300 Great BAseball CArds a debate

LuxuryWines

Recently I submitted to PSA Set registry a set from a book that is called 300 Great baseball cards and thought it might be a fun debate topic as to your thought and opinions on the list. (please note I am running a separate thread on weighting) HAve FUN!!!

Please note the title is 300 Great Baseball Cards.. Not the greatest baseball cards... Here is the context that the author looked at them in:



<< <i> Three hundred great cards. That's what this book is all about. Three hundred cards that have stood out from the tens of thousands produced in the past 100 years. Three hundred cards of stars, superstars and even a couple of ordinary players who simply found their 15 mintues of fame.

Each of the cards on these pages tell a story. Sometimes it's with the words that accompany the card: sometimes it's the card itself that speaks volumes. But each of the 300 has something to say about the player pictured, the era of the time or the background of the card.

We've listed market values with the cards,but it would be a mistake to judge the greatness of a card purely on its monetary value while dismissing on-field contributions of the player, his personality and, of course history For it's history that makes baseball such a great game, and baseball cards such a significant part of our society. Only in America can Mark McGwire knock MOnica Lewinsky off the front page. And only in America can a Mark McGwire 1985 Topps Rookie Card go from being a pretty good card of a pretty good player to a historical card of a historical player, all in a matter of months.

The Beauty of baseball cards is that you don't have to have played the game to collect the men who do play the game. Being a collector isn't an exclusive fraternity. Anyone with a little pocket change is in.

The following pages illustrate a group of cards and players who have made their marks on the collecting world and on the game of baseball. It's not a list of the most expensive cards or the all time greates cards ever produced. No that would have left out to many of the other deserving cards, cards that are great in a non-monetary, non -scarce way.

The title says it all: "300 Great Baseball CArds of the 20th Century."

That's what this book is all about.

