There once was a time when the NBA had a young successor to Michael Jordan and everyone loved him.  He had his team, his city, and the league in his pocket, with the ability to do no wrong.

Then, we had “the decision” and everything changed in one fell swoop. Lebron James went from the NBA’s favorite superstar to exiled, hated, and fan divided overnight.

Usually, when a player joins a star studded team in a bigger market, they are looked in a positive light.  Their cards see an uptick on the market and people stash them away for a big return on investment.  In this case, collectors were severely divided and the market showed this almost immediately.  Cards that were usually the hottest sellers, instantly took a hit.

The card pictured above usually should have sold for at least $700, and possibly would have gone even higher.  Instead, it sells for a low price of $300.  It’s quite amazing how much of a difference a new market and the public’s perception can have on a player. Even cards his top rookie card, 2003-04 UD Exquisite has dropped to the $6k range, which is unheard of for such a monumental rookie.

It’s unclear if he will ever return to the same hobby stardom again, but it’s safe to say that no player is a safe investment.  Even all the people crowning Kevin Durant as the next “do-no-wrong” player should remember the Lebron James market collapse.

In a perfect world, Panini would have made the 2009-10 Panini Hall Of Fame USA Dream Team Autograph set complete with a certain somebody as the headliner.  Unfortunately, Michael Jordan is still locked up by Upper Deck exclusively, even though they do not have the NBA license for cards anymore.

Thanks to a friend on FreedomCardBoard.com, we get to see what could have been.  Here is the Michael Jordan Dream Team Autograph, in all it’s faux-beauty.

What would it sell for, say serial #’d /23…. $1000? $2000?

Sigh, we’ll never know.

The other day I linked to an awesome looking Kevin Durant Flag Patch Autographed rookie card from Upper Deck Black.  The BIN price was fairly high to the average collector, but for the people who buy high-end it seemed right in market range.  I posted my thoughts on FreedomCardBoard.com and was shot down by those high-end buyers because of one simple premise.

Manufactured patch autographs are well below any other high end product like Exquisite patches.

In the basketball rookie market, it seems that photo shoot and draft day game-used pieces are more of the norm.  As the companies try to put out the sets faster, the amount of rookie game-used material can be low.  People still buy those photo shoot/draft day cards, but apparently manufactured patches are no-good to many.

Personally, I feel that if the card is limited enough and designed correctly, I don’t care where the patch came from (unless it was some fake patcher on eBay).  The flag patches, like this one ending soon from UD Black of Michael Jordan, are just some great looking cards.  Sure, they might not sell as high as Exquisite cards, but they can’t be too far behind if done the right way.  Plus, the flag patch cards mentioned are on-card autographs, which many collectors stress greatly these days.

Does it matter to you as a collector/buyer?  Give us your thoughts!

1) 2002 Upper Deck USA Joe Mauer Auto /375

I guess the first USA Baseball box set autographed set isn’t dead after all.  Sure, players like Ryan Howard and Joe Mauer are the cream of the crop, but the fact that these still get $100+ is amazing.

2) 2007 UD Black USA Pride of A Nation Gold Troy Tulowitzki Auto /10

Maybe it was the monster and historical two week stretch that made this sell for so much, but it’s still quite impressive for a manufactured patch “RC” autograph.  The 2005 Bowman Chrome and Topps Rookie Cup are obviously top seller, but I doubt many thought the “RC”-era Upper Deck autographs would be so popular years later.

3) 2008 Bryce Harper USA Baseball BGS 9.5

I’m sure many are sick of hearing about the child prodigy Bryce Harper.  Well, I am one of those people who are fascinated by him and his card prices.  These were the first base Harper card to hit the market and they still command top dollar, especially in graded form.  Raw versions sell for $45-60, which is amazing enough, but 9.5′s also get some attention.  Not particularly hard to find, but people still want something as they wait for someone to release some autographs (Hello? Panini? Topps?  Bueller? Anyone??)

4) 2008 USA Bound for Beijing Red Evan Longoria Auto Jersey /50

Not many people even know what these cards are when they pop up, but player/team collectors seem to love them.  I always thought it was a great idea for a set, since former USA teams that didn’t have boxed set autos should get some USA cardboard love too.  Colby Rasmus and others were in the set, but clearly Evan Longoria is “the man” of the set.  The Red versions are #’d /50 and sell very well, but there is also a Green version #’d /10 that rarely pops up.  Expect to shell out some good money for those.

5) 2010 Bowman Futures Game Jason Heyward Jersey /99

Who says that plain colored game-used jersey cards are dead!  These were inserted in 2o10 Bowman and #’d /99, with a simple and catchy design.  Add that he is likely the NL ROY for 2010 and you have a card player/team collectors must have.  The fact that these get above $30 per is amazing.

6) 1991 Skybox Dream Team Michael Jordan BGS 10

Another gem from the mass-production basketball era.  These are a common skybox card that everyone remembers as a kid.  They barely get $1 these days, but grade them and player collectors spend their hard earned money.  Yes, this is a BGS 10 Pristine and the population report shows 5 total, but the % increase from a raw is staggering.  Start pulling out those monster boxes and grade your Jordans!

7) 2009 Upper Deck USA Patch Manny Machado /25

There are some pretty high hopes for Manny Machado as the savior of the Baltimore Orioles system.  He’s a true 5-tool shortstop prospect with constant comparisons to Alex Rodriguez.  Those factors will make prospectors see dollar signs, but usually they would go after autographs.  Game-used cards with no ink are an afterthought in this market, so this sale was striking.  This copy got just about as much as his Patch/Auto #’d /99. Go figure.