Sean Cook says "Buy Yao Now"

Ladies and gentlemen, I do not think I need to present much of a case about why you should invest your hard earned dollars in Yao Ming. I think that if you look at the returns posted within the first two weeks of his IPO (92.5% return) you too will be convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that Yao time equals buy now time. Yao is the most heralded rookie in quite some time and he has not let anyone down, nor has he even begun to perform near the level he is capable of.

While in China he was dubbed the Chinese Shaq because of his ability to dominate defenses and score at will in the Chinese leagues. He was drafted by the Rockets to take them to the championship and he is well on his way. At 7'5" and almost 300 pounds he is the ultimate package. Just look at this year - he received the most votes for the All-Star game. This is a rookie from China and he is more popular than the King of Dunk himself, Mr. Shaq? How can that be so? The Ming dynasty is upon us my friends.

Yao is currently among the league leaders in 7 different statistical categories. Yao-za! Two of these are offensive categories including ranking 3rd in the entire NBA in field goal percentage with 52 percent. Now do you really need me to go on and tell you how dominant he is on defense… alright I will. He is in the top 15 of five defensive categories for the entire NBA. These include total blocks, blocks per game, total rebounds and rebounds per game. Need I remind you this is a rookie posting these numbers?

For $9.50 you could have gotten a ticket to see a movie or you could have gotten yourself one of the 6,000 Yao Ming eTopps rookie cards. You say you missed out and are afraid to fork over $20 on a Yao now? How long can he be dominant? Can he duplicate this year next year? Will his experience in the Chinese leagues hinder him? Can he take the hard knocks of the NBA season after season? Yao will be dominant until he decides to step down and relinquish the throne. So what if his card is $20 right now. Think what it will be at the end of the season after he wins the Rookie of the Year award. Think of what it will be next year when he doubles what he did this year. You can sit on the side and bellyache all day long about how he has not proven himself. I will take the Yao and invest it for the future. Seize the day. Vote to buy Yao now!

Sean Perri says "It Don't Mean a Thing, If Ya Got That Ming"

Yo - Yao... Yo - Yao... Yo - Yao... the Visa commercial drones on. Well, there are much better places to put that Visa card to work than for Yao Ming's eTopps card.

Like many over-hyped cards that burst onto the eTopps scene, Yao Ming has seen his card drop from highs over $40 to around $20 (I am sure he is very upset). For a seasoned eTopps investor or even a collector, this was a great opportunity to trade immediately and get great value for a card that was destined to fall like the Islanders in the early eighties.

At 7'5", Ming makes Shaquille look small… no easy feat. However, it could be Ming's great size that eventually leads to his great demise. How often do you see guys that big endure many seasons in the NBA while playing at a high level? You don't. Already, Ming has to be rested much of the game as he is averaging only 26.7 minutes per game. One of his greatest assets could be what stops him from being the dominant player that he has the potential to be.

So Yao has settled in the $20 range now. If you ask me, I see him dropping to around $10 - $12 after the basketball season. You may want to buy or trade for him at that point. Right now, the hype is still exuding, as Ming will start in the All-Star game over Shaq, who has outperformed Yao in just about every statistical category.

At a print run of 6,000, Ming is no bargain at $20. Spend that money on a steak dinner or buy your kid a new toy or… ANYTHING ELSE! Ming will one day be best known for his marketability rather than his basketball playing prowess. I am betting that this happens sooner rather than later.