Mike Payne >>




Here is the list of cards


1909 T204 Ramly Walter Johnson
1909-11 T206 Ty Cobb (Green BAckground)
1909-11 T206 Eddie Plank
1909-11 T206 Cy Young (Cleveland Bare hand shows)
1909-11 T206 Sherry Magee
1909-11 T206 Honus Wagner
1909-11 T206 Christy Mathewson (PortrAIT)
1911 T205 Gold Border Joe Tinker
1911 T205 Gold Border Johnny Evers
1911 T205 Gold Borders Frank Chance
1912 T202 Hassan Cigarettes Triple Folder Charles O'Leary/Ty Cobb
1912 T207 Tris Speaker
1912 T 207 Buck Weaver
1913 Tom BArker Baseball Game Joe Jackson
1914 Cracker Jack #103 Joe JAckson
1914 Cracker Jack #30 Ty Cobb
1915 M101-5 Sporting News Babe Ruth
1921 Neilson's Chocolate #37 Babe Ruth
1921 Neilson's Chocolate #81 Rogers Hornsby
1928 F52 Fro Joy Babe Ruth- Ruth is a crack Fielder
1932 U.S. Caramel #11 Rogers Hornsby
1932 U.S. Caramel #26 Lou Gehrig
1932 U.S. Caramel #2 Paul (Big Poison) Waner
1932 U.S. Caramel #13 Lloyd (Little Poison) WAner
1933 Delong #7 Lou Gehrig
1933 Goudey #106 Napoleon (Larry) Lajoie
1933 Goudey #223 Dizzy Dean
1933 Goudey #53 Babe Ruth
1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth
1933 Goudey #149 Babe Ruth
1933 Goudey #181 Babe Ruth
1933 Goudey #211 Hack Wilson
1933 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig
1933 Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig
1934 Goudey #37 Lou Gehrig
1934 Goudey #61 Lou Gehrig
1934 Goudey #62 Hank Greenberg
1934-36 Diamond Stars #9 Mickey Cochrane
1934-36 Diamond Stars #66 "Ducky" Medwick
1935 Goudey Puzzle Backs Ruth, McMAnus,Brandt, Maranville
1936 World Wide Gum #51 Joe DiMaggio
1936 World Wide Gum #42 Charlie Gehringer
1937 O-Pee-Chee Batter Up #118 Joe DiMaggio
1938 Goudey Heads Up #288 Bob Feller
1938 Goudey Heads Up #274 Joe DiMaggio
1939 Playball #26 Joe DiMaggio
1939 Playball #92 Ted Williams
1940 Playball #1 Joe DiMaggio
1940 Playball #27 Ted Williams
1941 Playball #54 Pee Wee Reese
1941 Goudey #33 Mel Ott
1941 Playball #71 Joe DiMaggio
1941 Playball #14 Ted Williams
1941 Playball #19 Charley Gehringer
1948 Swell Gum Sports Thrills #12
1948 Bowman #8 Phil Rizzutto
1948 Bowman # 6 Yogi Berra
1948 Bowman #36 Stan Musial
1949 Leaf #70 John Wagner
1949 Leaf #3 Babe Ruth
1949 Leaf #1 Joe DiMaggio
1949 Leaf #8 Leroy Paige
1949 Leaf #4 Stan Musial
1949 Leaf #76 Ted Williams
1949 Leaf # 79 Jackie Robinson
1949 Bowman #24 Stan Musial
1949 Bowman #226 Duke Snider
1949 Bowman #84 Roy Campanella
1949 Bowman #224 Satchel Paige
1949 Bowman #142 Eddie Waitkus
1950 Bownan # 22 Jackie Robinson
1950 Bowman # 98 Ted Williams
1950 Bowman #46 Yogi Berra
1951 Bowman #1 Whitey Ford
1951 Bowman #2 Yogi Berra
1951 Bowman #78 Early Wynn
1951 Bowman # 122 Joe Garagiola
1951 Bowman #134 Warren Spahn
1951 Bowman #253 Mickey Mantle
1951 Bowman #305 Willie Mays
1951 Bowman #165 Ted Williams
1951 Bowman #151 Larry Doby
1951 Topps Red Back #1 Yogi Berra
1952 Topps #1 Andy Pafko
1952 Topps #11 Phil Rizzuto
1952 Topps #31 Gus Zernial
1952 Topps #88 Bob Feller
1952 Topps #175 Billy Martin
1952 Topps #261 Willie MAys
1952 Topps #312 Jackie Robinson
1952 Topps #311 Mickey Mantle
1952 Topps #407 Eddie Matthews
1952 Bowman #218 Willie Mays
1952 Bowman #116 Duke Snider
1952 Bowman #101 Mickey Mantle
1953 Bowman Color #32 Stan Musial
1953 Bowman Color #33 Pee Wee Reese
1953 Bowman Color #59 Mickey Mantle
1953 Bowman Color #44 Yogi Berra,Hank Bauer,Mickey Mantle
1953 Topps #82 Mickey Mantle
1953 Topps #1 Jackie Robinson
1953 Topps #104 Yogi Berra
