Sold one of these Morant blues way too early apparently

[D. Bergin]

Anybody have any advice on what the meat and potatoes basic/base Ja Morant Rookie card would be to get?

I've dipped my toes in the water and picked up a few of his cards, but there's like 5 thousand different Rookie cards.

Is it Donruss Rated Rookie, Donruss Optic, Panini Prizm base (there seems to be like 150 different Prizm cards to). There also seems to be at least a couple different poses/numbers in each base set. There's cards with him in his college uniform that seem to have a 2019 copyright date on the back while the ones in his Memphis uniform all look like they have 2020 on the back, but people seem to like the Memphis ones better than the college ones.

Questions from a recently modern newbie. Thanks.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Anybody have any advice on what the meat and potatoes basic/base Ja Morant Rookie card would be to get?

I've dipped my toes in the water and picked up a few of his cards, but there's like 5 thousand different Rookie cards.

Is it Donruss Rated Rookie, Donruss Optic, Panini Prizm base (there seems to be like 150 different Prizm cards to). There also seems to be at least a couple different poses/numbers in each base set. There's cards with him in his college uniform that seem to have a 2019 copyright date on the back while the ones in his Memphis uniform all look like they have 2020 on the back, but people seem to like the Memphis ones better than the college ones.

Questions from a recently modern newbie. Thanks.

College cards are very seldom valuable even though they are the first issues. I know of no one that considers them a rookie and I avoid them like the plague.

That rookie year the most collected base RCs (for Ja and Zion) are the base Panini Prizm in my belief, with Optic in second. Some base have short printed alternate poses, research before you buy. The costs have dropped quite a bit since last year as well, so it's not a terrible time to pick it up. If per chance he gets MVP (Not probable, but not impossible) they would be going back up.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by JustinD

College cards are very seldom valuable even though they are the first issues. I know of no one that considers them a rookie and I avoid them like the plague.

That rookie year the most collected base RCs (for Ja and Zion) are the base Panini Prizm in my belief, with Optic in second. Some base have short printed alternate poses, research before you buy. The costs have dropped quite a bit since last year as well, so it's not a terrible time to pick it up. If per chance he gets MVP (Not probable, but not impossible) they would be going back up.

Thanks for the insight. I always liked 1st cards over "true" Rookies, especially if they are in mainstream sets, but I definitely get where you are coming from. Explains why I picked up a bunch of Memphis State Uniform cards, at what I considered a pretty reasonable price.

His 2019 cards are definitely selling for less than the 2020 cards.

I guess, coming from the vintage world, if Topps put out a baseball card of a guy back in the day, it didn't matter if he was in a Minor League uniform or not. If it was his first card, it was his Rookie card.

Just weird to wrap my head around.

[D. Bergin]

Sorry, Murray State. I always get a brain fart when it comes to Ja and say Memphis State for some reason.

[D. Bergin]

Ok, another stupid newbie modern question.

Is there a difference Panini Prizm Draft Pick base card and the ones marked Silver Prizm on the flip, because I can't tell the difference between the two? I even bought two of Ja's #65 draft pick card. One says "Silver" and one doesn't, and I can't tell the difference between the two, even in hand.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Ok, another stupid newbie modern question.

Is there a difference Panini Prizm Draft Pick base card and the ones marked Silver Prizm on the flip, because I can't tell the difference between the two? I even bought two of Ja's #65 draft pick card. One says "Silver" and one doesn't, and I can't tell the difference between the two, even in hand.

Silver usually means holographic paper and slightly more valuable due to lower print numbers...slightly. Maybe they mislabeled it, maybe you need better sunlight to see a difference. They should be of higher quality.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by JustinD

Silver usually means holographic paper and slightly more valuable due to lower print numbers...slightly. Maybe they mislabeled it, maybe you need better sunlight to see a difference. They should be of higher quality.

OK, thanks for the clarification. I'll take a look at them again.

Is there a breakdown somewhere that lists the Prizm color schemes in order of rarity?

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Thanks for the insight. I always liked 1st cards over "true" Rookies, especially if they are in mainstream sets, but I definitely get where you are coming from. Explains why I picked up a bunch of Memphis State Uniform cards, at what I considered a pretty reasonable price.

His 2019 cards are definitely selling for less than the 2020 cards.

I guess, coming from the vintage world, if Topps put out a baseball card of a guy back in the day, it didn't matter if he was in a Minor League uniform or not. If it was his first card, it was his Rookie card.

Just weird to wrap my head around.

Many do not consider a card a rookie unless the player is pictured in a pro uniform. I would consider anything in a college or minor league uni an XRC or pre-rookie.