deepbluejacket
Verified Trader,
I have a small Phil Kessel collection that I started back in 2006 and from time to time I'll add a few cards to it. Now I knew his value would take a hit when he relocated to Arizona, a team that has approximately 850 fans in total. (I kid, I kid...maybe 8500 in total. 
)
But I didn't hope it would come to this. So I see this card on eBay:
In general, I don't buy Kessel cards outside of his rookie season, but it had an opening bid of $5. I'm curious what it will sell for, so I just bid the $5 and I'll check on it later to see what it went for.
EXCEPT IT WENT TO ME!
That's sad. $5 for a card numbered to 5? I know MVP is not the Cup, but anyone who chases 2005-05 Black Victory knows how expensive those cards #'d to 5 can get. What was this, a case hit? Brutal. But oh well, it's MVP, c'est la vie.
But this next one is worse:
This is a Red Hot parallel of Kessel's Hot Prospect rookie. Numbered only to 25. Yes, it's a one color patch and yes it's a sticker auto, but still...just 25 of them. I did not yet have a copy, so I calculated what I'd bid.
Didn't have to. Sold to me for just $11.50.
Now you might think I'd be ecstatic to grab a PC card for peanuts, but I was upset by it. If this card is truly only worth $11.50, then Kessel is no longer worth anything at all. And that's ridiculous! He's Phil Kessel! The free spirit of the NHL! Lover of casinos and hot dogs! Enemy of the gym!
And a fine hockey player. As of this post, he has 379 goals, 877 points in 1090 games. He hasn't missed a game in a decade! He's a lethal playoff performer with 2 Stanley Cups on his resume and worthy of at least one Conn Smythe. Of his draft class, only Nicklas Backstrom has outscored him and no one has played more games. What does a guy have to do?
Not play in Arizona?
Granted, he's far from a lock for the Hall of Fame. He's been very good most of his career, and exceptional from time to time. But if you look at the 2020-21 rookie class, you have to figure that only a handful have even a remote shot of matching Kessel's career.
Anyway, let's close this out with a look at some of my best Kessels.
Mike
)But I didn't hope it would come to this. So I see this card on eBay:
In general, I don't buy Kessel cards outside of his rookie season, but it had an opening bid of $5. I'm curious what it will sell for, so I just bid the $5 and I'll check on it later to see what it went for.
EXCEPT IT WENT TO ME!
That's sad. $5 for a card numbered to 5? I know MVP is not the Cup, but anyone who chases 2005-05 Black Victory knows how expensive those cards #'d to 5 can get. What was this, a case hit? Brutal. But oh well, it's MVP, c'est la vie.
But this next one is worse:
This is a Red Hot parallel of Kessel's Hot Prospect rookie. Numbered only to 25. Yes, it's a one color patch and yes it's a sticker auto, but still...just 25 of them. I did not yet have a copy, so I calculated what I'd bid.
Didn't have to. Sold to me for just $11.50.
Now you might think I'd be ecstatic to grab a PC card for peanuts, but I was upset by it. If this card is truly only worth $11.50, then Kessel is no longer worth anything at all. And that's ridiculous! He's Phil Kessel! The free spirit of the NHL! Lover of casinos and hot dogs! Enemy of the gym!
And a fine hockey player. As of this post, he has 379 goals, 877 points in 1090 games. He hasn't missed a game in a decade! He's a lethal playoff performer with 2 Stanley Cups on his resume and worthy of at least one Conn Smythe. Of his draft class, only Nicklas Backstrom has outscored him and no one has played more games. What does a guy have to do?
Not play in Arizona?
Granted, he's far from a lock for the Hall of Fame. He's been very good most of his career, and exceptional from time to time. But if you look at the 2020-21 rookie class, you have to figure that only a handful have even a remote shot of matching Kessel's career.
Anyway, let's close this out with a look at some of my best Kessels.
Mike