1953 Topps #244 Willie Mays
1953 Topps #220 Satchell Paige
1954 Red Heart Stan Musial
1954 Wilson Weiners Roy Campanella
1954 Wilson Weiners Gil Hodges
1954 Bowman #65 Mickey Mantle
1954 Bowman #6 Nelson Fox
1954 Bowman #66A Ted Williams
1954 Bowman #170 Duke Snider
1954 Bowman #89 Willie MAys
1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams
1954 Topps #250 Ted Williams
1954 Topps #128 Hank Aaron
1954 Topps #201 Al Kaline
1954 Topps #10 Jackie Robinson
1954 Topps #139 O'Brien Brothers
1954 Topps #132 Tommy Lasorda
1954 Topps #94 Ernie Banks
1955 Bowman #179 Hank Aaron
1955 Bowman #202 Mickey Mantle
1955 Bowman #303 Jocko Conlan
1955 Topps #47 Hank Aaron
1955 Topps #164 Roberto Clemente
1955 Topps #152 Harry Agganis
1955 Topps #124 Harmon Killebrew
1956 Topps #123 Sandy Koufax
1956 Topps #135 Mickey MAntle
1956 Topps # 33 Roberto Clemente
1956 Topps #31 Hank Aaron
1957 Topps #10 Willie MAys
1957 Topps #20 Hank Aaron
1957 Topps #1 Ted Williams
1957 Topps #18 Don Drysdale
1957 Topps #165 Ted Kluszewski
1957 Topps #35 Frank Robinson
1957 Topps #95 Mickey Mantle
1957 Topps #407 Power Hitters (Mantle / Berra)
1957 Topps #328 Brooks Robinson
1957 Topps #284 Topps Don Zimmer
1958 Topps #47 Roger Maris
1958 Topps #476 Topps Stan Musial All-Star
1958 Topps #418 World Series Batting Foes
1958 Topps #487 Mickey Mantle All -Star
1959 Topps #338 George Anderson
1959 Topps #464 May's Catch Makes Series History
1959 Topps #514 Bob Gibson
1959 Topps #550 Roy Campanella "Symbol of Courage"
1959 Fleer Ted Williams #68 Ted Signs for 1959
1960 Topps #563 Mickey Mantle
1960 Topps #148 Carl Yastrzemski
1960 Topps #316 Willie McCovey
1960 Fleer #72 Ted Williams
1961 Topps #2 Roger Maris
1961 Topps #141 Billy Williams
1961 Topps #402 "Larsen Pitches Perfect Game"
1961 Topps #401 " Ruth Hits 60th Homer"
1962 Topps # 1 Roger MAris
1962 Topps #140 Gehrig And Ruth
1962 Topps #18 "Managers Dream" Mantle/Mays
1962 Topps #200 Mickey Mantle
1962 Topps #218 Joe Torre
1962 Topps #300 Willie MAys
1962 Topps #387 Lou Brock
1962 Topps #313 "MAris Blasts 61st"
1962 Post #6 Roger Maris
1963 Topps #250 Stan Musial
1963 Topps # 537 "1963 Rookie Stars" (Pete Rose)
1964 Topps #324 Casey Stengel
1964 Topps #423 "Tops in NL" Aaron /MAys
1965 Topps #134 "MAntle's Clutch Homer"
1965 Topps #477 " CArds Rookies" (Steve Carlton)
1965 Topps #16 "1965 Rookie Stars" (Joe Morgan)
1965 Topps #526 "Athletic Rookies" ( Jim CAtfish Hunter)
1966 Topps #100 Sandy Koufax
1966 Topps #1 Willie MAys
1966 Topps #365 Roger Maris
1966 Topps #126 Jim Palmer
1967 Topps #5 Whitey Ford
1967 Topps #150 Mickey Mantle
1967 Topps #581 "Mets Rookie Stars" (Tom Seaver)
1967 Topps #569 "AL Rookie Stars" (Rod Carew)
1968 Topps #40 Denny McLain
1968 Topps #247 "1968 Rookie Stars" (Johnny Bench)
1968 Topps #177 "1968 Rookie Stars" (Nolan Ryan)
1968 Topps # 100 Bob Gibson
1969 Topps #95 Johnny Bench
1969 Topps #162 "1968 World Series GAme #1" (Bob Gibson)
1969 Topps #480 Tom Seaver
1969 Topps #260 Reggie Jackson
1969 Topps #500B Mickey Mantle (White Letter Variation)
1969 Topps #533 Nolan Ryan
1969 Topps #650 Ted Williams
1970 Topps #189 Thurman Munson
1970 Topps #197 "Ryan Saves the Day"
1970 Topps #350 Roberto Clemente
1970 Topps #660 Johnny Bench
1970 Topps #500 Hank Aaron
1970 Kellogg's #27 Robertp Clemente
1971 Topps #5 Thurman Munson
1971 Topps #341 Steve Garvey
1971 Topps #525 Ernie BAnks
1972 Topps #79 "1972 Rookie Stars Red Sox" (Carlton Fisk)
