AutoPatch vs AutoPatch?

[fergy559]

You know - you got to ask yourself:
What is the difference between an autopatch from one set vs an autopatch of the same player in another set? Here is my example:

You have the SPA FW autopatch of Crosby #/100 that books for $2000 (nope - it is not considered a rookie card), and you will have the Hot Prospects Prized Prospects autopatch of Crosby #/50 (no rookie as we are comparing apples to apples) that will be valued at - what? $500 to $900 maybe. You are getting the same stupid photoshoot patch and the same auto, so in the end, both cards (both made by Upper Deck this year) are different because one says SPA Future Watch, and one says Fleer Prized Prospects??!! It shows how most of us treat this "hobby" as a business. We will not keep the card - we will sell it within days, or hours...

Upper Deck and Beckett just love the business collectors in the hobby - we can rationalize any price and justify one card over another (since I sell cards to other human beings, I guess that I am in that group). And I love it when we can justify giving a card a lower price than what could possibly be expected - for the purpose of obtaining the said card, of course.

This has been on my mind for a long time - right winnie? - and thought that I would seek some comments from you guys...

Dave

 

[Ferris]

This is an easy one...SPA has a bigger following than a new product like Hot Prospects, therefore more set collectors. What makes UD Young Guns at 6-per-box as valuable as numbered 1-or-2-per-box rookies from other products?

I like the Prized Prospects set and am happy to pick up those singles at what I consider to be greatly discounted prices.

 

[crankshaft]

Dave, the book values for these cards are reflected on sales info they get. Ebay usually sets the market price for something. If you take a look at the prices of the Future Watch patches and compare them with the prices of the Red Hot Prized Prospects patches, the Future Watch patches sell much higher, and its not because Beckett prices them that way, its because there is more interest in the Future Watch patches. They have been around much longer and there is collectors that do that set every year. Not to mention that the card is hard signed instead of a sticker on the Fleer card...

I know it doesn't make sense but a lot of things in this hobby don't make sense. I'd love to own BOTH of the Crosby cards but one is just too expensive so I have to settle for trying to land the other one...

Rod

 

[fergy559]

AutoPatch vs AutoPatch

Well - I am not going to pay an extra $1,000 for similar card because others like it. The Hot Prospect autopatch is just as nice looking - yes - the auto is on a sticker - but it is an auto. I have the Ultimate Crosby rookie, but I like the SPX better. But wait! The Crosby auto from Ultimate #/299 is $750 and the SPX one #/499 is down to $900 from $1250 - do I want to pay the extra $150 because of a non-gameworn piece of jersey? It is a paradox indeed...

We collectors have bought into the SPA - we are like sheep in that regard (and don't get me wrong - there are some great cards in that set), and that we use Beckett as a bible and not as a guide. Ebay prices are the bible now...

Cheers!

Dave

 

[crankshaft]

Well, I personally do not buy into SPA as there is no way I would pay that much more for a card that is numbered higher... there is also a lot of other members that don't BUY into it, however there is collectors that do that set, and only that set every single year. With that type of following, the prices are definitely going to stay high.

I wouldn't say that ebay prices are the "bible" per say, but they are an accurate guide to what fair market price is as its the biggest marketplace in the world, especially for sportscards. Sure cards sell higher and lower locally but thats going to happen and its impossible to keep track of every single sale of a particular card.

I personally like the look of the Hot Prospects card more, which is why I own the regular patch rookie and am looking to get the red patch as well and that I don't own, nor have I ever tried to own, the Crosby Future Watch patch.

Rod

 

[odjickfan]

I have to say that I like Hot Prospects. When you get a multicolored rookie autoed patch of a guy from your team for less than the price of a pack of SPGU, you have to be happy!!

 

[jxbeutl]

Im a set collector myself, not SPA but I can see why some cards demand such a premium when it makes little sense why a rarer possibly more desireable card costs less. I have paid far more for some cards then I ever should have simply because its a set that I like... there are nicer cards out there, but I dont care about them... only finishing my set.