. Red Sox fans have to prepare for life after Jacoby Ellsbury, and Bradley may be the perfect fit. Bradley won’t be sticking with the Red Sox for Opening Day, but he may be around for September call-ups.

Bradley has one of the neatest signatures in baseball, and you could have bought his 2012 Bowman Chrome autograph for $50 last week, and they have risen to $60 this week.  A gold refractor autograph recently sold for $235.

Matt Barkley#8 2013 Leaf Metal Draft Matt Barkley Autographs

The second-best quarterback in the upcoming NFL Draft, Barkley’s cards also come in second with his card prices to Geno Smith. The University of Southern California product promises that he’ll show what he’s got on NFL Pro Day on March 27. If he shows the cannon he has had in the past, his draft stock and card prices should only rise. His Leaf Metal Draft base autographed cards currently sit between $37 and $45.

 

 

 

tobias harris#9 2012-13 Panini Threads Tobias Harris Autographs

After being traded from the Bucks to the Magic, Harris wasn’t what many Magic fans wanted in return for J.J. Redick, but he has opened some eyes in his short stint with the Magic.

Harris is now leading his new team in points per game and he has been attacking the glass ever since he got there. His Panini Threads autographs jumped from $3 to $11 this week.

 

 

 

Michael Wacha#10 2012 Bowman Chrome Draft Michael Wacha Autographs

Though he is not competing with Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal for the number five spot in the Cardinals’ rotation, Wacha’s Spring performance has helped his card stock. Base autographs were selling for around $15 last week, but are up to $25 this week. It’s also worth to note that his USA baseball autographs are also on the rise.

Sports Card Hot List for February 24th 2013

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Well, Spring Training games have officially started, the Daytona 500 has started off the NASCAR season, the NBA Playoffs are right around the corner, and it is about time to start filling out those brackets for March Madness. Football fans can also get their dose with the NFL Combine. Overall, it’s the start of many great sporting events. This week, a large variety of sports are represented and there is a little dose of everything for sports fans.

Jerry Buss#1 Jerry Buss Autographs

Under Jerry Buss’ ownership, the Lakers won 10 NBA Championships and reached the finals 16 out of his 34 years as the owner. After an 18-month struggle with cancer, Lakers owner Jerry Buss passed away on Monday. Consequently, the prices of his cards skyrocketed because, as we all know, his autographs will be tough to get. His 2011 Leaf Metal Poker Autograph was selling for $6.50 prior to his death, and it jumped to $65 the day of.  His 2011 Leaf Poker /236 autographs were selling for $14 bucks last week and were selling for $100 as a high before leveling out at $51 at the end of the week.

 

Paul George#2 Paul George Autographs

After scoring 27 points against the Knicks on Wednesday, Paul George and the Pacers came closer to clinching the number two seed in the Eastern Conference.  George also scored 17 points in the NBA All-Star Game at the ripe age of 22. Many believe that George can take the “throne” from King James and make a strong run in the NBA Playoffs. George is also a class act; he recently gave employees of the Pacers a thank you letter and tickets to upcoming games.

Because of his gameplay and acts of kindness, George’s cards have jumped up in price.  Recently, his Panini Gold Standard auto /25 sold for a whopping $406 and his Totally Red autograph /99 sold for $78, where a lot of two of the same card sold for $63. If the Pacers continue their roll to the playoffs, it can only help his card prices.

Thomas Robinson#3 Thomas Robinson Autographs

Although nothing happened at the NBA Trade Deadline with the Lakers, other trades happened elsewhere including the trade of Thomas Robinson to the Houston Rockets. Robinson was selected 5th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft, and the Sacramento Kings already decided to move him. The Kings gave up on him quick, and they could soon regret it.

Robinson’s 2012-2013 Panini Threads autograph was selling for $7 prior to the trade and the “Buy it Now” option was being hit on eBay for between $20-$25 immediately after the trade.

