Matt Ryan SPA Logo 1/1 Is Back Up On Ebay

I really dont understand these cards and their sales most of the time. Its rare that someone buys the SPA logos and actually hangs onto them, as I see so many of them up for auction quite a few times. The Matt Ryan is back up with a ridiculous BIN, which makes me question a few things.

First, why would anyone sell it during the offseason? The Falcons look like they should be a good team again next year, and prices drop after the Super Bowl, so its better to wait until the winter. Not a good time to list it right now. Second, why put such a high BIN on it? Last time it sold it was under 2K I believe, and eBay should not be your personal photobucket. Lastly, this card is arguably the best pull out of 2008 SP Authentic, and it was purchased for a ton of money. Why buy if you are just going to throw it back up there?

I dont get it.

A Different Kind Of Matt Ryan Logo is Up On Ebay

For you fans of Ultimate Collection football, there is card up on eBay right now that I believe you will like. This Matt Ryan 1/1 "logo" patch is not quite what people are used to when it comes to the typical NFL 1/1's, but I love the idea none-the-less.

Each year, Ultimate Collection is one of the top valued RC cards because of the cost of its wax. It was the first super high end product, and the ideas of what the product holds have pretty much held the same through the years. In 2007, Ultimate Collection was far and away the worst product of the year. The designers of the product used stickers and photoshop to basically make each card look the same, in order to fill out the new format of one auto per pack. That meant that if you pulled a Sunday Stars auto, it looked exactly like Ultimate Ink, but with a different title on the card.

Ultimate also had a bunch of logo cards over the years, with many of them just being the normal NFL shield in a diecut window. The "logo" cards from 2008 were different, using a special tag from specially designed NFL throwbacks, and I think they look awesome. Its always good to think outside the box, as long as the result isnt too nuts. This Matt Ryan fits that mold, in my opinion.

Wild Card Weekend: Why This Matters More Than Most Years

When I look back over the season, I cannot believe the playoffs are already here. Its like preseason was just starting last week. Personally, im pissed, as now its basically three days until the Vikings season is over - a week and a half at the VERY most, and then I will be left to my mock drafts and other junk until next year.

Until that time, Wild Card weekend will be a crazy weekend for collectors. There are two RC QBs that are leading their teams into the game, and more than a couple RC RBs that are part of the focus of their teams this week and next week. Hell, there could be a lot of movin' and shakin' if both Ryan, Flacco, Stewart, and Chris Johnson all have amazing games. I have already seen quite a few auctions that end just after the games will end, Im guessing they are hoping for a nice boost with a win too.

Funny enough, WCW (yes!) is not just about the RCs either, this year. We have Adrian Peterson in his first playoff game as a Viking and Donovan McNabb in possibly his last as an Eagle. We also have Peyton and Addai going for the Colts, and Tomlinson for the Chargers. All of these guys stand to gain ground in the hobby or lose it for good depending on who you are. You can bet your ass that if LT has a great game for the Chargers, his value may climb back to where it was at the beginning of the season, but if he tanks, that may be the nail in the coffin for his 2008 values. Peterson, on the other hand, has held steady all year, and I expect that if the Vikings win, with or without his help, it will mean quite a deal for his value.

Here is my take on things when it comes to people like Ryan and Flacco. Right now, there is a good chance that the value they will attain after their run in the playoffs will be the biggest jump they will get for a while. If you are sitting on their stuff, it should be on eBay after this first win, ending after the second game is over. There is no reason to sit on it, when you can probably buy it back much cheaper next year. If you are holding Forte's stuff, you missed the boat already, and Stewart and Johnson's boats are docked in the harbor. Unless you are a player or team collector, its always nice to strike while the iron is hot. Dont wait for more value to accumulate, they are still a few superbowls away from being outside your price range.

I think playoff football is great, and with even more than pride riding on the game for me, having invested a little in all of the above for the entire 2008 season, makes it that much more fun. I know the Vikings will probably be killed at home, but at least they got there, and that gives me one more week to watch. I have my beer and brats ready to go, and my spot on the couch will definitely be warm come Saturday and Sunday.

Value Bumps: Week 14

Wow, its been a while since I have done this, and I am finally getting back into the swing of things, as you can tell. Thanks to the list of shit I need to do dwindling down to only a few things, I think I am ready to get back on the horse. This edition of Value Bumps will be more of a collaboration of a few weeks, but it was still a pretty good week for a lot of the main players in the hobby.