1972 Topps #751 Steve Carlton "Traded"
1973 Topps #50 Roberto Clemente
1973 Topps #305 Willie Mays
1973 Topps #220 Nolan Ryan
1973 Topps #615 "1973 Rookie Third BAsemen" (Mike Schmidt)
1974 Topps #1 Hank Aaron
1974 Topps #55 Frank Robinson
1974 Topps #20 Nolan Ryan
1974 Topps #283 Mike Schmidt
1974 Topps #250 B Willie McCovey "Washington Nat'l League"
1974 Topps #456 Dave Winfield
1975 Topps #223 Robin Yount
1975 Topps #228 George Brett
1975 Topps #5 "Ryan Fans 300 - 3rd Year in a Row"
1975 Topps #407 Herb Washington
1975 Topps #640 Harmon Killebrew
1975 Topps # 1 "Aaron Sets Home Run MArk"
1976 Topps #550 Hank Aaron
1976 Topps #564 Kurt Bevacqua "Bubble Gum Blowing Champ"
1976 Topps #19 George Brett
1976 Topps #74T Oscar Gamble
1977 Topps #473 "Rookies Outfielders" (Andre Dawson)
1977 Topps #265 Mark Fidrych
1977 Topps #476 Rookies CAtchers (Dale Murphy)
1978 Topps #36 Eddie Murray
1978 Topps # 707 "78 Rookie Shortstops" (Paul Molitor/ Alan Trammell)
1979 Topps #116 Ozzie Smith
1979 Topps #115 Nolan Ryan
1979 Topps #24 Paul Molitor
1979 Topps #310 Thurman Munson
1980 Topps #482 Rickey Henderson
1980 Topps #450 George Brett
1981 Topps #302 "Dodgers Future Stars" (Fernando Valenzuela)
1981 Donruss #538 Tim Raines
1981 Donruss #537 "Best Hitters" (George Brett /Rod CArew)
1982 Topps Traded #109T Ozzie Smith
1982 Topps Traded #98 T CAl Ripken
1982 Topps #21 "Baltimore Orioles Future Stars"
1982 Fleer #176 Cal Ripken Jr
1982 Donruss #405 Cal Rpken JR
1983 Fleer #360 Tony Gwynn
1983 Topps #83 Ryne Sandberg
1983 Topps #482 Tony Gwynn
1983 Topps Wade Boggs #498
1984 Donruss #248 Don MAttingly
1984 Fleer Update #U43 Dwight Gooden
1984 Fleer Update #U27 Roger Clemens
1984 Fleer Update #U93 Kirby Puckett
1985 Topps #181 Roger Clemens
1985 Topps #401 MArk McGwire
1985 Donruss #273 Roger Clemens
1985 Donruss #424 Tom Seaver (Correct)
1985 Fleer #155 Roger Clemens
1986 Fleer All-Stars #5 Cal Ripken Jr
1986 Donruss #39 Jose Canseco
1986 Topps Traded #20 T Jose Caneco
1987 Fleer #604 Bobby Bonds
1987 Donruss #46 Mark McGwire
1987 Donruss #36 Greg Maddux
1987 Fleer Update #U76 MArk McGwire
1987 Fleeer Update #U68 Greg Maddux
1988 Score Rookie Traded #105 T Roberto Alomar
1989 Donruss #33 Ken Griffey Jr
1989 Donruss Baseball's Best #324 Sammy Sosa
1989 Fleer #548 Ken Griffey Jr
1989 Score Rookie/Traded #100T Ken Griffey Jr
1989 Uppper Deck #1 Ken Griffey Jr
1989 Upper Deck #25 Randy Johnson
1989 Upper Deck #300 Mark McGwire
1989 Upper Deck #666 World Series (Kirk Gibson)
1990 Score #697 Bo Jackson
1990 Leaf #220 Sammy Sosa
1990 Leaf #300 Frank Thomas
1990 Upper deck #AU1 Reggie Jackson Autograph
1990 Topps #414 Frank Thomas
1991 Stadium Club #388 Jeff Bagwell
1991 Topps Chipper Jones #333
1991 Bowman #272 Ivan Rodriguez
1991 Bowman #569 Chipper Jones
1991 Ultra Update #55 Juan Gonzalez
1992 Score Joe DiMaggio Autograph
1992 Topps Traded #39T Nomar Garciaparra
1992 Fleer Update #92 Mike Piazza
1992 Bowman #461 Mike Piazza
1993 SP #279 Derek Jeter
1994 SP #15 Alex Rodriguez
1994 Upper Deck #GM1 Ken Griffey Jr/Mickey Mantle Autograph
1994 Collectors Choice #661 Micheal Jordan
1996 Leaf Signature Series Extended Sammy Sosa Autograph
1996 Topps #7 Mickey Mantle
1997 Upper Deck GAme Jersey #GJ1 Ken Griffey Jr
1998 Pacific " IN the Cage" #13 MArk McGwire
1999 Upper Deck A Piece of History 500 Club Jimmie Fox Game Used Bat
1999 Upper Deck A Piece of History Babe Ruth Game Used Bat
1999 Topps #220 Mark McGwire Home Rune #70

