Tag Archives: Nolan Arenado

Sports Card Hot List for May 1st 2013

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Kyrie IrvingKyrie Irving Silhouette Patch Autographs

Talking about firing on all cylinders, this would definitely describe the work of Panini America of late.  As hard core basketball collectors will tell you, they have felt a bit left out in the cold of late.  The hate has been so extreme that even fans of the product line feel the need to be sarcastic about recent success.

These Silhouette patch autographs are second in the industry only to the National Treasures patch autographs and for Panini to have two giants at the top of a players list is a welcome sign to anyone who collects basketball.  I am confident that these two products could compete even if there was an Upper Deck NBA Exquisite on the market.

Nolan ArenadoNolan Arenado Chrome Autos

Last weeks appearance was just a warmup.  A call up and a big fly have caused his refractor autographs to jump about $30.  And to further my own selfish personal agenda I would like to point out that elite autographs have tripled from $10 to $30 and have been much easier to obtain through the entire process.

A call up and a big fly does good things for a prospects stock even when it happens in somewhere like Colorado where the national attention isn’t focused.  While I look for Arenado to do some good things in the majors, part of me still has Ian Stewart flashbacks.

EJ ManuelE.J Manuel Valiant Autographs

The NFL Draft provides tons of surprises every year.  Manuel was definitely the story this year.  The Bills are in need of a true franchise quarterback and after scouting and interviews they think EJ is the guy.  The fanbase is still quite split on this as lots of people are even still upset with the pick.  Bills collectors (or whoever is buying these things) seem to be sold, as his valiant autographs tripled from $10 to $30.  I think they could go even further if Leaf would do something about it’s confusing parallel runs.  The prismatic line that they do looks fantastic but does not need all of the different numbering systems and variations.  Keep the high end rare, and see the market react.

An impressive deep ball, work ethic, and attitude is what helped the Bills overcome the lack of polish in this pick.  He will take a couple of years to get ready to see the field so that means you can probably get his cards for a discount later.  The Bills have recently come out and explained that one of the reasons for going with him is his impressive work in bad weather.  I would like to point out that a workout in bad weather isn’t the same as a fast paced NFL game.

Nick WilliamsNick Williams Rookie Autographs

Nick is apparently too good for the South Atlantic League.  This 19 year old held up an impressive 303/333/618 slash line with 7 home runs in 18 games.  That will get pretty much anyone excited about your baseball cards.

He’s a masher that should hit in every level, but is prone to slumps giving him the “streaky” label.  This also means he is a high risk prospect.  Remember that you don’t necessarily need major league success when prospecting.  It’s a pretty sure bet that he’s gonna hit a ton in the minors.  Take that information and use it while you can, bowman chrome autographs at $15 are not out of reach yet.  Don’t worry about the 7 day DL thing.  It’s only precautionary after roughing up his shoulder diving for a ball.

Chris StrattonChris Stratton Chrome Autographs

Outside of Tim Lincecum the giants have a specific set of attributes in mind when they go scouting prospects.  It’s almost like they are trying to clone Matt Cain.

You can’t argue with the successful track record the Giants have with developing pitchers.  The 20th overall pick in this draft is looking like he’s the next in that line as he has held South Atlantic League hitters to a sub Mendoza .163 batting average.  His ground ball rate is also quite nice as well.  With his college background expect him to move through the minors quickly.  His chrome autos are up from $8 to $15 this week.

Nate Robinson06-06 UD Exquisite Nate Robinson Patch Auto

The NBA is certainly a fast paced league.  It seems only natural that the cards be as volatile.  One game in the spotlight with a glimpse of greatness can cause a price spike in the playoffs.

On Sunday Nate dropped an incredible 24 points in the fourth quarter to help his current team, The Chicago Bulls beat the Brooklyn nets in two over times.  His 36 point performance followed by a steady showing the day after has his exquisite autographs more than doubling from $25 to well over $50.

Bryce HarperBryce Harper Chrome Autographs

It’s a simple and tested formula.  ESPN runs a positive story and a players cards spike.  Bryce Harper is the most recent subject of the media giants eye.  This week has been dubbed by some as ESPN’s Bryce Harper Appreciation Week.

