One of my favorite times of year on YouTube is when collectors reveal their Top 25-50 cards in their collections. I love the variety, the specialization, the vintage. Oh God, the vintage. It’s so beautiful. I’ve decided to post my Top 20 cards here in this format. For a starting point, I used the value statistic within my TCDB collection to identify the cards, then I briefly comped them using eBay Sold and Completed. Some are easier than others. I also know the list is not technically correct, because as I was sorting my one touches in search of these, I found some other cards that definitely belong. Perhaps I will post those in the next couple of days.

For the cards below, I’ll post how I acquired the card, and how much I paid for it. Then we’ll look at approximate value as deemed at the start of the year.

20. 2020 Topps Heritage Clubhouse Collection Gold Mike Trout.

I pulled this card from a Target retail pack while sitting in a hotel room in Austin, Texas. I remember it vividly, because I saw the back of the card first, seeing the Topps-speak “Congratulations! You’ve just received a Mike Trout…”. My heart started racing, I said to myself, “oh please let this be an auto”, flipped it over and BAM! A gold fragment. I’ll take it.

Cost to acquire: $4.99. Current Value (1 recent comp): $15.00

19. 1970 Kellogg’s 3D Floyd Little PSA 8

Being from Colorado, my first favorite Broncos player was Floyd Little. Actually it was John Keyworth, and for some reason the punter, Luke Prestige, but I digress. My dad would talk about Floyd Little a lot. He always thought it was a travesty that Little took so long to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. I don’t really have a lot of football cards, but I was surfing eBay one night for Broncos cards and saw this one. The price was reasonable to me, at $25.98 all in. During the COVID boom, this was cheap for a lot of graded stuff. So I favorited it, but after a couple of days decided to finally go for it. I’m glad I did. This is my first, and only Vintage football card.

Cost to acquire: $25.98. Current Estimated Value (No Comps): $20.00

18. 1970 Topps Bernie Parent PSA 5.

I love Hockey. On any given day, hockey has replaced baseball for me as my favorite sport. This is no doubt due to the Colorado Avalanche winning the Stanley Cup last season. I also love the idea of having a PC of Hall of Famers. Again surfing eBay, this card flashed before me, Knowing Bernie Parent was a Hall of Fame goalie for the famed Flyers teams of the 70’s, I snatched it up. Would I do it again today? Probably not. This was a little bit of an impulse purchase, but it’s a start. Vintage is something I definitely want to learn about, but I know one of the keys is patience and to wait for the right card. I do like the look of this one, but I think more research may have been warranted.

Cost to acquire: $18.94. Current Estimated Value (No Comps): $20.00

17. 2020-21 Upper Deck Alexis LaFreniere Young Guns

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! Going from the #1 Overall pick of the NEW YORK FREAKING RANGERS, to a healthy scratch in a recent game. What the hell happened to this kid? He can’t score, and when I watch Rangers games, I don’t really notice him. He’s still on his Entry Level Contract, and only 21 years old. Maybe he should be sent out on a conditioning stint or outright assigned to the minors, so he can get some playing time and perhaps, some confidence.

I pulled this card from a Series 1 Retail Tin of UD Series 1. Eight packs in the tin and a $19.99 cost (without tax), brings the cost of acquisition to $2.50. This was a $100 card right out of the gate. Today, it’s not.

Cost to acquire: $2.50. Current Value (2-3 Comps): $35.00

16. 2020 Topps Heritage Fernando Tatís Jr. Missing Signatures Variation

Let’s return to that hotel room in Austin where I pulled the gold Trout relic. This was just before Covid struck, so retail was still in sufficient supply. I bought a blaster box, plus 10-15 retail packs because they were there. And I had a night to myself, so why not? When I saw this, I was excited to pull a Tatis card, because it’s a short print. I was having a heck of time completing my 2019 Heritage set due to those SP’s, and I knew Tatis was going to cost me. But now I didn’t have to worry about it. From my hotel room I tweeted a pick of my pulls, and someone tweeted back to check and see if the card said Missing Signature on the back of the card under the number. It’s obvious, but indeed it did. So an even more rare SSP!

