Am I the only one?

[ToHockey]

I am curious if i'm the only one who doesn't understand everyone's obsession with UD Series 1 Young Guns cards? The cards aren't serial numbered so essentially there could be 10,000 or more made of each. Yet people are paying obscene amounts for what's essentially a common card yet a serial numbered short print card barely sells for more. This just seems the exact opposite of how I would think things should be.

Example:
Taylor Hall Young Guns Retro - $73 Ebay
Taylor Hall Young Guns - $50
Taylor Hall SPGU Rookie Exlusives Auto /100 - $128
Taylor Hall SPx Rookie/Jersey/Auto /499 - $129
Taylor Hall SPX Finite RC /99 - $77

[IceRat]

Young Guns despite having higher production #'s are considered the standard bearer for rookie cards ... they are a franchise within a franchise

even though Victory, Artifacts, etc may come out first with the first cards of these rookies it is the YG cards people have grown to appreciate most

personally I appreciate SPA Future Watch more but given the higher price and timing of that release later in the year it is understandable how it hasn't received the same recognition

regardless people always overpay when a series is first released ... prices will fall on that one soon enough

[30ranfordfan]

Remeber though, the Finite isn't a RC. It's an insert. Nice insert, but still an insert. Same with the Exlusives Auto & the Retro.

Like was already posted - Young Guns are one of the 'staple' sets (if that word works here) each year. While Upper Deck will release 11 different RCs of Hall, the YG, SP Authentic, and The Cup will be the three that get the most attention.

It's a combo of continuity (YGs have been around much longer than any of the other RC sub-sets) and the fact that it's a very popular set to build..... plus they're the first live RC of many of those players (like Hall) from Upper Deck.

I am curious if i'm the only one who doesn't understand everyone's obsession with UD Series 1 Young Guns cards? The cards aren't serial numbered so essentially there could be 10,000 or more made of each. Yet people are paying obscene amounts for what's essentially a common card yet a serial numbered short print card barely sells for more. This just seems the exact opposite of how I would think things should be.

Example:
Taylor Hall Young Guns Retro - $73 Ebay
Taylor Hall Young Guns - $50
Taylor Hall SPGU Rookie Exlusives Auto /100 - $128
Taylor Hall SPx Rookie/Jersey/Auto /499 - $129
Taylor Hall SPX Finite RC /99 - $77

[ToHockey]

Young Guns despite having higher production #'s are considered the standard bearer for rookie cards ... they are a franchise within a franchise

even though Victory, Artifacts, etc may come out first with the first cards of these rookies it is the YG cards people have grown to appreciate most

personally I appreciate SPA Future Watch more but given the higher price and timing of that release later in the year it is understandable how it hasn't received the same recognition

regardless people always overpay when a series is first released ... prices will fall on that one soon enough

While I do understand it being a staple, I just don't see a reason for these cards to go for so much money. I personally would never pay $50 for a card that essentially could have an infinite print run. I would much rather have something exclusive which is serial numbered.

Remeber though, the Finite isn't a RC. It's an insert. Nice insert, but still an insert. Same with the Exlusives Auto & the Retro.

Like was already posted - Young Guns are one of the 'staple' sets (if that word works here) each year. While Upper Deck will release 11 different RCs of Hall, the YG, SP Authentic, and The Cup will be the three that get the most attention.

It's a combo of continuity (YGs have been around much longer than any of the other RC sub-sets) and the fact that it's a very popular set to build..... plus they're the first live RC of many of those players (like Hall) from Upper Deck.

Ok bad example on the Finite, but even still a card out of 99 of the same player in there rookie season selling for the same as a non-serial numbered card just makes no sense.

Like I said above I understand the continuity but these cards should be going for like $10 not $50-70

[IceRat]

to many (including myself) serialed sets and parallels are not as desirable as what they consider the more desirable card

also consider this .... if most people covet the Young Guns cards like they do as one of the key rookie cards more are likely not to part with the cards after they aquire them ... so while there are more of them that doesn't necessarily mean that a good majority of people aquiring the bigger names are so quick to release them into the pool of available cards on the market

it's all about the branding
that is why you can get a Hall Score RC for $15 but a UD Young Gun will run you $50

[Phoenix]

Of the three "standard" RCs (YG, SPA Auto, and Cup) the YG is far and away the most affordable. Not everyone has the pockets for the low-numbered cards. Plus, the YG are the most aesthetically pleasing cards too, (usually) featuring full action shots instead of headshots. That can make a big difference to collectors.

[CoolHandLuke]

If the sports card market was like the stock market, I would agree with you. But it's not. If it was only about money, then your argument could make sense but when you talk collecting, logic is not always on the menu.

