Looking for ideas

[engja123]

You have a lot of options with a 2k budget.
One of my personal favorites, #92 Gehrig 33 Goudey. (easily found in a PSA 3 at that price and prob a 3.5)
Another personal favorite is the Cobb Bat Off T206. (really nice example just sold on ebay around 2250)
At the end of the day, those are some of my favorites at that price point... you just have to decide what makes you happy and go for it.

[bobfreedman]

Jose Fernandez

[drcy]

The way some young prospects' cards are priced, their values will fall if they turn out to be the next Joe DiMaggio.

[glchen]

I think this is a tough call, and as others have said, ultimately you have to decide what makes you happy (e.g., what card or other collectible you would have the most enjoyment looking at over and over again).

I think Trout and Kershaw are really the only surefire HOFer's (under 30), barring some disaster like PEDs or crippling injury. I have a Trout auto myself (Topps Dynasty, not a RC), and that's basically the only modern card that I own. I think he's the real deal. Also, it's really tough to purchase an "iconic" card of one of the all time prewar greats like Ruth, Cobb, Mathewson, Wagner, etc. for $2K while the 2009 Bowman Chrome auto is the best card for Trout (if you somewhat ignore all of the different parallels). There are some low grade prewar options of very popular cards that you can pick up for $2k that you may still be able to find with decent eye appeal such as 1933 Goudey #144 Ruth, T206 Green (or Red) Cobb, E93/94/98 Cobb. Of course, the big advantage with the prewar cards are that the players careers are already over. They're in the HOF and widely acknowledged as titans of the game.

More contrarian arguments against Trout. Can he reach some of the most hallowed baseball records? Ruth owned both the single season and career HR records for decades. Similarly Cobb was the hit king for over fifty years, and still owns the highest career batting average. One of the reasons that Nolan Ryan is so popular is that he owns the career SO mark. Is Trout someone that can touch a .400 batting average or top the 56 straight games with a hit some time during his career? What notable record or achievement can Trout make his own? Even Cal Ripken has his consecutive games streak. If Trout continues to re-sign with the Angels, can he win any championships or will that always hurt his legacy like Ted Williams? Is he as likeable and popular with the public like Ken Griffey or Clemente? Or is he more like Bonds and Mays? Finally, when theoretical all time teams are assembled, would he be your CF? Or would Mays or Mantle be chosen instead?

If you do decide to go with the Trout card, imho, I think you should go w/ one of the #'s ones. There are so many different parallels, who knows the actual print run of the non-#'s version.

[conor912]

You need to ask yourself why you feel the need to buy the Trout. Is it strictly (or even mostly) because you think he'll be the best of his generation and the prices will only go up from here? Is it strictly a financial move? Speculation to flip later, or you just want to own it?

Personally, I don't put any real money (and I consider anything over $50 real money) on current players, for the exact reason companies prefer fictional characters as spokespeople over real humans....too much room for disappointment. Babe Ruth will never disappoint you.

[bbcard1]

I love Trout and Kershaw. I would probably go with the notion that they are sure fire hall of famers, but I would have said that same about Dale Murphy or Don Mattingly. I think both are priced accordingly and I don't know that there's that much upside. Modern production further complicates things. To be honest, I think modern cards are relatively limited even in comparison to the 60s or 70s (high numbers being the exception) but people only care about the auto relic.

If it were my money and I wanted to go modern, I think I would buy Bryce Harper. He had an off year because of injury, but there is a reason for his off season. He just turned 24, which is the approximate age of the sweater I am wearing, and already has more than 120 Home Runs and 600 hits. Plus you can get his 500+ deadlift for a fraction of what you can get Trout for.

I have absolutely no problem putting the money into vintage cards, but your ceiling will probably be limited. The buy what you like sentiment is right on.

[sterlingfox]

I agree with the "buy what you like" notion, but if a significant drop in value will hurt the like-ability factor for you, then stick with a card that is much less vulnerable to that, which would be an elite HOF'er (Ruth, Gehrig, Big Train, Cy, Cobb, Wagner, DiMaggio, etc). 2k can get you a *very* nice card! A 1920s Exhibit of Ruth or Gehrig would be ideal.

[gonzo]

I second the T205 Cobb suggestion - you can get a decent PSA 4 in the 2k range.

Have you considered regional issues? You can get some significant cards for less than the national issues. Here's a very nice 1954 Johnston Cookies Aaron rookie in a PSA 8 that sold in late 2016 for less than 2k:
http://milehighcardco.com/mobile/lot...on_psa_8_nm_mt

They probably won't increase in value as much as the national issues, but they can be attractive and significant cards.

[bbcard1]

how about a nice vintage card and a nice auto of a second tier superstar auto rookie (Harper, McCutcheon, Bumgardner) who has a shot at becoming first tier? I actually picked up an auto McCutcheon rookie / jersey numbered 1/50 for $75 or so.

[Peter_Spaeth]

In my opinion, possibly uninformed, the possibility that he will end up the greatest player of all time is already reflected in his card prices. In other words, they reflect mostly speculation, not his career accomplishments to date. So how much upside is there really, everything else being equal?