In your opinion, who is the most widely collected player?

frankhardy

I have not thought it through totally, but after a few minutes of thinking about it I would have to say that Nolan Ryan is the most widely collected player in history. Am I wrong? Who do you say?

JeremyDie1

Mickey Mantle

JackWESQ

On what criteria? For example, if both of us collected Ryan, that would count as two (2). But if between the both of us we own, say, one hundred (100) Ryan cards, that would count as one hundred (100). Using the former criteria, I might say Ryan, but what about Mantle?(though his cards are limited and can be quite expensive). Using the latter criteria, hard to argue between Griffey or Jordan.

/s/ JackWESQ

detroitfan2

While Nolan Ryan did not come immediately to mind when I saw the question, I'd have to agree he'd be up there. That's what happens when you play for 100 years I guess .

It does seem like he has played during the various "eras" of card collection (i.e. he has some true vintage cards plus he was still around when the Donrusses and Fleers of the world came into existence), so he's popular with collectors from several generations.

Perhaps Mickey Mantle would be higher on the list? After those two, I would say Emmitt Smith, Chris Sabo, and Brian Winters would be the next 3.

thehallmark

Nolan has to be #1, right?

Top five list?

I grew up in the 80s & 90s, so I can't really speak on the eras prior to that. But amongst my contemporaries, I feel like it's Nolan, Rose, Griffey, Jeter, and Brett. Honorable mention to Mattingly and Arod.

edit - Mantle obv #1 all time.

TheVon

I would think Pete Rose would be in the top 5. He's a popular player surrounded by lasting controvesy, he played for a long time, and the mixture of expensive and inexpensive cards has to appeal to a lot of collectors.

yankeeno7

Well, considering vintage and modern, doesnt it HAVE to be Mantle? The somewhere in the top 5 I would say Griffey Jr, Rose, Ripken Jr, and Ryan?

frankhardy

I did not mean who is the most desired player to have a card of. That would obviously be Mickey Mantle or Babe Ruth. What I am asking is which player is the most collected among collector's that collect all cards of one certain player. I still say Nolan Ryan. I am a team set collector, so I am not into player collecting as much. When I was a kid, I collected McGwire in the late 80's and early 90's.

goose3

Griffey Jr.
Ryan
Ripken
Mantle
Aaron

GOODLIEU

Are you strictly talking Baseball. If not than you would have to consider Jordan.

RipublicaninMass

I wouls say Ryan, since collectors young and old collect his cards with a passion

mtcards

I vote Ryan. I personally have over 11,000 Ryan cards. Lot of dupes. Does not count in the Pacific stuff

RedHeart54

If you did this strictly on the cutoff number (20) for a player's master set on the PSA registry you'd have-

Mantle
Ryan
Mays
Rose
Jordan

There are a few that are close (18-19) such as Griffey, Brett, Payton, and Schmidt. I certainly may have missed a few but these are the most obvious.

mikeschmidt

Ty Cobb

GDM67

It's also a bit of a generational thing. Boomers go for Mickey, Mays, Aaron and a lot of Yankees and Dodgers. Gen Xers are more into Cal, Ken Griffey and Jordan. And almost everyone loves Nolan.

stitzen

For pure volume of cards, I'd have to agree with Ryan...the number of people into his cards and the sheer numbers available at very, very modest prices contribute to this.

As far as number of people collecting, 80 people have Mantle basic set registries, 48 for Ryan. 54 Aaron basic sets seems to be second to Mantle, which has from my quick glance by far the most activity.

MachoMuchacho

I know Nolan Ryan was who I collected most growing up...
followed by Griffey, Ripken, Thomas. Arod came a little later.

Allen

Michael Vick, hands down.


I like this list

Mantle
Ryan
Mays
Rose
Jordan

rube26105

rose
arron
ryan
boggs
jordan

in no particular order

metalmike

Overall, I would say MJ- heck if he pooped on a cracker I bet you could sell it for a dollar.

bigdcards

I'm going to agree with MJ and add maybe LeBron James for the moment. There are so many modern cards. Kids can have a full collection for under $20. And I think there are more people in that group then the vintage crowd. Vintage I would say Mantle.

MeteoriteGuy

I am surprized Mantle is so high on so many list. During the boom of sportcards, late 80's-early 90's I use to go to all the shows, hang out at the shops on the weekends, all my friends collected cards, bought the beckett every month, et al......and not a single person I knew collected Mantle cards. It is kinda hard for the masses to collect Mantle cards when they didn't make them. (Topps seems to have figured that out and went overboard).

I would think it would be Nolan Ryan or Ken Griffey Jr. Michael Jordan is surely one of the most popular players of all time, but lets face it, basketball cards have never been too popular with collectors (although it has been gaining steam I think for several years now).

Mark