2026 Sports Cards - Part II

Nice man congrats

The box was $250. 80 cards

1 guaranteed auto (I got actually got 2 autos but the other was nothing crazy. Prob a $10 card)

I also hit a Murakami insert and an Ohtani refractor


Basically I got an insanely good hobby box 10x its value in just 3 cards. Which is rare.

Normally you will get close to your $250 in value.

So what’s the card worth?

quote:

---

One sold on eBay on 7/23/26 for $2,649.99, but there's one listed for $1,800 right now

---

This is exactly what I found also.

Although. Mine is the 01/75 so some collectors will add a bit more value for that.

And I am definitely keeping it. And it will definitely grade at a 9 or 10. Zero blemishes or dings and looks to be perfectly centered.


If Miz’s career goes the way of Nolan Ryan instead of Strasburg… his rookie cards will be worth a fortune when I’m old.

Any value in gettting topps chrome retail boxes?

Nice! I got a box set from Costco the other day for my six-year-old’s birthday. He opened up the pack and I was sorting through it and pulled this! I used to collect cards as a 90s and have binders full, but nothing as rare as this one per my research. What a fun hobby to share with your kids.

[/url][/img]]

quote:

---

If Miz’s career goes the way of Nolan Ryan instead of Strasburg… his rookie cards will be worth a fortune when I’m old.

---

So a conversation about this and a guy getting burned on "investing" in Skenes his rookie year came up on the OT.

Here's part of my reply...

quote:

---

Skenes was the hottest player in the hobby for a while and his cards were a terrible buy for "putting away" That's not even factoring in the fact that pitcher in general are a bad investment, the hobby doesn't care about pitchers in the long run.

Baseball and baseball cards have been around 100+ years and in those 100+ years there are about three iconic rookie cards for pitchers. Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Bob Gibson. Satchel Paige for non rookies. Don't invest in pitchers, it never works out.

---

I would grade this card and sell it and use the money to buy your son a Jordan RC, a Bowman Brady RC, or a Topps Chrome LeBron RC. Messi could be added to that list but I don't collect soccer.

The chances of the Miz being Nolan Ryan are very very slim, the chances of his rookie cards being worth a ton in the long run are even slimmer. Pitchers just aren't big time in the hobby.

Even if he turns out to be say as good as Kershaw... one of the best pitchers of the past 15 years and a future first ballot Hall of Famer (which I suspect is highly unlikely given how hard he throws and will be prone to injury), you still can get a Kershaw RC auto at a good price and they are more scarce than the Miz's are.

Skenes is legit the perfect example to learn from. Imagine all the people who decided to hold on Skenes for investment. If Skenes turns out to be an all time great, they might get their money back 20 years from now.

Imagine if they would have spent that money on a Jordan, Brady, or Lebron RC. They'd be up 5x on any of them over the past year.

The Bowman Brady RC I bought last year for $800 is at 5K now. The Topps Pristine Refractro Lebron RC I bought for 1.2K in January just went for 6.2K. The Fleer MJ rookie I traded 4K worth of cards for in January is at 7.5K now.

Grade that auto, hope it comes back a 10, sell it and reinvest in a guaranteed win.

quote:

---

The Bowman Brady RC I bought last year for $800 is at 5K now. The Topps Pristine Refractro Lebron RC I bought for 1.2K in January just went for 6.2K. The Fleer MJ rookie I traded 4K worth of cards for in January is at 7.5K now.

---

I feel like the retired GOAT market might be reaching its peak for certain cards. At least for a while. Some of those prices are out of control and have left behind people who are actually collecting the cards.

Lebron may still have potential. Potential title and then retirement.

No doubt there needed to be a correction away from prospects and rookies.

I'd like to hear your thoughts on that second tier legend market. I feel like there are opportunities there from an investment standpoint. Montana, Manning, Brees, Elway, etc. The hobby likes to move to the next thing. I think certain cards from this group could be next. Take Joe Montana, for example. 4 superbowls. A lot of folks assumed Mahomes would zip past this mark, but I'm not so sure anymore.

