Biggest Rookie Card Flops

Writer11

This article is a lot of fun. Check it out:

Tuff Stuff - Rookie Flops

Stingray

I did not think that Kevin Maas should be #1 though, IMO.

RipublicaninMass

nevermind, a good read nonetheless

colebear

Scott Erickson and Ben McDonald should be on there.

Cokin75

No way Maas is number one... his cards never got above 5 bucks a pop or so. In baseball, at least, my top 5 would have to be the following.

1. Dwight Gooden
2. Jose Canseco
3. Darryl Strawberry
4. Eric Davis
5. Jerome Walton (In the midst of this frenzy, I was selling his UD high # card for 20 bucks or more a pop!)

These rookie cards are all going for a fraction of what they were in 1989 when each of these guys had at least one rookie going for over 20 bucks.

Dishonorable mention: Gregg Jeffries (cards never got too high but this guy was much more hyped then Maas), Bo Jackson, Will Clark, Cory Snyder, Travis Lee, Ben Greive, Kerry Wood

stevek

<< <i>I did not think that Kevin Maas should be #1 though, IMO. >>




I didn't even look at the article yet, but Kevin Maas was by far the biggest rookie card bust I've experienced. I bought a lot, A LOT of his rookie cards raw at about a dollar apiece and thought I was stealing them at that price at the time he was red hot...I think he led the league in homers early in the season. He couldn't miss the Hall of Fame, right?

ldferg

cokin you must be smokin. some of the guys you mentioned sell for decent money in high grade still.

brien taylor and brian bosworth come to mind.

colebear

<< <i>No way Maas is number one... his cards never got above 5 bucks a pop or so. In baseball, at least, my top 5 would have to be the following.

1. Dwight Gooden
2. Jose Canseco
3. Darryl Strawberry
4. Eric Davis
5. Jerome Walton (In the midst of this frenzy, I was selling his UD high # card for 20 bucks or more a pop!)

These rookie cards are all going for a fraction of what they were in 1989 when each of these guys had at least one rookie going for over 20 bucks.

Dishonorable mention: Gregg Jeffries (cards never got too high but this guy was much more hyped then Maas), Bo Jackson, Will Clark, Cory Snyder, Travis Lee, Ben Greive, Kerry Wood >>



Gooden, Canseco, Strawberry, Davis, Jackson, and Clark rookie cards have quite a following and throughout their careers put up better than average numbers.

colebear

I stocked up on walt weiss and Chuck Knoblauch rookies.

Bigstep

I guess you had to have been there but "Super Joe" Charboneau was some big deal in the 1981 Topps set. I traded 10 of his rookie card for a Steve Carlton rookie.

Rich

kcballboy

Tony Clark was hot during his rookie year. 27 hr's in 100 games. His 94 Bowman rookie was up to about $10-15. He was solid for a few years but never spectacular.

baseballfanatic

You have to squeeze Wally Joyner in there somewhere....

Cokin75

<< <i>Gooden, Canseco, Strawberry, Davis, Jackson, and Clark rookie cards have quite a following and throughout their careers put up better than average numbers. >>



If you use those criteria, I'd say that Jerome Walton is the king then. Just on basis of ROI, I would stick by my list though. I remember when the 85 Topps Gooden was going for $15-$20 easy (1986-1987), now you'd be lucky to get 50 cents. The 1986 Canseco peaked at about $80-$90 in 1988, you could probably pick a nice one up now for 4 or 5 bucks, same thing with 84 Donruss Strawberry that peaked at $60-$70. The Fleer and Donruss Eric Davis cards were about $25 at their peak, now can be had for about 50 cents. The 87 Fleer Will Clark and Bo Jacksons peaked at about $20 and now are around 50 cents or a buck.



<< <i> cokin you must be smokin. some of the guys you mentioned sell for decent money in high grade still. >>




Of course, I'm speaking in "raw" terms here.

Bigstep

All of those guys had a career, maybe not what you expected , but they made it .Brien Taylor has to be number one.

Yankeeefan

<< <i>cokin you must be smokin. some of the guys you mentioned sell for decent money in high grade still.

brien taylor and brian bosworth come to mind. >>




At least most of these guys played in the big leagues. Brien Taylor never made it to the big-time.
Since he was considered to be a "can't-miss" type of player and never made it to the bigs (because of his own stupidity) he has to be one of the biggest rookie card busts.

baseballfanatic

A lot of big time dealers were PAYING 25.00 for 85 Donruss Eric Davis cards back in the day...

stitzen

Brien Taylor has to be up there if the definition of flop is someone whose career never matched the hype. Guys like Canseco, Gooden, etc. all had great careers but for one reason or another fell off (drugs, steroids, etc.). For it to be a flop, I'd think that the player never did anything at the pro level.

One name that did come to mine was Ron Kittle - ROY in 83, then just essentially disappeared.

ajw

<< <i>The 87 Fleer Will Clark and Bo Jacksons peaked at about $20 and now are around 50 cents or a buck.

