When Peyton Manning signed with the Broncos, his collectability shot up as the Broncos are a widely collected team with a rabid fan base of people who want to get in on the new hotness. On top of that, Tim Tebow became expendable and was traded within days to be a backup with the NY Jets. Obviously, both card companies jumped at the opportunity to create cards for both players, and with Prestige and Bowman on their way into the hands of these people, the base cards are some of the first indication we have on pricing.
Starting with Bowman, both Tebow and Manning have SSP variations that were inserted into both the hobby and retail versions of the packs. For the record I absolutely love SSP base cards, especially when they are incredibly rare, as they give high end chasers like me a reason to look through the base cards we would normally toss aside. More importantly in Bowman, the veteran design is miles ahead of the hideous rookie designs, and makes me wish that Topps had done every card in the set just like the non-rookie base.
Manning’s card has been selling at crazy prices for a base card, with Tebow right behind.
Check this out:
Peyton Manning SSP Broncos Base Card
Peyton Manning SSP Broncos Base Card #2
Tim Tebow SSP Jets Base Card #2 – Ha, what a price for this.
Prestige is taking the new Tebow craze in new York to another level of stupidity, as they are dedicating a 15 card insert set to his time in Denver. Never, in the history of the league, has a backup QB that played at a mediocre level gotten the attention he is getting. I understand he will drive value in cards, but I just fail to identify with an entire insert set dedicated to the success that was mostly achieved with the entire Broncos team.
Topps similarly dedicated an autograph set in Precision that I also have a distinct issue with, but to their credit, the design should be much better than what we are going to get with the Prestige stuff. Regardless, I understand WHY it was done
, but I don’t agree with it, only escalated by my personal status as a Tebow hater.
Lastly, as the year moves on, there is a distinct chance that Manning could be hurt and Tebow could be a starter, which is exactly the opposite of what would be good for both teams, and I think that banking more and more on the situation to take place is probably not a risk I would personally take. If Manning does end up on the shelf, most likely for good, his Broncos cards could tank. Once Tebow hits the field as a starter, it could be his final exam as a passable NFL starter, which by all indications will not end well. Both very bad situations.
If entire sets rely on content based around both players, Im not sure how collectors will react if the bad possibilities become reality. However, if Manning leads Denver to the Super Bowl they might have had if the Broncos had a good QB last year, these cards could become almost unbuyable. Im sure that is precisely what both Topps and Panini would like to see.