Baseball Card Market Report for August 31-September 6, 2023 - Top eBay Sales

PLUS -- The cautionary tale of Wander Franco cards

Sep 08, 2023

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An $8000 Boog(er)

When was the last time you paid $8000 for a Boog Powell card?

No, not a Boog rookie, just a plain old 1976 Topps Boog card?

Never, huh?

Well, someone did, just last week. On eBay.

OK, technically, it’s not a “plain old” anything, as that 76T has a population of just three in PSA 10 condition.

And the thing hammered down at slightly less than $8000 — $7877, to be exact.

Still and all, an amazing card you won’t see too often on lists like our rundown of the most expensive baseball cards sold on eBay last week (see bottom of post).

You also won’t find 1989 Score on those lists very often. But you WILL find them in our latest YouTube video:

Meanwhile, here’s a guy you used to see on these sorts of lists all the time…

What’s Happening with Wander Franco Cards?

In case you missed it, Wander Franco has been on the shelf since about mid-August. And, by “on the shelf,” I mean he’s mixed up in some potentially really ugly stuff and has been relieved from his baseball duties, at least temporarily.

You can look up the sordid details of his situation if you want, but for now, I just want to focus on Franco’s baseball cards in the month or so he’s been out of sight, if not out of mind.

This is an interesting topic for this space because Franco has been one of the brightest young stars in the game the last few years, and collectors have poured major dollars into his cardboard over that time.

So, how are those “investments” weathering the current storm?

Let’s start with Franco’s most “common” rookie card…

2019 Bowman Prospects Chrome (#100) - PSA 10

August 1: $43
August 12: $46
August 20: $29
September 1: $23

Loss: $20 (47%)

Not a pretty picture. And things look about the same if we step up a rung on the value list…

2019 Bowman Mega Box Chrome (#100) - PSA 10

August 7: $70
August 14: $72
August 19: $40
September 1: $40

Loss: $30 (43%)

Nearly identical in terms of a percent-based loss. And it gets uglier still if we move toward the deep end of the Franco value pool…

2019 Bowman Chrome Prospects Auto Chrome (#WF) - PSA 10

August 5 - $800

August 19 - $500

September 3 - $350

Loss: $450 (56%)

—

All in all, August was a bad time to be holding Franco cards, and there’s no guarantee there will be a rebound.

Any time a player is gone from the field for an extended period, you never know for sure when, if, or how he’ll come back.

And in cases like Franco’s, even a full return to form and continued improvement might not be enough to “save” his cards in the long term. It all depends on what eventually happens with his off-field situation and how the collecting public views that eventual resolution.

In the meantime, collectors and investors are left to wonder whether now is the right time to buy, sell, or hold when it comes to Franco’s cards.

And the abrupt turn in his fate, and that of his cardboard, is something to keep in mind any time you might ponder “investing” in the cards of a young player whose legacy remains only partially baked.

Speaking of which, you might find some guys with on-field business left to tend to in our list of the …

Top Baseball Card Sales on eBay for August 31-September 6, 2023

(Quick note — this list contains affiliate links to the original eBay listings.)

If you want to see updated 30-day market toppers anytime, we have a couple of resources over on WaxPackGods.com:

Most expensive baseball cards sold in the last 30 days
Most expensive football cards sold in the last 30 days
Most expensive basketball cards sold in the last 30 days

Now, on with the show …

Baseball Card Values Newsletter

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