Sunday’s NFC Championship Game is a clash of the Titans, no doubt. The Saints are 13-3 and the number 1 seed, the Vikings are 12-4, playing away, and are the number 2 seed. The story is more about Drew Brees vs Brett Favre, though I want to look at it from a hobby standpoint. Im going to go position by position and talk about who has the most to gain this weekend. The Saints may be the better team in terms of record, but are the Vikings a better team in the hobby?
Quarterback
Starter: Drew Brees
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2001 (Chargers)
Best Rookie Card: 2001 Bowman Chrome Auto, 2001 Playoff Contenders Auto (tie)
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $400
Autos Usually Sell For: $70
Commentary: Brees has the advantage because he has autographed rookie cards. However, outside of his rookies, his auto can sell for as little as 36 bucks. I think he is one of the more undervalued players in the league, but a win on Sunday could vault his values into a higher value bracket.
Starter: Brett Favre
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 1991
Best Rookie Card: 1991 Wild Card 1000 Stripe
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $900
Autos Usually Sell For $150+
Commentary: I know the 1000 stripe is a ridiculously expensive card, but it is so rare that it is hard to even find on eBay. In addition, there are fakes, so im not even sure it can be counted. The regular 1991 Stadium Club RCs sell for very little, so I guess the playing field is even there. Favre has accomplished everything there is to accomplish, so the only room for improvement is in his Vikings cards.
Advantage: Tie
Starter: Reggie Bush
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2006
Best Rookie Card: 2006 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $600
Autos Usually Sell For: $40
Commentary: Bush was one of the most hyped up players coming out of college, and his cards reflected that. They still hold a ton of value in the rookies, but other than that, he has nothing. He has underperformed on the field as well, but a good game on Sunday can be huge for his values.
Starter: Adrian Peterson
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $1100
Autos Usually Sell For: $150
Commentary: Peterson is the biggest star in the hobby, even more so than Manning or Favre. His cards are very sought after, especially the 2007 ones, and his performance still leaves room for more improvement. Its rare that a Running Back can out value the QBs, but in this case, the throngs of Vikings fans have made it so.
Advantage: Vikings
Wide Receiver
Starter: Marques Colston
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2006
Best Rookie Card: 2006 Exquisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $75
Autos Usually Sell For: Under $10
Commentary: Colston is a good receiver on the field, but doesn’t have much of a following in the hobby. Like many good wide receivers, he is very underappreciated, and a good game probably wouldn’t help much.
Starter: Sidney Rice
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exq
uisite Collection
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $140
Autos Usually Sell For: $20
Commentary: Rice’s cards have spiked this year, and its all because of some amazing games. If he does have another game like he did against the Cowboys, he may become one of the most valuable WRs in the hobby.
Advantage: Vikings
Tight End
Starter: Jeremy Shockey
Team: Saints
Rookie Year: 2002 (Giants)
Best Rookie Card: 2002 Playoff Contenders
Avg Sell Value For That Card: $42
Autos Usually Sell For: $15
Commentary: Shockey’s mouth gained him a following as a Giant, but his performance forced him to a position with New Orleans. He has had somewhat of a resurgence, but not much. I hated this guy when he was a Giant, and I have a feeling I will hate him that much more on Sunday.
Starter: Visanthe Shiancoe
Team: Vikings
Rookie Year: 2003 (Giants)
Best Rookie Card: 2003 SP Authentic
Average Sell Value For That Card: $10
Autos Usually Sell For: N/A
Commentary: Shiancoe had his second good year in a row with Minnesota, but his cards have done little to nothing. He hasn’t even had an auto recently, and that isnt a bad thing. You can pick up his SPA autos for cheap, and if he has a great game on Sunday, that may not be the case anymore.
Advantage: Saints
Wild Card Player
Starter: Robert Meachem
Position: WR
Rookie Year: 2007
Best Rookie Card: 2007 Exquisite Collection
Average Sell Value For That Card: $50
Autos Usually Sell For: Under $10
Commentary: Meachem finally had an okay year for the Saints, and the people hoarding his cards have responded. As a player with a large college following, he continues to have value regardless of performance. If he does well on Sunday, we could see an explosion.
Starter: Jared Allen
Position: Defensive End
Rookie Year: 2004 (Chiefs)
Best Rookie Card: 2006 SP Authentic (Non-auto)
Average Sell Value For That Card: $20
Autos Usually Sell For: $60
Commentary: Allen has a humongous Minnesota following, and that following pays enormous prices for certified autos in Vikings uniform. His autos out of UD Black and UD Philadelphia have commanded $100 and $40 respectively, on top of the 40 bucks his first certified auto usually gets out of 2005 Score.
Advantage: Vikings
Overall
The Saints and Vikings are dangerous teams, but the Vikings definitely have more hobby power. Although Minnesota is the underdog come Sunday, they still have a pretty good shot just because of the team they have. However, they are going to have to contend with one of the best players in the game in Drew Brees, so who knows what could happen. A 51-50 win for the Saints is not out of the question.
Advantage: Vikings