Jason Heyward 2007 Just Minors Auto

I'm a big, big Jason Heyward fan, and have wanted an autograph of his for quite some time. However, when they first hit the scene, prices were well out of my range. I didn't think much of it, and eventually prices on his autos started dropping. Why, I'm really not sure. He's perhaps the most talented player in baseball, a true franchise player whom a team could build around for a decade. He had a fantastic rookie season and should have won Rookie Of The Year, considering he topped ROY Buster Posey in WAR, wOBA, OBP, XBHs, BB%, wRC+, WPA, and Clutch.  And yes, I know Posey wasn't called up until the end of May. However, Heyward missed time due to a thumb injury, an injury that cost him a trip to the DL and felled him for at least a month as he played through the ailment. But I digress.

What were once autographs that exceeded the $100 mark with regularity - with steals in the $60 range - dropped to the $30 range for most of the completed eBay auctions I watched. I passed on one of Heyward's Bowman Sterling autos that ended around thirty three dollars, and regretted it immensely. Thankfully, this beautiful card ended with my bid being the winning one. For $33 shipped, I am now the proud owner of this awesome minor league auto of one the game's elite, who will only get better as his career progresses:

86/200

I absolutely love minor league autos - and Just Minors products in particular - for the obvious reason that they're some of the earliest autographs a player signs. I especially love this Heyward auto because he wrote out his last name in full, as opposed to the shortened version he now inscribes. I can't blame him for changing his signature - with the amount he now signs, I can only imagine how much his hand hurts after signing hundreds and hundreds of stickers and other items (and even the occasional card), and how tedious and dull the process becomes after the one hundredth sticker or ball passes him by.

The card was oddly thin, seemingly about half as thick as a normal base card nowadays. It caught me off-guard as I removed the card from the toploader, and this Heyward gem was so thin that it almost slipped out of my hand and hit the ground, which would be bad in any case, but especially troubling in this particular scenario, as you'll see below.

One of the most interesting things about Heyward autos is that he seems to often sign on the far left of the area where they ask him to sign. I've noticed it on this card, one my local shop's owner pulled, and a few others here and there. Nothing really special about it; I just find it interesting. Especially on his newer autos, like Bowman Sterling, where his last name is in its shorter version. Makes for a good laugh when more than half the sticker is empty.

My only gripe with this purchase is directed at the seller. He shipped quickly and left me positive feedback, which was appreciated. However, he sent me my Jason Heyward auto in a toploader and nothing else; no penny sleeve to be found. Perhaps I'm overreacting, but it would seem to me that a high-end card of a fantastic player should be placed in a penny sleeve prior to being put into a toploader.

The seller's note asking for positive feedback was a nice touch. He received positive feedback, but I made sure to suggest that in the future, penny sleeves be a priority of his.

All in all, I'm more than pleased to add this card to my collection. It's instantly one of my favorites, a card I truly love and am thrilled to own, especially with the deal I was able to score. How a Heyward auto goes for under $50 boggles my mind, but then again, card pricing has never been one of my strong suits.

Welcome to my personal collection Mr. Heyward. I hope to provide you with a friend in a few months. Pack-pulled, perhaps. Who am I kidding, I'll snatch him from eBay when the time comes.

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On a side note, I've finally been shafted by an eBay seller, it would appear. I've opened two cases with eBay, so we'll see where they lead.

And one more follower means a contest to come at some point. The prize is good - I swear.