>>



Will peaked right at $35, actually.

zef204

I have a few hundred BJ Surhoff and Ruben Sierra 87 Topps that I can use for kindling.

markj111

How can a rookie hockey player be considered a flop? If you flop, but no cares, are you still a flop? Most people can not name an active hockey player. I watch Sports Center 3-4 times a week, and I do not even know who won the Stanley Cup. I do remember that it was an American team from a warm weather site.

hotmush

I love how he lifts entire sentences straight from Wikipedia.

bifff257

How about Penny Hardaway and his alter ego little penny

He was hyped as the second coming of Magic Johnson

Boopotts

<< <i>All of those guys had a career, maybe not what you expected , but they made it .Brien Taylor has to be number one. >>




The issue, I think, is what are the biggest rookie CARD flops; not who had the worst baseball career.

nam812

I have about 100 each of Pete Incaviglia and Sam Horn if anyone is interested.

colebear

Well considering mint cards today are not the same as mint cards in 1988, there is a big difference. Grading cards completely changed the outlook of the condition scale.

Nobody is going to pay $50 for a PSA 10 89 UD Jerome Walton, but people are going to pay $50 for a 1985 Topps Eric davis or Dwight Gooden rookie that are graded PSA 10.

MeteoriteGuy

"The issue, I think, is what are the biggest rookie CARD flops; not who had the worst baseball career. "

That is what the title states and that being the case, the 1986 Canseco has to take it. I don't know where the previous poster gets it peaked at about $80-$90. That card was the number one card for 2-3 years and I sold several at the $150 range, but it seems to me it hit closer to $200 before it was done.

I think it is a toss up between Will Clark and Dwight Gooden on who is next.


Sports is too much what have you done for me lately. Bo still knows in my book and Clark I will always remember as the thrill.

Mark

HeritageAddict

chaz43

Michael Jordan. chaz

cwazzy

I would have to say Cecil Fielder. His card was up to $20+ and now look at it. And Kevin Seitzer. Anyone remember him?

Chris

thehallmark

I seem to remember Ben McDonald cards being a bigger deal than people seem to want to admit. And then Todd Van Poppel was "the next Ben McDonald".
Poor guy!!
Cansecos fell off the earth. There is still value there but NOTHING like there was.
McGriff 86 Donruss had it's time in the spotlight.
Gregg Jeffries and Maas are good ones.
Ankiel cards were white hot for almost two years.
David Robinson?!?
Eric Anthony?

Cokin75

Fielder is another good one that I didn't think about.

It's kind of amazing when you think about it. There are really only four 80's major rookie players (baseball) that have held or increased their values since 89 that I can think of.... Ripken, Bonds, Clemens, and Griffey. I guess you may be able to throw McGwire in there as well. Guys like Maddux and Glavine have went up a bit too, but their rookies are pretty inexpensive.

Even guys that went on to finish out HOF careers like Gwynn, Rickey, Sandburg, Puckett and the like have seen their rookies drop at least 50 percent from their peak value.

PasadenaMudSlide

The rookie card "craze" has always miffed me.

Growing up in the 70s, it was never that big of a deal.

Now it makes me giggle like a little school girl.

jfkheat

There were a few in the 1987 sets that were $10 to $25 cards that can be bought as commons now. Kevin Seitzer, Barry Lankin, Bobby Bonillia, and Ruben Sierra are one that come to mind right now.
James

Alfonz24

I made a ton on Ron Kittle and Nick Esasky.

PasadenaMudSlide

I made a ton on Ron Kittle and Nick Esasky.

You, too?

alnavman

The Indians had a guy named Luis Medina back in either 88 or 89 who came in late one year and hit somehomers...the next year he was way overhyped....also in football there was the quarterback drafted by Oakland...can't think of his name out of USC who was way overhyped....believe had some drug issues his RC's were hot at one time....

Arsenal83

todd marinovich

Allen

Albert Pujols....The Bowman Chrome will be $25 before you know it.

usmc1986

Ryan Leaf.......

prscott933

<< <i>Albert Pujols....The Bowman Chrome will be $25 before you know it. >>



i hope so! got one for sale?

RedHeart54

Let's not also forget Tom "Flash" Gordon and Jim Abbott. Again, both went on to respectable careers (Abbott throwng a no-hitter was one of the better sports stories of the least 10 years or so) but their RCs went from $15 to 15 cents faster than a failed dot-com stock.

The summer of 1990 always brings back memories of obsessively trying to get Cecil Fielder's rookies before they peaked. As I recall I remember thinking I SHOULD have bought Cory Snyder's '86 Fleer rookie a couple of years earlier. At least I'd still have a Fielder rookie in lieu of the even-by-then flop Snyder. (I think I eventually got one for $6, still a good price at that time.)

CDsNuts

Jody Davis, Danny Tartabull, Kevin McReynolds, Ron Darling, Travis Fryman, Darin Erstad, Tim Salmon, Cal Eldred, Kenny Lofton, Tony Mandrich, Andre Ware, Blair Thomas, Jamal Anderson, Natrone Means, Lionel Simmons, and Harold Miner have not been mentioned.

