What do you recall as being THE HOT CARD when you first started collecting?

scmavl · June 8, 2011 7:03AM

I started in the late 80's and while (of course) you wanted Canseco, McGwire, Clemens, Mattingly... this card was IT. At least until Upper Deck's Griffey came out.

I just love the look of this card. It always just seemed to radiate AWESOMENESS. The color scheme with the new Future Star logo couldn't have been better suited for Gregg in his Mets blues. Plus, Gregg is staring you down like a tiger ready to leap out of the card. Everytime I see an auction for 100 of this card for $1 on ebay, I'm torn between sadness and the temptation to hit Buy It Now.

What was yours? Please post a pic and talk about your memories of it if you want.

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jimmyg · June 8, 2011 7:14AM

1979 Topps Bob Horner.

This guy didn't spend a day in the minors. I got one of these cards out of a cello pack.

Edited to see if I could figure out how to add an image.

lwehlers · June 8, 2011 7:15AM

1984 with mattingly and 85 with mcgwire. also i was always wanting to pull george brett and ozzie smith cards. the royals and cardinals were my favorite teams when i was a kid

OAKESY25 · June 8, 2011 7:23AM

83 FLEER KITTLE, I grew up in Chicago and it was all about Kittle

Aric · June 8, 2011 7:28AM

Byrce Harper. Just kidding.

Gregg Jeffreies was HOT, HOT, HOT. And I fell for it hook, line and sinker. You are so correct about the look of Jefferies Topps RC. It just looked so right, how could it not be a winner? I recall using my birthday money to purchase his minor league set. It was my largest single card purchase at the time.

DavidPuddy · June 8, 2011 7:44AM

larryallen73 · June 8, 2011 7:54AM

'75 Topps - Fred Lynn and Jim Rice rookie cards.

MBMiller25 · June 8, 2011 7:55AM

1986 Donruss Jose Canseco.

EchoCanyon · June 8, 2011 7:59AM

Speaking of Jefferies and Mattingly, they both played 14 years. Guess who made more money?

Gregg Jefferies

Don Mattingly

Planemonkey · June 8, 2011 8:25AM

YogiBerraFan · June 8, 2011 8:31AM

1975 Topps Brett & Yount, 1977 Topps Dawson & Murphy, anything Mickey Mantle. The popular sets were 1952 & 1955 Bowman, 1951, 1962, 1971, 1975, 1977 Topps

A few years later everyone just had to have a 1984 Donruss Mattingly and then the 1985 Donruss Gooden followed by the 1986 Donruss Canseco. I mostly collected Topps at the time because the other brands were tough finds at the local candy stores. When I went to a card shop or show all bets were off

Dboneesq · June 8, 2011 8:43AM

I vaguely remember collecting cards a couple of years earlier, but 1967, when I was 9 years old, was when I can remember really being into it. I used to go around the neighborhood looking for empty bottles (small ones were 2 cent deposit and the larger one 5 cents). It was a HOMERUN when I found a large bottle. I'd run up to the Deli if I found a large bottle, put the bottle on the floor and Mr. Pete (the deli owner) would know I was going to take a pack of cards with that nickle. Being a native New Yawka, I would always look for the checklist to see what series THE MICK was in. THIS was the card I always looked for.

Edited to add: Mr. Pete, what a great guy he was. I will never forget the day we "pretended" to bring back bottles. As soon as you walked in the Deli you would go to your left and drop the bottles off. Then you would tell Mr. Pete what you brought in and he would give you the money or store credit. Well, one day we could not find any bottles. So my cousin and I walked into the store, immediately went the ten feet to our left and pretended to drop off bottles. (We probably banged all the other bottles together a thousand times so Mr. Pete would hear the sound of us dropping off our bottles.) We waited our turn, went up to the counter, and told Mr. Pete how many bottles we brought in. He knew we were BS ing, but let me take my packs of cards and my cousin his packs of candy. We walked out of that Deli thinking we just got away with the biggest heist of all time. Wellllllllllll, we found out differently when we got home. Mr. Pete called our parents and told them what we did. What happened to me? I'll leave that to your imagination! LOL

54topps · June 8, 2011 9:11AM

I started in 1980. I dont recall a HOT card then but I do recall in 1981 Fernando mania growing up in southern California.

Bosox1976 · June 8, 2011 9:13AM

1975 Topps Freddy Lynn and Jim Ed Rice RC's!

zep33 · June 8, 2011 9:15AM

<< 1975 Topps Freddy Lynn and Jim Ed Rice RC's! >>

+1

MrVintage · June 8, 2011 9:51AM

1990 upper deck Kevin Maas.

mcadams · June 8, 2011 9:52AM

When I was first getting started, I remember the 84 Donruss Daryll Strawberry being really hot. Sometime around the same period, I remember the 87 Donruss and 87 Fleer Will Clark being really hot.

storm888 · June 8, 2011 9:55AM

Duke Snider

Roy Campanella

Norm Van Brocklin

Bart Starr

Lou Groza

Johnny Unitas

HoofHearted · June 8, 2011 10:27AM

The #1 card in the '62T set was hot for obvious reasons!

