[Exhibitman]

When someone or something becomes a cultural touchstone, that's the one with the most long-term upside. I think Robinson has gone to that level over the last several years.

What boosts prospects for a card long term isn't what us old goats collect, it is what newbie collectors are going to lust after when they get into vintage, and people moving into vintage seem to get excited over a select few players and/or cards. Ruth and Robinson are the two foremost, and the 1952 Topps Mantle is another. I would argue that Robinson has one of the biggest non-hardcore vintage collector cachets, and that it is growing, which makes him a natural starting point for newer collectors, especially because you can still get decent career-contemporary Robinson cards well under $1,000. Name another player whose uniform was retired across the entirety of MLB and whose uniform # goes on every jersey once a year on a special day and whose name is on a major award and was the subject of a recent major motion picture and who has a plethora of modern cards issued virtually every year. There isn't one. Newbies want #42, just like they want Ruth. Cobb is an "inside" guy; we know him but he does not attract newbie collectors the way Robinson does. The 1952 Topps Mantle is similar. It has cachet far beyond the current hardcore vintage collector base. Even the non-collectors know it. Watch a newbie collector handle one for the first time. They go nuts. That's why I think there is still upside to the card. Owning one is an aspiration for newbies.

OK Cobb enthusiasts, you may unleash your vitriol now.