Which Grail Card Would You Choose?
In the hobby, collectors usually have that one card that is out of their reach, or a card that they always wished they could own. Many cards have the ability to make those lists, especially when looking online, or attending a card show like the National. For fun, let's play out a hypothetical scenario - imagine you were just given $12,000 to spend on sports cards, giving you the opportunity to obtain your sports card grail. Four main options will be presented below, leaving you to decide how to spend your hypothetical money.
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The first option is one of the most iconic cards in the hobby, a 1986-87 Fleer Michael Jordan RC, that is also graded a BGS 8.5. This is a card that can be the cornerstone of anyone's collection, especially once the card starts to enter higher graded examples. If a collector were to choose this card, it would cost them around $9,000 of their bankroll.
The next card to choose from is one of the most iconic cards of the 1990s. Some collectors today still open packs of 1990 Topps Baseball looking for the card, which is the No Name on Front Frank Thomas RC. At the time, it was an error was that caught eventually by Topps, making the error quite valuable. If this card were to be your choice in this scenario, it would cost around $6000.
It does not get any more legendary than Jim Brown. At the time that he played, he was one of the toughest Running Backs in the game. His rookie card comes from the 1958 Topps Football set, and can demand a premium in good condition. The card becomes even more desired when it is autographed, therefore an autographed copy is one of the options on this sports card grail list. If NFL legend Jim Brown suits your interest, subtract around $2,500 from the original $12,000 total.
Lastly, a Sports Card grail list would not be complete without Tom Brady. While he has many rookies, one that tends to catch collectors eyes is his rookie card from 2000 Upper Deck. Graded a BGS 9.5, it will cost about $1000 to obtain for collectors.
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Depending on the choices made by this point, the imaginary $12,000 may be gone. Here is the good news - collectors do have the ability to actually purchase these cards in real life, as Sports Cards Nonsense will be holding a show on Sunday, Aug 31 at 7:30 PM on eBay Live. All of these cards will be up for auction and purchase, along with many other high end singles and boxes. Some of the other singles up for auction include a Bo Bichette 1/1 Auto from Triple Threads, a Walter Payton PSA 9 RC, and a game used patch from Wilt Chamberlain from Panini Flawless, among many others.
Collectors need to mark their calendars, and clear their schedules this Sunday, Aug 31 at 7:30 PM. The show that Sports Cards Nonsense is going to put on could be of historic proportions, as some of the best known cards in the hobby are up for sale and auction on eBay Live. Tuning in will ensure that collectors will be a part of history, and if you are chasing after one of these aforementioned cards, you have the ability to make it a reality.
Dylan is a collector based in Central Pennsylvania, and sports fan rooting for the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Pirates, and LA Lakers. He is currently attempting to collect a complete run of Topps flagship sets across football, baseball, and basketball. He is passionate about the history of the hobby including its continual growth and evolution.