Which card will sell for more

[rats60]

Originally Posted by darwinbulldog

If they both retire today, I'd say Trout has had about the 30th best career in MLB history (including 8 pitchers) and Pujols about the 40th best. More to the point, Trout has done more in his first 8 seasons than Pujols had done in his astonishingly strong first 10 seasons. Statistically he's at least the best player since Barry Bonds and arguably the best since Ruth.

Pointing out that Trout won't keep up the same pace is not insightful. It's just a straw man since neither did Cobb or Ruth.

Really? At age 36 Ruth led the majors with 10.5 WAR as well as HR, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+ with 218. Age 37 OPS+ 201. Age 38 OPS+ 176. Age 39 OPS+ 160.

At age 35, Cobb hit .401 with an OPS of 1.026 despite only hitting 4 home runs and was 2nd in oWAR. At age 38 Cobb hit .378 and led the league in OPS and OPS+ and hit a career high 12 home runs. That season, upset about all the talk of Ruth's Home Runs, Cobb told writers he could hit home runs if he wanted to and went out and hit 3 home runs along with a double and 2 singles going 6 for 6. The next day he hit 2 more setting a MLB record for most HRs in back to back games that still stands. Then Cobb went back to playing his "dead ball era" style.

[JunkyJoe]

None of these prices for modern cards makes any sense, without there being an underhanded catalyst involved. Here's my take: a card dealer owns multiples of a very low production serial#'d card of a "hot" player. The dealer consigns one of these super-rare super-hot cards through a major auction house and, either by himself or with the help of his associates/employees/family members, shills up the auction from multiple bidder accounts and then essentially buys the card from himself. After the smoke and mirrors show is produced for the collecting/investing public, no money has actually traded hands. The market is now primed for the next auction of this super-rare super-hot card from a different seller (or, so we're led to believe). The same dealer has another one of his super-rare super-hot cards consigned, this time by a family member, friend, or possibly even a fellow shady dealer who takes a pre-negotiated cut of the final sale price. And yes, unfortunately, there are plenty of trust fund dimwits out there foaming at the mouth to be the next high roller / "baller" who spends record bucks on that card.

[mouschi]

Originally Posted by rats60

Really? At age 36 Ruth led the majors with 10.5 WAR as well as HR, OBP, SLG, OPS, OPS+ with 218. Age 37 OPS+ 201. Age 38 OPS+ 176. Age 39 OPS+ 160.

At age 35, Cobb hit .401 with an OPS of 1.026 despite only hitting 4 home runs and was 2nd in oWAR. At age 38 Cobb hit .378 and led the league in OPS and OPS+ and hit a career high 12 home runs. That season, upset about all the talk of Ruth's Home Runs, Cobb told writers he could hit home runs if he wanted to and went out and hit 3 home runs along with a double and 2 singles going 6 for 6. The next day he hit 2 more setting a MLB record for most HRs in back to back games that still stands. Then Cobb went back to playing his "dead ball era" style.

I **LOVE** This.

[nat]

Trout is a little bit less than halfway to Cobb's career WAR, but he's beating everyone in history for his various ages up until now. (This will almost certainly not continue after we lose this season.) Any detailed Cobb/Ruth comparisons are premature, but we are definitely watching one of the all-time greats.

Pujols more or less matched Trout's yearly production in his 20s, but Trout started a year younger than Pujols did, which accounts for his higher totals at each age. At his established level of production, Trout's career will equal Pujols' in value in 3+ years. He could, of course, crater like Pujols did, but that's pretty much a worst-case scenario. (Sort of like rivaling Ruth is a best-case scenario. Neither one is likely.)