Frank Robinson cards seem to get the shaft...

[mintacular]

Maybe my observation is off-base but it seems to me like Frank Robinson card values in comparison to his contemporaries are lower than they should be considering his strong HOF career accomplishments. Can anyone explain this or is the premise of my argument wrong? Thanks

[BlueDevil89]

I agree - Frank Robinson cards are way undervalued considering his accomplishments (both during his playing days and after). He gets no love from either Cincy or the O's fans. Sometimes when you split a career with two or more teams you don't have a unified fan base that wants to buy your cards.

[lutherlafy]

Frank Robinson was not very cordial towards fans during or after his playing days.
He hated signing autographs during his career.

[bcbgcbrcb]

Probably not great with the media either, see Eddie Murray, Jim Rice, etc.......

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by mintacular

Maybe my observation is off-base but it seems to me like Frank Robinson card values in comparison to his contemporaries are lower than they should be considering his strong HOF career accomplishments. Can anyone explain this or is the premise of my argument wrong? Thanks

I've always thought the same. ROY, 2 MVP's, Triple Crown, World Series MVP, Manager of the Year.

His numbers compare favorably to Mantle and the other top dogs of his era.

If he had been from a large market ballclub or had the personality of a Clemente his cards would be through the roof.

[ChiefBenderForever]

Agree with all statements above. He seems to have been somewhat of a Barry Bonds of his era, minus the steroids. He does have some very nice looking cards, his 57 and 65 are as nice looking as any ever made.

[olsport]

I always thought it is a great opportunity! If you collect Frank Robinson you would have an easier time finding the stuff you want and the prices lower. Plus other sellers may discount it even more if the player is more difficult to find a buyer for.
I always collected oddball & unusual antique sports memorabilia items so sellers didn't have a beckett to look in for pricing and I could pay what I felt was a fair price in my own mind, and not what a book with set prices tried to make me pay. Take Care!

[hcv123]

Ultimately the value side of any item is a supply and demand issue. While I am sure there are many rare or scarce Robinson cards (short supply), there is also, likely for the reasons enumerated in previous replies to this post, a shortage of demand. Demand>Supply=upward price pressure, Supply>Demand=downward price pressure. So he may have been just as much the ballplayer that Mickey Mantle was, just a heck of a lot less people care. My 2 cents.

[mintacular]

my thread is trying to uncover why there is not greater demand for his cards given his accomplishments. Some have already answered that, saying he was not a popular person and/or played for too many teams, etc.