Welcome to the Sports Cards Insider – FREE VERSION.
Today’s main write-ups are courtesy of a new writer – Horacio Ruiz. Welcome, Horacio!
He did a deep dive into two assets that are IPOing at Collectable this week:
- 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth SGC 8 on Wednesday, August 25th at 2:30 PM ET
- 1958 Topps Roger Maris PSA 9 on Thursday, August 26th at 2:30 PM ET
PLUS – a bonus Babe Ruth trading update
Table of Contents
1948 Leaf Babe Ruth SGC 8
About the Asset
This is a 1948 Leaf Babe Ruth card graded a SGC 8. This card is considered a “career capstone card” as its aim was to honor Ruth with the #3 card in the set 13 years after his retirement. The 1948 Leaf card is considered his last major card since it is the last card printed while he was alive. This set is full of iconic cards and is headlined by rookie cards of Jackie Robinson, Satchel Paige, and Ralph Kiner, among others.
Between SGC and PSA, only nine submissions have been graded higher than this card. Both grading agencies combined report a total of 51 Grade 8’s out of a total of 1,500 submissions. This places this example in the top 4% of all submissions. The Collectable page cites the two most recent PSA 8 sales while noting they “prefer the centering on the offered asset in comparison.” We also agree with this assessment.
If you were signed up to Insider (start a free trial), you’d also learn:
- Projected future growth
- Asset class ROI, volatility and risk statistics
- Detailed valuation with recent sales
- Our verdict
About the Drop
This asset will drop on Collectable at 2:30 PM ET on August 25th, 2021 for $52,000. There is no retained equity. Collectable has been scheduling their IPOs for trading around 3 months after they fund, though recently some assets have been pushed back further than that.
Add IPO to calendar
About Babe Ruth
Wyatt wrote extensively about Babe Ruth here. But, if there were a Mount Rushmore of American sports figures, Babe Ruth would be on it.
Ruth was so good that in 1920 when he became the first player to hit more than 50 home runs with a record 54, it was more than any other American League team had hit that season. He would go on to break his own record the next year with 57 and then once more the next year with 60 home runs, which would stand until (see below!) it was surpassed by Roger Maris when he hit 61 in the 1961 season.
Recent Sales and Current Valuation
[Detailed Valuation for Insiders Only]
Verdict
If you want to invest in Babe Ruth – the 1933 #144 Goudey PSA 8 is opening for trading August 25th from 9:30 AM – 4 PM ET at Rally Road and is currently at a market cap of $140,000 ($70/share). A PSA 7 sold in July at Memory Lane for $161,582. That would put the inferred value of the PSA 8 at around [Insiders Only]. Keep an eye on where it trades because it could be a better deal than the Leaf IPO.
[Full Evaluation for Insiders Only]
1958 Topps Roger Maris PSA 9
About the Asset
This is a 1958 Topps Roger Maris rookie card graded as a PSA 9. According to the PSA database, 35 Roger Maris submissions have garnered a PSA 9 designation out of 4,558 submissions. This places the card in the top 0.8% of all submissions. There are no examples graded higher.
Maris, pictured in an Indians uniform, is considered the key rookie card of the set that also includes rookie cards of Orlando Cepeda, Curt Flood, and Vada Pinson. The card shows Maris kneeling, looking to his right with a distinct orange background commonly found throughout the 1958 set.
If you were signed up to Insider (start a free trial), you’d also learn:
- Projected future growth
- Asset class ROI, volatility and risk statistics
- Detailed valuation with recent sales
- Our verdict
About the Drop
This asset will drop on Collectable at 2:30 PM ET on August 26th, 2021 for $26,995. There is no retained equity. Collectable has been scheduling their IPOs for trading around 3 months after they fund, though recently some assets have been pushed back further than that.
Add IPO to calendar
About Roger Maris
Most famously, Maris hit 61 home runs in the 1961 season, breaking Babe Ruth’s single season record of 60 which had stood for 34 years. Maris’ own record would stand for 37 years until both Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire broke it during the 1998 season.
For many, Maris’s 61 home runs still stands as the golden standard for the single season record. For his career, Maris was voted an All-Star in four different seasons, collected two AL MVP awards while playing on the same team as Mickey Mantle at his peak, and won two World Series titles with the Yankees and another with the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite some support among baseball writers for induction into the Hall of Fame, Maris has fallen short of induction since becoming eligible in 1974.
Maris and his chase for 61 one of the most notable stories in the history of baseball. A biographical movie released in 2001 by HBO titled “61,” was positively received and put his accomplishment and struggles in achieving the record back in the spotlight. He is a Yankee legend, with his number 9 retired in 1984. Maris passed away in 1985.
Recent Sales and Current Valuation
[Detailed Valuation for Insiders Only]
Verdict
A careful inspection of the card on the Collectable site shows what could be a slightly off-center image of the kneeling Maris. The 1958 set is notorious for being plagued with printing issues. This may not be a true 9, which would negatively affect the card’s value by thousands of dollars.
