Fast Five: Reasons a card can be appealing ... beyond value

This is a new department here on The Buzz ... Fast Five -- a quick list under a simple topic that might offer a basic starting point for a themed collection. It's a basic list of five items that could be fun for a starting collector or a new way to add to a stash that might already seemingly include everything when it comes to cardboard. For some of you, it's probably common sense. For others of you out there, it's perhaps something to ponder.

This time? Five reasons a sports card can be appealing ... beyond just value.

A STRONG PHOTO
We all know a lot of cards from any sports (or non-sports) set from the past that has a photo that's just so clean or different that it stands out from the rest of the pack every time we see it. It doesn't have to be a star, it doesn't have to be a bum ... it's just memorable. Sometimes cards like these can actually command more value than others around it (probably moreso in the years before hits and inserts) but that added appeal can't hurt. The card you see here? It's a simple portrait -- literally nothing but the image -- no design here -- and that's why I chose it. It shows the power of letting the photo have its moment. I own hundreds of Derek Jeter cards that I don't really want or need but the strong photo here makes me want and need it. It's rarer (/100) and from the 2019 Topps Transcendent VIP Party set, but this one would be a card I'd chase if it were from Opening Day. It's all about the photo.

A MEMORABLE MOMENT
Not all photos are the same -- compare the portrait to this one -- so then another logical step as to why a card might appeal is this ... a moment. Topps Now cards are all about moments -- daily -- but they don't often have the perfect photo. When you get a perfect photo and a moment there? Well, those are cards you'd perhaps want right now. This 2016 Topps Jose Bautista base card isn't a perfect photo (or design, really ... this one hasn't aged well to me) but it is the perfect moment without a crop that hurts the obvious. (This same image has been seen elsewhere -- cropped -- and it's just not the same.) This card sold as a PSA 10 on eBay for $20 and the only active one on eBay has an even higher price -- and part of that is the grade but the biggest reason anybody would want it? It has to be the moment. Bautista has plenty of cardboard and other Blue Jays cards that won't sell for that.

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THE SUBJECT
A unique subject -- it doesn't even have to be a person on a card these days -- can get people talking and that's half the battle for card companies selling some cards. A fun card, a different card, a card with no competitors for whatever reason can make for a valuable card down the line at times. This one isn't expensive but it's unique as it showcases The Freeze, a mid-game race between that character (a former college sprinter) and a fan that's usually but not always a runaway blowout for the Braves' promotional hired gun. This card appears in the 2018 Topps Opening Day Team Traditions & Celebrations insert set and has no competition other than if anybody ordered the over-sized wall art version.

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THE DESIGN
Whether it's a standard card, an autographed card or a memorabilia card, there's always some artistic flourish that can add to the appeal of a card. Some people love the shine of Refractor stock or foilboard like this 2008 Donruss Elite Extra Edition insert from the past. There are a lot of strong designs from the past that help fuel the interest in cards -- it's probably just something people don't think about first -- and this one is a perfect card in my mind not so much because I like this design but because all of the elements are balanced perfectly for this card of former Texas Longhorns softball star Cat Osterman who was included alongside MLB prospects and others in this release. Why? Card companies were exploring a lot of unusual inclusions in sets at that time and it was an Olympic year, too. Just 50 copies of this signed card were made and just 100 unsigned. The rarest version is a prime auto (/5) that carries the same solid design but with a better swatch.

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THE TYPE OF CARD ... OR MAYBE SOME GIMMICKRY
Hits are all over the place these days but sometimes they aren't like others and that was the case for this one -- a 2007 Topps Allen & Ginter "Pawtograph" from Ch. Felicity’s Diamond Jim, an English Springer Spaniel who won Best in Show honors at the 2007 Westminster Dog Show. Just 50 copies were signed here -- that is the dog's actual paw print -- for the winner who died in 2011 and worked as a therapy dog after the big win. This is more of a unique type of card more than a gimmick but there are many cards from the past -- not always pricey -- that can be memorable and, in turn, more valuable than you might think. This one is both -- check out its price on eBay. 

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What would you want to see in a future Fast Five? Let Buzz know on Twitter or email.

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