• Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
  • Hot on Ebay
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Nolan Ryan Cards
      • T206 Cards
      • 1952 Topps Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Stephen Curry Cards
    • Most Watched Football Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Soccer Cards
      • Panini World Cup Stickers
    • Rookie Cards
    • PSA 10 Cards
    • Sports Autographs
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia
  • Search 268X60

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

Top Mobile

Memory Lane Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Sports Memorabilia News
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
    • What’s Hot in the Shop
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Sports Card News / Modern Sports Card News / Talking Ichiro Cards and 3000 Hits with ‘Super Collector’ Tony Yi

Top Banner 486X60

Mile High Card Co.

Talking Ichiro Cards and 3000 Hits with ‘Super Collector’ Tony Yi

August 7, 2016 By Chris Levy

(This article originally appeared in December 2015)

Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Tris Speaker – iconic names of baseball’s deadball era whose clutch hitting and aggressive speed made triples more common than home runs. This style of play had been abandoned by the dawn of the 21st century – replaced with power hitting and exciting home runs that had packed ballparks for 75 years. Fans of these players could only read ancient Ichiro 2016 Topps Chasing 3000 autonewspaper articles and view grainy, silent film clips and imagine a bygone era and a forgotten approach to the game. That was until the arrival of one man – Ichiro Suzuki – a much-heralded veteran of the Japanese Professional League who in 2001 became a big name in America by playing as if it were 1901.  For collectors of Ichiro baseball cards, 2016 looms as an anxiously anticipated season.

Despite his late arrIchiro card collector Tony Yiival, Ichiro’s baseball card legacy over the past 15 years is a strong one and he’s popular with collectors in both the U.S. and Asia.

Tony Yi, an Ichiro “super collector” who lives in the Seattle area, has been hoping his favorite player’s career would last long enough for him to become the first Japanese player to reach 3,000 hits.

“I have been excited for this moment for him for a while now,” he told Sports Collectors Daily.  “The amount of attention that he Ichiro Collection Tony Yiwill get as he gets closer and closer will be amazing and well deserved. The amount of joy I will have when he hits that milestone will be immeasurable. I haven’t been more excited for a MLB season to start for that reason alone.”

In his first season in the league Ichiro captured both the American League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, and led the league with 242 hits, 56 stolen bases, and a .350 batting average. For the next nine seasons he would eclipse 200 hits and bat over .300 – including a league leading .372 in 2004 that accompanied 262 hits, which remains the single season record.  From the moment his first rookie cards hit the market in 2001, Ichiro has been building a legion of followers.

2001 Bowman Chrome refractors Ichiro“I’ve been a huge Mariners fan since I was a kid,” Yi explained.  “So when I heard about an Asian position player – him being the first in MLB – I was fascinated and rooting for him. He had lot of detractors saying he couldn’t cut it being a small undersized player. He proved them all wrong. His humble attitude and respect for the game is something I greatly admired as well,” Yi stated, explaining the origins of his passion for all things Ichiro. “I began collecting seriously around 2011. The first Ichiro cards I remember getting were his 2001 Topps Traded rookie card – the base and the chrome version.”

Ultimate Collection Ichiro autoAccording to Yi, Ichiro’s ‘holy grail’ – or most desired card – is his 2001 UD Ultimate Collection rookie card autograph – his first MLB auto and a card which he recently added to Ichiro auto patch relic 2001 SPhis collection. Another significant early card is his 2001 UD SPX patch autograph rookie card. 2001 Bowman Chrome has a number of expensive cards including a rare and difficult to find Xfractor and the Gold parallel, which is his most valuable non-autographed card – all three of these cards are available with a back in both English and Japanese.

Other noteworthy cards Yi suggests are his Leaf Immortals set – which is dedicated entirely to Ichiro – and some of his booklet autographs that have paired him with the likes of 2015 Topps Dynasty Ichiro auto relicBabe Ruth and Willie Mays. Yi counts his 2001 UD Ultimate Collection relic and autographed relic cards as some of the hardest Ichiro cards to find. Other mass-produced cards he feels are difficult are his 2012 Topps Chrome super short print variation, his 2001 Topps Chrome retrofactor, and his 2001 Topps rookie card gold parallel – despite being numbered to 2001.

After an absence in 2013 and ’14 due to a lack of a licensing deal, Yi and other collectors were excited to see him back on Topps cards with MLB logos in 2015. For collectors on a budget, Yi suggests adding a 2015 Topps Update Chrome or color pIchiro on deck circle variation 2015 Topps baseball cardarallel, which he described as ‘great looking cards’. He further described Ichiro’s 2015 Topps Update with the variation that featured the photo of him in the on deck circle as one of Ichiro’s “coolest” cards.