Matt Forte

My nemesis, the bane of my 2008, the guy continues to produce, much to my chagrin. The guy has had a better RC season than Gale Sayers, and that is impressive. The problem I have is more with the team he plays for, as the Bears continue to nip at the heels of my Vikings. His cards have flustered with the top of the 2008 class due to the economy, but he is still one of the bigger RCs of the year.

BUMP: UP

Matt Ryan

Matty Ice is ROY without question. The guy is maybe the best RC QB since Marino, and trust me, Akili Smith is quite jealous. His cards are huge right now, and over the last few weeks, he has shown that his team is ready for the show in the next few weeks. His success only shows how important a good QB is to a winning team - just look at Peterson.

BUMP: UP

LaDanian Tomlinson

It looks like his season has plummeted alongside the Chargers' playoff hopes, and his card values havent done much better. Tomlinson will always be a valuable pull, but this year just wasnt his year. Too bad really, as his success was well documented, and to see him falter is tough to watch.

BUMP: DOWN

Chris Johnson

Besides Forte, this guy was one of the bigger surprises of the year, and last week, he was like a stock car at Daytona. The guy runs like freight train, and his yards and TDs keep piling up, even with LenDale White at like 40 TDs as well. His card values are at the top of the class, and I hope the Titans can do well enough to get him some additional value.

BUMP: UP

Aaron Rodgers

I guarantee that there are at least 20,000 Packer fiends that are screaming at themselves for giving up on Fah-ve. Rodgers has led his team right out of contention in the North, and I am sure his card values have been feeling it lately. Personally I am loving it because I hate the Packers, but I know this is something that a lot of recent Rodgers investors are pretty pissed about. Its been a rule of mine to never get involved in a contract year, but that doesnt stop anyone usually. Look at Adrian Beltre!

BUMP: DOWN

Joe Flacco

Ryan isnt the only game in town for RC QBs, and Flacco has been exceeding expectations for months. The guy, like Ryan is leading his team into the playoffs, and has a great defense to help him go very, very far a la Roethlisberger. Look for big things.

BUMP: UP

Harry Douglas

Or the wonder that is Harry Douglas, for sure. He was a nobody at the Rookie Premiere earlier this year and since has become an integral part of the Falcons' offense. If you talk about great catches, he comes up twice in the conversation. I was lucky to pull an auto of his out of BC, but it was a redemption, so I would say wait on picking those up. Regardless, he gets a bump.

BUMP: UP

Calvin Johnson

If the Lions ever become a good team again, this guy will reap the benefits. His play has been the only bright spot this year for the Lions, and now with the loss of Roy Williams, this guys career may go somewhere if the motor city kitties ever find a way to win again. He gets an even bump on a team that has nothing but downs on it. Good for him to hold his value in that shithole.

BUMP: EVEN

Jared Allen

Allen could be the most vocal and visible defensive end in Vikings history, and I love every minute of it. The guy is a walking punchline, and its not because of his play on the field, thank god. Of course, he loves every minute of it too. The problem? He has one auto that has ever been made and it is tough to get. 40 dollars to the first person to send one to me. That card has gone steadily up over the season, and now its close to impossible to find it for under 40 bucks. That is impressive for a DE on a Minnesota team. Plus, he signs through the mail, so a bump for him.

BUMP: UP

Jonathan Stewart

Sadly DeAngelo has taken over as the top guy, but I still see good things in the future for him. His cards have dropped recently, but should go up again when he gets his carries in the playoffs. Keep an eye out for his upcoming SPAs and Exquisites, they will have some big values attached to them - you watch.

BUMP: DOWN

Thats about it for now, more to come as the weeks progress.

Value Bump MVPs - First Half

We are coming up on the start of the second half of the season, and I wanted to go through and give you my perspective on what the hobby looks like based on the stories from the first 8 games. There have been quite a few bumps, and I think there is some major topics to cover based on those. These arent your typical awards, mainly because this is based on the hobby rather than performance on the field. However, performance factors in, so take it as you will.

Collector Rookie of the First Half - Chris Johnson

Coming into the season, there were a few Running Backs who we thought would be the guy to bank on, and prices showed that. McFadden, Jones, Stewart, etc, but Chris Johnson was no where to be found in that company. Matt Ryan, Chad Henne and Brian Brohm had a following as the top QBs in the draft, especially Ryan, so they were already high priced. Then, once people saw the autograph Fail-VP in action, his cards jumped. Matt Forte also had a jump, but was already higher on the list after Benson was benched and he was named the started. That is why the guy with the Prize is Mr "Death By Sharpie," Chris Johnson.

