Angel Berroa (3,000 @ $6.50)

A prospect with potential starts us off for this week's IPO's. Berroa won the starting shortstop job in Kansas City and is keeping it for good. With great speed and a decent bat, Berroa has the potential to be one of the great shortstops in the league. He's cutting a lot of his PB targets very close and this is his 1st eTopps card. I suggest only Kansas City fans (the few of them that are out there -- you know who you are) and holders for the long run should pick this card up. With a $6.50 price tag and no star future guaranteed, you're better off picking him up on eBay than shelling out $6.50 for him. I say DON'T BUY THIS CARD.

Chipper Jones (2,000 @ $6.50)

Let me start out by saying I like this card. With a PR of only 2,000 and a $6.50 price tag, you can't really go wrong here. Chipper's 2001 card has a PR of 674 and is selling for around $50 while his 2002 card has a PR of 4,734 and is selling for $3 - $4. His 2003 card will fit nicely between the two PR's and lean more towards his 2001 PR. However, if you're buying this card for PB, it's far from a lock as he is lacking in a few killer categories (OBP of .388 vs. a PB target of .404 and on pace for two stolen bases instead of four). Chipper plays for one of the hottest and most popular teams in baseball; the fan base will be there. I expect to see this card sell out (or come close to it) and sell above IPO on the secondary market. Since the 2001 has such a low PR and the 2002 has a high one, I expect this card to be the one most collectors will seek ($50 is a lot to shell out for one card). BUY THIS CARD.

Curt Schilling (2,000 @ $6.50)

This will be the shortest print of Curt Schilling. It's a fact. His 2001 card sold 2,125 and is selling for about $11. His 2002 card sold 5,190 and is selling for $3 - $4 (just like Chipper's). His 2003 will have a maximum of only 2,000 cards produced. That said, if print run means everything to you, go ahead and buy this card. If you like Curt Schilling, go ahead and buy this card. If you're like me and couldn't care less, it's up to you. Many of Schilling's PB categories are going to be close calls, mainly because of his recent injury to his hand. He got beat up by the San Francisco Giants when he came back from the injury so his next start will be a crucial indicator of the condition he's in. I think the card will go above IPO and stay there, due to the sole fact that this will be his lowest print card. If you like money (which most people do), BUY THIS CARD.

Jerome Williams (3,000 @ $6.50)

Jerome is starting to put his name on the "map", not only in regards to the local fans but on the "big map" of the whole baseball country. People are starting to pick him up in fantasy leagues and he's beginning to be recognized as one of the better pitchers in the game. He's also a true rookie. He could go the way of his fellow "star" pitcher Jesse Foppert (who will start Wednesday, July 16th, for the Class A California League San Jose Giants) and tank, but I doubt it. Still, he's basically an unproven rookie who is having a great initial run. Only fans and long-term holders should buy this card. Everybody else, DON'T BUY THIS CARD. I expect it to hover around IPO and not be a Dontrelle-style quick flip.

Joe Borchard (3,000 @ $4.00)

A Sox project who is still a couple years away from hitting it big, Borchard could be a future All-Star in the making. When he's healthy, he's one of the most feared bats in the minors. Considering he was a Stanford QB, has ties to the Bay area, and was drafted in the 1st round (2000), I think he'll do well. Alright, so that may not be the best way to judge a player, but he's got massive power and is a switch-hitter. For only $4, you too could own a future All-Star caliber player. I say BUY THIS CARD.

Sammy Sosa (3,500 @ $9.50)

This is the 3rd card of one of the best sluggers in the game. His 2001 card sold 2,487 and is selling for around $23 while his 2002 card has a PR of 8,000 (at a $9.50 price tag mind you... wow!) and is currently selling for $6 - $7. This card will fit between the two somewhere, but I don't see it underselling the 2001 card. To make matters worse for this card, it is a $9.50 card (which is hard for a lot of collectors to digest). I don't think this card will sell out. I say DON'T BUY THIS CARD. Flip day will be a great time to get this one.