Are rookies watered down?

[Jeter1020]

With rookie autos and parallels having so many variations. Are rookies losing their significance? In the same thought it makes sense why 1st bowman’s are so sought after. Many rookies but only one 1st bowman. Wanted to hear the thoughts of other collectors


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[Moneychrome20]

I got one don’t care for rookie logo bowman autos

What’s the point lol

Topps or something cool but another bowman important card? ��️

[hermanotarjeta]

First bowman hobbyists tell the world who to collect.

Topps via the rookie logo tells hobbyists what to collect.

[ThoseBackPages]

short answer: Yes.

The Rookie Card did well when the pandemic started, but has fallen off like most base cards have

[Jeter1020]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

First bowman hobbyists tell the world who to collect.

Topps via the rookie logo tells hobbyists what to collect.

Very interesting


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[Imnottheonly]

IMO yes.

Rookie cards outside of Topps Flagship or Topps Chrome are all entirely interchangeable. None stand out from the other, 700 sets of cards that are just insignificant but for the artificial scarcity of a serial number.

The way things are going this will start extending to non-numbered parallels in those two sets soon enough.

The only way around it would be to stop putting every rookie in every product but I don't think that's going to happen.

[Cracktoast]

The superstars like Judge, Soto, Ohtani, Harper etc... will always hold value and likely increase long term after retirement as they get closer to the HOF. It's a long slow burn that most don't have the stomach for.

[PuddleMonkey]

Originally Posted by Imnottheonly

The only way around it would be to stop putting every rookie in every product but I don't think that's going to happen.

Topps knows all the dumdums chase those rookies upon release. Is it even possible for people to have worse FOMO than card collectors? Rookie Herp Derp goes 4 for 5 and almost hits for the cycle and you see people start the hoarding process. Ridiculous. No rookies, no hype.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Collecting all the various RC logo cards of a particular player is fun. 1st Bowman’s are ugly and boring and only appeal to investor bois (like Hermano ).

[PuddleMonkey]

Nobody invests harder than Hermano.

[Twalk1975]

It is a weird thing to assign the highest value to something just because it is first. But it makes for an easy choice for investing. I like the options that are available with rookie cards because you can evaluate each card based on its individual merit (image, card design, rarity, etc.).

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

It is a weird thing to assign the highest value to something just because it is first. But it makes for an easy choice for investing. I like the options that are available with rookie cards because you can evaluate each card based on its individual merit (image, card design, rarity, etc.).

In comics, first appearance tends to be the most valuable and desired as it is with baseball cards.

It’s the true essence of why a “rookie card”, however you may define it, in general is the most desired - the first time a player has appeared in a nationally released randomly assorted pack issued set depicted in their mlb uniform.

[ThoseBackPages]

First Topps is the way to go now

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by MiamiMarlinsFan

Collecting all the various RC logo cards of a particular player is fun. 1st Bowman’s are ugly and boring and only appeal to investor bois (like Hermano ).

Originally Posted by PuddleMonkey

Nobody invests harder than Hermano.

Nobody flips harder than logofractor bois.

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

In comics, first appearance tends to be the most valuable and desired as it is with baseball cards.

It’s the true essence of why a “rookie card”, however you may define it, in general is the most desired - the first time a player has appeared in a nationally released randomly assorted pack issued set depicted in their mlb uniform.

Would anyone say Action Comics #1 is the best Superman story? Or Detective Comics # whatever the best Batman story? I very much doubt it. It just makes for an easy answer as to which should be the most valuable for investing. Although those books have the added element of being rare.

[hermanotarjeta]

Originally Posted by Twalk1975

Would anyone say Action Comics #1 is the best Superman story? Or Detective Comics # whatever the best Batman story? I very much doubt it. It just makes for an easy answer as to which should be the most valuable for investing. Although those books have the added element of being rare.

