Baseball

Not All Athlete NFTs Are Created Equal… GOATs Rule!

It goes without saying that not all athletes are created equal. Is it any shock that not all non-fungible tokens of athletes are created equal as well? It turns out that the athletes who are the greatest of all-time, or the GOATs, simply are not valued anywhere close to equal versus other great athletes. Tom Brady may dominate in the NFT prices we have seen so far, but not all athlete NFTs are created equal. Even then, there are surprisingly high prices for other athletes.

When Autograph partnered with DraftKings for NFT sales it was a big deal. Many of these sold out in very short order. Autograph is the crypto and NFT effort tied to Tom Brady as a co-founder and Co-Chairman but the company has many other key athletes and celebrities who are on the board of advisors.

Those advisors include athletes such as Derek Jeter, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky, Naomi Osaka, Tony Hawk, Simone Biles, and Usain Bolt. The DraftKings Marketplace has released different variations of NFTs for each and every one of those athletes as well.

Based upon Tom Brady’s current demand and based on his unrivaled GOAT status, it is no surprise that his NFTs listings (Image from DraftKings Marketplace) after the drop are commanding the highest prices of all the other great athletes. The lowest price for is “#/5000” series NFTs was last seen at $370.00 and $425.00 for a “#/2500” series, but the much higher-end NFTs are now listed at $27,000 for a “#/25” Sapphire signed series and right at $110,000 for a “#12” Ruby signed series. These are still far short of Brady’s record-breaking football card prices.

Collectors Dashboard evaluates high-end collectibles as an alternative asset class. The same capital that could have been invested into stocks or bonds is being used to buy high-end collectibles. That definitely pertains to expensive NFTs covering sports, art and so on. True collectors may want to own these for quite a long time. Investors are simply buying an asset with the intent to sell the asset for a profit at a later date. This keeps collectors and investors in a constant battle for who can win in auctions and in fixed sales.

We wanted to outline the high/low NFT sales for each athlete that are based on current market prices in listings for NFTs that have already had their drops (initial sales) take place. We have listed what each sale is and the prices were based on a snapshot at 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 6, 2021. Keep in mind that these prices can and will likely change based simply on supply and demand metrics between sellers and buyers.

Derek Jeter… Baseball’s Newest HOF Member

The Yankee was recently inducted in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and Jeter’s Carbon Premier Preseason Access Collection “#/5000” had a listing as low as $83.99. The Derek Jeter Ruby Signed Preseason Access Collection “#/12” series NFT had a listing at $24,000.00.

Tiger Woods… Golfing Great, Still Recovering

The golfing great is still in recovery and his future remains a question mark after terrible leg injuries. The Tiger Woods Carbon Premier Preseason Access Collection “#/5000” had a listing as low as $134.00, and the Tiger Woods Ruby Signed Preseason Access Collection “#/12” had a listing at $75,000.00.

Wayne Gretzky… The Absolute King of Hockey

Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of the am, but his “#/5000” series NFTs had a lowest listing price of $69.98 and his highest NFT of the Wayne Gretzky Ruby signed preseason access collection “#/12” had a listing price of $49,999.00.

Naomi Osaka… Tennis Star (and Artist?)

Tennis great Naomi Osaka’s NFT was listed at $31.00 for her “#/5000” preseason access collection series NFTs. Her highest NFT of the Naomi Osaka Ruby Signed preseason access collection “#/12” had a listing price of $34,300.00.

Tony Hawk… Skateboarding Legends Rule

Skateboarding legend Tony Hawk’s Carbon Premier Preseason Access Collection “#/5000” had a recent listing as low as $28.25, but his highest Tony Hawk Ruby Signed Preseason Access Collection “#/12” series had a listing at $14,499.00.

Simone Biles… Olympic Gymnast

Gymnast Simone Biles’ NFTs were listed at $29.50 for her “#/5000” Carbon Premier Preseason Access collection series NFTs. Her highest NFT, the Simone Biles Ruby Signed preseason access collection “#/12” had a listing price of $11,800.00.

Usain Bolt… Sprinting Legend, Sales Still TBD

The Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt’s Carbon Premier Preseason Access Collection “#/5000” had a listing as low as $27.80, while his highest price NFTs have not yet officially gone through their drops. This did have Bolt as the lowest price of the NFTs were have seen so far in the DraftKings Marketplace but until the other lower population drops have been made we cannot make any direct comparisons — and these will change.

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The idea here was not just to rank these athletes’ NFTs based on an order in the secondary market. All of these prices can change, and listing prices are effectively the same as “Buy It Now” prices on eBay. These prices do not assure that that is the price they will sell for, and again those prices are likely to change.

In the end, is it a surprise that Tom Brady’s NFTs commanded the highest prices? He is the most current and therefore most relevant to modern era playing. And if there are any all-time records for him left to break it is only his age on the field of play.

In the larger issuance of the NFTs there were also many listings that are considerably higher in price. Whether or not buyers will choose those based on better numbers within the “#/5000” may all depend on the daily whims of sports collectibles buyers — assuming they like to buy NFTs.

And lastly, this is not the only effort out there for athletes to issue NFTs. Pete Rose and Ken Griffey, Jr. were recently in the news along with other past Major League Baseball players. We have even seen an international cricket NFT platform get launched, and Topps and the NBA and the NFL have also made their stakes for NFT platforms with varying offerings.