Best RC buy at $100ish

[Skipscards]

The answer depends on the timeframe. Over the next couple of years, definitely Ohtani. His stuff has plenty of room to grow if he keeps doing what he’s doing. But he will get old just like everyone else. If you are talking decades, the answer is probably Griffey but being a 7 is not ideal for this exercise. I’d recommend taking the $100, buying as many raw Griffey’s you can, and seeing if you can get lucky.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

I’d recommend taking the $100, buying as many raw Griffey’s you can, and seeing if you can get lucky.

That might get you three on a good day. The card is so plentiful that finding a raw near mint 7 equivalent for $40 or so shouldn't be difficult. Same logic for most Ohtani stuff. Why I leaned toward the Sandman Bowman (image be damned). That set is a mild pain to grade out in spite of white borders. Everything else with the possible exemption of the Pujols can be found mint raw for less and submitted on own. That's how I approached the question. The Ohtani might, and likely will, end up being worth more than Rivera but I can pick up countless Ohtani and grade them myself, likely making more money than buying one already in the slab. I'll posit that it's more difficult to pull that off with a Rivera.

[eye4talent]

I’d say go for a Junior Caminero Topps Chrome auto. The dude hit 45 HR as a 21/22-year-old, he has a minor league track record of hitting for average, and he’s not going to stay in Tampa forever.


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[brewtown107]

Pujols is the best answer imo, but really none are great options

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by brewtown107

Pujols is the best answer imo, but really none are great options

What would be your option at the $100 mark?

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by dashcol

What would be your option at the $100 mark?

I'd grab the 2001 Topps Traded & Rookies #T247 Albert Pujols PSA 8. That card is fetching about $125 on average but could probably be had for $100 patiently waiting for a low BIN or wheeling-dealing at a show. That's a card that often goes for $100 raw and is hard to nail a 9 or 10 on so might as well just grab the slabbed 8 for same price. Topps is the surviving legacy brand and I'd think would carry better value in the long haul over the Upper Deck suggested in the OP.

[dashcol]

Originally Posted by f2tornado

I'd grab the 2001 Topps Traded & Rookies #T247 Albert Pujols PSA 8. That card is fetching about $125 on average but could probably be had for $100 patiently waiting for a low BIN or wheeling-dealing at a show. That's a card that often goes for $100 raw and is hard to nail a 9 or 10 on so might as well just grab the slabbed 8 for same price. Topps is the surviving legacy brand and I'd think would carry better value in the long haul over the Upper Deck suggested in the OP.

But you said all of them are not good options. The Pujols was one of the options.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by eye4talent

I’d say go for a Junior Caminero Topps Chrome auto. The dude hit 45 HR as a 21/22-year-old, he has a minor league track record of hitting for average, and he’s not going to stay in Tampa forever.


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This is the best option IMO.

[Skipscards]

Originally Posted by dashcol

What would be your option at the $100 mark?

If we can take anything not on the list, forget the Griffey; I’d grab one or two of these raw. I bought these two raw for about $100 combined and ended up with this…

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by dashcol

But you said all of them are not good options. The Pujols was one of the options.

I didn't say that. None are bad options. I implied there are better options by noting most of the cards referenced in the OP poll can be obtained in the grade raw for well below the cost of the slab. The 2001 Topps Traded Pujols was not an option on that list. It was my suggestion over the Pujols Upper Deck rookie mentioned by the OP. The UD is not as condition sensitive as the Topps from that year and I'll argue more collectors will default to the Topps brand as the Upper Deck brand outside of hockey and the 89 Griffey gradually fades from memory. Nothing wrong with a mint Pujols Upper Deck rookie, but why drop a $100 on a slabbed one when raw are readily available for around $25? Taking a closer look at completed items, it turns out the OP was using the high end comps. The PSA 9 Pujols UD has no shortage of $60-80 BINs hit with $100 being the high side along with one $149 outlier. One went as low as $50. Sure, if I can get two of the UD for $100, then hard to argue with that.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

What is the goal here? To buy one of these cards for $100 and sell it for $130 in five years?

I might take some heat for this, but that list is kind of boring. I would lean more toward what a few others have said and pursue a better card of more recent player with some upside. A card worth having IF the player actually makes it big.

[timber63401]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

What is the goal here? To buy one of these cards for $100 and sell it for $130 in five years?

I might take some heat for this, but that list is kind of boring. I would lean more toward what a few others have said and pursue a better card of more recent player with some upside. A card worth having IF the player actually makes it big.

It was just more for engagement then anything. Not a how to get rich exercise. I was just thinking whats the best card to buy in that range and I personally think the UD Griffey is the most overrated (Iconic card but Pop is so huge) and Pujols in general is under rated somehow.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

If we can take anything not on the list, forget the Griffey; I’d grab one or two of these raw. I bought these two raw for about $100 combined and ended up with this…

As usual, Skip has the answer. Ripken or Henderson might work too if you have a good experienced eye for grading. Modern doesn't really seem to have much upside with as much as is being made.

[brewtown107]

I was the one who said none are great options.

I'm not really a fan of graded base cards, generally, and all of these players are at or close to their peak highs right now in terms of popularity and price.

