What single card do you think will increase in value the most in 10 years
 

I'm not looking for investment discussion, I'm just asking out of genuine curiosity. Everyone has a card they think is undervalued by the market, and is due to take off in price. Which card do you think will have the highest percentage increase in value over the next 10 years? Feel free to explain your reasoning if you want to.

Are we limiting this to prewar? Or before 1980?

I realized I forgot to include my choice in the initial post. I think the 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson has huge upside. It's exactly as scarce as the iconic Mickey Mantle, is iconic in its own right, and is currently miles behind in price. I'm not saying it's going to surpass the Mantle, but I think it deserves to be much closer in value than it is currently.

I also think Jackie is the most important player in baseball history, which means he has staying power, and his stature will only grow relative to his peers.

Very simply it's an iconic card, from an iconic set, featuring the most important player of all time, and is valued well below another similar card. Seems like a good recipe to me.

I don't think you'll get a ton of objection if you have a vintage card that happens to fall after the pre-war period. My choice is from 1952.

I'm going to go with the Jean-Donat Dupont Babe Ruth card. The reason is that it is a 1930's issue. No it is not a beautiful card, but for a Babe Ruth collector it is a hidden card. There are only 6 of these cards graded, period. There is one ungraded that I know of. 7 cards of a 1930's Babe Ruth issue is extremely Rare. Sooner or later Ruth collectors will have to take note of this one. Thats my pick for 10 years from now. Frank

I don't think anyone will get rich but the Kashin Babe Ruth is still underpriced in my opinion. The image is often not the sharpest on some printings but it's a Conlon photo and in my opinion one of the best images of the Babe there is:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d5e318ebf5.jpg

1953 Topps Willie Mays PSA 8 or higher

I don't see anything that's already worth thousands of dollars multiplying in value hundreds of times over a ten-year period, so it's probably something you can get for under $10 right now that will be worth several thousand in 10 years. And what card is that? I'll never tell.

I think the Sports King Ruth has tremendous upside, although it has already begun to make a move in recent auctions.

I will go with the gimme. High grade 52 Mantles will continue to increase in the next 10 years.

I agree that the 29' Kashin Ruth is a great player's era visual, courtesy of Conlon, and I'd just add the '30 W554 Ruth, which has the same image. And is a relatively rare issue, with PSA and SGC having graded less than 400 in total for the Kashin and much less for the W554.

And I agree that Ruth Sports Kings is another rare issue with upside. I think these Ruth cards become more attractive as some collectors get priced out of his Goudey's, etc.

I also agree that the '52 Topps Robinson has a lot of upside.

I would just add that I think there could continue to be a lot of price appreciation for the T206 oddities that are needed for a set. Specifically, the Doyle error is crazy rare, with maybe less than 10 extant, and the Plank. The Demmitt and O'Hara St. Louis cards may see the largest % increases though.

Only downfall on this piece is it’s a quadruple print. I love the image!

I think you nailed it here. I love Babe Ruth as much as anyone. It seems nothing and/or no one is going to catch up to Mantle or Wagner, though. The Babe and Ty Cobb would seem to fall in next in line. While I personally like his 1950 Bowman card best of all his cards, I realize how iconic the 1952 Topps set is to most people, and I would think given how important he is, the 1952 Jackie Robinson would be a no-brainer. Willie Mays likewise. We'll surely see. I am no expert, or investor.

But the '29 Kashin Ruth is still rarer than many of Ruth's other player days cards with less than 400 graded by SGC and PSA combined.

The Goudey Ruth's were printed in huge quantities too but it hasn't hurt their value. Same with Cobb T206s. The Kashin is a playing era card of the Babe at the height of his game and the image could not be improved upon (in my opinion). It's still pretty affordable for even the average collector. I don't know how much longer that will be true.

If we’re talking percentage increase, then it seems like the most likely suspects would be cards that are currently valued at nothing or something that rounds to nothing. It wouldn’t have to shoot up by much for the percentage increase to be pretty staggering.

In some ways, it’s not that different than an investing competition back in business school. To get the highest returns, the winners almost always invested in penny stocks, simply because if it goes nuts, then your percentage returns are astronomical.

Hard to pick just one, since so many pieces from the 80s and newer fall into this category. But maybe pick some fringe HOFer’s card from the junk wax era, ungraded, but hopefully will grade strong if the value takes off. If you wanted to take a shotgun approach, then buy up cases of unopened wax from this era and see what takes off. Then crack them open and hope you get lucky when something goes nuts.

I'm sorry, I can't think of any cards I have that I expect to drastically increase in value in the next 10 years. If I do, I'll probably sell it 3 months before it takes off. ;)

I don't wish ill will on the man, but I believe when Koufax passes away, his 55 topps card will blow up.

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I also think the 1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson Portrait is a card that has a lot of room to spread its wings. For a long time it was kind of ignored and not collected all that much. I would see it come up for auction now and then and sell for a few hundred dollars in the old days.

There were some really strong sales for higher grade examples during the pandemic that elevated its status somewhat.

However, in my opinion this card is one of THE MOST significant baseball cards ever released and was the first to feature Jackie in a major league uniform:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...8d631be36e.jpg

I agree with Charles...the W554 Ruth is much rarer. The only thing working against it is that it's oversized.

But the real answer to the OP question....is the card that'll appreciate the most is whichever one I don't own.

