Rookie Football Card Shop » Card Collecting

Investing in Rookie Football Cards – Artform or Science

twincitiesvalue — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 21:11:44 +0000

A couple of years ago I wrote several articles on this site on how to price rookie football cards. Here are the links to review those articles. Now more than ever rookie football cards have become the ultimate investment opportunity in card collecting. Ever since the invention of auto cards, auto patch cards, dna testing and other high end card collecting mechanisms - accurately pricing cards is more difficult.

One cheap way of getting ballpark estimated of card prices is to buy last years price guide from Becketts or some other card sevice.

The Official Beckett Price Guide to Football Cards 2009, Edition #28 (Official Price Guide to Football Cards)

While you will not have the most current pricing or this years rookies the price guide will give a good idea of how much the card is worth based on last years experts estimates. Most cards do not change much year to year unless it is something like a Hall of Fame announcement or a blowup year from a player like Chris Johnson.

Ultimately as I stated in my previous posts the card is only worth what the market will pay for it. Your key is to find cards before the player has the breakout year and sell immediately after the breakout year. For example, this year the Javid Best Rookie Card seems like a perfect candidate for one of those blowup type of years.

Good luck and if you have any questions please leave a comment

Tyson Jackson Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:57:32 +0000

Is Tyson Jackson the most talented defensive rookie in the draft? You gotta love when a team takes a first round draft pick, fills a need and gets on of the most talented prospects in the process. That’s exactly what the Kansas City Chiefs did this year when they selected defensive end Tyson Jackson as the 3rd overall pick out of LSU. Tyson has a great frame for a defensive end standing 6’5” and weighing 292lbs. He has great speed, running the 40-yard-dash at 4.84. However, his game time speed seems even faster as he continually gets an incredibly quick jump off the ball.
Jackson finds himself in a situation in Kansas City where nobody knows quite what to expect. The team is completely revamped from first year coach Todd Haley, to QB Matt Cassell and on down the line. Haley brought with him long time assistant coach Clancy Pendergast from Arizona and it remains to be seen what kind of schemes he will be running and how Jackson will fit into the picture. However, his long wing span and versatility make give him the ability to fit into either a 3-4 or 4-3 base with the ability to move to tackle if necessary.
Jackson will find himself teamed back up with LSU great Glenn Dorsey who was brought in to replace pro bowler Jared Allen after his trade to the Vikings. There is definitely a learning curve that goes into the jump from college to the NFL but it is definitely made easier when you have a friend, especially one as talented as Allen, playing the same position.
At one point, after an amazing sophomore season, Jackson was considered one of the top defensive picks of the draft. However, after a disappointing junior year, Jackson decided to return to LSU and finish out his career. Jackson’s stats are less than impressive for a 3rd overall pick. However, one must look at the multitude of talented players on the LSU squad who were making plays all over the field. Once Glenn Dorsey was out of the picture, most teams schemed to double team Jackson. This was definitely frustrating and greatly diminished his sack and tackle numbers. Jackson definitely won’t face any double teams in the NFL. Look for his speed, versatility and athleticism to make any immediate impact on a truly rebuilt Chiefs team. If Cassell and Haley can live up to the hype, Kansas City is going to be a team to be reckoned with in the very near future.

The Tyson Jackson Rookie Card fits the bill as a good short and long term investment. He has the potential to be a long term beast in the NFL and overall defensive linemen do well as rookie card investments. If he makes a splash early this could be a card worth watching.

Tyson Jackson 09 UD Exquisite Rookie Autograph Card 99
US $69.99

TYSON JACKSON 2009 FINEST 74 ROOKIE CARD RC SP CHIEFS
US $1.00

2009 TYSON JACKSON PRESS PASS ROOKIE CARD RC 38 LSU
US $1.04

Percy Harvin Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 14:13:22 +0000

Not many wide receivers have survived in the NFL with Percy Harvin's stature. At 5'11" tall and 192 pounds< Harvin is undersized against the NFL defensive backs. However, Harvin was not brought in to work the end zone against big NFL D backs. He was brought in to utilize his speed against linebackers and safeties. Percy Harvin could be this years boom or bust pick of the NFL draft. One thing for sure is that he is in a great position being with the Minnesota Vikings. A hall of fame quarterback and top 3 running back in the NFL will give Harvin a lot of space to run.

Several great cards this year feature Percy Harvin. The Gator fan will love the Playoff Prestige Rookie Card and the Bowman Gator Draft Party card. Harvin may end up being the steal of this years draft so make sure you invest in this potential NFL superstar. One thing for sure as a Viking fan I am looking forward to all that speed on kick returns and running through secondaries.

