Whose Baseball Rookie Card Will Be Hot?

Justin · February 25, 2005 12:42PM

Also, what is the best card product for modern rookie cards? There are so many.

Stone193 · February 25, 2005 12:49PM

Justin
My favorite is Bowman Chrome. I like auto RC's also.

your friend
Mike

kingraider75 · February 25, 2005 12:56PM

bowman, they get the kids as soon as they get drafted. Well I think all the companies do that now, but Bowman usually has better pics.

boggs301012 · February 25, 2005 1:17PM

This year I am guessing Conor jackson will be a break out. He was invited to spring training and had a great fall league. And he played USA baseball and college ball. Well seasoned 23 or so. Bowman is the way to go.

James

MajorDanby · February 25, 2005 3:49PM

This coming season? Or in the coming years (as with happened to bonds)?

Look at last year to figure which rookie cards get hot. First, adrian beltre. MVP like season and plays for a big market team. Second, johan santana. Cy young season and on a playoff contending team. Lastly, carlos beltran. Playoff exposure. Pujols and ichiro are always hot, so leave them out of the equation.

I am going with adam dunn. I think griff will stay healthy, kearns will play well and dunn will reduce his strikeouts. That equals into a fine season. Also, dallas mcpherson. I truly believe luis terrero will be one of the top players in the majors. Alas, as with victor martinez and travis hafner last season...terrero wont have that hobby mystique that guys like beltran and beltre do.

joestalin · February 25, 2005 11:51PM

Justin

You bash modern cards every chance you get and now you want a shortcut to making money?? Get lost, you know nothing because
you think it is garbage...well until you want to make a buck. yes this is the time to make money, but only if you have done your homework
and are smart. No one here is going to give up that info for you.

JS

Justin · February 27, 2005 2:11AM

joestalin, hey dipshot, I don't collect modern crapola. I only asked the question because I wanted to see what Rookie was hot and wanted to see how modern collectors would respond. I forgot you are one of them and I am glad you had time to respond since you are so busy working on your shrink doctor PhD.

mudflap02 · February 27, 2005 2:21AM

WALLY JOYNER WALLY JOYNER WALLY JOYNER

Cubby · February 27, 2005 1:33PM

Barry Bonds

joestalin · February 27, 2005 1:39PM

wa wa wa...Im so lost, there are so many products, will someone hold my hand and tell me what to buy now because I want to
make some money

please please please......

what a baby

JS

Mac53 · February 27, 2005 1:45PM

I would say, load up on Bart Giamatti now. Before it's too late.

murcerfan · February 27, 2005 1:57PM

I hear that Babe Ruth fella is selling well...(he's no Wally Joyner though)

edited:
opps..I meant to say WALLY JOYNER.

Justin · February 27, 2005 2:12PM

joestalin, BWHAAAAAAA

Onlypsahockey · February 27, 2005 2:23PM

I'm watching Hanley Ramirez. SS coming up thru the Red Sox organization. they're hoping he'll start in 2006. This kid is the reason Nomar Garciaparra, Pokie Reese, Orlando Cabreara and Edgar Renteria will all be ex Red Sox short stops next year.

shhhhh keep it quiet.

Bob

MajorDanby · February 27, 2005 3:52PM

<< <i>Edgar Renteria will all be ex Red Sox short stops next year. >>

renteria signed a 4 year, 40 mil deal. i doubt that ramirez will unseat a player making that kind of money after only one season.

schr1st · February 27, 2005 9:47PM

I hear Kevin Maas is a real blue-chipper.

envoy98 · February 28, 2005 12:22AM

I've been watching those Brien Taylor Topps Autos on ebay.

Seriously though, I know Felix Hernandez, Hanley Ramirez, Conor Jackson and Lastings Milledge are all doing well right now, but then the hobby is reflecting it in their prices.

goudeygold · February 28, 2005 12:27AM

yea justin!! its a secret!!!! PUHLEASE!!!! My suggestioin is to simply review the total number of rookies and their cards and current prices starting a few years ago, then look at the odds. But... somebody has to win, may as well be you right?! Don't forget, you have to not only pick the right player, but also the right card from the right set, subset, parallel, refractor parallel, auto, blue, red, hot pink, etc.... AND its gotta grade at a 10 too. Not bashing modern, but realize the odds before you start with the wishful thinking. I'm going back under my vintage blankie now...

Good luck!!!!! REALLY!!!!

GG

Knuckles · February 28, 2005 12:56AM

Your answer lies in which young player uses the most steroids.

NickM · February 28, 2005 8:39AM

goudeygold - all you have to pick is the right player, and a true rookie card of that player, to make money. Yes, some of a hot player's cards will go up more than others, but you don't have some going up and others going down on the same player over any significant span of time (with the exception of the new release bump that every product has for 1 to 2 weeks).

