What will Bryce Harper's Topps Aflac Classic card go for?
By CHRIS OLDS | Beckett Baseball Editor
The Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic has come and gone — and that means one thing to collectors.
The Topps-produced Bowman baseball cards featuring its participants, which were given out to fans at the game, have hit eBay along with ticket stubs, posters and other items from the event.
This year, though, the cards take on some added attention as the prospectors are competing with a lot more people for one card — Bryce Harper.
Why? Virtually everyone who has picked up a copy of Sports Illustrated, Beckett Baseball or watched ESPN knows who he is. He’s a teenager who left high school early to attend college and is expected to be the No. 1 draft pick in 2010. SI dubbed him the LeBron James of baseball.
No pressure there.
Like all of the other players, he signed cards for inclusion in packs when his professional time comes — his likely sooner than others at the game. And like other players, his card was one of those given out to fans at the game on Sunday at Petco Park in San Diego.
But the value of his card? It won’t be like all of the others as many a fan/collector/investor may want to add his latest card to their collections.
How much will they sell for? One could guess, but we’d rather just see where these uncharted market waters take us.
Let’s just wait and see.
AND WHILE YOU’RE HERE, CHECK OUT THESE STORIES …
Phenom’s debut: |
Behind the scenes: Bryce Harper at the Aflac game & an exclusive photo gallery from the Topps signing |
 More for SI fans: Collecting Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue model autographs isn’t tough on cards |
Chris Olds has collected sports cards and memorabilia since 1987. Before coming to Beckett Media, he wrote about the hobby for the Orlando Sentinel on his blog, SportsStuff, and for the San Antonio Express-News and The Tuscaloosa (Ala.) News. Do you have a comment, question or idea? Send e-mail to him at colds@beckett.com.
Maybe I’m in the minority here, but the kid hasn’t done squat in the majors yet. When he does, maybe I’ll be interested.
Funny that this article was from a decade ago, but I have a feeling these have been mass produced in some way either at the time and recently released or after the fact. The AFLAC logo used to be light blue, now there’s a ton with a darker blue AFLAC. There are large lots of these cards for sale all the time, including a lot on eBay from PWCC of 50 of these cards right now. 50!… I bought one graded BGS 9 a while back and feel like a dumbass… I don’t trust this card or the Bryant… and in general, I don’t trust collecting cards anymore. Fakes everywhere and no one cares. eBay certainly doesn’t care.