2009 Bowman Football 147 Percy Harvin RC Copper NM
US $2.25

lot of 14 2009 percy harvin rookie cards topps chrome refractor bowman chrome
US $19.99

BOWMAN CHROMELOT OF 3ROOKIES 2 KENNY BRITTS1 PERCY HARVIN
US $59.95

Michael Crabtree Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 16:10:39 +0000

The Michael Crabtree press pass auto rookie card is potentially going to be the most valuable card of this years football card class. Quite simply because Crabtree may not play and this may not be his rookie card. The press pass card features a great shot of Crabtree while he was at Texas Tech with a distinctive signature in bright blue below the logo.

Crabtree is one of the most celebrated rookie wide receivers since Randy Moss. Just like Moss he comes in with a cloud of negativity. Crabrtree is remaining steadfast that he should have been the number #1 wide receiver in the draft and should be paid like the #1 wide receiver in the draft. While Crabtree has all the physical tools to be a great wide receiver, the fact remains he was not drafted as the #1 wide receiver and should not be paid like the #5 pick. However, far as his rookie card goes this is potentially a unique situation where the player may have 2 sets of rookie cards. History has shown that these situations usually yield a great value in the long term when it comes to card investing.

09 PRESS PASS GRIDIRON GRAPHS MICHAEL CRABTREE AUTO RC
US $45.99

Chris Beanie Wells Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:09:22 +0000

One of the more interesting draft picks of this last year was Chris Beanie Wells from Ohio State. Beanie Wells was one of the most touted athletes when he came out of high school and went to Ohio State. Beanie Wells is known for his bruising running style and elusiveness in the hole. Beanie finds himself in a great position being drafted by the Superbowl Runner ups, the Arizona Cardinals. Edgerin James is getting pretty long in the tooth and the Cardinals do not really have anyone that can replace James from their current stable of running backs.

The Cardinals drafted Wells in hopes that he can fill the need of a bruising running back that can pick up some tough yards. A big goalline back will really add to the Cardinals already potent offense. The big question around Beanie Wells is his ability to carry the load in the NFL and does he have the "breakaway" speed that is necessary to survive long term in the NFL. I look at Beanie Wells and I see a clone of Eddie George that last big running back from Ohio State. If Wells can approach Eddie George's ability the Cardinals are going to be just as dangerous this year as last.

The Topps Wells/Moreno card features the two most touted backs of the 2009 NFL Draft.

2009 GRIDIRON GEAR CHRIS BEANIE WELLS 26 ROOKIE AUTO 31 50 NFL TEAMS
US $15.00

2009 09 SPX CHRIS BEANIE WELLS 249 DUAL JERSEY Rookie Materials CARDINALS
US $3.49

Chris Beanie Wells 09 UD First Ed RC Cardinals
US $1.49

Chris “Beanie” Wells Rookie Prospect Arizona Cardinals

twincitiesvalue — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:55:38 +0000

There are several fine rookie running backs coming into the NFL this year but none possess the potential upside of Christopher Wells. Chris Beanie Wells was the third running back selected in the 2009 NFL draft taken 31st over-all by the Arizona Cardinals. Wells enters the NFL as one of the most talented Ohio State running backs to ever put on a Buckeyes uniform. Wells finds himself on an Arizona Cardinals team fresh off a Super Bowl loss and poised in a wide open NFC for a repeat performance in 2009.
While the Arizona Cardinals ranked near the top of the NFL in almost every passing category, they ranked near the bottom in rushing. The Cardinals are looking to balance their high power passing game with the drafting of Beanie Wells. Wells has an extremely rare combination of vision, size, speed, balance and acceleration. Standing 6’1” and weighing 237 lbs, Wells has the ability to run like a big man, power over defenders. He then seems to change and looks like a speed man, accelerating through the line of scrimmage and using his 4.59 forty-yard-dash speed to dash through the secondary.

