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"#1" card set - looking for ideas

onegauchoonegaucho Posts: 650 ✭
in PSA Set Registry Forum
Here's what I've come up with so far. I figured I'd just edit the first post and make changes here. I don't know if it's worth it to submit it as a separate set (most of the cards show up Joe Orlando's Top 200 book anyways). I put some comments after each card. Also, if a player already had a #1 card (ie. Ted Williams, 1957, etc.) I just chose the earliest example and stuck it on this list.

Feel free to add to this post and make suggestions! Thanks!

1914 Cracker Jack #1 Otto Knabe, first significant baseball issue with true numbering
1933 Goudey Baseball #1 Benny Bengough HOF
1934 Goudey Baseball #1 Jimmy Foxx HOF
1935 Diamond Stars Baseball #1 Lefty Grove HOF
1935 National Chicle Football #1 Dutch Clark, first significant mainstream football set
1948 Leaf Baseball #1 Joe DiMaggio HOF
1948 Leaf Football #1 Sid Luckman HOF, RC
1948 Leaf Boxing #1 Jack Dempsey, significant boxing issue
1948 Bowman Basketball, #1 Calverley RC, first significant basketball issue
1950 Bowman Football #1 Doak Walker HOF
1951 Bowman Baseball #1 Whitey Ford HOF, RC
1952 Topps Baseball #1 Andy Pafko, one of the most recognizable cards from one of the all-time sets
1953 Topps Baseball #1 Jackie Robinson HOF
1954 Topps Baseball #1 Ted Williams HOF
1962 Topps Baseball #1 Roger Maris
1973 Topps Baseball #1 Mays/Ruth/Aaron HOFers
1989 Upper Deck Baseball #1 Ken Griffey Jr. HOF, one of the more significant modern day sets, highly recognizable card

(edited 4/21 to update list - 17 cards total.)

Comments

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    CON40CON40 Posts: 1,324 ✭✭✭
    I have a few that are "worthy" I think:

    1914 Cracker Jack #1 Otto Knabe. Maybe the first nationally released numbered card set. Hence the number one #1!
    1940 Play Ball #1 Joe DiMaggio
    1954 Topps #1 Ted Williams is a superb card! And his first Topps issue to boot.
    1966 Topps #1 Willie Mays. Sorry, it's a normal size card!

    Good luck!
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    CWCW Posts: 1,200 ✭✭✭
    1952 Bowman (#1 Yogi Berra)
    1953 Topps (#1 Jackie Robinson)
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    NickMNickM Posts: 4,896 ✭✭✭
    1957 Topps (Ted Williams)
    1962 Topps (Roger Maris)
    Any #1 that was a World Series championship card (e.g., 1970 and 1972 Topps)
    1989 Upper Deck (Ken Griffey Jr.)

    Nick
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    Reap the whirlwind.

    Need to buy something for the wife or girlfriend? Check out Vintage Designer Clothing.
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    peterredshoespeterredshoes Posts: 98
    Fun idea!

    Some other #1s with some obvious intention behind them are '74 Topps (Aaron Home run record), '86 Topps (Pete Rose) and '90 Topps (Nolan Ryan). Each of the three kicks off a "special" subset of several cards commemorating the milestone the player reached or was about to reach--Aaron's 715th homer, Rose's 4000th hit, Ryan's 5000 strikeout. Interestingly, Aaron ('76) and Ryan ('91, 92) both earned subsequent #1 honors.

    Some miscellaneous fun with numbers--slightly off topic but fun:

    Mike Payne's "300 Great Baseball Cards of the 20th Century" writes that Topps (at least around 1970, which is the year where Payne brings it up) reserved card #500 for stars, which would make doing Topps #500s during those years potentially entertaining (albeit expensive in high grade!)

    Topps '03-04 Basketball set also had fun with numbers--most of the cards numbered 1-50 feature the most prominent player to wear that jersey number. Hence Tracy McGrady is #1, Tim Duncan is #21, Shaq #34...you get the idea. For those who haven't checked it out, I also happen to think this is a really nice looking set--and the traditional frame-and-white-border accentuate the occasional centering problems that come up for those looking to get the hot rookies of that set graded.

    With regard to trying to come up with a smaller, more potent #1 set--it's tough to say how to limit it objectively. But I think you have to start with the '52 Topps Pafko and the '89 Upper Deck Griffey--in my mind at least, these are the two cards that most often come up when you think of cards that aren't just well known, but well known for being #1.

    Peter G.
    Always looking for PSA 9 or better Alan Trammell basic set cards. Visit my Trammell card web site at "www.trammellcards.com"
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    SDSportsFanSDSportsFan Posts: 5,094 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Also the 1973 Topps #1 All-time Homerun Leaders (Ruth, Aaron, Mays)

    Steve
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    onegauchoonegaucho Posts: 650 ✭
    Edited the set in the first post. Feel free to make suggestions by adding to this post! Thanks!
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    shouldabeena10shouldabeena10 Posts: 1,357 ✭✭✭
    Johnny Unitas took the Topps number 1 card slot for many years... 1959, 60, 61, 62, 63. I'm not sure what you're basing the conditions on, but Johnny U. seems like a pretty solid choice for most sets.

    Mike
    "Vintage Football Cards" A private Facebook Group of 4000 members, for vintage football card trading, sales & auctions. https://facebook.com/groups/vintagefootball/
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    MorrellManMorrellMan Posts: 3,238 ✭✭✭
    How 'bout non-sports?

    1959 Fleer 3 Stooges #1 "Curly"
    1962 Civil War News "The Angry Man"
    1962 Mars Attacks "The Invasion Begins"

    3 high demand, hard to find #1 cards for some popular sets.
    Mark (amerbbcards)


    "All evil needs to triumph is for good men to do nothing."
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    67standup67standup Posts: 833 ✭
    Someone already listed the 1973 Topps #1 (All-Time HR Leader), but the 1973 OPC version in NON-OC is quite difficult to find.
    “Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.” - George Carlin
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