"Best buy" implies looking for upside, and sure, there could be more upside to these guys, but it's limited when you're looking at base cards from (mostly) non-premium sets in non-premium grades.

And there's also downside, especially with the active guys who are coming off MVP seasons. Can they keep it up year after year? At some point they won't. When that happens, the rare cards will sustain, but base cards in non-premium grades tend to slump.

There's less downside with the retired guys, barring an O.J. Simpson or Curt Schilling situation, but less reason for further upside also. Where is the new demand going to come from?

I picked Pujols, because it's possible the stink of his long decline phase will dissipate over time and folks might start to see how high he ended up in the career Stat lists. Happened for Griffey, who was admittedly more popular in his heyday, but Pujols' career numbers are miles better. 700 HRs and 2200 RBIs is rare air!

But I agree the Topps (and Topps Chrome) RCs are a better buy, which is why I don't like any of the options, really.

[ThoseBackPages]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

What is the goal here? To buy one of these cards for $100 and sell it for $130 in five years?

I might take some heat for this, but that list is kind of boring. I would lean more toward what a few others have said and pursue a better card of more recent player with some upside. A card worth having IF the player actually makes it big.

to be fair most "Rookie Cards" are not all that exciting because they are part of the base set. Cost is the main roadblock for most collectors on some of them especially if they are hung up on assigned grade

[discodanman45]

I think we will see gradual shift away from rookie cards to rarer serial numbered cards and inserts. I have been buying Topps Tiffany cards for 80's players run. For modern stuff I stay away from base rookies and just get parallels. I can get a 2011 Topps Update Altuve Gold /2011 or Diamond for about $50 more than his PSA 10.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

I think we will see gradual shift away from rookie cards to rarer serial numbered cards and inserts. I have been buying Topps Tiffany cards for 80's players run. For modern stuff I stay away from base rookies and just get parallels. I can get a 2011 Topps Update Altuve Gold /2011 or Diamond for about $50 more than his PSA 10.

Rookie card will always be a thing people want.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by Skipscards

If we can take anything not on the list, forget the Griffey; I’d grab one or two of these raw. I bought these two raw for about $100 combined and ended up with this…

Those are some Great 8’s, Skip. Seriously.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by towerymt

Rookie card will always be a thing people want.

When dealing with ultra modern, it’s rare and desirable parallels/refractors of rookies cards that people want.

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by towerymt

Rookie card will always be a thing people want.

Yes, but I think that being the most coveted card being collected will continue to decrease over time. Everything these days has a rookie card logo on literally well over 10,000 different cards each year. Parallels and inserts all have the RC logo. It will continue to get worse year over year. I have personally seen many people get away from rookie cards and start hoarding rarer cards. Getting a PSA 10 rookie might be the long-term worst investment you can make, but it is fine for playing hot potato.

If you want to invest in rookie cards, none of these choices are correct. You need to make a play for future HOF and hoard their cards. Rookie cards of Luis Tiant, Dwight Evans, Craig Nettles, Lou Whitaker, Keith Hernandez, etc... Buy tons of them and unload within 24 hours after they make the HOF. Eventually almost every player with a WAR over 60 will be in the HOF.

[discodanman45]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

When dealing with ultra modern, it’s rare and desirable parallels/refractors of rookies cards that people want.

And I think that will catch steam backwards into the 90's. The prices of rare parallels and inserts in baseball are an absolute joke compared to basketball. I think we will see this change in the next few years.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by ThoseBackPages

to be fair most "Rookie Cards" are not all that exciting because they are part of the base set. Cost is the main roadblock for most collectors on some of them especially if they are hung up on assigned grade

True. I guess this question is just geared more for collectors of 90’s/00’s in general. Which is not me (although I love looking at other people’s collections here!).

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

And I think that will catch steam backwards into the 90's. The prices of rare parallels and inserts in baseball are an absolute joke compared to basketball. I think we will see this change in the next few years.

Yeah, I think we’re seeing it a little already. They’ll touch Jordan’s prices, but he is the rising tide that lifts all boats. Rare Brady parallels and inserts seem to be where people priced out of Jordan are putting their money at the moment too.

[towerymt]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

If you want to invest in rookie cards...You need to make a play for future HOF and hoard their cards.

I did pretty well buying CC Sabathia cards ~3 years ago. Profit is just over $800 on $759 purchase, but I did manage to hit two PSA-10s with some luck, so did better than I should have.

Fringe future HOF'ers can pay out nicely if you pick the right cards at the right time.

[f2tornado]

Originally Posted by discodanman45

I think we will see gradual shift away from rookie cards to rarer serial numbered cards and inserts. I have been buying Topps Tiffany cards for 80's players run. For modern stuff I stay away from base rookies and just get parallels. I can get a 2011 Topps Update Altuve Gold /2011 or Diamond for about $50 more than his PSA 10.

Originally Posted by towerymt

Rookie card will always be a thing people want.

Both, but a player really needs to be elite (e.g., Bonds, Griffey, Pujols, Judge, Ohtani) for base rookie cards to gain much value in the long term.