Card Year Value Regarding A Player's Great Year - Print Year or Year After?
vintage535663
Posts: 14 ✭
Had an interesting discussion today with a 50+ year vintage baseball card collector/dealer about card values, specifically regarding a player's great year, i.e. MVP, Triple Crown, etc., or when the player was instrumental in an historic event, i.e. Bobby Thompson, Bill Mazeroski, etc...which card year is associated with the player's great year...the publishing/copyright year or the year after that reflects the previous year stats? For example, assuming condition is the same, which card gets a value bump for Mantle' Triple Crown in 1956...the Topps 56 or Topps 57? Or, which card is considered Maris' 61 homers year...61 Topps or 62 Topps? It seems a worthwhile topic because some people, like myself, oftentimes make card purchases in part based on "The Year". Appreciate your perspective.
Comments
I believe we've had this discussion before, and opinions were split, with nothing close to a consensus.
Thanks for the feedback. I'm new to the forum.
Welcome!
This card is an example of what you're asking about, I think;
Sure, your HR Leaders card is an example but the base 62 Topps Maris card is a better example. My question is pretty basic and it seems countdouglas already put a bow on this topic, which I appreciate. To provide a couple other random examples for clarification, assuming the card conditions are the same...Nellie Fox won the AL MVP in 1959. Up to now, I would rather have a 60 Topps Nellie than a 59 Topps. I may be in the minority and am open to change...that's why I did the post. Thanks.
I always thought the 1980 Brett when he chased .400 carried a small bump and there wasn't as much interest in his 1981.
I can see why this is a divided topic. For me, I would rather have the card from the same year the milestone was achieved. Sure, the following year will have the corresponding stats, but it is one year after the fact. The only “milestone” cards in my collection are 1986 Topps Tiffany Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden cards (I really only collect rookie cards). The first MLB team I cheered for was the 1986 World Series Mets. They were young, brash, cocky and insanely talented. To me, I prefer their 1986 Topps cards because I instantly associate 1986 with the World Series championship and I immediately know the 1986 Topps design. Having the 1987 Topps cards feels like the next season to me.
Definitely the year of. Topps set that precedent in 1975 by showing the MVPs in the year of. For my generation the ‘82 K-Mart set did that. Memorized all the MVPs through that set. Was probably the only person hoping for an ‘83 K-Mart that did the Cy Young winners.
I am working on a ‘61 HOF Set including Maris because ‘61 without Maris seems crazy.
Working on the ‘68 HOF set including McLain - how can you not have the MVP and Cy Young winner?
I think if you look at prices the MVP year sells at a slight premium while the year after does not.
Like the leader cards too. Not a big Maris fan but have both the ‘61 card and the ‘62 leaders. For Aaron consider the ‘74 card special but also have a 75 Record Breaker.
Add me to the year the event happened. I would want a '61 Maris.
It should be noted that the consensus may change depending on what era we're talking about. As baseball cards became more and more popular, manufacturers looked for more and more ways to milk that dollar out of the consumer. So, for instance, when it comes to McGwire's 70 home run season, I'd rather collect those individually numbered home run cards that came out in '99 Topps.
So perhaps it's a case-by-case basis.
Arthur
What!? You're the first I've heard of not being a big Maris fan. Amazing accomplishment given the pressure to not beat Babe's record. Check out the movie 61....the little Kmart and Circle K sets were pretty cool.
Nothing against Maris - enjoyed the movie *61 and he seems like a good guy and had an immortal accomplishment - my reason for wanting to include him in ‘’61. My collecting focus is on HOFers - so him not being in the HOF he is off my radar. He has 3 cards in the ‘61 set - still need the MVP - and definitely want to have him in there. Should have said “I am not a Maris collector” - fan was a poor choice of words. Nice ‘61 Maris and rookie.