Category Archives: commentary

Sports Card Hot List for May 19th 2013

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This week’s theme should be Arizona Diamondbacks because the list is almost half filled with players or prospects from the team. They are leading the NL West, but can they keep it up. Just imagine what they would be doing if Justin Upton was tearing it up with them and not for the Atlanta Braves. Lots of 2011 stuff is also on the list.

On a side note, Ebay is making it harder and harder to see what best offer prices have sold for, so it takes more and more time to figure out things. Hope you enjoy.

Jean Segura2011 Bowman Chrome Jean Segura Autographs

Although the Brewers are in last place in the NL Central, they have a couple players on their team that are tearing the cover off the ball. One of those guys is Jean Segura, who is leading the league in batting average (.361) and hits (57). Many question if he can keep it up the rest of the season, but he is definitely showing who got the best of the Zach Greinke trade with the Angels last year.

Because Segura is producing, the price of his autographs and even base cards are selling well. His 2011 Bowman Chrome autographs are selling for $50 after selling for half that last week. His 2010 Elite autographs are selling for $22 when they only sold for $10 at the end of April. Couple of hot sales include the 2010 Bowman superfractor for $760 and 2011 Bowman Platinum autograph superfractor for $736.

Bradley2011 Bowman Chrome Archie Bradley Autographs

Bradley has been pitching great this spring and has moved into the top 5 prospect talk for many. Basically, he is doing what Dylan Bundy did last year and is creeping up the prospect boards. The guys is 5-0 with a 1.11 ERA with 68 strikeouts in only 48.2 innings. Although they got rid of Trevor Bauer, the Diamondbacks have a future ace in their farm system.

Because of his torrid start, Archie Bradley’s 2011 Bowman autographs have jumped from $25 to $42 this week. A notable sale on the Archie Bradley front is a 2011 Bowman blue refractor autograph BGS 9.5 for $210.

Corbin2010 Bowman Platinum Pat Corbin Autographs

No longer a prospect, but a guy that has been pitching really well this season, Pat Corbin is showing why the Diamondbacks can groom pitching. He is a perfect 6-0 on the season with a 1.52 ERA. He already has the same amount of wins that he had all of last year. He has put himself in the All-Star conversation for sure.

Corbin’s 2010 Bowman Platinum autographs have shot up from $5 last week to around the $20 mark this week. A red refractor autograph /10 sold for around $220.

Paul Goldschmidt2011 Bowman Chrome Paul Goldschmidt Autographs

Yes, another Diamondback on the list. This guys isn’t a pitcher though, he is a Paul Bunyan-like masher. Paul Goldschmidt is batting .335 with 12 home runs on the season Not to mention, he is a first baseman and can run fairly well (he has 4 stolen bases). He is proving the doubters time and time again that he has what it takes to be a starter in the big leagues.

Goldschmidt’s 2011 Bowman Chrome autographs sold for around $30 last week, but are now over the $60 mark. His 2010 Elite autographs are up to $35 after only selling between $5 and $10 last week. Notable sales include a 2011 Bowman Orange Refractor /25 autograph BGS 9.5 for $985 and a gold BGS 10 /50 for $898.

Walker2012 Panini Elite Adam Walker Autographs

Perhaps one of the most underrated prospects coming into the season, Adam Walker is showing that he can put up the numbers. Walker hit 14 home runs in only 58 games last year, and he has continued his power trip into this season by hitting 10 so far.

Because he has reached double digits in home runs, he is starting to get some attention. His Elite autographs are selling for $15 after selling for only a couple of bucks at the beginning of the month.

Springer2011 Bowman Chrome George Springer Autographs

Because he did not crack the top 100 prospects on many lists in the offseason, George Springer’s cards took a hit. He has put himself back in the top 100 talk by leading Minor League Baseball with 13 home runs. His 2011 Bowman Chrome autographs are up are selling for around $30 when they were about half that at the beginning of the month. A Gold refractor /50 autograph recently sold for over $300.

Adams2008 Razor David Adams Autographs

Taking over for Kevin Youkilis while he is on the DL, David Adams is trying to make a name for himself with the Yankees. He has only played in 4 games, but his cards are sure getting attention. His 2008 Razor autographs sell around $10 while they were not even selling for a buck last week. Since he has no other autographs, Razor stuff is actually selling for a change.

The FCB Podcast Episode 10 in Honor of Joe Elder (Muskiesfan) is live!

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We dedicated this podcast to Joe, who is currently fighting in a hospital with a heart condition. We are thinking about you Joe, get better man.

We also get a visit from The Bowman Scout himself, JP Schwartz.

