PC Addition - Sports Card Bust #23: Patrik Stefan

[sanjosefuji]

Anyone who has collected hockey cards during the late 90's knows the name: Patrik Stefan.

In 1998-99, Stefan averaged over a point per game in the IHL for the Long Beach Ice Dogs when he scored 11 goals and had 24 assists in 33 games. Unfortunately, his season was shortened after suffering a concussion.


This didn't scare away scouts, who still put him up on a pedestal. One coach called him a cross between Mike Modano and Sergei Fedorov.


Looking back at his stats, I'm not sure what all of the hype was behind him... but regardless the Atlanta Thrashers decided to draft Stefan with the number one pick in the 1999 NHL entry draft. He was chosen in front of the Sedin brothers (#2 and #3 picks), Henrik Zetterberg (210th pick), and one of my favorite goalies in the league, Ryan Miller (138th pick).


When I looked at his career stats, the first person I thought of was Alexandre Daigle, because at first glance you might not call him a bust. He played seven seasons and had 64 goals with 124 assists for a total of 188 points. Obviously these are not Hall of Fame stats, but I've seen much worse.


However, when you flash back to 1999 and you think about how many collectors lost out on their Stefan investments... then you realize how big of a bust this guy was. I probably have over 25 of his Chrome, Topps Premier, and Gold Label rookies sitting in soft sleeves and Card Savers. These days any of those can be picked up for $1 to $2 on COMC. My guess is that you probably could get these cards for less if you submitted a best offer.


How much did I lose on my investment? Who knows... but it's safe to say I was paying a lot more than $1 or $2 for them. Don't worry... I'm not complaining. I understand that these are the risks you take when you decide to invest in cards.


These days, I make very few "investment" purchases. I've learned from my mistakes and I mainly buy things for my PC's. And this beautiful Stefan autograph happens to be a part of my continuously growing Sports Card Bust PC.


Which leads me to today's question of the day: Do you ever collect for investment purposes? If so, what's the worst investment you've made? If not, have you at least ever regretted a sports card purchase?


Oh... if you've never seen this clip... here's a highlight from his last season in the NHL with the Dallas Stars. I wonder why Dallas didn't resign him the following season?




Have a happy Friday!



More...