[card_fiend2013]

Hi everyone. I'm a newbie here. Used to have an account many moons ago. Anyway, I have a dilemma that I need help with.

About a month ago, I purchased a hobby box of 2012 Bowman Chrome, and pulled a monster hit. The box was a "hot box" w/ 2 autos in it. One I can't remember, but the other one was a Billy Hamilton red refractor #5/5!!!

I checked Ebay, and haven't found any red refractors for sale. I did see a completed auction for a purple auto, and that one sold for over $800!!

Now here's my problem: should I sell it now, or get it graded and hold on to it? I'm reluctant to do this, because back in 2003, I pulled a Hanley Ramirez auto from another Bowman Chrome hobby box. I was ecstatic when I found out that this card was selling in the $150-250 range raw (ungraded)!!

I sent it to Beckett, it came back a 9, with the auto grading a perfect 10!!

I promptly put it away w/ my other graded cards in a safe deposit box @ my bank, figuring to hold on to it until my girls go to college.

Imagine my disappointment upon learning that this card (the '03 Ramirez auto) now sells for about $60 raw. I figure I can get maybe $200 or so for my BGS 9.

I don't want to spend the $$ to get the Hamilton refractor auto graded and slabbed if it's going to crash in value in just a few years. I figure if an ungraded purple one sold for over $800, I might have a shot at getting $1k or more for my red one (given that there are only 5 of these in existence).

So, what say you card gurus?? Should I sell it? Keep it and get it graded and slabbed (while praying it doesn't crash in value)??

What to do, what to do???

Sorry for such a long post, but I'm really not sure what to do here. Advice is appreciated. Thanks.

[jacobystealshome]

billy hamilton is a player type that doesnt get a lot of love after the prospect phase

sell now

[brian2345]

Agree sell now.

[uvaspina]

If the card is perfect to the naked eye, I might consider grading it (and then sell it). Even raw, you'll get a pretty penny for it. He has a decent shot of being NL rookie of the year, say 1 in 5 chance. If that's the case, the value might go up even higher. But if I were you, I'd sell that bad boy as soon as he makes his major league debut (if not right now).

[randall44]

Sell now.

[Krangry]

Sell, don't hold. If you do grade it, throw it I the bay a soon as you get it back.

[card_fiend2013]

Update: Here are pics of the front and back of the red refractor Hamilton auto. Sorry about the quality, I can't get the scan feature on my all in one to work, so I have to take still pics by holding my webcam in my hand (no tripod). Thanks to everyone who has replied so far, and please keep the replies coming.

[chevy man 22]

Yeah the key with huge hits is sell asap. 90% of cards will always drop in value over time it's just the nature of the hobby now. The days of stashing a hot rookie away in a shoe box and coming back 20-30 years later to see it's worth thousands are long gone.

1. Product is so over produced now days to ensure everyone gets a shot at the big hits

2. Ebay makes cards much more readily available than they were back in the day.

3. Another key that made cards from the 50's and earlier so valuable was rarity because not a lot survived. But today everything goes straight from a pack to a penny sleeve then into a top holder so there is much much more mint condition product on the secondary market thus ironically making it practically worthless unless it's a really low numbered auto.

[joba the clark]

Sell it all day....Even if he pans out to be something you prob wont get a higher dollar amount for it than you would right now. He is one of the most sought after prospects in the game right now.

[uvaspina]

Put it this way: best case scenario, he turns into a Michael Bourn-type player. You know what the highest Michael Bourn RC card is in the last few months? $125.

A more likely comp would be Dee Gordon or Juan Pierre. Neither player sells very well.

As far as grading goes, I'd probably say no. The centering alone will make it hard to get above a 9. (I can't see the rest of the card clearly enough to make guesses as to the other sub-grades). The condition isn't key on a scarce card like this. So sell, sell, sell.