Investing In Sports Cards: Card Quest 7

It’s that time again! I’m back for Week 7 of Investing in Sports Cards, and this week we’ll get into a purchase with immense potential and a lot of rookies.

Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse: The Rules Of The Game

But first, the rules: Every week, I’ll be spending about $100 on cards and telling you what I purchased, why I bought them, what strategies I used, and how you can apply them to your collecting.

We’re tracking progress, too. Every week I’ll share:

• My total amount spent
• My total amount sold (once I start selling some)
• Total value (the comp price of my cards + total amount sold).

From there, we’ll be able to calculate my gains.

I challenge you to take on this initiative, too. Invest more or less than me–totally up to you–but track your progress.

Together, let’s show the world the power of card investing.

Week 7 Of Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse Purchases

I only made two purchases this week, and I made them for two entirely different reasons: one was misspelled, and the other was an oversized lot with some nice singles. As you’ll remember from previous weeks, card lots can return a big profit, and misspelled listings can sell for as much as 40% less than they should.

Here’s what I bought.

Purchase 1: Bowman Aaron Rodgers Rookie Silver /100, SGC 8

This listing was “2005 Bowman AARON ROGERS Silver 195/200 Rookie Year SGC 8.” Of course, the most noticeable element here is Aaron Rodgers’s name is misspelled.

To find this listing, I searched “Aaron -Rodgers 2005.” Doing so removes any listings that are spelled correctly. My timing was impeccable, too–this card had been listed an hour previously.

It was an auction but also had a BIN offer feature, so I sent the seller an offer of $75. To my surprise, he accepted almost immediately. With shipping, the purchase totaled $80.46.

This card is an SGC 8, which is not a grade to write home about. Nonetheless, it’s a good grade from a trusted company given to a card with dark borders. After all, those are always tough to grade.

A misspelling in the listing lowered the price on this Aaron Rodgers rookie.

This card is tough to comp, but I know I got a good price on it. A raw sold for $160 in June, and a different raw sold for over $700 just a week earlier. There are two of these cards currently listed, both at $1,000.

Most likely, I’ll list mine for $500 OBO. I expect Rodgers to regress a bit following an MVP performance last season, but it’s still a great card and could net an excellent return. So, I’m comping it at $200 for now.

Purchase 2: Antonio Gibson 75 Card Rookie Lot

Antonio Gibson could have a big year. He’s in an offense designed for his skillset, and many beat reporters are saying he could end up getting more involved in the passing game and third-down effort, too. If this is the case, Gibson could have a huge fantasy football year. As I’ve written before, strong fantasy performance can increase the value of cards significantly.

This was a lot of 75 cards, and the most notable were an orange disco Prizm rookie, Prizm base, Prizm black x2, and other base rookies and Chronicles parallels. I’ll most likely be selling this lot in the following manner: more high-end cards individually and a lower-end bulk lot. Sure, this takes a bit more time and effort, but the extra profit will make it worthwhile.

I paid $27.50 for it, shipping included. The Prizm Disco can sell for around $20 by itself, and I’m going to comp this lot at $50, total. It could easily hit $75 if Gibson gets hot.

Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse: Progress

After spending $107.96 this week, let’s check in on the new totals. I’ve only sold one card still, but remember, the point of starting this project when I did was to build up inventory before the season began. As a result, prices are lower during the offseason and reach higher value when the season reaches a crescendo.

How much will this Antonio Gibson lot be worth by the end of the season?

Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse: Cards Held

Tannehill Triple Threads Auto /25: Bought $83; Comp $90

Tannehill Rookie Card Lot: Bought $17; Comp $50

Gilgeous-Alexander Rookie Lot: Bought $75, Comp $130

SGA Prizm Rookie: Bought $121, Comp: $158

Alexander-Walker lot of 96 Hoops Rookies: Bought $40, Comp for $144

NAW lot of 5 Optic Silver Wave: Bought $25, Comp for $40

NAW lot of 11 Rookies: Bought $10.81, Comp for $74

Minshew Prizm Lot: Bought $50, comp $75

Heinicke Contenders Auto: Bought $37, Comp $42

Heinicke Rookies and Stars Auto /50: Bought $19, Comp $40

Tylan Wallace 3 Card Lot: Bought $50.80, Comp $60

20 Card Football Lot: Bought $31.77, Comp: $110

Aaron Rodgers Bowman Rookie /200: Bought $81.46, Comp  $200

Antonio Gibson Rookie Lot of 75: Bought $27.50, Comp $50.

Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse: Cards Sold

 McCaffrey Rookie /100: Bought $36, Sold $80

The only change in any of this was an increase in the 20-card football lot price. Corey Davis cards have seen a rise lately as fantasy sleeper hype swells around him, so based on comps of his Prizm rookie; I raised the lot value by $10.

Investing In Sports Cards With Jesse: The Totals

Spent: $704.62

Held (Comps): $1,262

Sold: $80

Value: $1,342

Net: 90% increase

Because of the Aaron Rodger purchase, my net increase jumped a bit higher this week. But, of course, it’s heavily reliant on comps instead of actual sells (for now). So that number could move in either direction.

What will I be buying next week? I have a couple more players I’m setting my sights on, so we’ll see off I pull off any bargains! Come back next week for the next update.

Are you taking on this project yourself? Tweet me @realjessehaynes or email Cardlines to tell us about it!