September/October 2007 | Vol. 7, No. 5 | Issue #26 (image from beckett.com)The story ("Ticket to Boston" by David Lee and Ketih Hower) is a fairly quick read which gives us some insight into KG's impact on the collectible market over his career:
The 10-time All-Star has appeared on more than 3,500 cards during his 11 years as one of the hobby's most sought after subjects. Now, with a move to Boston, which has some of the most loyal collectors in the NBA, Garnett may be more desirable than ever. Sure, his autograph may look like he signs cards while wearing a boxing glove, but that has never stopped collectors from paying big money.
If you're one of those "loyal" collectors who needs to add every Garnett card to your stash, a word of warning: the exact number of KG cards on the market is currently at 3,692 (with a total value of $68, 235!) ...
The magazine also clues us in that the first card to feature Garnett wearing the Green and White will be in Upper Deck's First Edition Basketball (beckett.com) in early September (SRP $0.99 per retail pack).
There's also a supplemental piece by Hower which tries to predict how the move out of Minnesota will affect Garnett's card values:
A jump in value on all Garnett cards is a possibility - in particular his autograhs and Rookie Cards. A jump in value is pretty much a certainty on cards picturing him in Celtics green and white. Celts card collectors are among the fiercest competitors in the hobby, and have shown a willingness to spend up to 100 percent over what would be considered the fair market value.
If you recall, this year's and previous years' RC crops, Gerald Green, Delonte West and Marcus Banks card auctions were closing for eye-popping amounts. Currently, KG lists around the same as star veteran Tim Duncan. Expect his first Celtics cards to hit in or slightly above the Kobe Bryant level. As time goes on, Garnett cards will peak and plateau, but there's a good chance his Boston cards will never hit the value held while he played in Minnesota.
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We're now just five hours away from the start of the preseason!
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