Could James Soar Even Higher in New York?
It seems pretty silly to me that the NBA world seems to be obsessed with where LeBron James (and to a lesser extent, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh) will end up in 2010 considering we haven't even reached the beginning of 2009. But sometimes you can't help taking an "if you can't beat them, join them" approach, so I started thinking about what it would mean for LeBron's cards if he leaves Cleveland.
At first glance, it seems impossible for James' cards to get any more popular or achieve higher values than they already hold. He's already had an impact on the hobby that eclipses that of any player since Michael Jordan, and a few of his 2003-04 rookie cards shattered all previous notions of what people would pay for high end, low print run cards. The number of those cards in circulation is fixed, so supply won't change if he switches uniforms.
Demand, though, is a different story. If James ends up in his most talked-about destination - New York - it is possible that the already large number of James collectors could grow. That's what happens when you combine the NBA's largest market with one of its most loyal (and now relatively long-suffering) groups of basketball fans.
What it boils down to is this: if you're thinking about starting a King James collection, it might be a good idea to do it now because it's likely to get more expensive if he flees Cleveland for a bigger market. And if you're looking to sell off some of your James cards, waiting to see where he signs may pay off in the end.
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