Lebron James 2003 Topps Chrome Gold Refractor /50, the new "unicorn" vs. Exquisite

[HOFrookies]

Hi all.

My other thread was improperly titled without Lebron James name it in, nor did it age well, since this card is well past a million now.

So, my question: is this card the ultimate Lebron "unicorn", "white whale", "ultimate chase card", etc.?

As jterp5 said in the other post:

"Have to wonder what the market for this particular card is, particularly in light of the following:

1. Scarcity. Another collector once referred to this card as a ghost, and I would agree. Since last August, Goldin has auctioned 6 LBJ Exquisite RPA's (/99 or /23). Just 1 Gold /50 has been sold during this time
2. Recent craze for Gold Prizm's

I guess we'll never know until one gets sent to auction, but it will be interesting to see if the value gap between this and the Exquisite RPA will close somewhat in light of the above factors"

pcptrade posted this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYX6XcgC0rU

He paid "over $1 million" for his BGS true gem 9.5. Video posted on 5/31/21.

Before that: the last public auction I saw was Goldin's min gem BGS 9.5 that went for $312,000 on 10/31/20. https://goldinauctions.com/2003_04_T...-LOT67936.aspx

So, imho: I think true gem BGS 9.5's are $1.5million.
PSA 10? Anyone's guess. The premiums that PSA 10's are getting over BGS 9.5's: could we see 3x, 5x, or even the 8x's we sometimes see?

1986 Fleer Jordan BGS 9.5 to PSA 10 are easily 3-5x.

So PSA 10: $5million dollar card?

Any support, or am I going to get flamed for this hot-take?
Any guesses as to when we may see another one come to public auction?

Maybe pcptrade is willing to part with his to show us what price it would get!

[mfDante]

*whispers* great white Buffalo....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[NeedChapmans]

Best I can do for you is tell you that I sold three LeBron Gold PSA 10's in a Maryland hotel lobby for $42,000 cash in 2017.

So I hope these cards are only worth about $14,000 a piece.

[HOFrookies]

Originally Posted by mfDante

*whispers* great white Buffalo....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did you have "one that got away"?

[HOFrookies]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Best I can do for you is tell you that I sold three LeBron Gold PSA 10's in a Maryland hotel lobby for $42,000 cash in 2017.

So I hope these cards are only worth about $14,000 a piece.

Wow!
Are you serious?
Even in 2017: low to mid $20,000s were what I am seeing on PSA APR.

If you really had 3: great stories you can tell now!

[NeedChapmans]

Originally Posted by HOFrookies

Wow!
Are you serious?
Even in 2017: low to mid $20,000s were what I am seeing on PSA APR.

If you really had 3: great stories you can tell now!

Record sales at the time, I remember getting a speeding ticket leaving the hotel for doing 44 in a 35 not a quarter of a mile after leaving.

Few months after that, I sold 40 PSA 10 base chrome RC's in a diner in NYC for $40,000 and I sold six BGS 9.5 Ultimate autos for $60,000.

Retrospect, I wish someone put me in a coma for four years but no regrets. It's like when I bought 100 BTC for $12 a piece in 2011 ... made a nice profit there too, but not the $5MM kind that I could have had.

Honestly, I'm so much better off without that money.

[HOFrookies]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Record sales at the time, I remember getting a speeding ticket leaving the hotel for doing 44 in a 35 not a quarter of a mile after leaving.

Few months after that, I sold 40 PSA 10 base chrome RC's in a diner in NYC for $40,000 and I sold six BGS 9.5 Ultimate autos for $60,000.

Retrospect, I wish someone put me in a coma for four years but no regrets. It's like when I bought 100 BTC for $12 a piece in 2011 ... made a nice profit there too, but not the $5MM kind that I could have had.

Honestly, I'm so much better off without that money.

That is an awesome perspective. I am pretty sure I am not "made that way". Guess I am more of a collector that, because of card values now, turned investor. You sound more like some "flippers" I know that are always moving forward and never looks back!
Again, great for you! Best of luck to you and yours in the future!

[AbraCalabro]

ah, I always love these threads. no coincidences here.

[superdan49]

[pcptrade]

Originally Posted by HOFrookies

Maybe pcptrade is willing to part with his to show us what price it would get!

Perhaps I should.....

[duron]

Lol, this guy

[KhalDrogo]

Condition equal, Chrome Gold will never outsell Exquisite /99. I think we’re probably close to the point of a PSA 10 Gold outselling a BGS 8.5 /99 that either doesn’t have a perfect auto or three color patch.

[mc1]

Your other thread on this card is still on page 1 guy.

[pcptrade]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

Condition equal, Chrome Gold will never outsell Exquisite /99. I think we’re probably close to the point of a PSA 10 Gold outselling a BGS 8.5 /99 that either doesn’t have a perfect auto or three color patch.

