Glad I Got In On The Ground Floor

I perform a daily search looking for new-to-me Dan Vogelbach cards. Sometimes I unearth something new and interesting, but most of the time it's more of the same. I guess that is what is to be expected when you have 312 unique cards of guy who still has rookie status.

Not sure how much you follow the Mariners, but Nelson Cruz (DH) hit the DL with a sprained ankle and Ryon Healy (1B) has an OPS of 0.161. So, the Mariners have started Vogelbach the last two games, once at first base and once as the designated hitter. He's performed well in those two contests, going 4 for 7, with a double and a walk. Vogelbach started the regular season out slow after tearing it up in spring training, but he's now hitting 0.333 with an OPS north of 0.800.

I've found that I'm looking up Vogelbach's game-by-game performances and following his games closer than my team of choice, the Cubs. It's fun to think about how I got in on the ground floor when Vogelbach was drafted in 2011 and now he's doing his best to keep his foot in the proverbial MLB door.

Although, I don't think I'm the only one enjoying this moment. Lately there has been an influx of high-end Ebay auctions with Vogelbach as the centerpiece.

Check this out:

Yep, whoever outbid me on the autographed 2017 Topps Chrome SuperFractor has completed the rainbow and is looking to cash in now that Vogelbach in the major leagues. Three grand?  Yikes!

But, wait. That's not all:

Need any 2011 Bowman Chrome rookie autos?  I need a few parallels, but I'm not going to start a payment plan to bolster my collection.

This one frustrates me:

 I've actually made an offer on this SuperFractor, but I was denied. The price had been steadily coming down, and it bottomed out at $145. With Vogelbach making the Mariners' opening day roster the seller raised the price to $229.  Argh. I was so close to making an offer again!

I have twelve 1/1's of Dan Vogelbach, and the most I've paid for any of them has been $30.

 It looks like the going rate for a 1/1, without an autograph, is now $200. Sigh.

I bought a National Treasures auto patch numbered to /25 for about $18 in 2017. The patch on mine is not nearly as cool as the one below. Five colors?  That's so sick!

I was hoping to snag this one for $25, but I was outbid during the last minute of the auction numerous times and the card went for about five times what I paid for the one that currently rests in my collection.

There are numerous other graded cards of low number parallels selling for hundreds of dollars. Things are getting out of control for this card collector on a budget.

I'm really excited that Vogelbach is doing well during this first small stretch of games, but I honestly never expected to see his cards command the prices above.

For what it's worth, I still think I have the most extensive Vogelmonster collection and it's not going anywhere. I love my prospects, but I never pursue their cards hoping to flip them for a profit sometime down the road.

Thanks for reading... now, go cheer on The Vogelmonster!