As we get ready for the NBA Playoffs, I decided to take a look at some hot basketball cards. I'm tired of talking about Kobe, and the rush for 96-97 rookies seems to be slowing down fast. Flair Showcase isn't due for a week, and E-X2001 and Chrome are still a few weeks away so I needed something that was hot... today.
I cruised over to Ebay to check out what was getting the action in the auctions. Even I'll admit that I wasn't prepared for what I saw. The women had taken over! No, that wasn't a sexist remark, it was true. The bidders were putting their money on Pinnacle Inside WNBA cards and sets.
When they were first released I was surprised to see Pinnacle with basketball. I knew that they wanted an NBA license, but I wasn't sure this would help. I expected that the product would bomb and that would end any hopes of gaining the license. When I saw that they would be using the Inside brand I had less hope. Not only was it going to be women, but they were sticking them in cans. Who was going to take the time to open a bunch of cans for some WNBA cards?
Apparently the answer was a lot of people. Not only did the product sell out for Pinnacle, but the secondary market is pushing it higher each month in singles, sets, and unopened cans. In case you're wondering why you missed the prices going up (I know I was wondering), the WNBA prices are in the Beckett Collectibles monthly guide and not the Basketball monthly. Don't ask me why. Maybe they consider women's basketball as minor leagues or something, but I hope this gets fixed next month.
So what's driving the price on this set? The women are still a month or two away from starting their second season. The cards came out after their first season was over. You need a can opener to get your 10 cards out. Sounds like a tough sell. Until you consider some of the facts:
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Rebecca Lobo is more than just a regional star in the New York/Connecticut area as national commercials are driving up her popularity as well as the prices on her Pinnacle Inside cards and cans. |
Back when we held our first chat with Pinnacle there were a good number of questions about the WNBA set and at the time it wasn't known if this was going to be a one-time chance for them to produce cards for the league. That won't be the case. Pinnacle will be making cards for the second season of the WNBA this summer. I don't have any more details yet, except that they won't be an Inside brand so you can retire your can openers. That is of course unless you still have more of the 1997 cans to open.
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