However, this card also represents a player that is having difficulty making headway in his career. He’s young. He’s gotten hurt a couple of times. The Padres moved him off Short. Was that the right move? This was $100 card after release, but Tatis really needs a bounce back year in 2023. Otherwise you might be able to find him in a common bin soon.

Cost to acquire: $4.99. Current Estimated Value (No Comps, but somebody has one listed at $50 ): $35.00

15. 2021-22 Upper Deck Trevor Zegras Young Guns

The Young Guns portion of Upper Deck Hockey are the bread and butter of each year’s release. There is a mix of “Can’t Miss!” with “Who?”. I equate them to Short Prints in Heritage, since there are 50 cards at the end of each series, and usually are found in 1:4 packs.

Trevor Zegras is definitely in the can’t miss category. And as the face of the Anaheim Ducks, and one of the up and comers, I knew I wanted to get this one. I had been trolling eBay looking for one at auction. I was pretty familiar with comps when I found one at a show. The dealer did not have a price on it, so I asked. He said $40. Everything I had seen on eBay over the previous 6 weeks was at or above $50, which meant even more when tax and shipping were included. After about 5-10 minutes of mental math, I took the deal (I’m not a negotiator).

Cost to acquire: $40.00. Current Value (1-2 Recent Comps): $45.00

14. 2021-21 O-Pee-Chee Platinum Nathan MacKinnon Orange Checkers

Let me be blunt. NATHAN MACKINNON IS MY BOY!! From the moment he was selected 1st overall, I knew the Avalanche were going to one day win a Cup with him. There are too many superlatives…he’s amazing on the ice.

In late 2021 / early 2022, there was still no retail showing up at my local Target. I think there is a flipper in this area that still thinks he can make a quick buck. Anyway, O-Pee-Chee Platinum started showing up in blaster boxes, so I started buying it. I quickly fell in love with the card design. The parallels and inserts are rock solid, and it’s genuinely a fun rip. Being an Avs fan, and a big Nate fan, I was trying to see how many of his parallels I could find. This card is especially tough, as it is serially numbered out of #25. And being that the Avs were in the final stages of the regular season of a magical Cup season, there was a little bit of a bidding war on eBay. I decided I wanted it though because I knew I wouldn’t see another one, so I put in my top price and waited for the final moments. I’m glad I won. This card is sick!

Cost to acquire: $61.50. Current Estimated Value (No Recent Comps): Same

13. 2022-23 Upper Deck Matty Beniers Young Guns

The face of the newest NHL Franchise Seattle Kraken, Matty Beniers is one of the best pulls in the 2022-2023 Series 1 crop of Young Guns. He has 1st line Center written all over him, and has excelled in his first year in the league. Selected #2 overall in 2021 (and the first pick in franchise history), this former University of Michigan star is going to be a stud for the Kraken. I also think he is a lock for this year’s Calder Trophy.

This card was pulled out of the last pack of my Series 1 Hobby Box purchased after release. Loved to see it, because this one is going to be huge a few years from now.

Cost to acquire: $2.50. Current Value (3-4 Comps): $80.00

12. 2021-22 Upper Deck Cole Caufield Young Guns

Similar to Matty Beniers, Cole Caufield is another hot young player for one of the league’s most iconic franchises. He was the darling of the 2020-21 playoffs, but struggled somewhat during the 2021-22 season. He even got sent to the minors for a bit (Cough:LaFreniere:Cough). When he came back though, he was clearly better, and is currently playing big minutes in Montreal. The Caufield Young Guns also has potential to be a big card in a few years, and is top 2-3 of the overall set. I’m glad I pulled it from my Series 2 Hobby Box.

