Cheeeeeeap auto

At my most recent card show visit I found one vendor who had a box of autos and relics for a whopping $1.25 a piece. As you might expect most of the cards in the box were from non-star players, one hit wonders, and sets from Panini that focus on amateur players. But about halfway through the box I encountered this gem.

2012 Topps Tier One

Ricky Romero On the Rise Autograph 55/75

Romero was showing quite a lot of promise as recently as 2011 when he was an American League All-Star. Last season things went south for him in the second half and this year was even worse with him spending most of the season in the minors. I doubt Romero will be back in a Blue Jays uniform next year but some team will likely give him a shot at a roster spot. 

So despite Romero's recent disastrous performance it was still an on-card auto, and a nice looking sig at that, from a high end Topps product. For $1.25 I had to jump on that. I even asked the guy selling it if it was really priced that low and he said he had considered putting it in a $3 box but decided not to. Worked out in my advantage I think.