How do you pick an arbitrary Rookie Card?

llafoe

I know this has been discusses ad naseum, but I'm thinking about starting an Indiana Born Baseball card collection... here's an example:

Clint Barmes

Rookie Card 2003; there are 26 different cards for Clint Barmes from 2003. Do I select a brand, say Topps, and purchase all Topps cards? (In this case, he only has a Topps Traded for 2003.) Do I select the card that has the most cards graded at PSA? (In this case, it's Bowman Chrome.) Or do I just buy any example from their Rookie year?

Most players are somewhat obscure so there won't be a designated Rookie Card.

I just realized a few of them may not have any cards graded from their "rookie" year; yet cards exist. Is there a searchable website where I can enter a player's name to find out when they first appeared on a baseball card?

digicat

I've got a collection of all guys who ever played for the SF Giants. I usually go for the first licensed issue for the player, and if there are none I'll go for the first minor league card (preferably team-issued).

When a player, like Clint Barmes, has a bunch of cards in a year, I'll usually look only at the autographed cards. From that pool, I'll look at the lower-numbered cards and make a decision. If the player has no auto'ed cards that year, I just go after the Bowman Chrome Gold Refractor. If that card doesn't exist, then I'll look at the low-numbered parallels and pick what looks nice.

A while back I heard a possible trade rumor involving Clint Barmes coming to SF, so I kept my eye out for 2003 Leaf Certified Mirror Blue AU #/50, 2003 Leaf Certified Mirror Gold AU #/25, and the 2003 Leaf Limited Gold/Silver AU/MEM #/50, #/25.


Now, since I'm going for "fiirst licensed card", I tend to have disagreements with Beckett and PSA. For instance, they'll say that Sergio Romo's rookie card is his 2012 Topps card. I say its his 2008 Bowman Chrome Prospects card. They'll also say that Keith Comstock's rookie card is from 1988. I say it's his 1984 Twins team issue.

NickM

You can use Beckett's database to find all cards the player has appeared on. Just go to beckett.com and type the player's name into the search box. Which card you want to use for the collection is up to you. There's no right or wrong answer.

Nick

alifaxwa2

I am planning on doing a rookie set for the Nationals if they ever win a World Series. For me consistency is very important. So, for me it would say Topps or Topps Chrome first. Then I would look to what other mainstream issues they have and consider what are similar mainstream to Topps/TC, so I would take Upperdeck before any other UD issued set, etc. I don't consider team issued cards for my rookies.

eagles33

I just go with topps chrome if a player has multiple rookie. If topps doesn't make a card of the player in his rookie year like Tom Brady then I go with bowman chrome.

EAsports

I would say Topps, or perhaps Bowman. As manufacturers have come and gone, Topps (and Bowman) have been there (at least Bowman has since '89).

gstarling

<< <i>I just go with topps chrome if a player has multiple rookie. If topps doesn't make a card of the player in his rookie year like Tom Brady then I go with bowman chrome. >>


This is exactly what I do - except I go for the refractor version if possible.

dtkk49a

But how does one know what the "official" rookie card is? Is there a governing body that decides which specific rookie card is the "one"?

Take Tom Brady for example - Is it his SP Authentic numbered to 1250 or is it the rare 2000 Bowman Chrome Refractor that goes for big bucks as well?

I would really like to know which Andrew Luck card is the "one"