It’s not like the best prospect in recent memory actually needs the hype as everything he does is watched by and reacted to by baseball fans.  The hobby has never seen such a sustained push by a rookie with this amount of purchase volume behind it.  With ESPN pushing even harder the rich got richer and his 2011 Bowman Chrome auto got even more expensive pushing to $450.

Miguel SanoMiguel Sano Chrome Autos

Let’s face it, dude is Albert Pujols in the minors.  I cannot fathom a world where this guy comes up to the majors and isn’t a big star.  His 1.183 OPS in the minors is no joke and probably not just the result of a hot start of a young season.  He does strike out a bit, but the run production is there and it’s a big deal.  It’s only a matter of time before he sees major league action.

His chrome rookies are up $20 from $50 to $70 this week.

I am sure there are some people left off the list, obviously we can’t include them all.  Tell us who we missed!

Sports Card Hot List for April 21st 2013

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The NBA Finals, the NFL Draft, Major League Baseball, NHL and warmer weather. What more could you ask for if you are a sports fan? This week’s list is all baseball, but next week, you can expect a rise in some football cards with the NFL Draft.

Mike Trout2012 Panini Prizm Baseball

Panini Prizm Baseball has gotten mixed reviews about its look, but it sells for good money. Gold Prizms /10 get the most hype and usually out-sell the autographs in the set. Prizm has a nice mixture of legends, veterans and prospects to appeal to all baseball collectors. A Gold Prizm Mike Trout (pictured) sold for a high premium of $510. This is pretty crazy money considering it is not even a rookie card. Yankees players are also popular with a Bernie Williams autograph SP sold for $355 and Derek Jeter gold Prizms are selling for $300-$400. Prizm has also brought controversy because they just released a “2012″ product in April of 2013, but regardless, it is a very popular product.

Brandon CrawfordBrandon Crawford Rookie Autographs

Brandon Crawford is mainly known for his glove, but recently, his bat has been hot. Crawford was hitting .352 earlier in the week, but that has since dropped to .317. Last year, he hit .248.

When his bat was hot, so were his cards. His 2011 Bowman retail autograph was selling for $15-$25 when last week they were only averaging $5. His 2008 Elite school colors autograph /25 sold for a solid $75 when it was selling for $40 pre-Opening Day. It is not likely that he hits over .300 by the end of the season, but if he does, he’d be in the top 10 shortstops in the league.

Andrew Luck2012 Topps Five Star Football Inscription Autos

Topps has not yet figured out how to match UD Exquisite and Panini National Treasures and contend for the honor of having a players absolute best card.  There are some aspects of the set that they do right.  There is no better example of this than the inscription autograph set.  It gets better when players get creative and put something besides a bland stat or the obvious super bowl mvp inscription.

The pictured card here is Andrew Luck with a “Chuckstrong” inscription as a show of support for his head coach Chuck Pagano’s leukemia research campaign.  Creativity is rewarded as this card sold for $775.  People still love the unique.

Chris Johnson2009 Bowman Chrome Chris Johnson Autographs

Chris Johnson, not the football star, but the third baseman for the Atlanta Braves is off to a hot start. Although he might not be Chipper, but he is hitting like him recently. Leading the National League with a .418 average, Johnson has been stroking. And yes, he was also in the Justin Upton trade in the offseason, so it is looking even more lopsided now.

Johnson’s cards have seen a nice jump because of his hot start. 2009 Bowman Chrome refractor autographs were only hitting $7 last week and are up to $26 this week. X-fractor autographs are hitting $32 and they were around the $18 mark last week. He is making the best out of his opportunity with Atlanta.

Oswald Arcia2011 Oswaldo Arcia Rookie Autographs

Oswaldo Arcia made a brief appearance in the Bigs, and then was promptly sent back down and then sent back up because Darin Mastroianni went on the DL. He has only 1 hit in the big leagues, but he is a promising prospect.  The Twin’s willingness to bring him up might mean that they will do so again this season.  Be ready for a solid week in the majors to lead to some big sale prices.

His 2011 Bowman Platinum autographs jumped from $10 to $20 after his call up and his 2011 Leaf Metal Draft and Valiant autographs doubled as well.