Cost to acquire: $2.50. Current Value (2-3 comps): $90.00

11. 2019 Topps Chrome Pete Alonso Rookie Auto

I’m not going to write a lot about the next few cards, as they’re really all lumped together. I started collecting again in 2019 when I moved home from Europe. Autographed cards were new to me, and when I laid eyes on the ones in Chrome, I fell in love. From 2019, I have all 74 of the Rookie Autos (plus some from Update). In 2020, I am only missing Bo Bichette (which I hope to acquire later this year). In 2021, Topps got greedy and put the set checklist at over 100 cards. So forget that.

Anyway, the next few cards were the big names at the time, plus a couple of guys who have excelled in the three seasons since. Their card values have come up, while others have decidedly come down based on play. We’ll see what the 2023 season brings.

This Pete Alonso card was purchased in an eBay auction.

Cost to acquire: $139.64. Current Value (1-2 comps): $100.00

10. 2020 Topps Chrome Luis Robert Rookie Auto

This one is brutal from a cost perspective, as it was an eBay auction. Here’s hoping Luis Robert can have a bounce back year and lead his team on a deep run. I do like this photo a lot!

Cost to acquire: $297.69. Current Value: $100.00

9. 2019 Topps Chrome Kyle Tucker Purple Rookie Auto PSA 9

Part of the process for completing this project was checking eBay basically daily. Kyle Tucker was actually kind of hard to find. I think speculators knew of the potential, because this card has doubled from what I purchased it at. I got lucky too. I woke up one morning before work, checked the most recent Buy-It-Now listings, and there it was. I hit the BIN quick on this one, as I was tired of searching for Tucker.

Cost to acquire: $53.04. Current Value (2 Comps): $122.50.

8. 2019 Topps Chrome Austin Riley Rookie Auto

Leading your team to a World Series title as a 24 year old definitely helps with card credibility. This card was also an eBay auction, although a little easier than the previous entries on the list. Side note: I pulled this Chrome Update Auto from a blaster box later in the year, so I could have chosen either card for the list at this point.

Cost to acquire: $36.74. Current Value (2 Comps): $130.00

7. 2002 Topps Heritage Andy Carey Red Ink Auto

This is a fun story. The first year of Topps Heritage was 2001, with current players on the 1952 Topps design. It’s a great set, and one I hope to complete one day soon. Fast forward to 2002, I’m living in Denver with nothing else to spend my money on. I had dabbled with getting back into the hobby in 2001 thanks in part to being single and going to a crap ton of Rockies games in my spare time. When 2002 came around, I kept buying. And remembering that I liked Heritage in 2001, I bought Heritage again in 2002. I have no idea when, or how I pulled this card, other than it certainly came from a wax pack purchased some where in North Denver. Autos were new in the early 2000’s. And certainly ones written in red ink and numbered were fun, but I didn’t really think anything of it. Into a top loader and 3200 count box it went, only to be seen in those off times over the years where I would randomly pull out a stack of cards to look at. This card has sailed across the Atlantic Ocean twice. Once when we moved to Austria in 2017, and once when we moved back to the States. My collection survived both times. When I started collecting again upon our return, one of the first things I did was find this card for the umpteenth time and put it into a One-Touch. Those weren’t around in 2002 either. Love this card.

Cost to acquire: $2.99 (maybe). Current Estimated Value (No Comps but one on eBay): $175.00

6. 2019 Topps Chrome Fernando Tatís Jr. Rookie Auto

Back to Chrome autos for the next two. Keeping it simple here, this is referred to as the Fernando Tatis box. I had purchased two hobby boxes from my local LCS (more on that later!). In the 24 packs of this particular one, I pulled his regular chrome card, his refractor, and this baby. Immediately checking eBay and seeing what they were going for at the time, I was excited. At one time during the height of the COVID boom, this was a $1000 card. Now, it’s not. Get it together Fernando!

