Where It All Started
So, I got this itch lately, right? Noticed Derek Carr cards were going up again. Decided I wanted to hunt down some rare and signed ones myself. Figured I’d document this mess as I go. Let me tell you, it ain’t always easy finding decent cards for players who bounce around teams like Carr.
Hitting the Ground Running
First stop? Local card shops. Don’t laugh. Thought maybe, just maybe, someone had old Raiders stuff sitting around collecting dust. Drove to three different spots near me. Total bust, man. Mostly current shiny rookies nobody asked for, some Mahomes stuff priced like gold bars, and zero decent Carr. Felt like a waste of gas. One dude basically shrugged and said “Good luck, he hasn’t been here long enough.” Ugh.
Next, figured I’d try my luck at a card show. Scoured online for one happening nearby next weekend. Packed my bag, brought some trade bait, got there early… walked the floor for three hours. Saw a ton of vintage, saw insane modern hype cards. Found ONE guy with a small stack of Carr base cards and a couple not-so-great inserts. Nothing signed. Nothing truly rare. Left feeling kinda deflated. Got a pretzel though.
The Online Dive
Okay, fine. Time to get serious. Everybody keeps screaming “eBay!” Yeah, no kidding. But it’s a jungle out there. Here’s how I tackled it:
- Searched aggressively: Didn’t just type “Derek Carr card.” Dug deep. Searched variations like “Derek Carr auto,” “Derek Carr raiders auto,” “Derek Carr saints auto,” “Derek Carr rookie relic,” “Derek Carr patch auto.” Cast a wide net.
- Filtered hardcore: Immediately filtered to “Buy It Now” and “Accepting Offers.” Then cranked the filter to show only “Memorabilia Cards” and “Autographs.” Saved that search, told it to email me new stuff daily. Lifesaver.
- Checked seller feedback like a hawk: Saw an absolute banger – sick patch piece, clean on-card auto, low numbered /10. Price seemed almost too fair. Checked the seller: 98.7% positive with tons of sales. Took a breath and pulled the trigger. Got it authenticated after arrival too, peace of mind.
Beyond the Bay
eBay isn’t the only player. Also spent time crawling through:
- Sportscard forums: Specifically looked for sale/trade sections. Less noise than Facebook groups, easier to search. Found a couple of solid Carr inserts from his early Raiders days via a trade I proposed.
- Large online sports retailers: Just browsed inventory, saw if anything unique popped up in their singles section. Not much Carr-specific rares beyond what eBay had.
The “Gotcha” Moment & Lesson Learned
After weeks of looking, got super lucky on eBay late one night. Someone listed a real clean-looking Carr auto relic card from his Raiders Rookie year. Listed as an auction starting stupidly low. Put in my max bid with like 2 seconds left, heart pounding… and won! Won it for less than half what I’d seen similar ones sell for. Felt like hitting the lottery.
Biggest takeaway? Patience and persistence are everything. Be super specific in searches, save those searches everywhere, and jump FAST when you see something legit you like. And for Carr specifically? Don’t sleep on those rookie cards just ’cause he changed teams later. That’s where some of the coolest stuff is.
