Rickey Henderson’s 1980 rookie card is a thing of beauty, no doubt. Displaying Henderson trademark crouched batting stance, it’d be a nice card even if it wasn’t extremely valuable. High-grade versions of the future Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletic great’s 1980 Topps card cost way more than you’ll pay for a typical complete set. Rickey’s rookie is the first card you … [Read more...]
Unwrapping Barry Bonds Rookie Card Populations as Action Picks Up
Like the man himself they've been a pariah. Born in an era of cardboard excess, most Barry Bonds rookie cards have never been worth much. Every card show and hobby shop always had at least a few, maybe a dozen, maybe hundreds, stuck in a box. Your run of the mill Bonds rookie card still isn't worth much; gaudy statistics don't matter when you're talking … [Read more...]
ESPN on The Mystery of Mattingly’s 1987 Topps Birth Date
Look at the back of Don Mattingly’s baseball cards and you’ll see his birthdate listed as 4/20/61. Well, on every baseball card except his 1987 Topps #500, that is. Collectors who opened packs that year even saw a line in Mattingly’s bio stating that Mattingly’s birth certificate actually indicated his birthday was in 1962, not ’61. The following year and … [Read more...]
Greg Maddux Rookie Card Roundup as Hall of Famer Turns 54
He was so great he doesn't really deserve to have his cardboard debut on the fringes of the junk wax era but the upside is that collectors can own high-end copies of Greg Maddux rookie cards without much of an investment. Heralded as one of the best pitchers of any generation, Greg Maddux rookie cards remain incredibly affordable due to large production … [Read more...]
Popularity of Cal Ripken Rookie Cards Not Just About The Streak
Cal Ripken, Jr. is and always will be "The Iron Man" of Major League Baseball, but Ripken was much more than just his remarkable streak. He was one of the most consistent players of his generation-if not, the most consistent. He didn't just show up. He produced. Not only could you count on him to get 600 at bats per year, he'd also add power, run production, and stellar defense … [Read more...]
Sweet Swings and Gold Gloves: Don Mattingly Rookie Cards Still Popular with Collectors
You've got to be a ballplayer's ballplayer to actually have the word "baseball" attached to your nickname. When it comes to the phrase "born to play the game," it's hard to beat "Donnie Baseball." Despite never having competed in a World Series or being in the Hall of Fame, he's extraordinarily popular. A brilliant bright spot during a time in which the New … [Read more...]
Big League Chew’s Flavorful History Includes Baseball Cards
So I just happened to find a bag of Big League Chew today. On clearance for 95 cents, I just couldn't pass it up. It's been a while since I've tasted the gum I loved as a childhood favorite. I fully plan to split it with my eight-year-old and see who can blow the biggest Major League bubble. Big League Chew was always much better than the gum you picked up out of a … [Read more...]
1987-1991 Topps Glossy Rookie Sets Required 100-Card Cello Pack Purchase
At the height of the late 1980s and early 90s sports card boom, Topps expanded its packaging options. While you could still go into a drug store, super market, convenience store or gas station and buy a single wax pack for 40 to 50 cents and maybe a cello pack for a little more, other outlets offered bigger options. At K-Mart in 1989 and '90, there were blister packs that … [Read more...]
1985 Topps Team USA Cards Paved the Way for Future Olympic Issues
Throughout the years, Topps has established some of the most important innovations in baseball card history. One of their more unique ideas was to begin creating baseball cards for members of Team USA's baseball team. That move came in 1985, the year after the 1984 Olympics team took the field. Team USA was the host nation as the Olympics were held in Los Angeles that year. … [Read more...]
Revisiting the 1989 Topps #1 Draft Pick Cards
Topps tried something a little different in 1989 when they created cards for some No. 1 picks from the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft. It was something other sets (like Classic) would pick up on a little later in the 1990s. Today, we're used to seeing all kinds of "prospect cards" of players that are created within months of the draft. But it was a different idea at … [Read more...]