JP Arencibia2008 Bowman Chrome J.P. Arencibia Autographs

Arencibia has been all muscle early in the season by hitting 7 home runs. In the power-hitting Blue Jays lineup, JP seems to be underrated because he usually hits 6th. He hit 18 home runs last year and should surpass that by the All-Star break if he keeps up the pace. However, with power comes strikeouts, and he is leading the league.

Arencibia’s cards have increased in price over the past couple of weeks. Before the season had started, his 2008 Bowman Chrome autographs were selling for $5-$8, but now they have reached the $20 mark. Other refractor autographs will continue to rise as long as his power still shows.

Nolan Arenado2010 Bowman Chrome Nolan Arenado Autographs

The Rockies are off to a hot start and so is one of their top prospects. Nolan Arenado is batting .389 with 3 home runs in Triple-A Colorado Springs and is a favorite to get called up this season. If he keeps tearing it up, it could be sooner rather than later.

His cards have seen a jump because of his start. 2010 Bowman Chrome autographs were selling for $25 last week and are up to the $35-$40 mark this week. Refractor autographs are also up from $47 to $60 this week.

Mac Williamson2012 Panini Elite Mac Williamson Autographs

Although he is only batting .218, Williamson has shown promise in his first couple of weeks in San Jose. The San Francisco Giants prospect hit 9 homers in only 33 games last year and he has hit 2 this year. Collectors are beginning to realize that this guy has excellent power because his 2012 Elite autographs are up from $3-$5 a couple of weeks ago to $10-$15 mark currently. Recently, a gold die-cut /5 autograph sold for $126.

Still Hot

Matt Harvey 2010 Bowman Chrome Autographs

Third week in a row he is on the Hot List. Harvey out-dueled Stephen Strasburg on Friday by going a solid 7 innings. Fans in the ballpark chanted “Har-vey’s Better!” His cards have not slowed down a bit. A red refractor autograph BGS 9/10 sold for $2,700 and even 2010 Bowman base cards are selling for $7 a pop.

Justin Upton 2006 Rookie Autographs

Leading the majors with 9 home runs. 2006 Bowman Sterling Autographs up to $55. 2006 Bowman autographs still around $100. X-fractor autographs are over $200.

Tony Cingrani 2012 Bowman Chrome Autographs

Solid big league debut against Jose Fernandez going 5 innings with 8 strikeouts and only 1 earned run given up. 2012 Bowman Chrome autographs still hitting between $45-$50.

Sports Card Hotlist for March 10th 2013

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Spring Training performances can most times be deceiving. For example, Gabe Gross once hit eight home runs in a Spring Training, but he only hit 40 in his career in the regular season. Jake Fox hit 10 Spring Training home runs a couple of years ago, and he spent all of last year in the Minor Leagues. Although hitting home runs in Spring Training is a good sign, it does not always mean that they will prove themselves in the Show. This week’s list features many top baseball prospects who have been on fire this Spring Training, and a certain mystery that has been looming for quite some time now…

Johnny Manziel2012 Leaf Metal Draft Football Johnny Manziel Mystery Redemptions

The Heisman winner this year was Johnny Manziel AKA “Johnny Football.” Manziel himself is trying to trademark the nickname. Mr. Football has the possibility to be the first round pick in the 2015 NFL Draft because he was only a freshman. He led the Aggies to victory over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl by demolishing them 41-13.

Leaf Metal Draft has brought prospecting to the football world. Leaf had a “mystery redemption” for its product, and there was large speculation that it would be Johnny Manziel. Yet, you may thought this would have been false because college football players cannot receive any endorsements. Leaf has acquired Johnny Manziel autographs from a third party, making it legal to put him in the product. There is a limited number of these redemptions, but they are selling for big money. They are selling for $400 and up at the moment.

arenado2010 Bowman Chrome Nolan Arenado Autographs

Arenado was considered one of the top prospects going into the 2012 season, but batted .285 with 12 home runs last year in double-A, which are not huge numbers for a top prospect. He fell under the radar for many prospectors, and his expectations were lowered by many people at Baseball America and ESPN. He did not crack many top 50s as far as top prospect lists are concerned.

