Got to Love the Drake (Sports Cards)
The football world is Kenyan Drake’s oyster in 2020.
In 8 games with the Arizona Cardinals last year, he averaged 80.4 rushing yards per game, recorded a 5.2 YPC average, and scored 8 rushing touchdowns. He also finished 3 games with 100 or more rushing yards.
So it’s exciting to think what he can do in a full season in Arizona.
Now, there are obviously risks for buying Drake cards if the value of those cards are tied to his performance.
Those risks include:
№1: The Cardinals may not live up to the hype. It could be a similar situation as we saw with the Cleveland Browns last year.
№2: Drake seemed to need a lot of touches to get going. When he carried the ball at least 15 times per game, he averaged 120 rushing yards per game. If he carried the ball 14 times or less (while he was in Arizona), he averaged about 40 rushing yards per game.
№3: Life ain’t easy in the NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, and the Los Angeles Rams combined for 33 wins in 2019. Out of 6 games against NFC West opponents, the Cardinals lost 5.
But even with those risks, I started to buy Kenyan Drake autograph cards because the reward should outweigh the risks: Drake has had more time in the system, the Cardinals could run out the clock if they get big jumps on their opponents, and this should be a better overall offense than it was in 2019.
In terms of trying to find a base to speculate that potential value of signed Drake cards, I took a look at Derrick Henry.
I’m not saying Drake is going to rack up 1,500 rushing yards and score 18 total touchdowns next year like Henry.
However, I think he could finish the next season with 1,200 to 1,500 total yards and 10 to 13 touchdowns.
So, if some of the Drake cards can even inch just a little bit closer to the price of those of Henry, there is a case to be made that the price of Drake cards could double from your original investment.
Let’s take a look at the signed Henry Optic card.
This card listing says it is out of four, so the perceived value will be higher because of its rarity. The other auction I found is for a card that has been rated, but there are 99 of them.
With Drake, I found a signed rookie Optic card for $17.50 ($23 with shipping) and bought it.
So, if I do send it in to get graded, with shipping, I’m looking at another $40 investment into the card. That would put me at $65.
If Drake can have a solid season and is one of the top running backs in fantasy football, I could see this selling for $100 if it’s a PSA10.
If I decide not to have it graded, I could still look to sell it for $40 or more.
The other card I see that could be a quicker flip since there isn’t a need to get it in and graded is his non-autographed rookie Optic card. I found a 12-card lot with a starting bid of $0.99 and $4.50 for shipping.
I see the non-autographed cards for Henry selling for $3-$7 a piece with free shipping. If I’m able to win the Drake cards for $3, that would be a total cost of $7.50, which would be $0.62 per card.
During the season, if he really starts to light up the scoreboard, I would try slow rolling these out one by one or trying a lot auction at $24 with free shipping.
Buying at $7.50 and flipping for a profit of $13 or $14 isn’t life-changing money, but it all starts to add up.
And the return is not too bad just for clicking a few buttons and being patient.
JD- All of the Murrays
