What is the most in-demand/liquid card for these MLB HOF players?

SeattleSlammer

-Cobb (T206 green portrait?)
-DiMaggio ('48 Leaf?)
-Jackie Robinson ('48 Leaf?)
-Mantle

Thank you for your opinions and the info!

SeattleSlammer

<< <i>Good question.

I'd go with:

Cobb (T206 Green)
DiMaggio (1938 Goudey Heads Up, 1941 Play Ball after that)
Jackie Robinson ('48 Leaf)
I'm not even going to answer the Mantle question as that should be obvious, and ironically, it isn't his rookie card. >>






Thanks. But I'm a coin guy and the Mantle card isn't obvious for me.

jfkheat

<< <i>

<< <i>Good question.

I'd go with:

Cobb (T206 Green)
DiMaggio (1938 Goudey Heads Up, 1941 Play Ball after that)
Jackie Robinson ('48 Leaf)
I'm not even going to answer the Mantle question as that should be obvious, and ironically, it isn't his rookie card. >>






Thanks. But I'm a coin guy and the Mantle card isn't obvious for me. >>



1952 Topps Mickey Mantle

tennesseebanker

I would think you couldn't go wrong with .......Mantle, Ruth, Cobb

SeattleSlammer

Thanks guys!

SeattleSlammer

...now that I do a quick eBay card search on Mantle I see what you mean....pricey card!

SeattleSlammer

PS--on the Goudey DiMaggio is there a demand difference between the one with the additional print/facts on the front as opposed to the one with just the caricature with no print?

ToneD

I believe the cartoon version is slightly more desirable but I would go with the one with better eye appeal. The 38 goudey is notorious for toning which cause the card to look dirty. I think a clean non cartoon version would be more desirable than a dirty cartoon version.

bounce

Agree on Cobb T206 Green and DiMaggio 1938 Goudey

Jackie 48 Leaf is awesome, but I might argue the 1952 Topps Robinson is pretty "in-demand/liquid"

And for Mantle, since the 1952s are out of sight price wise for any sort of decent grade, I might actually suggest the 1951 Bowman RC or even the 1956 Topps if we're talking about "in-demand/liquid"

Can't go wrong with anything that's been suggested so far, though

mattyc_collection

Hi,

Cool thread...

For Cobb, I would definitely put the Cracker Jack right up there alongside the T206 Green. You used the term "liquid," and that is why; I can assure you that if you offer a CJ Cobb for sale, collectors will be all over it in a flash. Both cards have passionate set builders after them as well. In fact I would venture that most if not all Cobb collectors who want one want both, and far more of those collectors are likely to already have the T206 than the much tougher to find CJ. If you owned one and wanted to liquidate it, you should consider that-- demand being intense for both cards-- the card less collectors are likely to have may be the fastest one to turn into cash (though not in any way knocking the T206; it is awesome and a true classic).

For DiMaggio, well he is rather interesting; I am a big DiMaggio collector and have owned almost all of his cards at one time or another, and also have sold a couple of them. Obviously, the card that most DiMaggio collectors dream of adding is the Zeenut Batting; it is his first card (analogous to the Balt News Ruth for Babe). It is extremely rare and also in the very popular Top 250 Registry. Problem is that it is so infrequently for sale (I waited many years to get a crack at one) that it kind of is a chimera and isn't a pragmatic choice. But it would sell very fast (for example, I have gotten many requests from AHs to put mine up as a featured lot) and so meets your liquid criteria. The Goudey and PlayBall would be extremely viable choices, as others have said so well. I'd personally go with the Play Ball, for all the reasons Joe Orlando states in his book and why he includes it in the Top 20 cards in the whole hobby. But that is very subjective.

For Jackie, can't go wrong with the Leaf or Bowman or the 52T. I think all three are on par with one another.

For Mick, the guys are dead on in that it's the hobby icon, the #311 1952 Topps card. After that, the 1951 Bowman rookie is incredibly liquid. A 51 Bowman Mick with even halfway decent centering sells in the blink of an eye; a very liquid card. In fact, I would argue that people about to plunk down the loot for a #311 will shop around for the best one they can find, whereas a nicely centered 51B will get gobbled up so fast-- point being if it's a choice between an OC beater #311 or a nicely centered 51B, I'd choose the latter.

ClockworkAngel

1952 Topps Mickey Mantle will always be liquid as it's the most iconic card in the world
1955 Topps Roberto Clemente it continues to gain steam as the #2 demanded card in the hobby.

Unfortunately, with liquidity comes large investments and likely 5 figures for a nice copy of each

mattyc_collection

<< <i>1955 Topps Roberto Clemente it continues to gain steam as the #2 demanded card in the hobby. >>



Totally agree it's a dope card, just curious how that was quantified?

ClockworkAngel

<< <i>

<< <i>1955 Topps Roberto Clemente it continues to gain steam as the #2 demanded card in the hobby. >>



Totally agree it's a dope card, just curious how that was quantified? >>



Great question. It kind of snuck up on us didn't it? I think so many things have come together to make Clemente an icon. The tragic but heroic circumstances of his death...landing in exactly 3,000 hits, whole career with one team, absolutely no shred of scandal to be found, and we all know that heroes that die young accelerate to legends rather quickly. It also helps that his rookie card is in arguably the most attractive set Topps has ever produced.

mattyc_collection

Agree with all you said about the man and the card, just not sure I'd call it the #2 demanded card in the hobby. I don't think anyone can say for sure what's #1, #2, etc., with any accuracy. Collecting itself is such a highly subjective endeavor. I think many of the same cards would appear in a survey of collectors' Top 100 or Top 250, but parsing it further is tough.

SeattleSlammer

Lots of great knowledge, thanks for sharing!