Why are Justin Upton cards still relatively cheap?

[Mizzourah]

This is something that really stands out to me as weird in the collecting world. The guy has 11 HR in 20 games and his hitting over .300. The Braves are the hottest team in baseball, and appear to be a definite contender this year. The Braves have a pretty big market and fan base. Not to mention, Upton is still only 25 years old.

For full disclosure, I own a blue refractor auto and a base chrome auto. I'm not making this thread to pimp my own cards; I'm just looking for an explanation.

It doesn't seem right to me that somebody with this much hype surrounding them can still have a Bowman Chrome Autograph that struggles to push $100, and ends up selling in the 80-90 range most of the time. Giancarlo Stanton is only 2 years younger, and he's having a dreadful season for one of the worst markets in baseball, yet his chrome auto still pulls in 125 consistently.

Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun are two other guys that consistently sell for 100-130, despite the fact they are on similar/smaller market teams that are struggling, and they are both 3 & 4 years older than Upton. Not to mention, their starts to the season have been lackluster.

I'm just thinking out loud here, and I don't really have an answer for it. Does anybody else have any input as to why there hasn't been a huge spike for his cards? I don't think it's crazy to say that $175-200 for a base auto would be an unrealistic price for someone with Upton's situation and production so far this year.

Again, I'm not trying to pimp Upton. Just looking for some good conversation.

[711 Cards]

Braun and Kemp have been putting up numbers for years. Upton has really only had 1 good season. Give it some time and his prices will rise. Even though Atl has fans its nothing compared to LA, Chicago, and NY

[death2redemptions]

Justin Upton is really hot right now but I don't think the value of his cards will drastically rise unless he puts together a top 3 MVP type season or finishes with 40+ homers. We know Justin Upton is talented and in 2011 he had a very solid season (5th in MVP voting) but I think he has to prove that he can live up to the huge potential for an entire season, not just a month.

[coyne81486]

his prices are pretty ridiculous.............

[duwal]

This is something that really stands out to me as weird in the collecting world. The guy has 11 HR in 20 games and his hitting over .300. The Braves are the hottest team in baseball, and appear to be a definite contender this year. The Braves have a pretty big market and fan base. Not to mention, Upton is still only 25 years old.

For full disclosure, I own a blue refractor auto and a base chrome auto. I'm not making this thread to pimp my own cards; I'm just looking for an explanation.

It doesn't seem right to me that somebody with this much hype surrounding them can still have a Bowman Chrome Autograph that struggles to push $100, and ends up selling in the 80-90 range most of the time. Giancarlo Stanton is only 2 years younger, and he's having a dreadful season for one of the worst markets in baseball, yet his chrome auto still pulls in 125 consistently.

Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun are two other guys that consistently sell for 100-130, despite the fact they are on similar/smaller market teams that are struggling, and they are both 3 & 4 years older than Upton. Not to mention, their starts to the season have been lackluster.

I'm just thinking out loud here, and I don't really have an answer for it. Does anybody else have any input as to why there hasn't been a huge spike for his cards? I don't think it's crazy to say that $175-200 for a base auto would be an unrealistic price for someone with Upton's situation and production so far this year.

Again, I'm not trying to pimp Upton. Just looking for some good conversation.


the others that you mentioned have put up more than impressive numbers. Justin is off to a hot start and generally people will want to see as the year progresses. Every player has up and down seasons, big hot and cold streaks. Upton has put up some great seasons, but not overwhelming. No season batting over .300, 2 out of 5 full seasons he has gone over the 20 homerun mark, season high in hits is 171.

Stanton is really off to a slow start this year but people can see that he can be a consistent 30-40 homerun guy with a decent average and that brings in a lot more demand than someone in the 20/20 with a decent average season.

[Metsfan1121]

This is something that really stands out to me as weird in the collecting world. The guy has 11 HR in 20 games and his hitting over .300. The Braves are the hottest team in baseball, and appear to be a definite contender this year. The Braves have a pretty big market and fan base. Not to mention, Upton is still only 25 years old.

For full disclosure, I own a blue refractor auto and a base chrome auto. I'm not making this thread to pimp my own cards; I'm just looking for an explanation.

It doesn't seem right to me that somebody with this much hype surrounding them can still have a Bowman Chrome Autograph that struggles to push $100, and ends up selling in the 80-90 range most of the time. Giancarlo Stanton is only 2 years younger, and he's having a dreadful season for one of the worst markets in baseball, yet his chrome auto still pulls in 125 consistently.

Matt Kemp and Ryan Braun are two other guys that consistently sell for 100-130, despite the fact they are on similar/smaller market teams that are struggling, and they are both 3 & 4 years older than Upton. Not to mention, their starts to the season have been lackluster.

I'm just thinking out loud here, and I don't really have an answer for it. Does anybody else have any input as to why there hasn't been a huge spike for his cards? I don't think it's crazy to say that $175-200 for a base auto would be an unrealistic price for someone with Upton's situation and production so far this year.

Again, I'm not trying to pimp Upton. Just looking for some good conversation.

Kemp and Braun have accomplished much more than Upton. And a big thing to consider around bowman chrome autos is scarcity and demand, it's not about skill. David Wright is the face of one of the biggest fanbases for 8 years and his is right around Upton.

[blackandgold]

I find they are on the rise before base autos were getting $70 now around the $90 range ref autos getting $105 now getting $140-150 range

[death2redemptions]

his prices are pretty ridiculous.............

Give me your J-Upton collection and I'll let you do whatever you want to with my imaginary girlfriend for an entire week!

[philsfan]

I think the fact that he's not in a Braves uni might hurt a little bit. It's just a personal preference, but I don't buy cards of current Phils when they played with their previous teams. (Halladay, Lee, etc.)

[death2redemptions]

I think the fact that he's not in a Braves uni might hurt a little bit. It's just a personal preference, but I don't buy cards of current Phils when they played with their previous teams. (Halladay, Lee, etc.)

That is a huge factor for me. I can't wait to pick up a J-Up autograph but not until the card features him in his Braves uniform.

[bigsmoot2]

No more prospect hype, people want the next big thing and he is already an established MLBer.

Upton is off to a great start, but I would venture to guess (barring a lot of huge seasons in a row), his chrome autos will never fetch what they did at around the time of his original callup and prospect hype with Arizona.

Weird I know, but that is how it works with chrome autos.

[gmarutiak]

I think the fact that he's not in a Braves uni might hurt a little bit. It's just a personal preference, but I don't buy cards of current Phils when they played with their previous teams. (Halladay, Lee, etc.)

I think this is the #1 factor.