How is the Pro Football Hall of Fame Rookie Players Set List determined? Choices seem arbitrary.

jwolfe890

I've been looking through the PSA Pro Football Hall of Fame Rookie Players Set List and am wondering how some of the designated "rookie" cards have been determined.

For example, in 1990 the set claims that Junior Seau's RC is the 1990 Action Packed card. However, it also claims that Emmitt Smith's RC that year is the Score Supplemental. Both players are in both sets, which common sense would seem to dictate that the same set would be chosen for the RC.

Are the options for RC just randomly chosen from among the players cards of their first year or is there more substantial criteria that is being used to create this list?

jay0791

Most cards were put to a vote by the people doing the specific set.
Some choices were nominated by a pre vote

jwolfe890

So it's basically a list of rookie cards that people putting the PSA set together came up with out of personal preference?

i feel like there should be a list that's a little more discerning and criteria based, but i guess when there's multiple rookies in the same year for the same player, personal taste is the only factor that can be used.

Rocketman12

Originally the card chosen was supposed to be the player's highest priced rookie card in PSA 10 condition, provided that it was listed as an "official" RC in the Beckett Rookie Card Encyclopedia, was not serial numbered to fewer than 999 copies, was not a memorabilia card, and was not an autograph card.

In your specific example Seau's Score Supplemental card was not eligible to be chosen because, unlike Emmitt, he has a card in the regular Score set which Beckett designated as his "official" RC. Since the Action Packed Update RC sold (and still sells) for more than the Score #302 RC, it was the correct choice.

jay0791

I believe in vintage cards value is determined in PSA 8.
RC cannot be dual graded, die cuts, or any variation (such as refractor) if it has a regular base card.
There are a few exceptions such as 2001 Tomlinson where the base card in set is the refractor.
PSA has the final say.

Going back...the original card for Seau was the Score Supplemental. Soon afterwards PSA reversed itself and made it the AP.

BillsGridironGreats

Just going through this with registry on promising current players. In the future if someone has requested a card for a key player set and the people in the set determine it to be optic instead of prizm or any other, then the optic card would be the card added to HOF RC Registry. Key player sets include all the sets under the Key Card Sets tab.