He leads the league in RC rushing yards, rushing TDs, Yds/Game avg, and YPC avg. He also has the second highest number of first downs gained, and the number of rushes over 20 yards with 5.

Biggest RC Disappointment of the First Half - Rashard Mendenhall

A top prospect going into the season with a great team makes you valuable in this hobby. Too bad Mendenhall's value dropped faster than George Bush's approval rating once people saw the future "star" on the sideline with chronic fumblitis. He got into a game or two, but was usually limited in his carries, and ended up getting hurt before he could accomplish anything. This runner up for the autograph Fail-VP went from a nice pull to another Eric Ainge pull, and a lot of collectors were left holding the bag. That sucked.

McFadden was a person who was among the finalists too, but he spent more time on the field, and his cards are actually still pretty valuable. Mendenhall, not so much.

Biggest Bump Among Non-RCs - Brandon Jacobs

Its funny that people in bigger markets like Jacobs, never get any attention unless they are the cornerstone of a team. Well, Jacobs has finally gotten a portion of the spotlight, and his cards have reflected as such. He went from a 2 dollar auto pull to a considerable pull thanks to his beastly gains in both TD production and total yardage. It doesnt hurt that the Giants are having a good season, but good luck trying to get more than a two color patch out of these jersey fails.

He is fourth in the league in rushing, has a staggering 9 TDs to his credit, and is second in the league in rushes over 20 yards with 10. Pretty big bump there - check out his stats from last year.

Comback Hobby Player of the First Half - LenDale White

9-0? Check. 11 TDs? Check. Facemask that is squished against your face? Check. Huge hobby bump from last year? Check.

When LenDale white came out of last season, the guy must have known that things werent going as planned. When he saw that Kerry Fucking Collins was signaled as the starter when Vince-y boy went down, he must have thought it would have been a long season. Luckily this guy is a goal line cloverfield, and scores more TDs than some entire teams. That will get you far in this hobby. 2006 was a hobby super year (not so much now), and White was riding Bush's coattails into a semi-valuable hobby following. Once he got on the field and people saw his production, or lack there of, his value plummeted. Now, finally, its back up. Congrats.

Biggest Hobby Disappointment, First Half - Vince Young

Holy crap. I dont even know where to start with the golden boy. First he says he doesnt know if he wants to play football anymore, then he gets injured, and finally he goes off on a 3 day quest to find himself that makes people start a suicide watch for him. What a mess. He is now back on the sidelines, but he is already with the rest of the class of '06 in the dumps. If you are still holding his shit, you are dumber than I thought you were.

Thing That No One Could Imagine Happening In a Million Years - Adrian Peterson Holding His Value From Last Year's Boom.

I predicted that Purple Jesus would get crucified when he didnt put up monster numbers behind an AWFUL team. What didnt expect was this guy to emerge as THE leader on the team and blow everyone away with his tenacity and production. He has held his value, and that is fucking scary considering where it was following a ROY, Pro-Bowl MVP (Meaningless, but still drives value), and the NFL record for yards in a single game.

So far, he is leading the league in rushing yards, YPC avg, and runs over 20 yards with a ridiculous 14. He is second in first downs acheived, and just about every other secondary category. That is beast mode activated, right Marshawn?

Brightest 2nd Half Hobby Future - Matt Ryan

I never expected a rookie QB to have success, ever. The game is just too tough to learn without any experience, look at the best in the business, and none of them did well their RC season (if they even played). Ryan is different, and to tell you the truth, he needed to be, in a franchise coming off the Michael Vick scandal. If he continues to be awesome, the Falcons have a good shot at making the playoffs behind him. I am watching for sure.

The Kurt Warner Award For Coming Out of Nowhere to Be Awesome - Kurt Warner

I picked him up on my fantasy team to be a backup "just in case," yet he has been my starter week in and week out. The guy is putting up numbers and a half, and I gotta give it to him, it sounds awfully familiar. When the Rams won the Super Bowl, he was the story of the year coming from left field to lead a team to greatness. I think this is a similar situation, though they probably wont go anywhere in the playoffs. He leads the league in QB rating and is near the top in everything, despite missing Anquan Boldin for 2+ weeks.

Biggest Predicted Bump For Second Half - RCs on the Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are coming on strong and Ray Rice running behind Joe Flacco is proving to be a lethal combo for many defenses. Add in Willis McGahee, and you will have a big bump for these guys when they go pretty deep into the playoff hunt. When the season is over, both Rice and Flacco could be among the top RCs in value, behind Ryan and Chris Johnson.

I wouldnt count Jonathan Stewart out of it though.