Yi sees a potential increase for Ichiro’s 2001 Topps Chrome rookie card, and notes that newer autographs tend to decrease as new products become available. Currently he feels there is value in 2015 Topps Five Star Ichiro autographs, as collectors impulsively rush to the newer Dynasty and Strata. His favorite budget card is 2012 Topps Chrome.

Ichiro autograph 2015 Topps SupremeThe business of Ichiro will surely increase as the 2016 season unfolds.  Assuming he finds somewhat regular playing time, Ichiro should get the 65 hits he needs to reach 3,000 by late summer.

“Ichiro has a huge Japanese and Asian market,” Yi stated.  “When looking for and making deals for high-end cards I’m always competing against crazed fans in Japan. Sometimes I win and sometimes I lose. He is popular in the states but over there he is an absolute mega star, which is great for the hobby and interest in Ichiro cards and their values.”

You can follow Tony Yi on Twitter @TheIchiroVault.

Check out the current most watched Ichiro cards on eBay below.

2001 Topps Chrome Traded Retrofractor Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC PSA 10 GEM (PWCC) 2001 Topps Chrome Traded Retrofractor Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC PSA 10 GEM (PWCC)
36 bids - Price: $510.00 - Watchers: 68
Item #401704476593
2001 SP Authentic Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC /1250 #91 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC) 2001 SP Authentic Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC /1250 #91 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC)
17 bids - Price: $566.56 - Watchers: 65
Item #401704476030
2001 Topps Gold Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC /2001 #726 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC) 2001 Topps Gold Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC /2001 #726 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC)
18 bids - Price: $355.51 - Watchers: 50
Item #352590297814
2018 Topps Tier One Booklet Ichiro Suzuki & Ken Griffey Jr. Dual PATCH AUTO 4/4 2018 Topps Tier One Booklet Ichiro Suzuki & Ken Griffey Jr. Dual PATCH AUTO 4/4
35 bids - Price: $396.00 - Watchers: 49
Item #132946661971
2001 Topps Chrome Traded Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #T266 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC) 2001 Topps Chrome Traded Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #T266 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC)
15 bids - Price: $114.30 - Watchers: 45
Item #143124664549
2001 Topps Chrome Traded Albert Pujols & Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC PSA 10 (PWCC) 2001 Topps Chrome Traded Albert Pujols & Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC PSA 10 (PWCC)
14 bids - Price: $137.50 - Watchers: 43
Item #143124664544
2001 Bowman Chrome Factory Sealed Box, 24ct Packs, Ichiro Pujols ROOKIE? (PWCC) 2001 Bowman Chrome Factory Sealed Box, 24ct Packs, Ichiro Pujols ROOKIE? (PWCC)
16 bids - Price: $151.00 - Watchers: 43
Item #352590297243
2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Refractor PSA 9 MINT ! 2001 Bowman Chrome Ichiro Suzuki Rookie Refractor PSA 9 MINT !
12 bids - Price: $200.00 - Watchers: 40
Item #392237723971
2018 Topps Dynasty Ichiro Seattle Mariners 3-Color Patch AUTO 7/10 2018 Topps Dynasty Ichiro Seattle Mariners 3-Color Patch AUTO 7/10
13 bids - Price: $183.50 - Watchers: 32
Item #382789377964
2017 Topps Archives Encased Ichiro Auto True 1/1 Topps Sealed Seattle 2017 Topps Archives Encased Ichiro Auto True 1/1 Topps Sealed Seattle
17 bids - Price: $177.50 - Watchers: 29
Item #143122259206
Lot(15) 2018 Baseball w/ Maddux Goldschmidt Ichiro Braun PATCH AUTO RC (PWCC) Lot(15) 2018 Baseball w/ Maddux Goldschmidt Ichiro Braun PATCH AUTO RC (PWCC)
11 bids - Price: $83.88 - Watchers: 29
Item #401704510448
2018 National Treasures Game Gear Ichiro Suzuki PATCH 1/1 #GG-1 (PWCC) 2018 National Treasures Game Gear Ichiro Suzuki PATCH 1/1 #GG-1 (PWCC)
19 bids - Price: $30.80 - Watchers: 25
Item #143124734795
1999 Bowmans Best Ken Griffey Jr Refractor /400 PSA 10 GEM, 2001 SP Auth Ichiro 1999 Bowmans Best Ken Griffey Jr Refractor /400 PSA 10 GEM, 2001 SP Auth Ichiro
6 bids - Price: $113.61 - Watchers: 25
Item #233136131891
1993 BBM Blue Wave Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #239 PSA 9 MINT (PWCC) 1993 BBM Blue Wave Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #239 PSA 9 MINT (PWCC)
14 bids - Price: $122.50 - Watchers: 25
Item #401703929602
1993 Tomy I.D. Blue Wave Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #102 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC) 1993 Tomy I.D. Blue Wave Ichiro Suzuki ROOKIE RC #102 PSA 10 GEM MINT (PWCC)
15 bids - Price: $219.06 - Watchers: 24
Item #401703930356