My guesses for the season:
Hot rookie player: Dallas McPherson (the Angels dumped Troy Glaus to hand him the 3B job, and he's a serious slugger)
Hot 2005 rookie card: Norihiro Nakamura (no cards yet in the U.S., but he was a repeat All-Star in Japan, and he may be the Dodgers starting 3B by opening day)
Hot rookie card (not a 2005 card, and not a 2005 rookie): Carlos Lee (Milwaukee is a much more slugger-friendly park than Comiskey - expect a 40+ HR season out of him)

For spring training, every highly touted rookie who is having a halfway decent camp will see his cards go up for a few weeks. During the season, every player in the minors who gets promoted to a higher minor league or to the majors will see his cards go up for a few weeks.
Catching these temporary waves requires a lot of detailed attention to what's happening.
If you're collecting to keep, scout the players yourself, and pick a few you like, and then focus on true rookie cards of those players that have the most to offer (auto, GU, serial #, expensive set). I picked one last year, and focused on his unnumbered '02 Prospect Premieres autographed card. It was Khalil Greene, so I'm doing all right should I choose to sell.

Nick

Onlypsahockey · February 28, 2005 9:22AM

renteria signed a 4 year, 40 mil deal. i doubt that ramirez will unseat a player making that kind of money after only one season.

He'll be trade bait for a starting pitcher to fill the holes left by Wakefield and Wells leaving after 05.

Guarantee Hanley Ramirez = Red Sox SS 06

JMO Bob

MajorDanby · February 28, 2005 9:37AM

<< <i>He'll be trade bait for a starting pitcher to fill the holes left by Wakefield and Wells leaving after 05. >>

Cant see that happening. The red sox are spend thrifts...assuming wells finally retires and wakefield leaves, the sox will sign a pitcher. Now, there arent a whole lot of great starters on the market next off-season (assuming hudson and sheets sign). If thats the case, ramirez will be the one traded away to get a starting pitcher from a low market team (see oakland trading hudson for meyer and trading mulder for haren).

MajorDanby · February 28, 2005 9:43AM

<< <i>Hot rookie card (not a 2005 card, and not a 2005 rookie): Carlos Lee (Milwaukee is a much more slugger-friendly park than Comiskey - expect a 40+ HR season out of him) >>

Dont see this. The hobby likes players from big markets and who play and shine in the playoffs. The brewers are not in a big market and they will not likely make the playoffs this season. I do think lee will put up good numbers this coming season, but unless he contends for the MVP like beltre did last year (and dont compare beltre to lee hobbywise...they dont compare with beltre's hype the last 4-5 seasons and playing in LA) or breaks some sort of record. Lee will likely follow the likes of brian giles, lance berkman, magglio ordonez, richie sexson....great numbers, but not great hobby following.

Vlad had an MVP season. But, his rookie didnt skyrocket like beltran's or beltre's. Why? The angels is not a team that has carried a hotbed of hobby favorites. Also, he plays in a market that has to contend with the dodgers. If Vlad was in a dodgers uni and beltre was in a angels uni....beltre will see a modest increase in his rookie card value...while vlad will see an incredible increase in his rookie card value.

helionaut · February 28, 2005 12:26PM

I think Vlad's lack of price increase is due to the fact that his RCs were already high, while Beltran was a breakout and Beltre had been dormant for years waiting for him to finally have a season like that. But in neither case did they reach the heights of Vlad's Bowman's Best, or even Bowman, cards. And the Angels have had some big RCs in the recent past. That pitcher in 2002 (can't remember his name) become real hot, his chrome RCs and autos were like gold. And I'm still waiting for Glaus's Leaf RC to drop to somewhere near 1998 levels. Seattle isn't a big market team, either, and Ichiro, A-Rod and Griffey did OK there. But I'm not holding my breath for Carlos Lee RCs to take off, either. The old RCs I'm hoping for movement on are Pat Burrell's. I think he's in a contract year, so a big push will mean they will finally be saleable again.

WhosYourVladdy · March 1, 2005 1:41AM

Dallas McPherson: In the minds of the Angels he was worth getting rid of Troy Glaus. Bill Stoneman is about as tight as a drum when it comes to getting rid of players. He is not going to have to come in and light the world on fire. The Angels project him at #6 in their lineup which should relieve some of the pressure of the kid, and he was the first position player into camp for the Angels this year. He arrived when pitchers and catchers reported to get some early work in.

As for hobby interest. The Angels have traditionally lagged the Dodgers for the hearts of Southern California Baseball fans, and while that may not change in the short term. The market is huge out here, the Dodgers are pissing off baseball fans with their stupid moves (not signing Beltre, etc.), and the Angels have sold over 25,000 season tickets this year. We had over 43 sellouts last year, and there are a ton of kids at the park, which is great for interest. Angels stuff is flying of the shelfs here in Orange County, and if McPherson has a halfway decent year his stuff is going to skyrocket. I have been a long-suffering Angel fan, and this has been amazing to see the transformation since they won the series. McPherson's stuff has been real hot, and if he challenges for the ROY, look out.

larryallen73 · March 1, 2005 3:32AM

I am still banking on my Joe Charbaneau rookie cards!

I have no clue which young players are going to be good this year but I hope he's a Dodger!

NickM · March 2, 2005 6:47AM

Sexson, Giles, Berkman, Ordonez, et al. all had periods where their cards shot up (Giles less so than the others). Demand was soft on each of them, however, so once they dropped off the fantasy baseball hot list, they dropped off the collectors' hot list. If you bought each of them at the right time, and then sold at the right time, you made significant money.
IMO, the best way to make money on rookie cards that have been out for a few years is to figure out which $1 card has the best chance of turning quickly into a $5 card, not which $20 card has the best chance of turning quickly into a $50 card.

Nick

Whose Baseball Rookie Card Will Be Hot?

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