When I was in high school, I wrote a research paper entitled- Collectibles: A Viable Investment. In recent years, I’ve gotten back into buying/selling sports and other trading cards. I am always looking to purchase both individual cards and full collections. I offer fair compensation and can also consign your cards (sell them for you).
I’ve been a Warriors fan since Baron Davis and have followed Steph since day one. I consider Steph Curry to be the greatest “pound for pound” basketball player of all-time. As a HUGE fan I had been searching for one definitive rookie card for my personal collection.
The Dilemma:
Like most notable 21st century athletes, Steph has way too many rookie cards. PSA lists 81 different 2009 Stephen Curry rookie cards. He literally has over 100,000 rookie cards in circulation. For comparison sake, Hank Aaron only has 6,860 rookie cards graded by PSA. Demand is high for Steph, but one day some of his cards will likely be considered “junk wax.” His most popular Topps rookie card has him smiling in white warmup sweats. I personally dislike the card (where is the Warriors jersey?), not to mention there are almost 4,584 graded by PSA. The dilemma? How to acquire a truly unique Steph Curry rookie card?
The Criteria:
-The card has to have an “on card” autograph. So many of Steph’s cards have sticker autographs, and who wants one of those?
-The card has to have a large image of Steph wearing a Warriors uniform, not one of those patch cards with a little photo of him on the side.
-The card has to be PSA graded. I love SGC, but not for modern cards.
-The card has to be scarce.
My Card:
Checked all the boxes: (SCARCE) the only 1 in the world, on card autograph, Warriors uniform, iconic image with that baby-faced assassin charisma.
–There is only one graded copy of this card in the world, & you are looking at it. I have lived in: a rural village outside of Cuenca, Ecuador, Machala, Ecuador, Villarrica, Paraguay, Santiago, Chile, & I have traveled in Bolivia, Peru, & Brazil. One thing that all of these place have in common is a love of soccer. In 1994, I hiked the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu with guys from Sao Paulo (Gian and Flavio). That year, Brazil won the World Cup. When we arrived back in Cuzco on July 13th to watch Brazil take on Sweden, Gian and Flavio entered the sports bar playing their drums & guitar. The enthusiasm for soccer in South America was at a level I had never experienced in the United States. Fast-forward 30 years, & I still feel a connection to Brazilian soccer, especially the legacy of Pele & his beautiful game.
Daniel W. Polk 