Lets run through some of the great stuff that has happened to football cards this year. Patrick Mahomes has found a new super power, and is white hot among collectors. Jared Goff is on his way to MVP contention with a Rams team that looks to be on its way to the Super Bowl. Tom Brady is still selling like he was last year. Mitchell Trubisky just put up 6 TDs in a game, something that hasnt happened for the Bears in a long time. Drew Brees is about to set some major records. 

Guess what? This is good news for the hobby. Although I have frequently commented on how much impact the recent QB renaissance has had in Football cards, and how much I wish it would carry over to other players, Im not going to sit here and say that this isnt a great thing for everyone who is involved with the hobby.

We need more attention to come to a sport where collectors are apathetic about spending money in general. We need the dog sets like Illusions and over marketed NCAA products to have some clout. Without these QBs, the people chasing and ripping wax will leave, and that means fewer eyes on the other players that deserve similar attention.

Michael Thomas is having a career year, as is Adam Thielen, which only goes to show that Khalil Mack is maybe one of the most undervalued players in the hobby, seeing that he hasnt even reached those levels. Hopefully with more eyes comes more buyers and with more buyers comes a better outlook for people like me, people who love football cards regardless of whether or not a QB is in our box.

This has to be a great situation for all the shops too, as all that old wax collecting dust on their shelves is finally going to be shaken loose. I think I even saw someone eyeing a box of 2017 Pantheon at a shop recently. That’s what we have come to. Yes – the garbage that populates so much of Panini’s release calendar might actually get some action outside of release week on Breakers  TV.

Before we start living in the riches of our .com boom for QB cards, lets realize where this might go.

Last year we saw a crazy situation with Tom Brady looking to lock up another title, and how much ridiculousness ensued with his cards. The difference between guys like Brady and the new hotness in Mahomes and Goff is that even if Brady lost, he still was the greatest of all time. If Mahomes doesnt get to the top of the mountain this year, there are going to be quite a few people who are going to be upset with their 8k purchase of his Contenders Cracked Ice. That’s not saying he wont be there again in the future, its just a showcase of comparative value that should be brought into EVERY SINGLE conversation like this. 

Overall, I hope this path continues. I hope that we get to see a Super Bowl where Goff and Mahomes square off for the ages. Chances are slim that will happen, but I hope all the people have sold off all their profits, because things can change in an instant – right Jimmy Garoppolo? 

So, with that, lets all pray for the ACLs and hope that our cards we hold stay on this trajectory. I have been around this hobby long enough to see how much of a loser you feel like when you should have sold instead of held. I also know how great it feels when you hit it big. As a gambler myself, I thrive on that rush you get from a huge win. I also know to still feel satisfied when you sell a bit early rather than a bit late.