Help me understand modern autograph card pricing.

ndleo

I'm looking to buy a couple Mark Prior autograph rookie cards. A Leaf Limited auto rookie is numbered to 500. An SPX auto rookie is numbered to 1500. Why does the SPX consistently sell for more money (almost double) than the Leaf Limited? The SPX auto cards is signed personally by Prior, while the Leaf is a sticker. Is that the only difference?

cardinarky

IMO as a 20+ year autograph collector, the sticker autograph has very little interest to me.
That is the reason for the price variation, even though the POP is significantly less. There are aesthetics associated with this hobby. The sticker is moving us that much closer to the Henry Ford assembly line point of view. It is lower on the hierarchy of desired limited autographed materials. It means something to the collector that the player actually touched the card that he signed. The sticker, well, depending on where it fell in the sheet, he may or may not have even touched it. This is why the GU autographed bat or glove or ball or battting glove or hat is preceived to be of so much value.

Then you have centering considerations for the sticker in its relationship to the rest of the card boundaries. Also at some point the sticker will begin to detach from the card. The autograph directly on the card may fade over time, but the imprint will always be there. I have several 57 Topps that were signed with ball point in 58 or 59. The ink has almost completely faded on my Piersall but the pen indentation is there permanently. I would not trade it for a dozen "stickers" of his autograph.

fsjeter

The controversy over sticker v. signed on the card is but a part of the reason for the price difference. The biggest reason for the price differential is product popularity. SP Authentic and SPx are far more popular than the Leaf Limited. It's the same scenario with Tom Brady's RC. He has certified autographed RC's yet his SP rookie (which doesn't even have a sig) is far more valuable than any of his signed RC's. The same holds true for Albert Pujols. There are only 330 of his 2001 Donruss Signature RC Auto but his SPx RC is still a little more valuable at 1,500 copies. Just my opinion!

Scott

envoy98

fsjeter is absolutely right.

I find it odd myself that SP Authentic FB is so much more valuable than Leaf Limited FB when the LL is usually 1/2 - 1/5 the print run, costs $80/pk and yet books 1/2 - 1/5 of SPA.

It all comes down to popularity. In fact, it was debated on SportsCardForum a couple weeks back and I think the consensus was the primary difference is just brand popularity. Personally, I love Leaf Limited, I love SPA now too. I don't understand why the SP Authentic Brady #/1500 books $1500 but the contenders (which is usually considered the 2nd, sometimes 3rd best RC for modern fb) is $250 and I think has 350 copies and is autographed. Not to mention, much more difficult to find in high grade.

Personally, I think LL is one of the best looking products year after year. (although it doesn't change much from year to year)

The sticker autos are kinda lame, and I do like the "on card" autos much more, though being a fan of grading....the sticker autos remove the shipping and handling factor of the cards that get signed.

To each his own.