Agree, I mentioned this last year in a different thread. Exquisite RPA/99 will always outsell the TC Gold Refractor in similar grades imo.

[mglevy125]

Originally Posted by pcptrade

Agree, I mentioned this last year in a different thread. Exquisite RPA/99 will always outsell the TC Gold Refractor in similar grades imo.

Full disclosure I am biased here.


That being said I do respectfully disagree based on a few different factors. The sheer number of public exquisite sales versus tc gold over the last 12 months is pretty staggering. It seems nobody wants to be the guinea pig in testing the waters selling their gold publicly, while collectors capturing profit on exquisites is a monthly happening at this point.

Check the running list of manipulated/trimmed cards on Blowout. I was looking at it yesterday and couldn’t believe how many Lebron exquisite rpas were on the list (it was nearly double digits or close to it). I’d guess as more trimming/switching patches/overall manipulation on these types of cards come to light, particularly for the new hobbyists throwing big money in the market, investors will turn to something a little more immune to alteration. That’s not to say that the golds can’t be trimmed, but worrying about the auto being traced or patch getting switched isn’t a factor.

Both cards are grails, i just think the gap between them is closer than most probably think.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by mglevy125

Both cards are grails, i just think the gap between them is closer than most probably think.

BGS 9/10 Exquisite vs BGS 9 TC Gold. What's the gap in your opinion?

A PSA 10 Exquisite is a $10M+ card. A BGS 9.5/10 Exquisite with a three color patch is probably a $4-5M card. TC Gold wouldn't even come close.

[mglevy125]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

BGS 9/10 Exquisite vs BGS 9 TC Gold. What's the gap in your opinion?

A PSA 10 Exquisite is a $10M+ card. A BGS 9.5/10 Exquisite with a three color patch is probably a $4-5M card. TC Gold wouldn't even come close.

That’s part of the point, you can’t really compare yet because one hasn’t sold publicly since October of last year. I will say the PSA 10 exquisite is in a different category because of the pop, isn’t there only one that was just recently crossed?

[pcptrade]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

BGS 9/10 Exquisite vs BGS 9 TC Gold. What's the gap in your opinion?

I would say at least 750K

[Uncbuddha]

Has the 04 super refractor been sold lately? That’s a /1. And are the 03 golds /50or /99? TCBD has them at /99.

[sebreg]

Originally Posted by NeedChapmans

Record sales at the time, I remember getting a speeding ticket leaving the hotel for doing 44 in a 35 not a quarter of a mile after leaving.

Few months after that, I sold 40 PSA 10 base chrome RC's in a diner in NYC for $40,000 and I sold six BGS 9.5 Ultimate autos for $60,000.

Retrospect, I wish someone put me in a coma for four years but no regrets. It's like when I bought 100 BTC for $12 a piece in 2011 ... made a nice profit there too, but not the $5MM kind that I could have had.

Honestly, I'm so much better off without that money.

Yeah, the thing that's so hard is that for almost all of us, unless we are already filthy rich, holding onto those assets after they've 5x'd or whatever is usually an easy sell for profits. The long hold is extremely hard on speculative assets.

[bmf]

Iconic card but Exquisite gold /23 RPA will always be king of the kings.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Uncbuddha

Has the 04 super refractor been sold lately? That’s a /1. And are the 03 golds /50or /99? TCBD has them at /99.

Rookies are /50. Vets are /99.

[Archangel1775]

The basis of this argument is that the Gold Refractor/50 should be on equal footing as a Gold Prizm/10 that didn't exist in 2003...but if it did it should be equal to an Exquisite /99 Rookie Patch Auto but since it doesn't exist the Gold Refractor/50 will do it.

Nahhhh

I will say this, if someone wanted a copy of a Topps Chrome LeBron Rookie Card, I can choose from:

Base *
Refractor *
Black Refractor /500
X-Fractor /220
Gold Refractor /50
Printing Plates (4) /1

If I want an Exquisite Rookie Patch Auto

/99
/23
/25 Gold
/1 Rainbow

Also it has a jersey patch
Also is has an autograph

It'll never happen

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by mglevy125

That’s part of the point, you can’t really compare yet because one hasn’t sold publicly since October of last year. I will say the PSA 10 exquisite is in a different category because of the pop, isn’t there only one that was just recently crossed?

I understand. That’s why I asked you what your opinion is of the gap. You must have one since you said you think the gap is closer than most think.

BGS 9 gold vs BGS 9/10 /99 3 color

I say $400k vs $2.25M. BGS 9.5 gold I could see doing $1-1.5M at public auction.

[imbluestreak23]

Aesthetically I'd rather have the BC Gold than a TC Gold.

Topps Chrome is just a blah looking card.