What are the all-time "Big 5" Baseball Cards?

67standup

Besides the Wagner, name the five all-time most significant BASEBALL cards in the hobby. "Significant" is usually defined as a combination of rarity, value, popularity and folklore. I think selecting the top five is more difficult than choosing the top ten.


Mine

1. 1933 Goudey Lajoie - folklore, rarity, value, extremely popular set that is feasible for most to complete
2. T206 Plank - rarity, popularity, ROI, the #2 most valuable card, however, not too many go after the set
3. 1915 Sporting News Ruth - rookie card, but not very desirable set, late bloomer in recent years
4. 1952 Topps Mantle - not rare, but will usually draw more bids than above
5. T206 Cobb w/Cobb Back - true scarcity, but usually only within T206 circles

The list of close contenders is probably two fold.

Griffins

I'd drop the Ruth and Mantle and substitute any of the 3 below-
E90-1 Mitchell
'32 US Caramels Lindstrom
T206 Doyle Nat'l
The Ruth can be found, the Mantles are available but expensive. These three just don't come up very often.

Non Baseball
'48 Leaf Graziano
'32 US Caramels McKinley

67standup

Nice ones! The Doyle teetered at #6 for me. There are many more that are more difficult, but they lack in headline appeal, e.g., 1893(?) Just So Tobacco, 1961 Topps Dice Game and 1966 Topps Punchout.

Southsider

I'd find room for an Old Judge N172 Anson.

Griffins

southsider is right, the OJ Anson in uniform is pretty tough. 2 maybe? Marc S. should weigh in between classes, he'll have the numbers.
There are lots of rare cards, Allegheny's, Lone Jacks, all kinds of 19th century cdv's, Tango Eggs ( most of them except Bescher and Jennings). But sometimes a card is so rare no one collects it.

koby

1952 Topps Mantle
1915 Sporting News Ruth
1954 Topps Aaron
1915 Cracker Jack Jackson
1933 Goudey Lajoie


I like some of your picks too but could not find many of them in Joe Orlando's 200 Sportscards book.

thejam

... and for rareity, i guess one should include kalamazoo bats

goodriddance189

89 Griffey
52 Mantle
33 Lajoie
cracker jack Shoeless Joe
t206 Plank

joedel

If this list is "most significant" as originally stated by 67 standup, the 1952 Topps Mantle HAS to be included. It is the benchmark for the entire hobby, transcending over the line to the general public. Although it is one of my favorite cards, the 1932 Caramel Lindstrom is just TOO RARE for it to be significant -- if that can be possible. Not many people other than the multi-decade hobbyists even know the history of that card.

If scarcity is the main factor (besides the obviously impossible 19th century material), then the 1933 George C. Miller Ivy Andrews would also fit the bill. It was basically given the same status as the Lindstrom. Both cards were issued in extremely rare quantities, thus allowing cheap candy companies from the premiums associated with a promotion. Those examples that eventually did get redeemed were mostly destroyed immediately to avoid another redemption.

Most significant

1952 Topps Mantle
T206 Wagner
1933 Goudey Lajoie
T206 Plank
Any 1933 Goudey Ruth

With scacrity thrown into the mix

1932 US Caramel Lindstrom
1933 Geo. Miller Andrews
T206 Cobb with Cobb back
T206 Doyle

and of course the Wagner.

joedel

If this list is "most significant" as originally stated by 67 standup, the 1952 Topps Mantle HAS to be included. It is the benchmark for the entire hobby, transcending over the line to the general public. Although it is one of my favorite cards, the 1932 Caramel Lindstrom is just TOO RARE for it to be significant -- if that can be possible. Not many people other than the multi-decade hobbyists even know the history of that card.

If scarcity is the main factor (besides the obviously impossible 19th century material), then the 1933 George C. Miller Ivy Andrews would also fit the bill. It was basically given the same status as the Lindstrom. Both cards were issued in extremely rare quantities, thus allowing cheap candy companies from the premiums associated with a promotion. Those examples that eventually did get redeemed were mostly destroyed immediately to avoid another redemption.

Most significant

1952 Topps Mantle
T206 Wagner
1933 Goudey Lajoie
T206 Plank
Any 1933 Goudey Ruth

With scacrity thrown into the mix

1932 US Caramel Lindstrom
1933 Geo. Miller Andrews
T206 Cobb with Cobb back
T206 Doyle
T205 Hoblitzel
Any Darby Chocolates

and of course the Wagner.

Griffins

Joe-
Do you have a guess on the pop of the Andrews? not graded, everything? And % cancelled vs. uncancelled?
It seems rarer than most of the cards listed above, including Doyle but excluding Lindstrom. I recall seeing 1 or 2 in the stack of Mastro catalogs I've got going back about 10 years.