I've still got the beater every one else gave up on after passing it around:

swartz1 · June 8, 2011 10:30AM

1985 topps Gary Pettis

Hallco · June 8, 2011 10:37AM

Started in 1993...any rare insert of Ken Griffey Jr or Frank Thomas was hot

BPorter26 · June 8, 2011 10:41AM

I think mine was the 1983 Topps Traded Darryl Starwberry.

thedutymon · June 8, 2011 10:48AM

<< 

Norm Van Brocklin

Bart Starr

Lou Groza

Johnny Unitas >>

Wow, finally somebody puts in real Athletes...Football Stars!!! Remember the study says that out of a 3 hour 15 minute Baseball game there is all of 14 minutes of action! Wow that's exciting!!!!!!!!

YeeHah

Neil

scashaggy · June 8, 2011 10:57AM

Growing up in Miami, this was the hot card.

I remember saving up every penny I could find for this card when I was around 10 or 12. I even had a jar that I marked "Marino Rookie Money".

rbdjr1 · June 8, 2011 11:09AM

As a kid in Cleveland, my first HOT CARD, in the early 60s, was "The Rock"

Rocky Colavito

rd

Don't remember the exact year? The Rock most likely wound-up in a "bicycle spoke"

itzagoner · June 8, 2011 11:16AM

dunno what was HOT when i got started, but i know i had to have '64 Topps Giants because they were bigger than the other cards and featured a lot of well-known players including the Hank Aaron card i still have buried somewhere around here, probably the only card left i still have from my childhood.

dpoole · June 8, 2011 11:18AM

<< As a kid in Cleveland, my first HOT CARD, in the early 60s, was "The Rock"

Rocky Colavito >>

Still remember his four homers in one game.

It was against the Tigers, wasn't it?

eagles33 · June 8, 2011 11:25AM

1991 pro set rocket ismail. i remember when the cards first came out the card was selling for 10 bucks. 1992 bowman foil emmitt smith was a huge hit.. over 100 bucks at one point. Ricky irvings 1991 stadium club.. and don't forget 1988 Nigerian Nightmare. and anything with bo jackson

rbdjr1 · June 8, 2011 11:36AM

<< 

<< As a kid in Cleveland, my first HOT CARD, in the early 60s, was "The Rock"

Rocky Colavito >>

Still remember his four homers in one game. It was against the Tigers, wasn't it? >>

I guess it was the mid 60s that The Rock was my HOT CARD (or everybody's HOT CARD in Cleveland)

rd

MantleMarisFordBerra · June 8, 2011 11:46AM

Can't believe this one hasn't been posted yet.

hookem · June 8, 2011 12:05PM

1990 (I think) Gold Leaf Rookie of Ryan Klesko

I also had a bunch of the Astros shortstop from I think 91 Upper Deck. Andujar Cendeno???

jacksoncoupage · June 8, 2011 12:49PM

<< 1991 pro set rocket ismail. i remember when the cards first came out the card was selling for 10 bucks. 1992 bowman foil emmitt smith was a huge hit.. over 100 bucks at one point. Ricky irvings 1991 stadium club.. and don't forget 1988 Nigerian Nightmare. and anything with bo jackson >>

I started in 1989 but really got into collecting in 1991. Some of the big-deal items back then:

1990 Upper Deck Ben McDonald Error
1990 Upper Deck Kevin Maas
1990 Upper Deck Dave Justice
1990 Score Bo Jackson Black/White
1990 Fleer Kevin Maas/George Canale
1990 Donruss Harold Baines All-Star Line Errors

1990-91 Upper Deck French Sergei Fedorov Young Guns
1990-91 Score Eric Lindros Canadian

1991 Upper Deck Heroes Header Cards
1991 Upper Deck Michael Jordan
1991 Upper Deck Bo Jackson White Sox Uni
1991 Upper Deck Phil Plantier
1991 Upper Deck Dan McGwire

1991 Stadium Club Frank Thomas
1991 Stadium Club Emmitt Smith
1991 Stadium Club Ricky Ervins
1991 O-Pee-Chee Premier Frank Thomas

1991 Score Jose Canseco Dream Team

All cards I still keep to this day in an overstuffed "best of the junk era" binder.

ldferg · June 8, 2011 12:59PM

<< 1979 Topps Bob Horner.

This guy didn't spend a day in the minors. I got one of these cards out of a cello pack.

