Best RC buy at $100ish

[timber63401]

Best buy long term that can be had for $100ish right now. I guess my pick would be the Heritage Ohtani out of these

[towerymt]

1992 Bowman Rivera PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...2/bowman/34028
pop 4989, ~10,000 graded (1650 PSA-10)

1989 Upper Deck Griffey PSA 7
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...per-deck/52298
pop 15,000, 120k graded

2018 Heritage Ohtani PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...eritage/155581
pop 5536, ~14,300 graded (8200 PSA-10)

2018 Update Ohtani PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...-update/161401
US1 - pop 8755, 27,300 graded (15,800 PSA-10)

2008 Update and Highlights Kershaw PSA 8
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...ghlights/83271
pop 786, 5100 graded (2400 PSA-9, 1500 PSA-10)

2001 Upper Deck Pujols PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...per-deck/52296
pop 2768, 6200 graded (1400 PSA-10)

2017 Topps Chrome Judge PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...-chrome/151263
pop 1700, 10000 graded (7900 PSA-10)

[towerymt]

Some thoughts...

I checked the Kershaw recent sales and 8s are just over or around 100 while two 9s auctioned for right around $150. Previous 9 sales were higher. Could be off season discount? I don't think I'd buy an 8 if a 9 can be had for 50% more.

I would NOT buy a PSA-7 UD Griffey for $100. Way too common. Pricing on that card makes no sense to me right now. But if you must, pick a really well centered one. There are 15,000 to choose from...wait.

2018 Heritage has centering issues...not severe, just a lot will be slightly off center. So again, wait, pick a perfectly centered one. I think raw copies are now less likely to be mint or better due to the card stock and how easily people chip bottom corners just loading into a sleeve.

2018 Update Ohtani is so plentiful....I imagine the pop count is still going up. I would wait, or find a nice raw copy to grade. You need to look at the card in person if buying raw, can't just buy a raw one on ebay and expect it to be even nm-mt. I opened plenty of '18 Update hangers and lots of times cards had major corner dings, but otherwise looked gem. One of these that came out of a hobby pack and went to sleeve/toploader has an excellent chance to gem.

2017 Judge Chrome...those gem in high percentage (79%), so I'm less inclined to buy a 9 of a card like that. That's my personal opinion. The 2001 Pujols in 9 is far more interesting to me (23% gem) than a newer chrome card in 9. This doesn't mean value will be higher or anything, but I would pay for a 9 on the Pujols because average raw might be worse than a 9 vs. I would buy a raw Judge that might gem, and worst case gets a 9 (assuming I looked at it in hand). I have bought at least one raw 2001 Topps Ichiro that got a PSA-9, but the seller had good photos and it happened to be in a magnetic holder so I could see the corners well. Buying a mint raw card from 2001 on ebay is no easy task!

Bottom line...I don't always think grading should add much value over raw if it's a non-gem grade and the card is not condition sensitive or having production quality issues.

[Bosoxfan5990]

Originally Posted by towerymt

1992 Bowman Rivera PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...2/bowman/34028
pop 4989, ~10,000 graded (1650 PSA-10)

1989 Upper Deck Griffey PSA 7
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...per-deck/52298
pop 15,000, 120k graded

2018 Heritage Ohtani PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...eritage/155581
pop 5536, ~14,300 graded (8200 PSA-10)

2018 Update Ohtani PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...-update/161401
US1 - pop 8755, 27,300 graded (15,800 PSA-10)

2008 Update and Highlights Kershaw PSA 8
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...ghlights/83271
pop 786, 5100 graded (2400 PSA-9, 1500 PSA-10)

2001 Upper Deck Pujols PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...per-deck/52296
pop 2768, 6200 graded (1400 PSA-10)

2017 Topps Chrome Judge PSA 9
https://www.psacard.com/pop/baseball...-chrome/151263
pop 1700, 10000 graded (7900 PSA-10)

I would personally rather have a PSA 9 than paying the PSA 10 premium for any card at this point.

That said, I avoid any PSA 9s where the PSA 10 has a higher pop-count than the PSA 9...

[dunquixote1]

Only one player on that list is being argued as a potential GOAT. Legitimate case or not, if the conversation is comparing someone to Babe Ruth, they’re in exclusive company. That’s the answer.