MorrellMan

<< <i>"Significant" is usually defined as a combination of rarity, value, popularity and folklore. >>



Considering the popularity and folklore aspect of this question, it's tough to ignore the '63 Rose rookie - the buzz over that card in the '80s (not to mention the incredibly high "book" value at a time when most '63 stars were at about 5 bucks a piece) drew in a lot of new collectors who are, probably by now, old time hobbyists....significant card IMO

Scumbi

If "significant" is the key word, I would go with the cards etched in my mind that represent the hobby:

Aside From Wagner

1) 1952 Topps Mantle - Most recognizable card of most revered player from most revered set
2) 1933 Goudey #53 Ruth - The icon for Pre-War gum cards
3) 1953 Bowman PeeWee Reese - Mating of art with baseball
4) 1933 Goudey Lajoie - The pivotal card of the 1st or 2nd most important set and the beginning of scarcity due to manufacturer promotion
5) 1986 Topps Bonds Rookie - Sure there's a gazillion of them. But one hundred years from now, this will be the rookie issue of the greatest hitter of all time.

Remember, these are not my picks as most important cards, favorite cards, most valuable cards, etc... I think these cards are symbolic for the reasons stated above.

Scumbi

murcerfan

so...... in summary we have :

E90-1 Mitchell
1966 Topps Punchouts
1954 Topps Aaron
89 Griffey
1933 Geo. Miller Andrews
'63 Rose
1986 Topps Bonds Rookie

67standup

<< <i>so...... in summary we have :

E90-1 Mitchell
1966 Topps Punchouts
1954 Topps Aaron
89 Griffey
1933 Geo. Miller Andrews
'63 Rose
1986 Topps Bonds Rookie >>



All were mentioned, but I would say that's far from the summary.

koby

<< <i>so...... in summary we have :

E90-1 Mitchell
1966 Topps Punchouts
1954 Topps Aaron
89 Griffey
1933 Geo. Miller Andrews
'63 Rose
1986 Topps Bonds Rookie >>



Is there a card on this list that you don't believe to be one of the five most significant baseball cards of all time?

onegaucho

I'd go with:

1. Wagner

2. 1952 Topps Mantle (along with the Wagner and Griffey, probably the most recognizable card in our hobby - ie. if you asked my wife if she recognized certain cards, she'd recognize at least those 3, I hope!)
3. 1989 Upper Deck Griffey
4. 1963 Topps Rose (anyone remember the Simon and Simon episode in the early 80s that dealt with this card? Or was it Magnum PI?)
5. 1933 Goudey Lajoie (interesting story behind it)
6. any 33 Goudey Ruth (esp. the one where he's in a batting pose)

mikeschmidt

<< <i>Joe-
Do you have a guess on the pop of the Andrews? not graded, everything? And % cancelled vs. uncancelled?
It seems rarer than most of the cards listed above, including Doyle but excluding Lindstrom. I recall seeing 1 or 2 in the stack of Mastro catalogs I've got going back about 10 years. >>



Griffins:

To the best of my knowledge - there are a grand total of Three Andrews cards that have not been clipped. That being said - one of those (at least) is cancelled with the punchholes across the face.

Once you start talking about scarcity - there are so many singluar "commons" that are probably 1/1, that it is limitless to say, when it comes to pre-war cards. For example, the D303/E101 Niagra Baking issue is pretty darn scarce - and I can't say as I've heard/seen more than two or three examples from that set...EVER

NickM

My list would be

1. '33 Goudey Nap Lajoie
2. T206 Eddie Plank
3. '52 Topps Mickey Mantle
4. T3 Ty Cobb
5. '54 Bowman Ted Williams

Close contenders include the '33 Goudey Babe Ruths, '38 Goudey Joe DiMaggio, T206 Sherry Magie, '51 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson, N28 Mike "King" Kelly and Cap Anson, '54 Topps Henry Aaron, '52 Topps Willie Mays, '39 Play Ball Ted Williams, T206 Ty Cobb with Cobb back, and '33 Sport Kings Babe Ruth.

The popularity and folklore just aren't there on most of the truly rare cards. If the average attendee at a show can't identify a card (or the set it came from), the card is not that significant regardless of its price.

The scarcity and value exclude cards like the Rose and Griffey rookies from consideration.

Nick

BigKidAtHeart

<< <i>southsider is right, the OJ Anson in uniform is pretty tough. 2 maybe? >>

Who is OJ Anson?

Griffins

<<Who is OJ Anson?>>>
The real killer.

67standup

Simpson's great grandfather.

KING KELLOGG

67standup...


#1... 1981 #21 Winfield.

#2... 1972 #40 Drago VAR. "3rd line has Poyals".

#3... 1975 #4 Bob Grich VAR. last line "No 1973 work".

#4... 1971 #28 Clyde Wright VAR. "California state logo".

#5... 1976 #56 Greg Gross VAR. "Games 334".


You were talking about Kellogg's....Right ????



Larry

MorrellMan

<< <i>Simpson's great grandfather. >>



67 - that's funny in reference to Anson; probably the leading segregationist ballplayer of his day

67standup

q]67standup...
You were talking about Kellogg's....Right ????
>>



It's open to all issues, and the tangents that this thread is creating are quite amusing. However, if I did isolate it to Kellogg’s then I'd list 1976 #1, 2, 3 near the top. Their short supply status is underrated.

Hey King, I'm from the Northwest too.