Is Robinson Cano hobby irrelevant?
I figured once he left the Yankees he wouldn’t be as top of
mind, no matter what type of success he had in Seattle. It’s no knock on him or
the team, it just seems like par for the course when leaving a major media market
for a smaller one.
He, along with Roc Nation, have done a great job of getting
some endorsement deals with Pepsi and New Balance (among others), but in terms
of baseball cards, I don’t see a hot market for his stuff right now. I just
picked up this refractor for $.24 shipped on eBay. While it’s from an older set
and features him with a team he no longer plays for, I couldn’t imagine scoring
this for less than a quarter when he was still a Yankee.
It’s also a fair point to say that his cards during his
Yankee days were never in huge demand. He had guys like Jeter and Rivera
playing at the same time, so he always seemed like a 3rd option to
collect, despite being a better player than those two over the last couple of
years.
Cano had a huge first year in Seattle, and while he’s off to
a slow start (something he frequently had in NY), I expect him to have another
big year this year. But even with another great season and Top-5 MVP finish, do
you think his cards have peaked in value and in demand? It kind of looks that
way from my perspective.
This is not meant to slam him for leaving NY. He took the
biggest paycheck and he should have. That’s over with. I have no qualms about
that. It’s merely a trend I’m noticing purely within the hobby.
What do you think?
Hard to believe considering his salary. I still consider him a star.
ReplyDeleteMy answer, yes. I like Robbie but the minute he left New York and went to Seattle, everybody immediately dumped their Cano cards on eBay to recoup what they could. The ironic thing is that out of all the notable Yankees in recent years, Cano had the most cards and most autos. Unless Seattle trades him (and his contract) onto the BoSox, Cubbies or Dodgers, I don't see his values going up anytime soon.
ReplyDeleteOn a sidenote, I'd like to mention that several Giancarlo Stanton super collectors I knew immediately gave up after Giancarlo signed that 13 year deal with the Marlins and ruined any chance of going to Boston and bringing up his hobby value.
If he ever went back to the Yankees... then I could see his stuff climb back up. But since I don't see that happening... I'd say it's the perfect time for Cano collectors to buy his stuff. In fact... I've always wanted an on-card autograph of his. Might need to look into it right now.
ReplyDeleteEven more reason I collected so much of his stuff back in his Yankee days. Ultimately, I'm over him leaving the team, and I'm warming back up to him a little more as time passes by. He's an awesome player.
ReplyDelete