What is your favorite sportscard?

I'm sure all collectors have thought about this question from time to time....all these cards in my collection...which is my favorite?

For me it comes down to one simple thing, nostalgia. While I may have sexier cards, cards worth more, cards with better investment potential, etc...my favorite card hands down is the 1963 Topps #537 Pete Rose rookie card. Why? Because it brings me back to a simpler time when I was a kid watching baseball with my Dad. We were both fans of the Big Red Machine with great players such as Rose, Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and Ken Griffey. Rose was my favorite and if the man does not get into the Hall Of Fame it will be a crime....but that is a discussion for a different post.

So when I yearn to be taken back...a simple glance at my favorite card and there I am...watching Reds - Pirates. Maybe is sounds a little sappy and cliche to say "those were the days"...but they really were.

So that's what does it for me, what about for you?

A Legend On A Budget for Your Collection

Today I'm going to talk about a card for your portfolio which I feel is slightly undervalued and is a great buy right now. In order to determine whether or not a card is undervalued we need to try and determine the long-term demand for the card. What determines demand? Basically three things:

1) The popularity of the sport in question
2) The player on the card
3) The supply of the card

Jim Brown is a legend! In nine years he won the NFL rushing title eight times and even though Jim played in an era when the season was only twelve games long he still ranks in the top ten all-time in rushing yards. Over the course of his career Jim rushed for 5.2 yards per carry. Not bad considering the great Walter Payton averaged about 20% less at 4.4 yards per carry.

I realize that the 1958 Topps Rookie Card issue might be a little beyond the means of of the average collector so the card that I am recommending is Jim's second year card from the 1959 Topps set in a grade of PSA 8 or higher.

In order to meet our criteria the supply must be low and the price must be reasonable. With slightly over 200 copies in existence at PSA 8 or above the card is not extremely rare, but on the other hand it is not extremely plentiful either. A PSA 8 can be had for under $300....not cheap however for arguably the best football player of all time in a high grade, I believe this card is a bargain.

Jim Brown's greatness has withstood the test of time and any serious collector needs to have a nice Jim Brown card in their collection. I ask you, would you rather spend $300 for a high grade rare card of one of the all time greats, or would you rather spend $300 cracking boxes of modern product "hoping" for a big hit?? I know what I would do!

At Long Last, We Are Back!

After a long hiatus due to personal reasons Diamond Chip Sportscards has returned with the Sports Card Investment Blog!

Stay tuned for news on collecting/investing and the general state of the card market. We are busy working on a lot of new material which will be coming soon.

In the meantime, have a look at some of these great buys on eBay!