TOP 10 TRADING CARD HOT LIST
– Football Cards on eBay-
June 2010
1 – Tim Tebow Autograph Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (1)
As many fans Tim Tebow has, he does have his fair share of….. ‘haters’….. The collectors who doubt Tebow will be a good NFL QB aren’t enough to keep Tebow off the #1 hot spot for the 2nd month in a row. Sales of his autograph rookie cards are still pressing the $100.00 mark and he has taken a strong hold as the biggest name in the 2010 NFL Draft Class.
It has to be a little bit of a letdown for Tebow collectors that Upper Deck is out of the NFL trading card game. UD will continue to release Collegiate Licensed themed sets such as 2010 UD SPx, and those cards will certainly appeal to Tebow’s legion of fans from Florida University. Upper Deck is well known for producing the best high end cards like Exquisite and Ultimate Collection. Hopefully Panini and Topps can carry the flag and deliver some sweet Tebow Rookie Cards.
2 – High End Walter Payton Cards ~ Last Month (NR)
A little bit of a surprise here, but sales of Walter Payton’s 1976 Topps Rookie Card and his autograph/game used cards from the modern era have been the most popular cards on eBay during the month of June. Collectors may still be cautious before pumping in hard earned dollars for the 2010 NFL rookies, so this opens the door for former players to see a spike in card values.
Sales of his 1976 Topps RC, specifically cards graded PSA or BGS 9 or 10, have been very popular on eBay. Currently a PSA 10 is for sale and it will no doubt sell for several thousand dollars. Payton’s on-card autographs from Upper Deck sets in the late 1990’s sell for $300+.
3 – 2009 Upper Deck SP Authentic Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (NR)
Collectors have fallen in love with this set and the nice selection of autograph patch rookie cards available in the set. The top sellers in June have been Matthew Stafford, Percy Harvin and Mark Sanchez. Young running backs Shonn Greene and Felix Jones have also been getting their fair share of hobby love.
It will be interesting to see if Upper Deck continues the Sp Authentic line when they exclusively make NCAA cards in 2010. I would imagine SPA and Exquisite will live on and while they will not have the same luster in years past, the card design will probably remain stellar.
4 – 2010 Donruss Elite Tim Tebow Status Die Cut Auto RC ~ Last Month (NR)
This Tebow was one of the most popular football card auctions during the month of June. The card is serial numbered /24 and is #1 in the print run. The auction ended with 75 watchers, which is a good amount of activity in what is generally a slow month for football card sales.
2010 Elite Tim Tebow Die Cut Status Auto (01/24)
Watchers: 75
Final Price: $230.35
5 – High End Brett Favre Cards ~ Last Month (3)
The Brett Favre retirement watch has been unusually quiet this off-season. Is he coming back to Minnesota? I have no idea. ESPN has been the Favre Network during the last few summers but there has been no word if Brett is returning to football in 2010.
Collectors have been scooping up Favre autograph cards and have not been shy paying premium money for the best cards. There was a time during the early part of the decade when Favre did not sign for very many card sets, if any at all. He has become much more liberal with the autograph pen and will even be included in the 2010 UD SPx Set.
6 – Peyton Manning Rookie and Autographed Cards ~ Last Month (10)
Even though the Colts lost to the Saints in the Super Bowl, sales of Peyton Manning cards have remained surprisingly strong. As Brett Favre has shown, you only have to win the Super Bowl 1 time to be considered an All-Time legend, and collectors have been paying a premium for autographs ever since.
Sales of Peyton Manning autographs and other high end cards have surpassed those of Drew Brees during the month of June as some of the shine has worn off for Drew. The Colts should be primed to make another run at the Super Bowl in 2010 as long as Manning remains healthy.
7 – Sam Bradford Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (2)
Bradford dropped off a little bit this month on the hot list, but only because the lull of the off-season has gotten to collectors. Once the pre-season starts everyone will get to take a look at all the young QB’s in action, including the #1 overall pick Bradford.
I’ve noticed that sales of last years #1 pick Matthew Stafford have picked up this month, so it may take a full year for collectors to have faith in Bradford. We’ll see if St. Louis throws Bradford into the mix this season like the Lions did with Stafford last year. Expect Bradford to struggle out of the gate, but if his arm strength and toughness are there, then you might want to look into getting a nice rookie card.
8 – Aaron Rodgers Rookie & Autographed Cards ~ Last Month (5)
The fan base is building for Rodgers who has appeal on and off the field for collectors. He dates hot women and is very candid in the interviews he gives – both major pluses for the hobby. All Rodgers needs to do now is win a Super Bowl, which won’t be an easy task at all. His Green Bay team is a good one, but getting over the hump is always a challenge for players who’ve never been to the big game.
9 – Percy Harvin Rookie Cards ~ Last Month (NR)
Collectors LOVE this guy. The love he gets is above and beyond any young receiver has gotten in quite some time. His autograph rookie cards sell for triple digits. I would shudder to think what would happen if Brett Favre retired and Percy didn’t have a QB who could throw the deep ball. I doubt he remains a kick returner for very much longer in his career which will hurt his value to an extent.
It’s hard for WR’s to continue to put up big numbers year after year unless they have a top QB throwing him the football. If I pulled a nice Percy Harvin card I would look to sell because I get the sense that there are a lot of passionate Harvin collectors out there willing to pay top dollar. He has a lot of talent, and is a big physical WR but he needs Favre or another top QB or his card values will take a dip.
10 – Emmitt Smith Autographs – Game Used Cards ~ Last Month (NR)
The Dallas Cowboys have a strong fan base that pays great respect to their former legends. Emmitt is one of the all-time favorites and sales of his autographs have picked up steadily since his retirement from football. Today Smith can be seen on various TV networks and even some funny ‘Just For Men’ commercials.
Unless Emmitt gets caught up in some off-field drama, he might enjoy the type of hobby longevity like Walter Payton had for his entire lifetime. Cowboys fans have always been some of the best fans in the game and have always paid big money for Smith, Troy Aikman, Roger Staubach, Michael Irvin and Tom Landry.
Dropped Out: May 2010 Football Hot List
- 4 – Jimmy Clausen 2010 Rookie Cards
- 6 – Mark Sanchez Rookie Cards
- 7 – C.J. Spiller Rookie Cards
- 8 – Drew Brees Rookie Cards & Autographs
- 9 – 1935 National Chicle Bronko Nagurski PSA 5
