Kevin O'Leary Teases Card 'That's Going to Make Grown Men Weep'
In an era of big-time sales, one of the oversized personalities around the card market says that another is coming soon. Canadian businessman, actor, and media personality Kevin O'Leary discussed a massive card sale on FOX News's Big Money Show.
O'Leary was a guest on the show where the main topic of conversation was the recent $16.5 million sale of Logan Paul's Pokemon card. While massive card sales have occurred before, the Pokemon sale has grabbed imaginations with its combination of celebrity, massive price, and glamour. The Pokemon sale seems to occupy a very different place in the popular consciousness than, say, another massive sale of a T206 Honus Wagner card.
O'Leary Talks Cards
O'Leary seemingly regards the Pokemon sale as something very different than a once-off special occasion. He teased even bigger things to come in his comments.
"Collectibles have become on the forefront of investors like me," explained O'Leary. "Last August, I paid $12.93 million for a card for the first time ever. It's now worth over $17.2. So if you went back to the early '60s in modern and contemporary art, the appreciation of a Picasso that you bought for $2,500 that could sell for $100 million decades later, this is what's occurring in this market. People think it's hype, but the very, very rarest of cards are becoming highly desired all around the world, including Pokemon in Asia."
Given the stage to discuss cards, O'Leary teased the next big thing.
The Big Reveal?
"I am going to ask our friends at Fox and Friends to come with me on the 27th, to fly with me to the unveiling of a card that's going to make grown men weep," announced O'Leary, who admitted that he hasn't seen the card yet.
What Might The Card Be?
Cue the speculation for exactly what card O'Leary is discussion. Among the more intriguing suggestions on social media were a PSA 8 graded T206 Wagner card. The LeBron James/Kevin Durant/Stephen Curry Topps triple auto (which is a 1/1) was another intriguing idea, with the recent Topps Chrome Stephen Curry Superfractor mentioned as well.
Other collectors expected a Pokémon connection, which is certainly plausible given the recent Paul sale. Given the massive growth in the Pokémon collecting world, it might be more plausible, although the "grown men weep" does seem to potentially convey some nostalgia which might be a bit less likely for Pokémon than, say, Wagner or a gem-mint 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle.
Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.