Mr. Calvin Johnson Jr, AKA Megatron, is the boss right now, there is no other way of looking at it. Other than having one of the coolest nicknames in the NFL, the guy is on pace to break the single season TD record set by Randy Moss during the Patriots undefeated season. In fact, of the 24 balls he has caught, 8 have been touchdowns. For every three receptions, one of them is in the endzone. Its crazy to fathom how a number one receiver on any can have those kind of stats.
When he was drafted in 2007, he had extremely high expectations thrust upon his shoulders for a few reasons. One, the Lions were a perennially terrible team, and had drafted two other receivers in the first round before him. Neither worked out. Secondly, they had no other parts of the team that were even potentials starters on other teams. They were just bad all around. Then, Matt Millen is fired, Matthew Stafford, Ndamukong Suh and others come along, and all of a sudden, the Lions are 4-0 for the first time since 1980. Although Stafford being healthy and dominant has a lot to do with it, Johnson is pretty much the end all and be all of that discussion.
His rookie cards and other autographs are going nuts. Back in 2007, his cards sold high, but because he played in Detroit, it was a tough road to keeping them there. He has never really had a bad season, but his team has kept him down below where he should be. On top of that, he is a wide receiver, whose cards will never hold value unless you put up Jerry Rice numbers. Now that he is putting up great production AND the team is winning, his value is starting to approach those levels.
Matthew Stafford is also reaping the benefits of the Lions winning streak, as his rookie card values have spiked since he started playing like he should as the number 1 pick in the draft. Back in 2010, his cards were waaaaaaay below where they are right now due to injuries and lack of production, but all has changed since he and Megatron have had their reawakening.
Its prime time in Detroit right now.
Take a look at what I mean:
Calvin Johnson Exquisite RAP /99 – Huge asking price, but they may get it
Calvin Johnson Exquisite RAP /99 – Already huge, despite a questionable patch
Calvin Johnson SP Authentic RAP
Matthew Stafford Exquisite RAP /99 – These were rock bottom a few years ago
Matthew Stafford SP Authentic RAP /25
Matthew Stafford Exquisite NFL Logo 1/1
I don’t think the Lions will win the division under my general feeling of competition in the NFC north, especially when it took overtime to beat a terrible Vikings team, but they will be in the playoffs. They have yet to play Green Bay, and that will be the true test. If they can split the series? Who knows what they are capable of.
Ahh, the early NFL season front-running team that shouldn’t be. Sell while you can and buy back later if you are a Detroit fan. All too many times… injuries, 4 game losing streak, missing the playoffs… the odds are still way against them. Congrats to them for a great start.
You hit right on with the WR card values comments. I had a ton of Larry Fitzgerald auto’s and RC’s. I dumped nearly all of them during his insane record-setting playoff run a few years back. Calvin Johnson should be treated no differently. Take the $$ while you can because few will care in a year or two. It’s just a part of the hobby.
do you think now would be a good time to pick up a Calvin and Stafford RC auto? or do you think the hype will die down and I can pick them up cheaper? I think they are going to make the playoffs so I’m worried the prices will go up.
This is the fun part of selling/trading. If you’re a buyer on Megatron and Stafford, there’s definitely the possibility that they will continue to rise in value should they make the playoffs. If you’re a seller, you see a nice pop on their prices and may want to get out of their cards now.
Either way, I think the more you like the player, the less you need to worry about whether you’re paying up for them. If you like these guys, this could be the cheapest time to buy their RC’s.
Do not buy their cards now. What Brian says above could possibly happen. The lions could experience a rough patch on the schedule and their cards could cool off. The best time to buy is a few months after the football season ends or during the Summer, if you’re that patient. I was able to scoop up an Ultimate Stafford rookie auto for $83 during the preseason. Probably the best purchase I’ve made in months.
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