It's the same reasoning you can use with rookie cards - higher demand for the relatively same supply equals higher prices. It's the reason why rookie cards tend to be more expensive than non-rookie cards, all things being equal - more people want them. Even collectors.

There is only one first and many non-firsts.

[Twalk1975]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

It's the same reasoning you can use with rookie cards - higher demand for the relatively same supply equals higher prices. It's the reason why rookie cards tend to be more expensive than non-rookie cards, all things being equal - more people want them. Even collectors.

There is only one first and many non-firsts.

I was referring to both 1st's and RC's in my original comment. Both are the easy answer for investing. 1A and 1B if you like. The second half of it was just noting that I like the choices one has with RC's.

[MiamiMarlinsFan]

Originally Posted by hermanotarjeta

Nobody flips harder than logofractor bois.

[Raleigh504]

Plus in theory, when a player has a 20 year career, typically print runs will increase over time. So that player will "in theory" have less cards than what is printed in modern day along with less parallels and such. Also it allows for time for the card to get damaged vs something being just created or made. Something being PSA 10 after 20 years is much more desirable than a current card just being pulled of same player where there are more changes it would be a PSA 10.

[KhalDrogo]

Originally Posted by Cracktoast

The superstars like Judge, Soto, Ohtani, Harper etc... will always hold value and likely increase long term after retirement as they get closer to the HOF. It's a long slow burn that most don't have the stomach for.

I don’t think any of this is true.

Will they hold some nominal value? Sure.
Will that value be relevant? Not for everything.
Will they increase long term? Depends on what you use as your base.

And it’s not about having tolerance for a slow burn that’s the problem. It’s weighing an investment in sports cards versus any other investable alternative. During the boom, there was a case to be made for cards because of how outsized the returns were compared to almost anything else. Not so much now.

[BAHoopla]

Originally Posted by KhalDrogo

I don’t think any of this is true.

Will they hold some nominal value? Sure.
Will that value be relevant? Not for everything.
Will they increase long term? Depends on what you use as your base.

And it’s not about having tolerance for a slow burn that’s the problem. It’s weighing an investment in sports cards versus any other investable alternative. During the boom, there was a case to be made for cards because of how outsized the returns were compared to almost anything else. Not so much now.

Finally someone who gets opportunity cost!

[rms13]

Everything is watered down. How many 1/1 cards do players have every year? 50? 100? I have no idea but stars have base cards and usually a few inserts in main products and then at least one card in every other product and there is a 1/1 for each. Trout probably has 1000 1/1 cards at this point in his career. I just collect what I like and don't worry about it. I picked up a Inception RC of one of my PC guys numbered /150 for less then I could get his Chrome base refractor RC. I like the way Inception looks so that was a nice bargain for me. Ultimately true collectors have a lot more options to fit their personal taste but if you are in it strictly for financial reasons then it's not great because everything is watered down especially with Topps adding more and more numbered versions in every release.

[williemayshayes]

I don't know.

Back in 2001, it seemed like Ichiro and Pujols had more RCs than anyone currently.

[GaryPayton]

Yes super watered down and lame, I got some dude's on card auto, Yunsiniel Diaz, in Stadium Club 2023 with 1 career MLB AB. I was super curious as to why he was included in a major set release and have checked his stats ever since. Dude is never getting a Major League AB again, why why why?

[rms13]

Originally Posted by GaryPayton

Yes super watered down and lame, I got some dude's on card auto, Yunsiniel Diaz, in Stadium Club 2023 with 1 career MLB AB. I was super curious as to why he was included in a major set release and have checked his stats ever since. Dude is never getting a Major League AB again, why why why?

Well that part of it sucks. That's just watering down products but those guys are only in the big releases. I've gotten rookies of guys that play on the team I follow and I've still never heard of them. And it will be a 28 year old rookie back up catcher who played in one game in September and will probably never be heard from again. Maybe one of those guys becomes a great manager one day and the card is eventually worth something.