Arenado has heated up this spring batting .412 and has hit 4 home runs in only 7 games. The spring showcase he has put on has also increased the price of his cards. His 2010 Bowman Chrome Autographs were selling for $20 last week and are up to the $40 mark this week.

2013 Topps Heritage2013 Topps Heritage Super Short Prints

Many set collectors enjoy the throwback look that Topps brings in each year with Topps Heritage baseball. Short-printed error cards continue to be a hit with the product, and the more limited the prints are, the bigger money they go for. A Washington Senators Ryan Zimmerman super short print sold for $999 with about 15 copies of those being made. A Bryce Harper error card with Pittsburgh spelled “Pittsburfh” sold for a solid $800. Heritage collectors go crazy for their short printed cards: crazy collectors equals crazy money.

 

 

Stefen Romero2012 Panini Elite Extra Edition Stefen Romero Autographs

Stefen Romero had respectable numbers in Double-A and Single-A last year batting .352 with 23 home runs. However, he had no respect on the Top 100 prospect lists. He is also only ranked number 8 on the Mariners Top Prospect list according to Baseball America. The other day, Romero went 4 for 5 with 2 home runs and 7 RBIs (one of those home runs was a grand slam). He has pretty good pop for a second baseman.

Romero has only signed Panini cards at the moment, and they have certainly heated up. Last week, the basic /677 autographed cards were selling for $9, where this week, they have been reaching $26.

beal2012-2013 Bradley Beal Autographs

Month by month, Washington Wizards rookie Bradley Beal has improved. The Wizards are far from the playoffs, but Beal has brought a bright side to the team. Not one single player has scored 30 points in a game this season, and Beal nearly did with his 29-point game the other night. Beal is now the Wizards’ leading scorer over John Wall. He recently came down with a sprained ankle, but he should get back up and improve.

Beal’s Leaf Ultimate autographs are up from $15 last week to about $24 this week, and his Panini Prizm autographs seem to be trending upward.

 

hicks2011 Bowman Chrome Aaron Hicks Autographs

If you hit three home runs in one game in spring training, does it really count? Well it does for prospectors, that’s for sure. Aaron Hicks hit three home runs on Thursday, and he makes a strong case for the starting center field job for the Minnesota Twins. After trading Ben Revere and Denard Span, Minnesota may have found their replacement.

Aaron Hicks’ autographs started exclusively in 2008 with Razor and did not come to Bowman until 2011. His base Bowman Chrome autographs were selling between $10-13 last week, but by mashing three home runs, they went up to $20-$25.

 

Khris Davis2011 Bowman Chrome Khris Davis Autographs

After hitting three home runs in three games, Khris Davis has gotten a lot of attention among Brewers personnel and fellow prospectors. Davis is competing against the another Brewers prospect, Hunter Morris for the starting first base job because Mat Gamel and Corey Hart are out with injuries. Both Davis and Morris have shown power in the Minor Leagues, and it will be interesting to see how it plays out down the final stretch of Spring Training.

Kris Davis’ 2011 Bowman Chrome autographs have had many buy it nows being hit. Gold refractor autographs are going for $40, orange around $100, and blues around $15. They previously would have sold for half these prices in most cases.

webster2011 Bowman Chrome Allen Webster Autographs

After being traded from the Dodgers to the Red Sox in the Adrian Gonzalez deal, Webster has been lighting the radar up. He has been clocked at 98mph this spring and that has been brought to the attention of many.

The hype around Red Sox prospect is also greater than most other teams, so in turn it rose the prices of Webster’s cards. Base autographs were selling for $10 last week and have rose to $15-$20 this week. Other autographs of his have risen, especially his Topps Debut cards.

 

joseph2012 Bowman Chrome Tommy Joseph Autographs

Although he did not crack the top 100 prospects for many, Tommy Joseph is on the rise and is a strong possibility to be on next year’s list. After being dealt in the Hunter Pence trade, Joseph continued to swing the bat. Joseph is an offensive-minded catcher and could possibly be next in line to catch after Carlos Ruiz. He has showed some pop this Spring Training for the Phillies, and many of his cards were listed this week. Base autographs were selling around $5 the last couple of weeks, but have rose to $10-$15.