I find it funny that guys like Barry Larkin (probable HOFer) and Scott Erickson (solid #1 or #2 starter for 15 years) have been mentioned, especially considering neither one of their cards were ever worth much at any point.

Lee


Edit: Forgot to mention Niklas Lidstrom, Arturs Irbe and Danny Ferry.

67standup

<< <i>
1. Dwight Gooden
2. Jose Canseco
3. Darryl Strawberry
4. Eric Davis
5. Jerome Walton (In the midst of this frenzy, I was selling his UD high # card for 20 bucks or more a pop!)

These rookie cards are all going for a fraction of what they were in 1989 when each of these guys had at least one rookie going for over 20 bucks.
>>



Curious, what modern day rookie card has held it's value?

WeekendHacker

I haven't read the article and probably wont. The rookie card craze hit the market in the early/mid 80's and peaked when most of the above players are mentioned. Then it progressed to refractors, inserts and those "1 of 1" cards. It was about then that I lost some interest, don't get me wrong, I still collect, and will buy some packs each year, but not like before. When they started selling a pack of baseball cards for 3, 4 6, 7 10 dollars a pack, the hobby evolved into a different animal - and not a better one - IMHO. I, like most of you, were burned on almost all of those rookie cards of the 80's. Not mentioned yet - here are a few of my own:

Kal Daniels
Phil Plantier
Felix Jose
Shawn Abner
Deion Sanders
Mel Hall
Chris Sabo
Mike Greenwell
B J Surhoff
Joe Magrane
Danny Tartabull
Pete Incaviglia
Dave Magadan
Cory Snyder
and the ever popular..............Billy Joe Robidoux

Boopotts

<< <i>

<< <i>
1. Dwight Gooden
2. Jose Canseco
3. Darryl Strawberry
4. Eric Davis
5. Jerome Walton (In the midst of this frenzy, I was selling his UD high # card for 20 bucks or more a pop!)

These rookie cards are all going for a fraction of what they were in 1989 when each of these guys had at least one rookie going for over 20 bucks.
>>



Curious, what modern day rookie card has held it's value? >>




It depends on how you look at it. Modern cards are obviously more volatile than vintage cards, which means the peaks (and valleys) for these cards will be more extreme. If you're asking 'what card has held it's value relative to it's historical high' then that information won't tell you much, only that cards go up and down (with most going down) and that you shouldn't buy a card when it gets hot.

That being said, many cards have done quite well if you compare their price now to their value at the time of issue.

Rogermnj

It makes me sad that you guys are putting Kevin Maas and gregg jefferies in the same category.

Jefferies .... 1593 Hits ..... 300 doubles .... 663 Rbi's....761 runs....... 196 SB..... .289 career average
Maas.... ....287 HIts.........43 doubles.....169 rbis........171 runs...........10 SB.......230 career average

Jefferies did not live up to the hype but he definetly not one of the biggest busts ever. Just because his fleer rookie went from $8.00 to 12 cents!

In my opinion..You cant put canseco or strawberry or Gooden on there either. Those guys were GREAT HALL OF FAME LOCKS early in their careers.

This list should look like...
Maas
Ben Mcdonald
Van Poppel
Mike Greenwell
Jerome Walton
Brien Taylor
Browning Nagle - (The next joe namath)



If you make the List based on card prices at their peak versus card prices now..
Your list will be filled with all stars

Mark Mcgwire 85 topps OLY - $250 RAW in the summer of 98 - $5 now
Barry Larkin 87 fleer $15 - now 25cents
Ken Griffey JR 89 upperdeck have sold for $90-$100 raw.. now you can prob pick them up for $15-$20
87 fleer will clark - $25-$35 now you can probably get one for free!

Cokin75

<< <i>Phil Plantier >>


Another good one. I remember selling his "Rookie Sensations" card for 15-20 bucks a piece.

Cokin75

Anybody remember Gary Scott? He was another big time bust. I remember he tore it up one spring training and his U.D. rookie was going for about 7 bucks or so.

Rogermnj

Also,

Another guy who had decent career numbers and was one of the best 2B's during his career....

Carlos Baerga.

90 leaf card was selling for $20 all day long along with Steve Avery..

Cards worthless now.

1989FleerBillRipkencollector

Not the biggest flops but I remember a few that were suggested I "put away"

Eric Anthony

Ben McDonald

BobaFett72

Cokin is smokin' crack.

1. Dwight Gooden cy young, ROY
2. Jose Canseco 40/40 MVP
3. Darryl Strawberry HR champ
4. Eric Davis Some monster years, World Series.

these guys arent flops, their cards had good value for multiple years and folks still collect them.

jerome walton WAS a huge flop.


here are some others
Phil Plantier, Sam Horn, Luis Medina

Brien Taylor, Van Poppel and Gregg Jeffries top my list though