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Digg

Related Stories:

2016 Topps Tribute to the Kid Ken Griffey Jr.2016 Topps Series 2 Baseball Checklist and Info 2016 Topps Update Baseball Preview Ichiro autographed rookie cardIchiro’s a Yank: Rookie Cards Perk Up Heritage High Numbers 2012 boxed set2012 Topps Heritage High Number Set Limited to 1,000 Sets Ichiro Immortals Leaf boxNew Leaf Issue Isolates on Ichiro Bernie Williams Topps TekThe Ten 1990’s Baseball Issues that Killed the Player Collector Completist Wade Boggs Collector: 20 Years and Counting A Rich Trove of Ichiro Cards Exists In Japanese Sets Jose Canseco Collector Tanner JonesWhat I Collect: Tanner Jones – Jose Canseco Supercollector

Bottom Mobile

Bottom Banner 336X280

Filed Under: Modern Sports Card News, Popular Stories Tagged With: Ichiro, player collectors

Left #1 200X50

What\\\

Left #2 200X150

Left #3 200X150

Right #1 160X240

Memory Lane

Right #2 160X240

Left #4 160X600

Right #3 160X600

  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

Right #4 – 160X240

Bargain Corner

  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $100
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards Currently Under $5
  • Pre-1980 Graded Football Cards Currently Under $5
  • Pre-1980 Graded Basketball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1980 Graded Hockey Cards $5 and Less
  • Complete Sets Under $10 with Free Shipping
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30
  • Rookie Cards Under $1

RSS Auction Report

  • Iconic Auctions February 23, 2019 Autographs & Memorabilia Auction In Progress
  • Bid Now On The Current Weekly Sunday Auction by EvansArchive on eBay
  • Landmark Mystery Fiction Collection of Otto Penzler Offered by Heritage Auctions in March 6 Rare Books Auction
  • Clemente’s 1972 All-Star Ring, His Final Baseball Award, To Be Sold in Mile High Card Company March Auction


Categories

  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Library of College Football
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Old Hockey Card Sets
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Shopping
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia
    • Around the Hobby
    • Sports Memorabilia News
  • What's Hot in the Shop

Sponsor Links

  • Buying Vintage Sports Cards
  • Game Used Jerseys
  • Every Athlete Autograph Event
  • 1952 Topps Baseball
  • Championship Rings For Sale
  • Vintage Basketball Cards
  • NBA Signed Items
  • Signed Sports Memorabilia
  • UFC Memorabilia
  • Autographed Baseballs
  • NASCAR Autographs
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cards
  • Player Pictures
  • Vintage Football Cards
  • Sports Card Boxes
  • Sports Collectors Store

Left #5 200X50

Sports Card Forum

Pages

  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 20 Hottest Barry Sanders Football Cards
  • 2016 Cubs Replica Championship Rings Don’t Cost a Fortune
  • 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Box Breaks, Most Watched
  • 50 Hottest Kareem Hunt Rookie Cards
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • About Us/Contact/Advertise
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Affordable Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Best Derek Jeter Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Best Display Cabinets for Sports Memorabilia
  • Best Joey Votto Rookie Cards
  • Current Most Watched Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Eagles Super Bowl Champions Memorabilia Guide
  • Fanatics Under Wraps 2017 Next Level Edition Autographed Baseballs
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Great Gifts for Cubs Fans
  • Guide to 2018-19 Clemson Tigers National Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Houston Astros Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Memorabilia
  • Hank Aaron Cards on eBay
  • Henrik Lundqvist Rookie Cards a Strong Long-Term Play
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Hottest Lonzo Ball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini World Cup Stickers on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Topps NOW Cards on eBay
  • Hottest UFC Relic Cards
  • Hottest Xander Bogaerts Rookie Cards
  • LeBron James Lakers Jerseys Already Available
  • Links
  • Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
    • Hottest Michael Jordan Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Patriots Super Bowl 51 Champions Merchandise
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test
  • The 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Auto Saga: A Timeline
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top Selling Patriots Super Bowl Championship Items
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
  • What’s Hot on eBay
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Write About Your Sports Collection

Copyright © 2019 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Genesis Web Design by Wickam Group