The Biggest Storylines from PWCC’s July Premier Auction and What They Mean to You
What played out at this big-time auction could impact the card market for every investor and collector. (In partnership with PWCC)
PWCC ran their second ever Premier Auction from July 1-17, and the results from this auction did not disappoint. This auction was home to some of the biggest cards in the industry, so it is very important to keep track of their sale prices. Using the information provided from these auctions allows buyers of all levels to make better and more informed decisions when it comes time for their next investment.
PWCC also made several adjustments and additions to their Premier Auction, including the ability to filter when searching items in the auction, extended bidding time frame changes, and different methods in the bidding process. All of these were done in response to feedback from the first Premier Auction back in May, as PWCC looks to create the best experience for every user in the auction, whether they are buying or just spectating.
SlabStox has partnered with PWCC to create independent content and analysis of these events. All reporting and insights are fully objective. Our key takeaway: While every collector may not have the budget to bid on Premier Auctions, the results carry over into the hobby at all levels.
The cards below are what the SlabStox team believes to have been the most interesting and noteworthy cards from the recent auction. However, this is not to say other cards in the auction were not worth the time to discuss. Be sure to check out all of the results of the auction on the PWCC website.
Storyline #1: The Most Expensive Card
Just like the last Premier Auction, we will start with the most expensive card from the entire auction. Before the auction, the SlabStox team identified the 2003 Exquisite Collection LeBron James Rookie Patch Auto 35/99 #78 SGC 9.5 and the 1997 Metal Universe Precious Metal Gems Michael Jordan PMG Red 73/100 #23 BGS 8 as the two cards in the running for this title.
After it was all said and done, the LeBron James RPA easily surpassed the Michael Jordan Red PMG as it sold for $900,000. This final sale price was almost triple that of its counterpart.
The Exquisite set from 2003 is one of the most sought after sets of all-time, and it seems that sentiment still holds true after the July PWCC Premier Auction. This particular LeBron James card is one of the most important sports cards of all-time as well. This helps set the market for other RPA’s and makes them truly worth the premium most buyers pay for them. It is super important to keep an eye on the price of this card if you are looking into RPA’s of other basketball players.
Storyline #2: Vintage Baseball
The Vintage baseball market is always interesting to keep an eye on, especially if you are interested in collecting the GOAT’s of the sport, rather than prospecting the thousands of young players coming through the minor league system everyday. These cards are a much safer and risk averse investment that usually don’t see exponential gains, but steady gains over time.
This past month’s PWCC Premier Auction housed two of the most notable rookie cards; the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle #311 SGC 4.5 and the 1954 Topps Hank Aaron #128 PSA 8. Both of these cards are iconic and are a good way to gauge the overall vintage card market.
In the end, the 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle sold for $84,000, which was almost double that of the 1954 Topps Hank Aaron. Some may question whether this difference is really warranted, but it seems to hold true the 1952 Mantle is the most iconic card in the hobby and will remain that way for years to come. You really can’t go wrong with either of these cards, as anyone would love to have one of them in their collection. That is the beauty of this month’s vintage showdown.
Storyline #3: Alternative Cards
A neat showdown in this pastmonth’s PWCC Premier Auction was between two cards not produced by the major card production companies (Topps, Panini, Upper Deck). It featured the 1994 Miami Bumble Bee Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Rookie PSA 10 and the 1985 Nike Promo Michael Jordan Rookie MBA SGC 10 Pristine Gold Label. These cards are very tough to grade and are widely talked about in the hobby.
Neither of these cards will sell for an exorbitant amount compared to other cards in this auction, but they are a neat area of the hobby to look at.
What is even cooler to see is these two cards ended up selling for the EXACT same price of $27,600. It is not often you see a card matchup of two totally different players and cards end up tied, but we were lucky enough for that to happen here. Which card would you rather have?
Storyline #4: Hockey Cards
The hockey card market does not normally get much attention, but we felt it was important to take a look at two of the biggest hockey cards in the market that showed up in this month’s auction.
For this matchup, we are looking at the 2015 SP Authentic Future Watch Connor McDavid Rookie Auto 516/999 #226 BGS 10 (Pop 1), and the 1979 O-Pee-Chee Hockey Wayne Gretzky Rookie #18 PSA 9.
To nobody’s surprise, the Gretzky PSA 9 sold for way more than the McDavid, but the $66,000 for McDavid’s RC Auto is very impressive. These are both very strong sales for the hockey card market. ESPN’s recent deal with the NHL could be a huge catalyst for the market as a whole, and potentially prove these two sales to be “bargains.” Do you think either of these cards have room to grow if hockey cards start to get more attention?
Storyline #5: MJ Exquisite Patch Autos
Our final storyline from this past month’s PWCC Premier Auction is a showdown between two of the nicest Michael Jordan Exquisite Patch Autos out there. The one on the left in the picture below is the 2003 Exquisite Emblems of Endorsements Michael Jordan Patch Auto /15 PSA Authentic/DNA 10, and the one on the right is the 2003 Exquisite Number Piece Autographs Patch Auto 4/23 BGS 8.5.
These are two absolutely stunning cards of one of the best to ever play the game, and the final sale prices reflect this sentiment. The Emblems of Endorsements Patch Auto sold for $360,000, and the Number Pieces sold for $216,000. You can never go wrong with anything Michael Jordan related when it comes to the card market, and these two cards are the cream of the crop. An on-card auto of the GOAT from one of the most sought after card sets of all-time is a no-brainer move if you are in the market for a card of this magnitude.
Which one of these do you think is the better Michael Jordan Exquisite Patch Auto?
If you didn’t get a chance to track this month’s auction items for the PWCC Premier Auction, be sure to check out the next one in August. Again, this auction may not be for everyone due to high-priced items, but it is important to understand what is happening in these auctions as it will have an impact on the card market for the everyday investor.
Head over to the SlabStox Instagram recap post and drop your thoughts on the PWCC Premier Auction results in the comments.