 

 

taveras#4 2012 Bowman Chrome Oscar Taveras Autographs

Yes, yet again Taveras is on the hotlist. If he cooled down, there would be no reason to keep him on here, but with the way he’s selling, there is no stopping Taveras now. A refractor autograph /500 recently sold for a record of $300, up from $250-$275 the previous week. Base autos rarely sell for less than $150, and a raw one recently sold for $165 at auction. The Superfractor non-autograph is scheduled to end next week and it will sell for crazy money. It is definitely a seller’s market out there.

Chris:  Honestly this prospect’s cards are way out of hand.  If you have not sold yet then you should probably get on that.  It will take a Mike Trout style performance for these cards to maintain.

Kyrie irving#5 Kyrie Irving Autographs

The best Cleveland Cavalier since Lebron James (that was ages ago) is some guy named Kyrie Irving. Maybe you’ve heard of him? The guy is averaging 23.5 points per game, and has a true shooting percentage at about 57 percent. Irving scored 15 points in the NBA All-Star Game and followed with a 35-point game against the Hornets on Wednesday. It’s almost impossible for them to make the playoffs, but the Cavaliers have a key part of their future in Irving.

Kyrie Iving’s cards have heated up like South Beach where his 2012-13 Panini Limited Unlimited Potential Autograph /199 sold for $240 and were selling for around the $200 mark last week.

booty#6 Josh Booty Baseball and Football Autographs

Who Booty is it? If you don’t watch MLB Network, you’re probably clueless as why this Booty is on the Hotlist this week. Josh Booty played quarterback for LSU and was a former 1st round draft pick for the Florida Marlins way back in 1994 and eventually played for the 1997 World Series team. He also was drafted in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Seahawks as a 6th round pick. Booty competed against his brother John David Booty, former Bills and Boston College great Doug Flutie, former LSU quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, and former Georgia quarterback David Greene in a knuckleballer competition called the Next Knuckler on MLB Network. They each competed in different knuckleball skills competitions, and Josh Booty came out on top, winning an invitation to Spring Training with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Because of the media hype, Josh Booty’s cards went from not selling at all to becoming a decent sale if you had a stash of Bootys. Even his 1994 baseball Signature Rookie autograph was selling for $4 at auction, and previously would not even sell for a buck. A 2001 Press Pass autograph sold for $8, which would have gone unsold if it weren’t for the show. It is very unlikely that Booty will make the team as a knuckleballer, but if you have a stash of Bootys somewhere, now would be the time to sell.

almora#7 2012 Bowman Chrome Draft Albert Almora Autographs

Considered one of the safest high school bats in the 2012 MLB Draft, the Cubs selected Almora with the 6th overall pick. Almora had played for Team USA since he was 16 and was already well known by prospectors when he was drafted. Needless to say, he had autographed cards aplenty when he was drafted.

Being the Cubs number 2 prospect according to Baseball America, only brought more hype to Almora’s cards. Last week, his base autographs in 2012 Bowman Draft sold for $40-45, and this week they are up to $50.

 

Sports Card Hot List for February 17th 2013

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This week marked three events that are filled with tradition. Spring Training has begun and this year’s top prospects card prices are on the rise. If some of these prospects break camp with the team to start on opening day with their respective teams, their prices will continue to rise. Another tradition is the NBA All-Star Game festivities with contests like the Slam-Dunk contest, the 3-Point contest, the Skills competition, and of course the All-Star Game itself. Lastly, you have the annual Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated that releases every February. All three are great traditions that many of us as card collectors enjoy each year and are reflected in the prices of their respective cards.

turkeyred#1 2013 Topps Turkey Red Presales

With a guaranteed auto in each of he 10-card $20 boxes, these received a lot of attention with Topps’ exclusive pre-sale. With possible big-name possible autos like Felix Hernandez, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, and Yu Darvish, it could be worth the risk. However, there are a lot of dud autos as well with players like Drew Hutchinson, Brad Peacock, and Alexi Amarista. Topps sold their presale allocation on the first day this past Wednesday.

ross#2 2012-2013 Leaf Ultimate Terrence Ross Autographs

With the NBA All-Star festivities kicking off, investing in Toronto Raptors’ Shooting Guard Terrence Ross’ autographs a week ago would surely be a slam-dunk. Ross did a series of 360’s and mid-air combinations and even risked the welfare of a small child to win the dunk contest.