Cost to acquire: $8.95 Current Value (3-4 comps): $200.00

5. 2019 Topps Chrome Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Rookie Auto

The last of the big three. The only one besides maybe Alonso to maintain the same value from where it was. Maybe I should take it out of the screw down it came in…

Cost to acquire: $199.17 (auction). Current Value (1-2 comps): $225.00

4. 2019-20 Upper Deck Cale Makar Young Guns

If MacKinnon is my boy, then Cale Makar is just simply awesome. Shall we run down the awards? Hobey Baker in college. The Calder Trophy. The Norris Trophy. The Conn Smyth Trophy. And the crown jewel Stanley Cup. At 23 years old! Being an Avs fan, I knew the potential was there a long time ago, and I snapped up a Makar Young Guns early. Cale is a generational player, at the beginning of what is going to be a glorious career. Who knows where this card ultimately ends up. I’m just thankful to have it. All hail Cale!

Cost to acquire: $84.98. Current Value (10 comps - this one I track): $303.57

3. 2013-14 Upper Deck Nathan MacKinnon Young Guns

The crown jewel of my hockey collection. My favorite Avalanche player of all time. So much fun to watch, night in and night out. The speed! The skill! I’m so glad his extension got done last summer and he’ll be an Avs player for life. How many more Cups are we going to win with Nate, Cale, Mikko and Gabe leading the way? I bet at least one, hopefully two more within the next five years. #GoAvsGo!

There are two versions of Nate’s Young Guns. One is this version, where there is a little triangle of pink on his right elbow. The other is a clean print job. I think the print runs are fairly equal on both sides since both dominate the listings. The clean version is worth slightly more, but I don’t care. I just wanted it, and I didn’t mind paying a little up for it.

Cost to acquire: $410.27. Current Value (10 comps): $339.00

2. 2011 Topps Update Mike Trout

My grail card. Purchased in February of 2021. The absolute peak of the COVID boom. I was contemplating going for it for weeks. I got my yearly bonus from work. Cards were going up like crazy with no sign of slowing down. I asked my wife if I could splurge on this seemingly once in a lifetime card. We compared raw prices versus graded. I told her I know there are a lot of fakes, but I didn’t really know how to tell the difference. She told me I work hard and should reward myself, so go ahead and get a graded one. That’s why I love her! The fact it isn’t worth as much as I paid for it is irrelevant. I have a Mike Trout Rookie Card, and that’s all that matters.

Cost to acquire: $1363.95. Current Value: $785.16

1. 2019 Topps Chrome Future Stars Juan Soto Orange Auto

I teased this at #6. Remember that other box of Chrome I bought back in 2019? Yeah, about half way through I pulled this absolute monster. The top card in my collection is the 2019 Topps Chrome Juan Soto Future Stars Orange, numbered 15/25! This card is so slick in hand, and stunning to look at. I love it. Those few times I’ve shown it on Twitter have resulted in jaws dropped, and random DM’s asking me to sell. I’ve been offered as much as $5K. That ain’t ever going to happen. This gem is a PC Card for life. Especially if Soto can lead the Padres to a World Series title. The only thing that would be sweeter is if they go through the Dodgers to do it. Anyway, there aren’t really any comps since this is such a low numbered beauty. A green one (#/99) went for around $300 recently, so I’m going to peg this at being worth between $1200-1500.

Cost to acquire: $8.95. Current estimated value: $1200-1500.00

So there it is. The top 20 cards in my collection at the start of 2023. Like I said, there are errors in the list that I know about. But I will fix those going forward. It will be fun to compare back at the end of this year and see where there was movement. I will be adding cards this year of course, and some of these lower valued ones will drop off. Who knows what will happen with the Chrome Autos. I’d like to diversify, and get into more vintage. But this was definitely fun to put together and work through. I know it’s long, and I sincerely thank you for reading it. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below. See you soon!

JDM