The reason you dont have the big name guys is b/c they sign their own license deal...Bonds was the first to sign an exclusive contract when he did it with Topps, then guys like Jeter and Griffey signed with UD...by the way Griffey is retired so he isnt part of the "active" MLBPA...Players also aren't entirely foolish. They know what type of money is being generated on the secondary market from their auto/gusd stuff and want a piece of the action as well.
Its funny b/c there is a lot of talk about what the marketplace will bring on indiv cards but not much on boxes b/c as soon as something pops up new, people rush in anticipation to get it no matter what price appears. Every GU/auto I accumulated (b4 I started trading here) came from boxes. Yes its a lot of hit/miss but I feel you have to buy boxes once the dust settles and prices get normalized...Unless you are buying cases at a time your odds are so overwhelming for the big hit that its many times going to feel like trying to win an ***** kicking contest as a 1 legged man...
Case in point...When 2005 Leaf Limited (black box w/Mays on it) 1st came out they were going for about 80-95 a box b/c of the hype and types of big hits you could get (includ autos of Aaron/Mays/Koufax/etc)...when the dust settled and people weren't paying that type of money 6 months later, I was buying indiv boxes for 42-50 max...Good 4 me, bad 4 dealers who already had the high $ investment in them. And yes, the 1/1 Koufax's were already pulled, but without buying case lots I feel 98.5% sure I wasnt going to hit them anyway. But I landed tons of neat cards, several of which I have traded in the last few months here for what I wanted, and still get offers today for the stuff...I traded a BV $40 TNT D Wright for $40 BV of stuff I more wanted...I traded a ser # to 10 W Clark for $15 of stuff I wanted...Long winded but in short dont jump into these things without eyes wide open!
Its funny b/c there is a lot of talk about what the marketplace will bring on indiv cards but not much on boxes b/c as soon as something pops up new, people rush in anticipation to get it no matter what price appears. Every GU/auto I accumulated (b4 I started trading here) came from boxes. Yes its a lot of hit/miss but I feel you have to buy boxes once the dust settles and prices get normalized...Unless you are buying cases at a time your odds are so overwhelming for the big hit that its many times going to feel like trying to win an ***** kicking contest as a 1 legged man...
Case in point...When 2005 Leaf Limited (black box w/Mays on it) 1st came out they were going for about 80-95 a box b/c of the hype and types of big hits you could get (includ autos of Aaron/Mays/Koufax/etc)...when the dust settled and people weren't paying that type of money 6 months later, I was buying indiv boxes for 42-50 max...Good 4 me, bad 4 dealers who already had the high $ investment in them. And yes, the 1/1 Koufax's were already pulled, but without buying case lots I feel 98.5% sure I wasnt going to hit them anyway. But I landed tons of neat cards, several of which I have traded in the last few months here for what I wanted, and still get offers today for the stuff...I traded a BV $40 TNT D Wright for $40 BV of stuff I more wanted...I traded a ser # to 10 W Clark for $15 of stuff I wanted...Long winded but in short dont jump into these things without eyes wide open!