For older collector like me, each brand tell me something. They talk to me. I remember when the first young gun came out. We were all amaze by the quality of the cards. Collector love it and adpted them. Some have been collecting all young gun sets since 1990. Popularity of a brand also mean returning customer. When the demand is high, the prices follow. This is what happen to YG. While many collector can't afford the big rookie, they all want the YG. Because these are not serialed and for that exact reason more collector knows they can grab one and add it to their want list.

So here you touch high end collector that often will get their YG as well and you catch mid size collectors and also the smaller collector might want their share of YG as well. Demand is high and the fact that the number are there to support the demand, it work well for UD. Also this is their flag brand using their own name as the brand, they put the marketing effort and they enter most big chain with their boxes.

So to me, it very normal they fecth the price they do. Also since they are highly tradable, many get them as trade bate and this push demand up as well. They trone there as the lower deisirable RC and will be hard to get their place stolen. I try to get all habs YG into my PC.

[ToHockey]

to many (including myself) serialed sets and parallels are not as desirable as what they consider the more desirable card

also consider this .... if most people covet the Young Guns cards like they do as one of the key rookie cards more are likely not to part with the cards after they aquire them ... so while there are more of them that doesn't necessarily mean that a good majority of people aquiring the bigger names are so quick to release them into the pool of available cards on the market

it's all about the branding
that is why you can get a Hall Score RC for $15 but a UD Young Gun will run you $50

Why would someone view something that is rarer as less desirable? This is what I am trying to understand, there is no logic behind it. There is an infinite supply, to a point, and a strong demand but it doesn't seem reasonable for a a card from a $50 box to cost more than the box itself.

Of the three "standard" RCs (YG, SPA Auto, and Cup) the YG is far and away the most affordable. Not everyone has the pockets for the low-numbered cards. Plus, the YG are the most aesthetically pleasing cards too, (usually) featuring full action shots instead of headshots. That can make a big difference to collectors.

When looking at those 3 brands it does seem the cost of each card more or less follows suit with the price of the product and the print run. Maybe it's the newer lines that just seem to not garner the value?

If the sports card market was like the stock market, I would agree with you. But it's not. If it was only about money, then your argument could make sense but when you talk collecting, logic is not always on the menu.

For older collector like me, each brand tell me something. They talk to me. I remember when the first young gun came out. We were all amaze by the quality of the cards. Collector love it and adpted them. Some have been collecting all young gun sets since 1990. Popularity of a brand also mean returning customer. When the demand is high, the prices follow. This is what happen to YG. While many collector can't afford the big rookie, they all want the YG. Because these are not serialed and for that exact reason more collector knows they can grab one and add it to their want list.

So here you touch high end collector that often will get their YG as well and you catch mid size collectors and also the smaller collector might want their share of YG as well. Demand is high and the fact that the number are there to support the demand, it work well for UD. Also this is their flag brand using their own name as the brand, they put the marketing effort and they enter most big chain with their boxes.

So to me, it very normal they fecth the price they do. Also since they are highly tradable, many get them as trade bate and this push demand up as well. They trone there as the lower deisirable RC and will be hard to get their place stolen. I try to get all habs YG into my PC.

The only problem with your reasoning is the demand increasing the price. There is a steady stream of Taylor Hall Young Guns cards on ebay, each and every day there are multiple available. Yet the rarer cards fetch less even though the supply is much more limited. I guess it does come down to brand recognition and loyalty..

Starting to think I should just invest all my box/case fundage into S1

[RGM81]

As has been noted, the Upper Deck Young Guns have the longest track record any rookie card (except for OPC) in the hobby today. They have been a part of hockey for 20 years now. There is instant brand recognition with these cards which fuels the demand. While there is a steady supply of them, as you noted, the increased demand for them ensures that prices always remain high.

You mentioned some of the serial numbered RCs from other products - when you think of a product like SP Game Used (where there's RCs #'d /99) or Artifacts or some of the others out there, the rookies are not what fuels the demand for these products. Very few people open up a box of Artifacts hoping to get one of the better /999 RCs, they want to hit a sick patch. When I open up SP Game Used, I want a By The Letter or some 8-player jersey card.

Think of it like this....

There is a bin with 5,000 delicious Okanagan peaches in it.
Beside it is a bin with 499 papayas.
Beside it is a display of 99 dragonfruits.

I don't mind papayas or dragonfruits, but I love Okanagan peaches. I grew up eating them, they taste fantastic, there's nothing better out there. Even if they're trying to blow out the papayas and dragonfruits at rock-bottom prices, I'll still pay a premium price for those peaches because they're simply awesome.

[8KaNe8]

Serial numbered cards are usually worth moor because people want them because less of them exist. But the key word is not less of them exist, it's people want them. If people want YGs then they will sell for more that is how the market is set. I collect YGs and it is just something with a nice value that's simple, nice looking, and trying to keep up with all the serial numbered stuff every year is exhausting, so I get the yg's I want and some serialed stuff of certain players, but I can alway rely on the yg's. If that helps.