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We use Moneyball tactics to discover undervalued, mispriced, and hidden gems in Fractional Investing.
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Today is a deep dive into three assets:
- Frank Robinson 1957 Topps PSA 9 x 2 – IPOs 25th March on Collectable
- Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Finest Refractor BGS 9.5 – IPOs 25th March on Rally Road
- Magic Johnson 1981 Topps PSA 10 – IPOs 26th March on Otis
Table of Contents
What is the Frank Robinson 1957 Topps PSA 9 x 2?
This is a basket of two Frank Robinson 1957 Topps rookie cards graded PSA 9.
It IPOs on Collectable 25nd March
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Cultural Relevance
Frank Robinson was a fantastic baseball player and a very average baseball manager.
In the Bigs for 20 years, Robinson amassed a slew of records while playing for five different teams between 1956 and 1976. He was the only player to ever win the MVP for both the AL and NL retired with the fourth most home runs ever at 586 (since surpassed). Was was elected to the Hall of Fame on the first ballot and won the World Series twice. He also won the Triple Crown the year after the Reds traded him, which was a fantastic bit of karma.
Frank Robinson was a fierce competitor:In 1957 Robinson put Johnny Logan out for six weeks when he spiked the Milwaukee shortstop sliding into second base. In the first game of a 1960 double-header with the Braves, Robinson crash-dived into Eddie Mathews at third base in an unsuccessful attempt to break up a double play. Mathews dived right back at Robinson. It was not, Robinson admitted later, a fight he should have taken. Mathews bloodied his nose, purpled his eye and jammed his thumb. Nevertheless, Robinson managed to pull himself together for the second game and later astonished teammates in the locker room by announcing blandly, “I won the fight.” “What do you mean, you won the fight?” they asked. “Mathews doesn’t have a scratch on him, and look at you.” “Yeah,” admitted Robinson, “but figure it up. I had a homer and a double, drove in one run, scored another and made a catch that robbed Mathews of an extra-base hit. We won the second game 4-0. I won the fight.”
Robinson was also the first African American manager in the league, though his managing career was mostly mediocre otherwise.
Take a few minutes to learn more about this underrated legend.
He died of bone cancer in 2019 at the age of 83.
Inferred Value – $80k to $100k
[Detailed Analysis Available to Insiders only]
Category Strength
The sports cards category has returned 77% ROI so far across the entire portfolio.
Subcategory Strength
Risk Profile
Recent Growth Trend
Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts
Robinson was a much bigger and better player than given credit for, and there’s a real chance his cards could pop a bit. Relative to, say Willie Mays, whose rookie has appreciated nearly 500% over the last twelve months, Robinson has a lot of catching up to do.
Asset Liquidity
This will have a roughly 90 day lockup period then will trade daily.
Platform Risk
Intangibles
He played high school basketball with Bill Russell, and NBA scouts said he was the better prospect.
What is the Kobe Bryant 1996 Topps Finest Refractor 9.5?
This is an odd card from a strange set. There are a number of refractors and odd labels (Maestro, etc). This card is rare — you needed to open around 80k packs to get one — and it’s a Kobe rookie, so it’s pretty special.
It also has a protective cover on it. No one seems to agree if this cover should be left on or not, but it has been in this case.
It IPOs on Rally 25rd March.
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Cultural Relevance
We’ve written about Kobe a lot lately. Hopefully you’re familiar.
Inferred Value – $51k to $70k
[Detailed Analysis Available to Insiders only]
Category Strength
The sports cards category has returned 77% ROI so far across the entire portfolio.
Subcategory Strength
Risk Profile
Recent Growth Trend
Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts
This makes me very nervous for Kobe’s cards specifically and modern blue chip NBA cards generally.
Asset Liquidity
This will have a roughly 90 day lockup period then will trade quarterly.
Platform Risk
Intangibles
Maybe if you peeled the cover off you’d get 10/10 subgrade for the surface.
What is the Magic Johnson 1981 Topps PSA 10?
This is Magic Johnson’s first standalone card coming subsequent to his true rookie card, which he shared with rival Larry Bird and Hall of Famer Julius Erving. 73 of the 2401 cards submitted to PSA are graded as tens.
It IPOs on Otis 26rd March.
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Cultural Relevance
Magic Johnson is generally considered to be the greatest point guard to ever play basketball and was the centerpiece of the iconic “Showtime” Lakers of the 1980s. In twelve seasons, he was an 11-time All-Star and helped lead the Lakers to five championships, won 3 MVP awards and 3 Finals MVP awards. His career was unfortunately cut short in 1991, at the age of 31, due to an HIV-positive diagnosis, which was a watershed moment for public consciousness of the disease. He did win an Olympic gold medal the next year as a member of the iconic Dream Team alongside Michael Jordan, longtime rival Larry Bird and many other future Hall of Famers.
The season these shoes come from, 1986-1987, was Magic’s first MVP season as he led the Lakers to another title, defeating the Boston Celtics in the finals.
Since his retirement, he has been a longtime television commentator and wildly successful businessman, running Magic Johnson enterprises, a corporation with a net worth of $700+ million that includes several media companies. He has also seen success as a part-owner of the Lakers and member of their front office (he was instrumental in bringing Lebron to L.A.) and is now one of the owners of the reigning World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers, the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks and the MLS’ L.A.F.C.
Basically, Magic Johnson owns Los Angeles.
Inferred Value – $20k to $25k
[Detailed Analysis Available to Insiders only]
Category Strength
The sports cards category has returned 77% ROI so far across the entire portfolio.
Subcategory Strength
Risk Profile
Recent Growth Trend
Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts
The PSA 10 actually lags behind the lower-graded PSA 9 and the Larry Bird 1981 Topps PSA 10 by quite a bit (in terms of twelve month appreciation). There’s some room for growth here.
Asset Liquidity
This will have a roughly 30 day lockup period then will trade daily.
Platform Risk
Intangibles
I love how the most recent sales for both Johnson and Bird’s PSA 10 cards in this set sold for the exact same amount. These guys can’t get away from each other.
Points 7/10
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