Since his NHL debut in 2008-09, James Neal has proven to be a goal scorer. Now that he's been paired with Evgeni Malkin, he's become a sniper. And while it's too early to tell if he'll be more like the next Brett Hull or the second coming of Rob Brown, James Neal cards are becoming intriguing for many collectors.
Originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in 2005, Neal spent two-and-a-half seasons in Texas before heading to the Pittsburgh Penguins in February, 2011. Although Neal was solid with the Stars, he has blossomed with the Penguins. In his first full season with the team, he notched 40 goals. He's emerging as one of hockey's leading scoring threats.
The real question is how much of that can be attributed to playing with the likes of Malkin and Sidney Crosby. His sudden emergence is reminiscent of another former Penguin, Rob Brown. While on a line with Mario Lemieux, Brown scored 49 goals in 1988-89. However, once he changed teams, there was a huge drop off in Brown's production. That's not to say Neal isn't breaking through in his own right, but it's something collectors may want to be cautious of.
When it comes to collecting James Neal cards, collectors have more than 20 different choices. Within that, there's a lot of variety is card styles and prices. Since the start of the 2012 season, James Neal cards, particularly his high-end rookies, have started to spike. Top choices include 2008-09 Upper Deck The Cup, 2008-09 SP Authentic and 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice.
As far as James Neal autographed memorabilia goes, it's out there but not in huge quantities as of yet. At this point, autographed cards may be the easiest and most affordable option.
James Neal Rookie Card Checklist
Budget Rookie Cards
- 2008-09 Collector's Choice #229
- 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee #760
- 2008-09 Ultra #264
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Champ's #169
- 2008-09 Upper Deck MVP #366
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Ovation #165
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Power Play #324
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Victory #336
Mid-Range Rookie Cards
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Artifacts #305 #/750
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Black Diamond #195
- 2008-09 SP Game Used #156 #/999
- 2008-09 Upper Deck #209
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Trilogy #127 #/999
Premium Rookie Cards
- 2008-09 Be a Player #198 #/99
- 2008-09 O-Pee-Chee Premier #53 Autographed Jersey #/299
- 2008-09 SP Authentic #198 Autograph #/999
- 2008-09 SPx #156 Autographed Jersey #/999
- 2008-09 UD Black #123 Autograph #/99
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Ice #172 #/99
- 2008-09 Upper Deck The Cup #97 Autographed Patch #/249
- 2008-09 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection #73 Autograph #/399
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James Neal Autographed Memorabilia Buying Guide
Below you will find an example of what James Neal's authentic signature looks like. This can be used as a first point of reference for determining the legitimacy of autograph memorabilia, but is not a substitute for having your items authenticated by a well-respected professional autograph authentication company.
Signed Puck Pricing:
Average eBay Sales Price: $28
Lowest Amazon Price:
Signed Jersey Pricing:
Average eBay Sales Price: $143
Lowest Amazon Price:
Signed 8x10 Photo Pricing:
Average eBay Sales Price: $21
Lowest Amazon Price:
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