Winning the dunk contest resulted in a spike in his autographed cards. More specifically, his Leaf Ultimate basic autographed cards went up from $5 last week to averaging $15 after the contest. His Leaf Ultimate Numeration cards /31 went from $13 the previous week to $32.

faried#3 2012-2013 Panini Kenneth Faried Autographs

Another slam-dunk contest participant, Faried, A.K.A. “Manimal” was just one point away from the slam-dunk contest’s final round. He scored a perfect 50 on his second dunk and it brought the crowd to a frenzy.

After his perfect dunk, his card prices heated up. His Panini Absolute autographs /299 jumped from $13 at the beginning of last week to $35 at the end of this week.

 

 

upton#4 2012 Topps Allen & Ginter Kate Upton Autographs

I know, I know, how can she only be number 4 on this list? Although she is on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second year in a row, it does not guarantee her the number one spot on the sports card hot list. Kate Upton’s autographed cards from 2012 Allen & Ginter sold for $137 last week, to people hitting the buy it now for $200.  So yes, she is still considered “hot.”

Chris:  There is a long thread on the boards about Kate, and I would like to take this opportunity to say Matt Skripsky you are absolutely insane due to your opinions on Kate.

taveras#5 2012 Bowman Chrome Oscar Taveras Autographs

When Carlos Beltran possibly parts ways with the St. Louis Cardinals at the end of 2013, Oscar Taveras looks like to be the best possible replacement. He is ranked number 3 on many top prospect lists with his incredible ability to get on base.  He let his .321 batting average, .380 on-base-percentage and 23 home runs do the talking in Double-A last year. He will rake in Triple-A this year until he gets called up.

With all the top prospect hype, his cards heated up once again.  His base autos were selling for $115 the previous week, and this week, they moved up to $130. A refractor auto sold for $247 this, whereas the last auction back in January sold for $170.

wheeler#6 2009 Bowman Chrome Zack Wheeler Autographs

Speaking of Carlos Beltran once again, this guy was traded for him at the deadline in 2011. Considered a top 20 prospect by many, Wheeler has the chance to start in the New York Mets’ abysmal rotation this year. He and Matt Harvey could be at the top of the Mets rotation for a few years.

Wheeler’s 2009 Bowman Chrome autos jumped from $45 to $68 this week. A refractor BGS 9.5/10 auto sold for $122 and a PSA 10 X-fractor auto sold for $208.

 

meadows#7 2011 Bowman Chrome Draft Austin Meadows Autographs

 

Arguably the best high school prospect that will be available for the 2013 MLB Draft, Meadows is expected to go in the first 5 picks in the draft. Meadows will face off against Clint Frazier, the other top high school prospect on March 12 when their high schools will play each other.

Meadows’ Bowman Chrome cards keep rising and have been since he was named a top prospect for the draft.  A Chrome auto sold for $90 recently, up from $68 the previous week. A red auto /99 BGS 9.5/10 sold for $103, and a blue refractor auto sold for $147.

luck#8 2012 Panini Contenders Andrew Luck Autographs

Although Andrew Luck missed out on the Offensive Rookie of the Year, his hype has not gone away since he led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs.  Contenders released in early February and his autos have sold anywhere from $350-$407. This is pretty insane for a post-season football release.

Chris:  If this season is any indication Luck is a real deal franchise quarterback.  This card has Tom Brady, Peyton Manning kind of upside.  I would be attempting to graded copies and stash them away if I were you.

flacco#9 2008 High End Joe Flacco Autographed Patches

Even two weeks after the Super Bowl, Joe Flacco’s cards are still going strong, and even after he signs an extension, they still could be this hot. Most of his patch autos from 2008 SP Patches /999 are still selling for $250 plus, especially if they are three or four-colored patches. A 2008 National Treasures auto four-colored patch auto /99 also sold for $500.

griffin#10 2012 Panini Prizm Robert Griffin III Autographs

 

Just like Luck, Robert Griffin III autos are still at a premium prices. Even after his unfortunate injury, collectors are still optimistic by buying his higher end autos. Basic redemptions from Prizm are selling between $125 and $150 whereas the refractors /99 are consistently selling for $225.