The FCB Podcast Episode 10 in Honor of Joe Elder [ 1:55:27 | 105.7 MB ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (97)

Sports Card Hot List for May 12th 2013

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To some collectors, the release of 2013 Bowman was like Christmas: opening packages, hoping for great presents inside the new product. This year’s prospect autograph checklist was among the strongest yet, but the odds for hitting colored refractors seemed to be tougher to find. Even $5 autographs in this year’s product seem to be great investments because they are promising prospects.  It also feels like Christmas for basketball fans with the NBA Playoffs kicking off. There have been many premium games early on in the playoffs. This week’s list reflects these two sides of the Christmas spectrum.

Byron Buxton2013 Bowman Chrome Byron Buxton Autographs

Buxton was the 2nd overall pick by the Minnesota Twins in last year’s MLB draft, and rightfully so. He is hitting .339 with 5 home runs with 13 stolen bases. He combines speed, average and power similar to the Matt Kemp of old.

Buxton’s autograph is perhaps the most sought after autograph in 2013 Bowman. His base autographs have now leveled out to the $110-$120 mark after early sales were much greater. Gold refractor autographs were selling between $750-$850. Crazy money for a crazy good prospect.

Carlos Correa2013 Bowman Chrome Carlos Correa Autographs

Although he was drafted ahead of Buxton in the draft last year, Correa hasn’t shown impressive numbers like Buxton. He has only hit .224 with 3 home runs thus far. His 2013 Bowman base autographs are still selling for a good chunk of change by hitting $70-$75 at the end of the week. To compare to Buxton, his gold refractor autographs are selling for around $560.

His lofty prospect status should keep these cards high.  Prospectors who spend this kind of money on a chrome autograph do not give up easy and should keep the market up.

Klay ThompsonKlay Thompson Autographs

After having a career game on Wednesday for the Golden State Warriors against the Spurs, he became a well-known commodity. Thompson was making three’s left and right going 7 for 8 from the arch. He tallied up 29 points that night. Thompson and Steph Curry are becoming young stars for the Warriors.

Because of his NBA Playoff performance, Klay Thompson’s autographs have gotten plenty of attention. Buy it nows were being hit left and right just like his 3-pointers. His 2012-13 Panini Prizm autographs /149 were selling for $15 at the end of April and have shot up to the $40-$50 mark after his performance in game 2. Also, his 2012-13 Panini Select Jersey autographs nearly doubled after his performance.

Stephen CurryStephen Curry Autographs

Like his teammate, Stephen Curry has also been on fire as of late. He has become one of the best young players in the game recently and as a result, his cards have spiked. His 2009-10 Elite autograph has hit $60 after only hitting $37 a couple of weeks ago. This pictured Panini National Treasures Patch autograph recently sold at auction for $860.

Yasiel Puig2013 Bowman Yasiel Puig Inserts

Yasiel Puig is a man-child and we have seen him on the hotlist before with his unlicensed 2012 Leaf autographs. In 2013 Bowman, Topps inserted some licensed Puig cards, showing him for the first time in a Dodgers uniform. His Top 100 chrome insert card is selling for $10 and his die-cut /99 is selling for around $115 and that’s pretty solid for an insert card. It makes you wonder if Topps is holding his autograph back for 2013 Bowman Chrome.

Sterling Marte2011 Bowman Chrome Starling Marte Autographs

Perhaps he’s the best over-performing player on your fantasy team, but Starling Marte has done everything right so far this season. He has started off the season hitting .336 with 5 home runs. He also adds speed with his 10 stolen bases. Actually, he is doing so well he is outdoing the guy that was supposed to be their best player, Andrew McCutchen. If he keeps up this pace, he could steal the show from Cutch.

As a result of his all-star caliber start, Marte’s 2011 Bowman Chrome autograph prices have jumped up from $24 to $38. A couple of weeks ago, his 2011 Bowman Sterling autographs were selling for $14 and now they have jumped to over $20.

Shelby Miller2010 and 2013 Bowman Chrome Shelby Miller Autographs

Shelby Miller proved on Friday night why he has been dubbed one of the best pitching prospects in the game. Miller threw a one-hit shutout against the Colorado Rockies. He actually retired the last 27 batters that he faced. He gave up a leadoff single to end his no-hit bid from the get-go. Miller now is 2nd in the National League in ERA.

As a result of his performance, his cards have risen dramatically.  His 2010 Bowman Chrome autographs are selling for $55, up from $35 last week and his 2013 Bowman Chrome autographs were up to $78 after his masterful performance when they were only hitting $25 earlier in the week. A 2010 orange refractor autograph sold for $455 recently.

Carlos Gomez2006 Bowman Chrome Carlos Gomez Rookie Cards

Like Marte, Carlos Gomez brings a combination of speed, defense and power to any team. Gomez is hitting .374 with 6 home runs and has 7 stolen bases. He has found his groove over the past year, and it seems to be sticking with him. Gomez’s 2006 Bowman Chrome Parallels have been selling for good coin. A raw gold refractor sold for $62 this past week when it only sold for $35 for a BGS 9.5 a month ago. Base chrome cards are selling for $5 a pop and could have been sold for only a buck or two last month.