[hermanotarjeta]

Yeah, Ohtani heritage is probably the best bet.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Yeah, Ohtani heritage is probably the best bet.

I won't argue with that, but if I had to pick one now, I'd probably go for the Sandman. Newer stuff is readily available raw and a mint copy shouldn't be terribly difficult to locate. It's getting harder to find mint 90s raw.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by f2tornado

I won't argue with that, but if I had to pick one now, I'd probably go for the Sandman. Newer stuff is readily available raw and a mint copy shouldn't be terribly difficult to locate. It's getting harder to find mint 90s raw.

I don’t think a relief pitcher is going to stand the test of time. Once the 90s/00s Yankees fans fade away, Rivera’s name is gonna dilute away in history.

Plus, that card is probably the worst photo out of all the options, lol.

[livfreely]

Probably a Victor Wembanyama


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ThoseBackPages]

Topps Ohtani

eta: he only has one Topps "rookie card" and that is in S2

[Chrominator]

None. A decent steak dinner would be my choice.

[atk825]

I think Judge here.

[majestik101]

I'm going Kershaw

His rookies weren't printed to the moon and get lost in a sea of cardboard like Ohtani and Judge rookies

Plus it's as iconic a card as you will find of a pitcher

I have also seen SGC 9's for about $100 in the off-season. I know, because I managed to pick one up for that about 3 years ago

[Rooftop]

Put your money in a Roth instead..

[asujbl]

Originally Posted by livfreely

Probably a Victor Wembanyama


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This is the answer

[Absknicks]

Originally Posted by dunquixote1

Only one player on that list is being argued as a potential GOAT. Legitimate case or not, if the conversation is comparing someone to Babe Ruth, they’re in exclusive company. That’s the answer.

How can someone be in the GOAT debate when they're not one of the top-50 pitchers or hitters of all-time? It's a great gimmick but he can't even OPS within 100 points of Judge in a given year.

[asujbl]

Originally Posted by Absknicks

How can someone be in the GOAT debate when they're not one of the top-50 pitchers or hitters of all-time? It's a great gimmick but he can't even OPS within 100 points of Judge in a given year.

Oh snap

400 posts in 5 years and this is the hill you want to die on

Love it

[TBTC Baseball]

Pujols is the Rodney Dangerfield of 150+ years of baseball. This is coming from a Cubs fan.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by asujbl

Oh snap

400 posts in 5 years and this is the hill you want to die on

Love it

hahaha

just tell him Ohtani > Judge and watch him explode!

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by Absknicks

It's a great gimmick but he can't even OPS within 100 points of Judge in a given year.

Definitely don't look at the gap in playoff OPS between Ohtani & Judge.

He's the 2nd best hitter to Judge while putting up higher K/9 and lower BB/9 than Paul Skenes last year. Only tossed 47 innings...but among SP with at least 40inn, lowest FIP & xFIP. Seems decent.

I'm starting to understand why Ohtani cards are so expensive...

[dashcol]

To play devils advocate, I am not sure Ohtani is the right choice.

At this point, he is probably a lock for the HOF, but what happens if he goes the Trout route and falls off a cliff?

How far did Trout fall, even though he is HOF as well?

I would go with the Rivera as the first unanimous HOFer. More limited RCs, still a 9, and can only go up.

Trout PSA 10s were $3k each a few years ago, and now are $800. That’s scary for me.

I say all that, and I am BIG on Ohtani. Only have a couple RCs, but would love more.

[ThoseBackPages]

please stop comparing an Asian man to an American man

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

please stop comparing an Asian man to an American man

Ummmmmm…what?

I am comparing a baseball player to a baseball player.

Both pitchers at that.

Not saying Rivera is on Ohtani level, but still.

Plus Mariano Rivera is from Panama…just saying.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by dashcol

Ummmmmm…what?

I am comparing a baseball player to a baseball player.

Both pitchers at that.

Not saying Rivera is on Ohtani level, but still.

Plus Mariano Rivera is from Panama…just saying.

Trout

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

Trout

Oh well okay.

I always just compare baseball to baseball. Don’t care where there from.

They were at least both Aneheim for a while.