Jeff

ngfred

I am surprised that the Billy Ripken F-Face card is not on the list.

theBobs

Just my first thought reading the list--

1953 Bowman Color #33 Pee Wee Reese
Put this card at the top of the list! Doesn't get any better...

1989 Upper Deck #666 World Series (Kirk Gibson)
This is one of the greatest moments in SPORTS history, not just baseball. Pure magic...

1984 Donruss #248 Don MAttingly
I remember chasing this card with a passion in middle school. Too bad about the back injury.

1986 Donruss #39 Jose Canseco
1986 Topps Traded #20 T Jose Caneco
This should make Zardoz happy...

Kurt

1990 Score #697 Bo Jackson

Football/Baseball: I thought this was the greatest card when I was in middle school!!

Still have mine...somewhere.....I think I pulled 1 in a pack and bought the other for around $10....traded 1 for a 1987 Fleer Bonds rookie....still have that one too....err I think......just some of my ramblings......

LuxuryWines

I can still remember the 1971 Topps Munson card I always thought that was an extremely cool card (and I am Red Sox FAN!) but my soft spot in this list goes to the 51 Bowman Ted Williams for 2 reasons A.) It's Teddy BAllgame. B.) First PSA card I ever Bought.... I do not agree with all the aithers choices but there are pictures of every card and explanantions for every card

Jeff

Kurt

My question as I continue rambling to myself.....do they really have #604 87 Fleer as Bobby Bonds in the book??

LuxuryWines

OOPS ... No that would be me typing with half a bottle of wine in me and trying to type out a 300 card list correctly...Obviously it should be BArry .... Jeff

Kurt

OK, not trying to be mean....just in my ramblings...I thought wait a second??? Thanks for this list it has some "great" stuff on there....

EDITED FOR SPELLING ERROR MYSELF

brucemo

Notably missing are Don Mossi and Moe Berg.

I'm sure it's a fun book and I'll probably buy it and read it. It looks very dense with keys, and nothing against Mickey Mantle, but there are approximately 17 Mantle cards in there. And does it really make sense to have three Thurman Munson cards?

I don't know. I think that "The Top 100" was pretty good. The writing was excellent, but the all time best baseball card book has to still be "The Great American Baseball Card Flipping, Trading and Bubble Gum Book", by Boyd and Harris.

bruce

invader73

I'm too lazy to work it out but does anybody know what the book value would be on those 300 cards? say with the pre-war stuff graded 7 and the post war graded 9.

thanks
Matt


and they missed the 1987 topps traded Matt Williams Rookie from the set as well

Vargha

The 50 and 51 Williams cards are virtually identical

1950:




1951:

LuxuryWines

Vargha,

I agree with you I probably would have only included the 51 and not the 50 Williams.... Jeff

brucemo

I'm going to go off about that briefly for no apparent reason.

