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Sports Cards: What I've Learned

 

I use to be involved in sports cards growing up, but I drifted away from the hobby as I got older. Once the pandemic took hold and we really had nothing else to keep our attention I was collecting wrestling memorabilia and slowly started to dip my toe back into the hobby I left behind me. I looked at the cards I had and realized I got out of the hobby before cards started blowing up. I got out of the hobby before minor league stars were getting hyped up on draft day as the next big things. I got out of the hobby before Mike Trout, Bryce Harper and Stephen Strausburg. I just lost interest and honestly was never in it for the money I feel like it was just something to do. 

Something I learned since coming back to the hobby is just because someone is a "Hall of Fame" player doesn't mean their cards are desired or expensive even rookie cards. Randy Johnson, Tony Gwynn, Mariano Rivera, Chipper Jones, Edgar Martinez, and others are some hall of fame players that fit the just because it's a rookie doesn't mean the card is expensive model. While some modern players do have expensive rookie cards on the market the selection isn't as prominent as you might think and is one of the reasons research is important. 

Early on I picked up Pedro Martinez's Rookie card graded by PSA and thought oh it's Pedro so it should be worth over a certain number. I was wrong and I honestly barely ended up breaking even on the card. I find it dumb founding that cards from legends like Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Randy Johnson, Tom Glavine and others are worth so little. The legacy they left on the game they played the game right didn't try and blow by the hitters they out smarted them. The ability to control the strike zone is what kept these playing later then most players now do. I'm not here to preach though I'm here to question what makes a card more desirable then others. 

Let me ask if the financial value of cards is part of what determines popularity then does that mean eventually legends like Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Mariano Rivera, Edgar Martinez, and others will be forgotten because the value of their cards doesn't hit a certain number. That would be a damn shame and extremely telling of the generation we live in. You can't put a price on history or legacy!! 


https://www.ebay.com/itm/257119852279

or

https://www.ebay.com/itm/257119472245

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