Profit-seeking has something to do with it. To strike while the market is peaking, you basically have to resell the card before you even have it in hand.

Are there a lot of people who had no interest in a PSA 8 Rickey rookie at $250, but now that he's dead they suddenly will pay $350 and more? Apparently! But it seems that stage has passed and the price is on its way down again.

Rickey is basically the only market I follow, but here’s a few interesting points I’ve noticed.

"It’s interesting that almost no one who relies on the success of the industry said anything bad about it."

Fancy that! 🤣 Though you kind of rained on the ultra-modern parade. Which deserved it.

I was very saddened to hear of his passing and must admit my knee jerk reaction was to look at autograph rookie cards on EBay. My prime collecting years as a kid were 1979-1984 but I never had his rookie card. I purchased a really sharp raw card about 4 years ago and graded a 5 with SGC. On the day the news broke one of the PSA/DNA blue slabs of his rookie sold for $1,580. I am waiting to see if I want one at some point.

Once the profit surge is over I expect supply and demand will ultimately win and the over-supply might even result in some good prices. I have Rickey's unsigned RC but would like to add a numbered autograph or the 1983 Diamond Kings and will wait patiently for prices to return to normal. There were at 1000+ autos of various forms on Ebay this morning. Pete Rose was a bit of a different story. Outside of the more rare pieces his autographs didn't seem to command higher prices at his passing but Rose signed anything and everything for years and the market is flooded.

Glad I bought my PSA 7 Topps Rickey Henderson RC this past October. $80 for a nicely centered one at a card show. I waited through the covid boom but at one point I almost paid $300 for one at that time... listened to my instincts for once.. RIP Rickey!