One thing about OP's position in this card. He didn't pay thousands to acquire it. If it has sentimental value for him and his son, keeping it makes more sense.

quote:

---

I feel like the retired GOAT market might be reaching its peak for certain cards. At least for a while. Some of those prices are out of control and have left behind people who are actually collecting the cards.

---

Yea it's going to have some ups and downs but I think they are by far the safest bet long term. I'm strictly speaking on investing.

The Brady Bowman bubble has to burst soon. It kind of drives me nuts how dumb some collectors are and things take off because of FOMO. The Bowman Brady is so far down the line of his most rare rookies it's not even funny. Not even counting the numbered rookies but just other Brady rookies that are so much better and lower pop and they haven't seen near the increase that the Bowman has. I have quite a few nicer and more rare Brady RC's that a year ago were worth double and triple the Bowman and now the Bowman is worth more than all of them, it's pretty dumb.

quote:

---

Lebron may still have potential. Potential title and then retirement.

---

Out of anybody, LeBron's has the most potential. Probably Messi too. But people that grew up watching Jordan and Brady, most of them have their adult money now. Or getting more settled financially. LeBron has mega fans that are still 15 years old and it's going to be 20 years before they start spending big money on cards and wanting his nice stuff. Plus MJ and LeBron cards have the huge Asain market.

LeBron is one of my least favorite athletes of all tie. But I am buying LeBron rookies any chance I get. And trading for them on Veriswap. If someone wants some of my modern cards on there for LeBron rookies I can't trade them fast enough.

quote:

---

No doubt there needed to be a correction away from prospects and rookies.

---

I feel like everybody that collects for fun is going to chase hot rookies just because it is fun, but I've moved away from that for a few years from now. Legit every single year, in football for example, that has a hot rookie that cards blow up. Trevor Lawrence, CJ Stroud, Burrow, Williams, Daniels etc. Some of them have held off ok like Burrow but most will never ever reach the peak they were at. That's why I suggested sell to the OP, in addition to pitchers not having a big long term market.

quote:

---

I'd like to hear your thoughts on that second tier legend market. I feel like there are opportunities there from an investment standpoint. Montana, Manning, Brees, Elway, etc. The hobby likes to move to the next thing. I think certain cards from this group could be next. Take Joe Montana, for example. 4 superbowls. A lot of folks assumed Mahomes would zip past this mark, but I'm not so sure anymore.

---

I'm a fan of this market. I like MJ and Brady so I find joy in collecting those but I do like the second tier stars that you at least feel pretty confident you're not gambling. Sure Manning will never have Brady value but I don't think you are ever going to get burned on him, Brees and Montana too. I think Mahomes has joined the pretty safe to buy and not get burned territory too. His cards always have good value in the off season.

I think the one that is about to take off is Griffey. Not his UD rookie, that'll always be popular, but some of his more rare 90's inserts. Many of those can still be got for a really good price in an 8 or 9 grade. Some good deals on 10's too. His Metal universe and EX-2000, Flair Showcase type cards.

I'd probably throw Bonds in there too because people have softened on the rids and realize how great he was even without them. His rare 90's inserts are going to do well I think.

I'm a big Jackie Robinson guy so I have some of his stashed away and try to get some when I can at a good price. His go for quite a bit less than Mantle and Mays, even Aaron. But I think he will have a more lasting impact on younger collectors as they get older and start investing.

quote:

---

One thing about OP's position in this card. He didn't pay thousands to acquire it. If it has sentimental value for him and his son, keeping it makes more sense.

---

Right, and if the sentimental value is there I wouldn't sell it. I would definitely grade it though.

My most sentimental card that I would never sell is probably a $20 card and I wouldn't 20K for it if you offered it (not that anybody ever would). My mom got my into collecting actually, and she's not here anymore, and that card has a very fond memory attached to it.

quote:

---

think the one that is about to take off is Griffey. Not his UD rookie, that'll always be popular, but some of his more rare 90's inserts. Many of those can still be got for a really good price in an 8 or 9 grade. Some good deals on 10's too. His Metal universe and EX-2000, Flair Showcase type cards.

---

yep. I am seeing movement here too.

Those 90s kids are hitting the nostalgia button and have money to spend. Some really cool inserts from the 90s are getting their due.