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"Linsanity" Won't Stop and His Rookie Cards' Value Proves It
What has suddenly happened in the NBA? In a few short weeks, the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin has gone from a nothing player with a cult following to one of the biggest...naw...the biggest star in the NBA.
His sudden popularity is probably due to a number of factors. First and foremost is the fact that he is playing top notch all around basketball. Next, he has been clutch, leading the Knicks to a seven game winning streak and launching a last second three for a win against the Toronto Raptors. Also, undrafted out of Harvard, Lin has been waived twice in the last year and signed with the Knicks just before the new year. The fact that fans love a Cinderella story cannot be denied. Doing it in a market like New York is only adding fuel to the fire.
Perhaps most importantly, Lin is the first Chinese/Taiwanese American NBA player ever. This means he comes with the built in following of both Asians and Asian Americans. If anyone remembers the fervor with which both Yao Ming and Ichiro Suzuki were followed when they broke into their sports, they will understand that this aspect of Lin's popularity cannot be denied.
As the basketball world has stopped to take notice of the young point guard, so has the card collecting world. Lin rookie cards, like this 2010-11 Panini Rookies and Stars Jeremy Lin rookie card, are among the hottest cards on the market right now. Base rookie cards that probably couldn't even sell for a dollar a month ago now regularly go for $20-30. Jeremy Lin autograph cards are going for hundreds at the moment. Any collector who saw this coming has got to be rolling in it right now. Although, considering this may be one of the most surprising stories in sports history, it is doubtful that any collector had the foresight to stock up.
Will Lin rookie cards prove to be worth what they are going for now? Probably not. That doesn't mean that every basketball card collector shouldn't try to grab one as card collecting is about fun. Just hope that this doesn't become another Kevin Maas scenario.
A Squirrel Baseball Card is Selling for Hundreds of Dollars
Sports card collectors have seen this before. A novelty card comes along and becomes the new hot thing. For a short period it sells for a bundle before people come to their senses. It could be a card featuring the hot wife of a basketball player, a card of a superhero in a sports uniform, or even a baseball card with an infamous swear word in the picture. Well, be prepared to hear about the dumbest novelty card of all time.
Behold: The 2012 Topps Skip Schumaker Rally Squirrel Baseball Card...
Now, it is not crazy to assume that Topps wanted to grab a little publicity for their newly released 2012 Baseball Card set by adding a strange picture variation of a light hitting utility man and trying to capitalize on a memorable moment from the 2011 playoffs in a cheap and effective way. What is crazy is that people are paying hundreds of dollars for this card. Yes, a baseball card of a squirrel.
Don't believe me? Check out this Rally Squirrel Baseball Card eBay Auction
That is just one auction you say? Maybe the seller bid up the price to draw a sucker into grossly overpaying on a whim? Nope. Just check out all these auctions on this short print card.
Collectors, bid at your own peril. Don't say I didn't warn you when this card is worth 20 bucks in six months.
Jorge Posada to Retire
Jorge Posada, the long time catcher for the New York Yankees, apparently intends to hang up his cleats. Though there is a slight chance that he will catch on somewhere as a part time DH type of player, many media outlets are saying it's the end of the line for one of the tougher players to ever put on the pinstripes. The five time All Star and four time World Series Champion ends his 16 year career with 275 home runs.
Though Posada will garner some Hall of Fame consideration, he will probably fall short. Long term, Posada will probably be as popular with collectors as late Yankee catcher Thurman Munson has been. The value of both players is not reflected in their career stat lines, and both starred for high profile Yankee teams. Though critics will say that he was never a superstar, rookie cards of Posada, such as the 1994 Bowman Jorge Posada rookie card should remain fairly popular for years to come.
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