1998 Manning Contenders: The value of a good sig

ripkenintheminors

I collect Peyton Manning and make it a point to track the sales of some of his key cards from his rookie season. Over the past month or so the sales on the 1998 Contenders has literally exploded, especially on the certified NM-MT/MT copies.

The same seller has had a pair of BGS 8 copies. The first BGS 8 had a 9 on the autograph grade that sold for over $3,700. Now there's a copy for sale with an autograph that got a 6 grade (ebay 130209229204) with no hits on a BIN of $3,400.

Although I am sure that the majority on this forum knows the importance of taking care of signed items, let this serve as a reminder to those who have never considered it.

elsnorto

No disputing the main message of your post, but the Peyton Manning Contenders rookie is somewhat of a unique case due to the condition sensitive nature of these cards and the (relatively) short print run of 200. That said, I am still surprised they are selling as well as they are currently with the Colts one year removed from their Super Bowl win and in the midst of the offseason.

Snorto~

ripkenintheminors

<< <i>That said, I am still surprised they are selling as well as they are currently with the Colts one year removed from their Super Bowl win and in the midst of the offseason.

Snorto~ >>



I've spent a lot of time thinking about what caused the spike in prices. Although the card has consistently sold well, the cards are currently selling for more than they were after the Super Bowl win.

Maybe a bad argument on my part, but part of me thinks that the spike of Tom Brady values pre-Super Bowl had something to do with the increase in Manning sales. Of course Tom's Championship Ticket is out of 100, but Tom's regular Contenders issue was going for wild amounts as they were on the verge of perfection. Is it possible that when people saw what Brady cards were bringing that the Manning market received some benefit?

Of course this is only a theory, but it's one of the only possible explanations that I can find.

elsnorto

I think you are probably on to something there. Manning raised the bar with market prices on high end rookies (SP & Contenders especially)... then Brady came along and raised it even further, proving there was still upside to be had. Manning is still young and the Colts still competitive, there is no reason he could not have the same level of success Brady has in the future.... and his key rookies perform accordingly.

Snorto~

ripkenintheminors

In case anyone is interested in the numbers:

Condition Price Date of Sale

Raw $6,400 1/17/08
Raw $2,651 1/18/08
Raw $5,155 1/20/08
Raw (Included Press Pass & Topps 1998 Autographs) $5,200 1/23/08
BGS 8 $3,600 1/25/08
PSA 10 $9,000 2/2/08
Raw $2,700 2/3/08
Raw $3,350 2/4/08
PSA 9 $6,012 2/8/08
BGS 8.5 $3,750 2/19/08
PSA 9 $4,953 3/2/08
BGS 8 $3,775 3/17/08

Allen

The autos on those cards do not always reflect how they were cared for. The super premium finish on the card stock compromised the ink's ability to flow onto the surface. Many came out of the pack with "bubbley" autos. I believe that many of the very strong autos have likely been re-signed or traced. Most of the Randy Moss autos are not perfect and when I see ones that are I have to wonder if rubbing alcohol was involved.

ripkenintheminors

<< <i>The autos on those cards do not always reflect how they were cared for. The super premium finish on the card stock compromised the ink's ability to flow onto the surface. Many came out of the pack with "bubbley" autos. I believe that many of the very strong autos have likely been re-signed or traced. Most of the Randy Moss autos are not perfect and when I see ones that are I have to wonder if rubbing alcohol was involved. >>



Very valid point. I've never heard any rumblings on the numbers, but Peyton signed in both blue and black. I'm not sure if there was a real reason, but there are a lot more blue autographs than black. FWIW I don't think I've ever seen a copy with a black sig that looked good.

ripkenintheminors

The fact that it was a reserve auction could've hindered the result, but the final bid (reserve wasn't met) was $2,076.00