If you had $750 to spend...Cobb or Jordan

[steve B]

Ok, I'll go the other way. Jordan. But only because I already have a red Cobb. A green cobb though.... or whichever of the bat on/off Cobbs I don't have yet.

Steve B

[HRBAKER]

Let's see, I can have a card of arguably the greatest player ever from one of the most collected sets ever that is already over 100 years old that celebrates our national pastime, or a basketball card from the 80's. Now that's a tough one for me. Get back to you.

[ls7plus]

Might still be more than a few unopened cases of '86 Fleer basketball around, but there are apparently still more than a few "investors" willing to spend $5,000+ on a gem mint 10 Jordan--go figure! There are a lot better ways to spend that kind of money in cards. Go pre-war hall-of-famers, preferably top echelon like Cobb, and very scarce to downright R-A-R-E (read here "not T206)!!!

Larry

[chaddurbin]

if you purely want to speculate and gamble...then instead of the "tired" cobb/jordan buy some hot up and coming rookie. like if you spent $750 on blake griffin cards at the beginning of the year you'd realize at least 2k right now...or derrick rose, or russell westbrook. even if you follow someone like mike trout, his cards 1.5-2x overnight because all the pre-season mags rated him as the #1 prospect entering this season (which if you follow baseball you would've known for a few months already).

i'd rather do that then buy a cobb or jordan to "invest".

[Mollys Dad]

I had a sort of similar dilemma last year. I was trying to decide between a Cobb or a Gretzky O-pee-chee rookie. I paid $700 for this and have never regretted the decision for a moment. Thanks Cy!

[mintacular]

Let's see, I can have a card of arguably the greatest player ever from one of the most collected sets ever that is already over 100 years old that celebrates our national pastime, or a basketball card from the 80's. Now that's a tough one for me. Get back to you.

Greatest Player Ever could apply to Jordan
Most collected sets could apply 86 Fleer Basketball
National Pastime = no longer applies to baseball
Basketball card from the 80s = not overproduced like everything else from this era

My point is that Michael Jordan is a transcendent figure and is recognized as such in our current society. Even people that hate basketball know/respect Michael Jordan as a player. Even people that don't collect cards might own or buy a Jordan rookie card just to have one....

SHOULD this card command the same $ as a T206 Cobb? Probably not, but I'm a free market capitalist and the market currently dictates both are $750 cards...

For the sake of argument, I am just trying to weigh both supply and demand in coming up with a conclusion. In the sake of supply, it is unclear just how many Jordans are out there, especially NM-MT ones. Let's assume this total # is higher (but not radically) than low grade Red Cobbs--could stronger demand for Jordan cards make this card a better investment?

[steve B]

Not the national pastime? What then? Nascar? NFL? nascar is seeing declining attendance, and the NFL is headed for an NHL style reality check. Baseball's got competition and its own problems, but nothing else has had much staying power at the top

I don't think the demand will remain high for the Jordan card. Yes, arguably the best at his sport, but also a sport that heavily markets flash over substance and tradition. Once the people that saw him play fade, it's a tossup as to where he'll fit in the overall scheme of things. Look at the other great players who aren't as high profile simple because they played earlier. Mikan, Russell, Chamberlain, Kareem, Bird, Johnson......Great players, surely the best of their eras. And in Chamberlains case also arguably the best ever. (2 straight years of nearly averaging the now impressive triple double, and averaged well above that both years of college) His rookie card is from a tougher set, but only sells for about what the Jordan does.

Perhaps Jordan as a sports figure will stand the test of time as well as Cobb has. There are similarities, both are among the very best, both in many ways symbolize their eras which are both the end of a particular segement of their respective sports history.

Steve B

Originally Posted by mintacular

Let's see, I can have a card of arguably the greatest player ever from one of the most collected sets ever that is already over 100 years old that celebrates our national pastime, or a basketball card from the 80's. Now that's a tough one for me. Get back to you.

Greatest Player Ever could apply to Jordan
Most collected sets could apply 86 Fleer Basketball
National Pastime = no longer applies to baseball
Basketball card from the 80s = not overproduced like everything else from this era

My point is that Michael Jordan is a transcendent figure and is recognized as such in our current society. Even people that hate basketball know/respect Michael Jordan as a player. Even people that don't collect cards might own or buy a Jordan rookie card just to have one....

SHOULD this card command the same $ as a T206 Cobb? Probably not, but I'm a free market capitalist and the market currently dictates both are $750 cards...

For the sake of argument, I am just trying to weigh both supply and demand in coming up with a conclusion. In the sake of supply, it is unclear just how many Jordans are out there, especially NM-MT ones. Let's assume this total # is higher (but not radically) than low grade Red Cobbs--could stronger demand for Jordan cards make this card a better investment?