Ovechkin & Ali

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Today is a deep dive into two assets:

  • Alex Ovechkin 2005 – 2006 Upper Deck The Cup BGS 8.5 – IPOs 14th April on Collectable
  • Muhammad Ali 1960 Hemmets Journal PSA 9 – IPOs 16th April on Rally

What is the Alexander Ovechkin 2005 – 2006 Upper Deck The Cup BGS 8.5?

This is a limited run /99 rookie card for Alexander Ovechkin (AKA Ovie). Graded BGS 8.5, it’s unfortunately not a great copy of the card. It replaced a Dwyane Wade card that was scheduled to IPO 14th April.

There are 98 cards registered with BGS, which means that several, perhaps dozens, of the numbers there are duplicates. Sometimes someone will submit a card for grading, get it back, and be unhappy with the result. They’ll then resubmit the card hoping for a higher grade. Unfortunately, that results in double (or triple, etc) counting of cards.

It IPOs on Collectable 14th April for $40,500 with $17,500 retained equity.

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Cultural Relevance

Currently captaining the Washington Nationals, Alexander Ovechkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. Nearing the end of his career (he’s 35), he’s won a Stanley cup and is an eleven-time All-Star. He’s also won three World Championships gold medals.

Ovie has a number of NHL records to his name as well, notably:

  • Most NHL goal scoring titles (nine)
  • Most goals by a Russian-born player (706)
  • Most points as a Russian-born player (1,278)
  • Most consecutive 30-goal seasons (15, tie)

Ovechkin is beloved in Washington, DC, but less so outside America’s capital. Ovie gets around 18k monthly Google searches compared to 90k for Sidney Crosby (another hockey great who is still active). Crosby also has around 5x more Google search results.

Despite his status as an all-time great, he’s undoubtedly hurt in the US by his nationality.

This won’t help his popularity in America’s heartland

Further, hockey is a distant fourth in terms of popularity in American sports.

And the story is actually much the same worldwide outside of Canada.

Once Collectable expands to Canada, the story will be a bit different, but for now, his cultural relevance is limited compared to other major athletes.

Inferred Value $40k to $65k

[Detailed Valuation Available to Insiders Only]

Category Strength

The sports cards category returned a 60% ROI in Q1 2021.

Subcategory Strength

[Insiders Only]

Risk Profile

[Insiders Only]

Recent Growth Trend

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Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts

Hockey cards have lagged behind the other three major sports, so there’s some room to grow. Also, Ovie will retire soon, which should boost his value.

Asset Liquidity

This will have a roughly 90 day lockup period then will trade daily.

Platform Risk

[Insiders Only]

Intangibles

He’s a Liverpool supporter, which is Ace. More importantly, there’s enough retained equity in this asset that individual shareholders will have no control of it.

What is the Muhammad Ali 1960 Hemmets Journal PSA 9?

This is Ali’s first “card-like” card. Actually one of four images on a glossy page, these cards were cut out by hand.

Hemmets Journal was a Swedish publication translating to “Home Journal”, and this set was meant to commemorate the 1960 Olympic games.

The back of the card is printed in Swedish and translates to “the elegant 18-year-old Kentucky Negro, who won light heavyweight in Rome.” That may be a factor for some when deciding to invest.

It IPOs on Rally at noon 16th April 2021 for $235k and will have no retained equity.

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Cultural Relevance

Born Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali was one of the most influential sporting figures of the 20th century. Often ranked the best heavyweight boxer of all time, he won a Olympic gold at age 18 and the heavyweight championship at age 22.

He lost four years of his prime while fighting prison when he refused the Vietnam draft, and he became an icon for the larger counterculture revolution in the US during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Ali’s most famous bouts — the Rumble in the Jungle, the Fight of the Century, and the Thrilla in Manilla — all came after his exile.

Despite calls to retire due to early signs of Parkinson’s disease, he refused to retire until late 1981. He passed away in 2016.

Inferred Value – $200k to $300k

[Detailed Valuation available to Insiders Only]

Category Strength

The sports cards category returned a 60% ROI in Q1 2021.

Subcategory Strength

[Insiders Only]

Risk Profile

[Insiders Only]

Recent Growth Trend

[Insiders Only]

Growth Outlook and Future Catalysts

Like the other secondary-sport greats, Ali’s rookie has a lot of room to grow. There’s another PSA 9 at auction with Heritage now, and it’s already up to $126k with three weeks left.

Asset Liquidity

This will have a roughly 90 day lockup period then will trade quarterly.

Platform Risk

[Insiders Only]

Intangibles

Ali absorbed over 200k punches during his career.


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Author

Wyatt Cavalier

Wyatt Cavalier

With a background in finance & intelligence analysis, Wyatt has an unhealthy obsession with finding the best blue chip investment opportunities. His previous newsletter, Fractional, resonated deeply with subscribers, bringing actionable insights and unconventional trading strategies. His rare book collection specializes in banned editions. He currently lives in Spain with his beautiful wife, three young boys, and dog Monty.

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