The reason the '51 set is a more "classic" set than the '50 set is the Mantle and the Mays RC's. It seems odd that this would make the Williams card more "classic". The '51 card is a copy of the '50 card but the '51 is more desirable?

The more I look at that list the weirder it seems. There are some strange omissions that I won't list because I don't want people to tell me to calm down.

But, getting back to the main point of this thread:

1) The set shouldn't be a registry set.
2) The set is kind of random.

bruce

waitilltheytrytosell

Perhaps the lawyers can assist here, but wouldn't a list of 300 cards done up for a book like that be copyrighted material. PSA shouldn't be able to reproduce the list without permission from the person who owns the list. Speaking of which, Joe Orlando's book coming out of 200 top cards, as suggested by pinhigh in this thread - http://forums.collectors.com/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=96168 would make an interesting set too. We could probably get permission, and it would make a nice tie-in.

brucemo

What are the cards on THAT list?

bruce

LuxuryWines

WAitill, Never thought of the copyright might be a problem (oops!) ...

Bruce I am sorry I disagree with you I happen to think it is a viable registry set in that it spans decades of diverse and intersting cards... What makes a viable registry set? Like any compilation of great things there is going to be disagrement on what should and should not be left in or out.... There are cards in this list I disagree with but all in all I think it makes an interesting set or collection....

By the way as long as its not personal I think you should vent your problems with this set. That is why I put the list up for debate as my original thread some forum members had some problems with cards included on the list. One of the things I like about the registry forum is that it allows collectors to share there views... Thanx Jeff

TheCARDKid

An interesting list of cards. They included highly condition sensitive cards (i.e. '52 Topps Pakfo, '51 Bowman Ford), yet they don't include a '33 Goudey Bengough or a '54 Wilson Weiner Ted Williams. Other big omissions would include:

'32 U.S. Caramel Lindstrom? This is an amazing card. What would make the '33 Goudey Lajoie any more special than this? The Lindstrom is arguably the rarest card of any major set in the history of baseball cards (not counting the 1 of 1 epidemic of the last few years). Not to mention it was undiscovered for almost 60 years. What a story.

'82 Fleer Littlefield error and the '89 Dale Murphy reverse negative error are significant cards. They don't have the value or the historical signifance of the Magee error, but for modern cards, they were pretty important.

And what about the '68 Topps Test 3-D Clemente card? The '61 Dice Game Mantle?

NickM

CardKid - the '51 Bowman Ford has to be included. It is the rookie card of a highly popular HOFer. It's highly desirable in any condition (unlike the Bengough).
I agree with you that the Lindstrom should be included. I would probably omit the Littlefield and Murphy errors. In my opinion, the significant error from the early Fleer was the '81 Craig Nettles, and their sloppiness isn't worth 2 spots on the list. Likewise, the '90 Ben McDonald reversed negative was a more important card in its time than the Murphy error was.

Nick

koby

I think Fritch had the 1932 US Caramel Lindstrom card up for auction on ebay a few months ago. Does anyone know whether the reserve was met?

LuxuryWines

Invader ,


I spent a little time with a calculator and The SMR on my plane ride on Saturday and Came up with the following:

PSA 7 - $1 Million +
PSA 8 - $2.5 Million +
PSA 9 - $5.1 Million +

Jeff

Alfiewt

I thought there was only one 1932 US Caramel Lindstrom known to exist. Does anyone Know if more then one exists. What I've heard is that the card was in a PSA slab and is now in an SGC slab.

Basilone

I believe Fritsch owns 2 copies of the card ( or at least did at one time last year ).

z2345

His PSA 3 card, which he turned into the SCD 3, was the much better of the two in existence. It was up for auction on ebay not too long ago. Does anyone know whether there is a new owner?

invader73

Jeff,

thanks for that

Maybe someone could do a list of the best 300 cards available for $1 or less each


I would start with the Topps Traded 1987 Matt Williams

riccaboni

What I would like to know is where is the 1986 Topps Traded Tiffany Wally Joyner on that list...

RedHeart54

It needs a Red Man card or two.