Wemby cards are really petering out even after his stunning on-court performance on #NBAXmas, the Christmas Day game. This has led collectors and investors to speculate on the market trends again and again to figure out if it would be right to invest in the young star right now. Wembanyama has positioned himself as one of the most exciting young players in the NBA. And, certainly for the Spurs, this has worked in their favor, increasing the franchise’s popularity. Having said that, there is no shortage of disasters that have unfolded in the Wembanyama sports card market. Let us discuss why.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways:
- Victor Wembanyama cards are about 16.81% down in the month of December, despite a incredible performance from the player.
- Wemby cards are taking massive hits even in the time of holidays when people are likely to spend more.
- This is because, according to experts, his cards are so much overpriced, and the demand for Wembanyama cards is not able to catch up with their supply.
- Victor Wembanyama and the prophecies around him are not coming true any time soon.
- Collectors are unable to wait for their investment to bear returns, which has led to many of them selling their cards out of panic.
- The team’s slow start is also a matter of concern, which has led to the coaching staff looking for a co-star besides Wembanyama.
Expectations from the Preseason Hype
As per NBA executives and many other interviews, Wemby, despite a single year in the game, has set a gold-plated standard for himself. With his last year’s performance and attainment of the Rookie of the Year title, experts are analyzing the odds of him winning the Most Improved Player award in the 2024-25 NBA season.
“If Wemby can put together a sophomore season, healthy, same numbers, just had got a silver medal, basically Rookie of the year type numbers again and has these blocks, then you start to think like, Holy Crap!! We might have something generational here. That’s gonna be really interesting for his card prices.”
Despite this, experts are only concerned about one thing: “Whether he can stay healthy?”
Comparisons to Giannis Antetokounmpo
Experts have also commented on his scrawny frame, drawing comparisons to the initial years of Giannis. They are expecting the Spurs star to put on some healthy pounds in his diet.
“He is gotta have the transformation that giannis had. When giannis came in, he was skinny. Not as skinny as wemby but giannis put on 30 pounds of muscle.”
Meeting the Expectation? (The Reason Behind the Hype)
Supposedly, NBA executives had declared Wembanyama a prime candidate for the best 2-way player ever. This means he would become the NBA’s best player in both offense and defense by his 3rd year in the game. Sadly, despite being a cornerstone player for Spurs, he is nowhere close to fulfilling this prophecy. He is in the middle of his sophomore year, and the stats are suggesting a long way ahead for him.
According to the experts,
“For his cards to justify their price, he not only has to be the best in the league by his third year but also have to win a title by his fifth year and also somehow make into the playoffs in all his third, fourth and fifth year as well just to maintain his prices.”
In comparison, it took about 8 years for LeBron, Jokic, and Giannis to win a title in the NBA.
Holiday Market Trends
Throughout the months of November, December, and January, people spend a lot more money than usual. Despite the trend, it doesn’t really make sense why the market is where it is right now. For instance, according to Card Ladder, Victor Wembanyama cards are really taking big hits in the sports card market, with rate of growth nearly 17% down in the last 3 months. Experts believe that despite his good performance in his recent games, his cards were already too overblown for a hype.
Other accolades such as,
- being the most graded player of 2024 with 407,000 graded cards and
- being the fifteenth most graded player of all time
- Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Month Award
adds to his card’s puffed values.
His supply of cards continues to increase in the market with over 400,000 cards just graded over the last year. Experts believe that unless his cards’ market demand continues to increase in multiple folds every single year, they don’t see his cards bouncing back any time soon.
Although his card market has seen some maturity from nearly 30% down to now 17% down in the last month of December, collectors are still panic selling their Wemby cards because of this unusual market decline. In short, supply is going up 2 to 3x, whereas demand is not catching up to that multiplier.
The Spur’s Quest for a Co-Star (A Slow Start to the NBA Season)
The San Antonio Spurs have undoubtedly found a unique talent in Victor Wembanyama, whose combination of physical gifts, confidence, and on-court production has already positioned him as one of the franchise’s legends. Despite being 20, Wembanyama’s maturity and game knowledge can be seen through his Christmas Day performance, where he put up a remarkable 42 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, and four blocks.
All of this came after the game with the Suns, which showed a little concerning start for the Spurs with only 19 points in the first quarter. The collectors are still concerned with the team’s sluggish start after their 104-93 loss against the Suns. This wasn’t it. The spurs have been experiencing a pattern of slow starts in the games, with the team often trailing after the first quarter (13 times) and at halftime (11 times) before the Phoenix game.
San Antonio Spurs are looking to acquire De'Aaron Fox to pair with Victor Wembanyama
— Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) December 21, 2024
(via The Athletic) pic.twitter.com/m0gtyWq6FF
Nevertheless, the coaching staff is seemingly working on integrating players like Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, Trae Young, and De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings alongside Wembanyama. All of this is adding to the question of the Spurs making it into the playoffs, which has got card collectors and investors selling their cards out of agitation.
Conclusion
As the NBA season progresses further, the Spurs’ development around Wembanyama and their pursuit of a co-star will be a storyline to watch, especially for the collectors. Whether through working out with what they have or strategic trades, the team’s decision will shape its trajectory for years to come. In short, this can give a massive push to Victor cards in either an upward or a downward direction.
FAQs:
Will Victor Wembanyama cards go up in value?
Yes, Victor Wembanyama cards can see a rise in their value if he manages to live up to his hype as a generational talent. Looking at his recent performances and off-the-court appeal to people, it can be speculated that his card prices will see an increase in value over time as he gains experience and the trust of investors.
What is Victor Wembanyama’s most expensive card?
Victor Wembanyama’s most expensive trading card is the 2023 Panini Prizm First Off the Line (FOTL) Black Shimmer 1/1, graded PSA 9, which sold for a record-breaking amount of around $516,000 at auction.
What is Victor Wembanyama’s rookie card value?
There are various Victor Wembanyama rookie cards available in the market right now. His rookie year’s base Prizm in a PSA Gem Mint condition is selling on average for around $100 on eBay.
How many Victor Wembanyama cards are there?
As of December 2024, there are around 2,456 different types of Victor Wembanyama cards available in the market. It is noteworthy that Wembanyama’s cards have seen significant grading activity with over 40,000 copies of his 2023 Prizm rookie card graded by PSA.
Where to find Victor Wembanyama cards?
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