Penny Sleeves Thoughts on Cards, eBay and Sports in general

GU Cards – can any retain value?

Last week, I wrote a post discussing the future of game-used cards. The post did not insinuate that game-used cards had no future; they are here to stay. Rather, I made a few suggestions on what card companies might do to keep them interesting. Since 1997, value has been leaking out of game used cards like a sieve...with a few exceptions.

So the question today is, "what game used cards will maintain and perhaps even rise in value?"...and..."how can I spot these cards?"

The answers to these two questions are much the same throughout the card collecting world, they must be:

1. Visually attractive
2. Unique in some manner, low chance of being made again (think Ruth Jumbo)
3. Rare, rare is not equivalent to low serial #

What doesn't meet this criteria: Topps Sterling Bat Cards

While the visual merits of the card can be debated, it most certainly does not meet the second two standards. This card isn't unique, you can find a card like it in several brands, particularly Triple Threads which also features multipiece bat cards. Nor is it rare; Speaker bat cards can now be found in older issues of Topps Tribute, Triple Threads, 2010 Topps, Topps Sterling and Topps T206 just to name a few. Sure, all of the cards themselves are #'d below 50 but 50 times 100 different varieties is still a lot. Heck, even Topps Sterling itself has a seemingly endless array of different Tris Speaker Bat cards.

What to do, what to do, you like GU, you like having them but you don't like buying cards that are worth 40% of what you paid a few years later. Here's a couple examples of GU cards that I think do meet the standards above.

I really like the Satchel Paige Jumbo Jersey, the photography is fantastic. The Jimmie Foxx from a visual perspective is ok, not stunning. However, I do think it is unlikely we see another Satchel Paige Jumbo Jersey, there just aren't that many jerseys of his out there and the jumbo part makes it infinitely more rare. Although Foxx Bat Cards abound, glove cards do not. Getting a bat and a glove of this pre-war 500-HR club player is something that again, I don't think we'll see again.

As I said, the Paige will run you in the $175-$200 range and the Foxx sold for $172 on eBay yesterday. Certainly, they are going to cost you a little more when you do pick up GU examples like this. But at least you know it is not like driving a new car off the parking lot.

These two are just a couple examples of GU cards I believe that can hold value, there are others, have fun searching!