Like most tangible assets, a sports trading card is only worth as much as a buyer is willing to pay. To mitigate ambiguity, hobbyists often turn to online price guides and monthly magazines -- which consider the availability, popularity and condition of cards, among other factors -- to help determine the value of their collections and inform future investment decisions.
Since this system is already subjective, if only partially, I thought it would be a fun and telling exercise to ask 30 first year NBA players how much they would value their own rookie cards. Luckily, I was able to query all thirty players in one morning, as the cohort was on hand to participate in the 2010 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot at the MSG Training Center in Tarrytown, New York.
While players passed through a variety of stations to pose for their first Panini NBA trading cards, the league's exclusive trading card partner, I went on the prowl to halt the forces of supply and demand, to find out how high or low the players would set their own rookie card prices.
Fun ensued, and I received a lot of mint answers:
Al-Farouq Aminu (Los Angeles Clippers): $1.00
Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics): $1.00
Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder): Free
Craig Brackins (New Orleans Hornets): $5.00
Daniel Orton (Orlando Magic): $13.00
DeMarcus Cousins (New Jersey Nets): Free
Derrick Favors (New Jersey Nets): $1.00 - $2.00
Devin Ebanks (Los Angeles Lakers): $1.00
Dexter Pittman (Miami Heat): $5.00
Dominique Jones (Dallas Mavericks): .10
Ed Davis (Toronto Raptors): $20.00
Ekpe Udoh (Golden State Warriors): Free
Elliot Williams (Portland Trail Blazers): $1,000,000.00
Evan Turner (Philadelphia 76ers): $10.00
Gani Lawal (Phoenix Suns): $5.00 - $10.00
Gordon Hayward (Utah Jazz): $20.00
Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons): $75.00 - $100.00
Hassan Whiteside (Sacramento Kings): $2.00
James Anderson (San Antonio Spurs): $25.00
Jeremy Lin (Golden State Warriors): Free
Lance Stephenson (Indiana Pacers): $20.00
Larry Sanders (Milwaukee Bucks): Free
Lazar Hayward (Minnesota Timberwolves): $5.00
Luke Harangody (Boston Celtics): $2.00
Patrick Patterson (Houston Rockets): $20.00
Quincy Pondexter (New Orleans Hornets): $100,000,000.00
Tiny Gallon (Milwaukee Bucks): $1.50 - $2.00
Trevor Booker (Washington Wizards): "$50M. Actually, I have no clue."
Wesley Johnson (Minnesota Timberwolves): $5.00
Xavier Henry (Memphis Grizzlies): $13.00