Aaron Rodgers Rookie Cards Wise Investment
He is one of the hottest young players in the NFL right now. Is it a smart move to invest in Aaron Rodgers rookie cards?
Rodgers has some pros and cons as a target for your sports memorabilia investment dollar. He plays the glamour position of quarterback and play for the Green Bay Packers, one of the game’s greatest franchises. He is a very talented player, but not yet on the elite level When you look at the players whose cards hold the highest value they are usually players that came into the NFL and were instant superstars. The upside of a player like Rodgers at this moment might be more in line with Dan Fouts, a Hall of Fame quarterback for sure but not a great of the game like Joe Montana, John Elway or Brett Favre.
One obstacle for Aaron Rodgers is the shadow cast by his predecessor at quarterback for the Packers. Right or wrong he will always be measured against Favre. This is a comparison he is destined to lose for a variety of reasons. Favre was a swashbuckling hero who won a Super Bowl and played every game injured or not.
Yet Rodgers has many similar qualities. He’s a quiet leader, but also tough and may have more respect from his teammates than Favre did at his age. Rodgers is smart, makes good decisions and can run a little, meaning he’s not dull by any stretch.
If you are sold on Aaron Rodgers as the real deal I have some good choices. Just remember that the current football card market is much different than in years past. Inserts, autographed cards and game worn swatch cards dominate today’s market. The days of a plain ordinary rookie card having any kind of long-term value are gone forever. This poses some problems for the collector. With literally tens of different rookie cards to choose from you really never know which one will be best over the long run.
One card I like is the 2005 Exquisite RC Autographed patch card of Rodgers. It is visually pleasing and offers both swatches of his game worn jersey and his verified autograph. It has a demonstrated sale price in the $500 range and is limited to 199 copies available.
Another approach to Rodgers investment is to go with bulk instead of gems. The 2005 Upper Deck rookie card sells for a couple bucks right now as a single. You can buy large lots of this card for less than a dollar a piece on Ebay. You can in fact buy one of these large lots now and make a profit simply by selling them individually on Ebay. You can also horse huge quantities of this card for minimal investment. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that several pro bowl season and a Super Bowl or two would not put this card into the $5 or higher price range. If it achieves this level you can make much more money selling this card is huge quantities than you can investing in the more higher priced varieties. In this hobby a $1 card becomes a $5 card much easier than a $100 card becomes a $500 card.
Rodgers lost two season sitting on the bench, does not have prime star quality coming into the league from college and plays in the shadow of one of the game’s greats. But as Mike Holmgren once told Reggie White as he recruited the late, great defensive end, “Reggie you can go anywhere and be a star. Come to Green Bay and you’ll be a legend.”
If Rodgers can continue to lead the Packers to deep playoff runs and win a Super Bowl or two, he’ll be primed to carve his own place in NFL history. Snap up a few Aaron Rodgers rookie cards or a few nice Rodgers autographed items and you might be glad you did.