I hope you are right...

For readers who don't know the card, here is an example:

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...e%20Ruth_1.jpg

The one thing that card doesn't have going for it is that "Babe Ruth" doesn't appear anywhere on it.

I was thinking this one too, though I am not as hyperbolic about it. It is nicer looking and genuinely his RC compared to the 1949 Leaf card.

Another area to consider are Star basketball RCs from the early 1980s. In addition to having multiple Jordan RCs, there are a ton of RCs of HOFers in there, and now that PSA has decided to grade them, the top condition examples are good bets. There are a lot of crappy ones in Beckett slabs, so there are not sure crossovers, and the cards are full bleed color borders, so there will be lots of downgrades for corners.

I also think early Muhammad Ali cards are still undervalued. There are not a lot to choose from during Ali's pre-Vietnam years, and many of them are just obscure enough to keep them comparatively cheap.

Is it hyperbolic to say that though? Jackie Robinson's debut was one of the most significant events in baseball history and this is his first card and the first time any player like him was pictured in a major league uniform. I think people's feelings about the card aren't hyperbolic ENOUGH (haha).

For its attractiveness, relative rarity, and being so early, I've thought the 52 Red Man Mays sells for relatively little.

I don't think I can choose one over a 10 year period, lots of things can happen in the market between now and then. And like others have said its might be a relatively obscure card now that will appreciate the most in that period.

That being said, I sold my 52 Jackie which is one of the most beautiful cards imo, to buy my 14CJ Cobb. Kind of a Sophies Choice but I think the Cobb will exceed Jackie value in years to come.
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Honus t206. Anything with Babe on it will do well. Feels like Gehrig has been mildly undervalued compared to Babe but not sure that changes.

Both cards are awesome but I think you made the right call. Wow on both.

M101-4/5 Ruth, especially rare backs. Best ever, relatively rare (especially compared to the 1952 Mantle), and super iconic. I also think the 1907 Cobb Dietsche Fielding has a lot of room to run, as its relatively cheap now, its a real rookie, and its very rare (like 20 graded). I alsio think Gehrig cards are all undervalued

The answer is simple: not a single one of the cards I own. :(

My first thought exactly!

Care to list them so I can stay away? 😉

I completely agree with the sentiment, which why I jumped on the Robinson bandwagon years ago, but I do understand that for a significant number of collectors, any superstar from the pre-integration era will beat it. I do think there is a lot of room for the card relative to the 1949 Leaf and the 1949 Bowman to become the go-to Robinson card. I say that because the bread card came into prominence relatively recently after the research was done to establish the facts of its issuance.

+1 on that. I cannot believe the drop-off from Ruth to Gehrig.

Also Babe on the Jean-Donat Dupont card appears to be hitting a popup, so definitely the card will not be a home run in the next or future decades to come.

Brian (just as a reminder, the popup could have been dropped by the opposing team, and if fair, the Babe reached base. Whether popup dropped or not, still a cool card)

Ruth Premium
 

I agree on the ‘29 Kashin Ruth but add as another possibility the ‘29 Kashin Ruth PREMIUM, which is much rarer, higher quality, and at the moment doesn’t cost a fortune if you can find one.

My vote too. I think more people will come to this realization as time goes by.

Good thread- all the cards listed so far make sense.

I'll throw in the 1946 Propagandas Stan Musial. Low pop, interesting card, and I believe the first Musial card.

I believe the Felix Mendelssohn Ruth a transition card between Redsox and Yankees
Great graphics, Rare and an icon throwing pose

Sorry thought I upload the photo

Here it is

I have no doubt 19th Century Scrappy Carroll Cabinets is the ONLY answer here.

National Copper Plates/M101-1’s in general and this National Copper Plate Wagner in particular. As REA likes to say, “for those who recognize these premiums as cards, it’s his rookie card”, and it’s really beautiful when seen in person and has the bio on the back. In particular, quite rare and the catalyst would simply be grading, which has held back this set. In fact, a Young from the Sporting News M101-1 set with a corner torn off went for over $5000 recently as it was graded 1-PR by Beckett. I am holding out for PSA or SGC. Adding a Delehanty for show as well.

Darby choclate ty cobb good luck finding one

Everyone always seems to overlook the greatest pure hitter of all time, Ted Williams. Now obviously if he continues to be ignored I'll be wrong. But I have seen his cards nudge up over the past few years. So I'm going with the 1939 Goudey Ted Williams rookie...and the even rarer 1939 Goudey Premiums Ted.

That is a gorgeous card.

1951 Bowman Willie Mays without question. His rookie and still very underrated and undervalued.


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1952 Topps Jackie Robinson gets my vote for sure. Here's one of mine.

T206's with slightly harder backs

'88 Donruss Gregg Jefferies?

:D

Seriously, though, I agree with those who have stated the sharpest increase will be a card that is relatively inexpensive right now. Perhaps a $20 card goes to $2,000 or some other 100x jump.

Hell, Mike Trout's Topps Update went from about $20 to about $2,000 in about 10 years.

As much as I like other cards in this thread, I just can't see them keeping up with a percentage increase like that.

Centered mid to low grade Mantles. The price of higher grade Mantles will be unattainable for a majority of collectors soon. People will still want a Mantle and that will jump the price of the mid low grade Micks.