I sat in a local card shop, watching and asking questions this week. Two major late season basketball releases arrived in stores and I wanted to see what people thought. I've also been chatting with people online and by email and I get the same answers almost everywhere. The new products are Topps Chrome and Skybox E-X 2001 and both have history on their side as they follow very successful sets from last season.
The basic question I've been asking is "Which one are you going to buy
more of?". My local shop is offering Topps
Chrome for $8.95 per pack (already $5 over suggested retail) and E-X
2001 at the expected price of $3.95 per pack. Even with this big
price difference Chrome was selling very well. I find that a bit
troubling as much of the hype is based on the incredible popularity of
96-97 Chrome and the Kobe Bryant rookie card in particular.
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At nearly $9 per four card pack it's no surprise that Chrome Tim Duncan rookies are already bringing in $75 or more, but are they really the nicest of this season's Duncan rookies? |
The problem with these high pack prices and even higher single card prices is that this isn't 96-97. Last year Topps made Chrome as a last minute favor to the NBA for distribution at Wal-Mart only. This year it's a full release product that will be available in hobby shops and retail stores everywhere. Tim Duncan is twice the superstar that Kobe Bryant is right now, but that won't make his Chrome rookie worth hundreds of dollars.
I have no idea how much E-X 2001 was produced, but I have a good
idea it was much less than Chrome. The Essential
Credentials parallels (just 81 total cards per player) hint at a low
production and the fact that it's hobby only backs up the scarcity theory.
Beyond a low print run I can give you another reason to get some E-X 2001
before it's too late. The cards are beautiful!
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Simply one of the
nicest looking base cards ever produced, combined with a low production
run should make this E-X 2001 Tim Duncan rookie a hit with collectors and
investors.
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The picture above doesn't even do justice to how nice these cards are. By layering a silvery foil on a clear plastic card and topping it with a cutout of the player you get nothing short of class. The gold foil printing and sharp photos make it an incredible 80 card set. The only problem I see is that it should have been a bigger set. I'm sure Skybox missed a few favorites and I wouldn't have minded seeing 100 or 120 cards.
So back to my question. What were people buying more of? Chrome. While I was opening packs of E-X 2001 and talking to both young and old customers, the majority of them wanted Chrome. What was even more disappointing was that when I asked why, they said because they hope to find a Duncan or Van Horn card worth in the hundreds. Oh Kobe, what have you done to our hobby?
I tried reasoning with them that E-X 2001 was so much nicer looking, and Chrome was just Topps with a nicer finish. Chrome would be available everywhere while E-X 2001 was hobby only and very limited. Most people just didn't care. It's a shame that we can't look at a card for its beauty before we pick up our price guide to see what it's worth.
I bought a box of each yesterday and I'm going back for more today. More of E-X 2001 that is. Maybe I won't end up rich, but at least I'll have a collection that I can enjoy looking at and passing down to the next generation.
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