In 2006, Wells burst onto the scene at Ohio State as one of the top rated prep players in the nation. He immediately made an impact in both yardage and touchdowns without starting a single game. He followed this up with an impressive season in 2007, gaining 1,609 yards on 274 carries and 15 touchdowns. This was enough to earn him first team All-American accolades. Beanie came into the 2008 season with high hopes and one of the leading contenders for the Heisman trophy. Unfortunately, Wells suffered a foot injury in the season opener against Youngstown and missed the next 3 games, including an embarrassing loss to USC.
It was this injury and high number of carries that brought into question his durability. There has been some mention of ego and comments surrounding his mental toughness and ability to handle the pressure of playing in the NFL. Wells has only caught a few passes out of the backfield during his Buckeye career and that will limit his play in the NFL. However, this may prove to be a blessing as Wells may find himself a one or two down back as Tim Hightower remains in the backfield in passing situations. If Wells can learn some patience at the line of scrimmage, his explosiveness should result in big plays as defenses have to respect the passing game of the Arizona Cardinals. Wells ability to explode through the first level and elude in the second and third levels of a defense could result in some amazing highlight reel videos.

For information about Beanie Wells rookie card.

John Freeman NFL Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 13:57:02 +0000

Josh Freeman drafted #17 by the Tampa Bay Bucs was somewhat of a calculated risk taken by the NFL franchise. Tampa has struggled the past few years with their quarterback play and Josh Freeman seems to fit the bill as a potential franchise quarterback. Freeman comes from a Kansas State team that plays in the pass happy Big 12. He has the physical tools that might lend itself well to the NFL game. He is tall with a big arm and fairly mobile.

Josh Freeman is going to get a chance to start right away in the NFL and this could prove to be a very valuable asset for card collectors. His rookie cards are currently very undervalued compared to the rest of the more high profile draft picks of this years draft. Look for Freeman to get a chance to start this year and that might be all it takes for him to break into the starting lineup. Last year Joe Flacco got to start because of another players injury and look what happened in that situation. Heck Tom Brady got in the same exact way and now we have a football icon. I am not saying that Freeman will become that, but he has the best chance of this year's quarterbacks to step into that role.

2011 Topps TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS 10 Card Team Set 4 Rookie LOT Josh Freeman
US $1.00

Pat White Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:09:33 +0000

Pat White is one of the most interesting draft picks of this year's college draft. White is a classic dual threat quarterback from West Virginia. At West Virginia, White was impressive to say the least. His legs and arm helped the Mountaineers to 4 straight bowl games including some very impressive wins.

The question becomes will this translate in the pros? The Dolphins selected White in the second round, hoping that he could become the next Michael Vick like quarterback. While many didn't like Vick, nobody could argue that the Falcons were successful during his short tenure. White gives a team with speed and one accustomed to running the Wild Cat offense a true double threat. With out question Pat White will get some opportunity this year to show off that arm and leg, but the question remains will he make an impact.

His rookie card then makes an intriguing purchase. I like the upside of White and thus the upside of his rookie card. Of all the rookie quarterbacks in this years draft, White is perhaps has the most upside of all of them.

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Jeremy Maclin Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:00:27 +0000

The Eagles signed their first round draft pick into camp this week Jeremy Maclin. Maclin is a blazing fast wide receiver from the Mizzouri Tigers. He will make an immediate impact on the Eagles receiving corps. Combined with last years draft pick of Jackson, the Eagles will have one of the fastest wide receiver tandem in the NFL. Initially Maclin will make his impact on special teams. It is likely he will assume the punt and kick off return roles from Jackson and eventually he will transition to the slot receiver and assume the #2 role behind Jackson in the Eagles wide reciever group.

Several great cards have been released this year featuring Jeremy Maclin. The Topps dual auto card with Percy Harvin, is a great card featuring two of the big playmakers of this years draft. Look for the Maclin card to be one of the better values this year because of the high end quarterbacks that were taken early on in this years draft. These cards should be a good value and potentially a great investment because of the upside of Maclin.

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Matthew Stafford & Mark Sanchez Dual Auto Rookie Card

twincitiesvalue — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:15:15 +0000

Without question the hottest nfl football rookie cards of this year is the Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez Dual Auto rookie card from Topps. Heralded as the two quarterbacks that could be this years Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco - Topps released a limited edition 25 card release of the two quarterbacks. This football card is a DNA certified and is bound to be the highest appreciating card of the 2009 football class.

The Topps dual auto cards are some of the finest graphics and production in the card business. These are a limited edition card so if you are a serious collector this is a must add for your set.

Mark Sanchez 2009 Press Pass Game Day Gear Jersey SN 249 299 GDG MS Jets USC
US $.99

2011 MARK SANCHEZ PRESTIGE PREFERRED AUTO JERSEY 10 JETS
US $17.90

Mark Sanchez 2009 Playoff Contenders Football SP ROOKIE CARD AUTOGRAPH JETS
US $41.00