Check our Daily Auctions page to see some of the best sports card auctions ending daily! And listen to our podcast Cards To The Moon!
No doubt one of the more peculiar stories in baseball right now is Tim Tebow’s quest to achieve his dream of becoming a professional baseball player. It’s a story that is gaining a lot of media attention right now, and there is a lot of interest from fans and skeptics alike.
Tebow has a long way to go, but he can cross one item off his bucket list. We are now seeing a steady stream of Tim Tebow baseball cards hitting the market, and the resale value on eBay and online markets is actually impressive so far for a player who is a long shot by most analysts to reach the majors.
Right now we are seeing quite a few cards from Panini and Leaf on the market and even some custom made cards too. Here is what some of his cards are going for right now, ungraded.
Panini Elite Extra Edition Auto – $65
Leaf Metal Draft Auto – $50
Leaf Trinity Patch Auto – $125
Even his non-auto cards are being bought and sold at a decent rate, showing there is a decent fan base interested in his cards.
The question now is, what should collectors do? Is it time to buy in on Tebow now there is a demand, or is this an obvious sell high moment? What makes Tebow’s situation so interesting is that it’s hard to find a good precedent to draw from.
The first case that some collectors may bring up as a comparison is Michael Jordan, who retired from basketball for a couple years to try his hand at baseball. Jordan’s baseball cards are enjoyed by collectors and some graded prospect cards will sell in the triple digits.
The difference of course is that even though Jordan’s baseball career was unspectacular, he is arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, and will be remembered by generations of fans decades from now. Therefore there will always be some interest in even his baseball cards, because they do represent a unique part of Jordan’s career.
Tebow is a popular present day icon ever since his days playing football at the University of Florida, but collectors should ask themselves, how well will Tebow be known in 10, 20 years or more from now? It is a long shot that at age 29 he will be able to reach the majors let alone be a difference-making player.
If I held one of Tebow’s cards I would take the opportunity to sell during spring training while there is still an intense media spotlight. An alternative strategy would be to hold in the event that he reaches the majors because if he does, it would be an absolute media circus and a can’t miss sell high moment.
However, you would be taking quite the gamble to predict that Tebow will reach the majors. I wish Tebow all the best in his journey to become a great player, but as a collector I would rather sell than buy.
DK