eBay Goes Nuts Over 2012 Topps Rally Squirrel Card
Although the "official" release of 2012 Topps Series 1 Baseball is still a couple of days away, cards are starting to show up on eBay thanks to many retail shops putting them out early. And wouldn't you believe it, Skip Schumaker's cleat is going for more than $600 already. Yes, $600. The card is a variation of #93 Schumaker's base card and features the infamous Rally Squirrel scurrying through the batter's box. Could the 2012 Topps Rally Squirrel card be the card of the year?
So far, three copies of the 2012 Topps Rally Squirrel card have popped up on eBay. All are seeing fierce bidding with the first surpassing $600 and more than 30 bids within the first couple hours. Earlier in the day, the card was covered by several mainstream media outlets, including USA Today, CBS and Yahoo. This attention is likely driving some of the bidding as the card goes from a hobby novelty to a wider pop culture icon.
The 2012 Topps Rally Squirrel isn't the first time the bushy-tailed has had the spotlight on a Topps card. 2007 Topps Updates and Highlights featured Poley Walnuts (or Scooter, depending on who you talk to), a squirrel who called Yankee Stadium home. A short print, the Poley Walnuts card also went for huge amounts at first. The last one sold for just $10.
Obviously, some people think the squirrel makes for a cute card. Others are blasting it as a gimmick meant to drive sales. While the 2012 Topps Rally Squirrel card is certainly a novelty, it is one that will bring better returns than the basic Skip Schumaker card. But don't expect it to hold such nutty values. At this point, there's not enough information to fully understand how many of these cards are out there to justify the huge sums. It's definitely a "sell" for anyone who lands one.
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 2012 Topps Series 1 Baseball Hobby Box $50.95 |
 2012 Topps Series 1 Hobby Unopened Factory Sealed Box (36 Packs) $54.90 |
 2012 TOPPS SERIES 1 BASEBALL FAT PACK BOX $54.95 |
 TOPPS 2012 SERIES 1 SEALED BASEBALL HOBBY BOX $50.00 |
 2012 Topps Series 1&2 Complete 661-Card Factory Sealed Box Set + 5 #'d Parallels $57.95 |
 2012 TOPPS SERIES 1 BASEBALL HOBBY BOX $52.95 |
Jeff | Jan 30, 2012 | Reply
You hit the nail on the head with this article.Good job Ryan.
jake1230 | Feb 1, 2012 | Reply
Sell, sell, sell…Ryan has that right. Sounds like the SP’s are a little tougher, but not $600 tough…Collectors are crazy.