Edited to see if I could figure out how to add an image. >>

+1

earlycalguy · June 8, 2011 1:06PM

79' Horner

+2

epatmythes · June 8, 2011 1:17PM

Maybe it was just me and where I lived, but I started collecting in 1987-88 time frame... and by far, the hottest card I remember (and it still wasn't all that valuable)... but expensive for "modern" back then...

1986 Topps Cecil Fielder

miconelegacy · June 8, 2011 1:37PM

I started around 87-88 too. My grandmother gave me an 85 Topps set for my birthday that year. I remember my mother telling me the set was going for over a $100 at that time, and to take good care of it. It meant a lot to me until 93 when I sold off all my cards at the local flea market. My dad, my brother and I would pay $15 I think for a 8 foot table. We would spread out all our stuff...memories. So I was selling cards back when I was 12-16.

I picked cards up in 08 again. With a different mindset. I did have 1 stint back in 03/04 with my brother back in NH. We dropped like $800 on some boxes hoping for an auto of Lebron. Did we get one, of course not.

But anyway, when I think back, taking out the star names of course...

Devon White
Todd Van Poppal
Ben McDonald
Delano Deshields
Todd Zeile
Jim Abbot
Mike Greenwell
Wally Joyner
Pete Incaviglia

Those come to mind.

corvette1340 · June 8, 2011 1:44PM

'84 Donruss Mattingly is the first one I really remember. My dad bought me one for $50 at a flea market and it was way off center, but back then that didn't really matter.

thehallmark · June 8, 2011 1:46PM

<< Duke Snider

Roy Campanella

Norm Van Brocklin

Bart Starr

Lou Groza

Johnny Unitas >>

Ah ha!! It all makes sense now.
No wonder you are so wise...

Frozencaribou · June 8, 2011 1:49PM

I remember how excited I was in 1985 to own a Dwight Gooden topps rookie. Man, things were a lot different back then. I remember selling my Don Mattingly topps for $1 and thinking it was like magic after I spent .35 on the pack at the corner store.

Dpeck100 · June 8, 2011 1:58PM

Any Dwight Gooden card was what you wanted to find in 1985!

This was like winning the lottery to a young guy like me.

onebamafan · June 8, 2011 2:20PM

1981 Fleer Vernand (o) Valenzuela rc

scmavl · June 8, 2011 11:49PM

<< Maybe it was just me and where I lived, but I started collecting in 1987-88 time frame... and by far, the hottest card I remember (and it still wasn't all that valuable)... but expensive for "modern" back then...

1986 Topps Cecil Fielder >>

When Fielder was getting close to breaking the single season HR record, I traded my '89 Griffey that I pulled from a pack for it. I've always regretted that one.

AMERTZ · June 9, 2011 12:01AM

PowderedH2O · June 9, 2011 1:10AM

I started collecting as an 8 year old in 1973. We didn't know anything about values or rookie cards. But, the hottest card in my neighborhood was the 1973 O.J. Simpson. O.J. in 1973 was the running back equivalent to 2007 Tom Brady. He was simply amazing! And I know that Dickerson broke the record by 102 yards (with two extra games to do it), but the Juice in 1973 was still better. And that Fall/Winter, in my neighborhood, you wanted THAT card.

ROCKDJRW · June 9, 2011 5:04AM

Great memories! In addition to the ones mentioned I wanted to add 1989 UD Jerome Walton & Dwight Smith as well as Gary Sheffield rookie cards. It seemed like a few years in a row he would get off to a monster start of the season.

Dialj · June 9, 2011 5:10AM

A non-hitting (at the time) 3rd Baseman named Schmidt. I hated the fact that the Penguin (Ron Cey) was on the same card.

frankhardy · June 9, 2011 6:03AM

For me, it was any 1984 Mattingly.

I also remember going through packs of 1988 Score to see if I could find the pack with the Jefferies. You could see every card through the wrapper because the cards were packaged so loose.

handyman · June 9, 2011 7:03AM

1989 Ken grieffy

saucywombat · June 9, 2011 9:59AM

Sandy Alomar, Jr. was huge.

Jim Abbott was the hombre.

Ken Griffey Jr. was the man.

Dateline 1989.

royalbrett · June 9, 2011 10:34AM

This was the last card I need to complete the set (put together a pack at a time back in '83). I actually paid another collector $5 after the '83 season for it.

scmavl · June 10, 2011 8:05AM

<< Sandy Alomar, Jr. was huge.

Jim Abbott was the hombre.

Ken Griffey Jr. was the man.

Dateline 1989. >>

Ah, I forgot about Alomar. Also, all of us '89 collectors should also remember the Fleer Billy Ripken debacle.

What do you recall as being THE HOT CARD when you first started collecting?

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