MLB Baseball Cards-

[Mattingly23NY]

Come forth and tell us:
What MLB cards do you have, or had?

Do you still have the cards you collected as a kid?

What players cards, or years were your favorites,
or sought to collect? Include any error cards as well.

What cards did you once trade, and what did you get in return, which you may regret or made out for the better by trading; ie. -(Dumping McGwire/Bonds Rookie Cards, when those cards had peaked in prices)?

A couple of my own favorites, I still have:

1972 Thurman Munson-In Action: An error card, showing Munson and Sam McDowell on the front, but with Frank Harmon’s one game highlight on the back.

1990 Fleer Joe Montana: error card, has his TD’s and Passing Yardage reversed. Imagine as it reads: 3,521 TD’s with but 31 Yards passing, 3,653 TD’s with 27 Yards passing, et al.

Any year showing League Leaders in HR’s, B’Avg., Wins, ERA., Strikeout Leaders, and RBI Leaders. I always loved those, feeling as if I got 3 cards in one, of mostly HOF caliber players. Of course 50s-60s era cards have a lot of Hall of Fame players in those League Leaders Cards.

I could go on forever, on this subject, but am more curious about what you had or have had, traded for et al.

 

[yankeesince59]

...hell, I wish I still had some of the cards I had and then threw away as a kid. I'd spend all my money on cards that came in either 1 cent or 5 cent packs, both came with that awful bubble gum as a bonus.

...the crummy cards no one wanted were relegated to being clipped to my bicycle with clothes pins so that they made a cool noise as the flapped on my spokes.

...for me, the holy grail was a Mantle card and though I don't recall actually ever finding one in a pack of cards, I do vividly remembering trading a Minnie Minoso and a Duke Snider for a Mantle card...ahhh, good times.

 

[Hammerojustice]

I think the best I have/had is a Mattingly Rookie card... I didn't get cards as a season for more than like 2 or 3 years...

 

[Rick2583]

I think right now people should be looking for the rookie cards of Puig & Trout. Any others come to mind?

 

[Pastafazul]

got a bunch of cards by the way of an old friend, would borrow money from me and not pay back, so i got his card collection. Rookie cards of the likes of clemens, bonds. big mac etc.. funny, none of em will be worth anything, PEDS? then i found some of my own cards i had as a kid, clemente, remember the kelloggs hallogram cards? got some good ones, looked it up some worth $60 apiece... then there's my own sellin for a bus ticket. local that is!

 

[Rick2583]

got a bunch of cards by the way of an old friend, would borrow money from me and not pay back, so i got his card collection. Rookie cards of the likes of clemens, bonds. big mac etc.. funny, none of em will be worth anything, PEDS? then i found some of my own cards i had as a kid, clemente, remember the kelloggs hallogram cards? got some good ones, looked it up some worth $60 apiece... then there's my own sellin for a bus ticket. local that is!

I'm sure as a former ML player that you also have your share of autographs.

 

[Pastafazul]

I'm sure as a former ML player that you also have your share of autographs.

not 1! never thought of it, it really wasn't prevalent amongst us. even the cards of my teammates, we never signed for each other when they came in, nowadays. i'm pretty sure they all do it $$$$

 

[Rick2583]

not 1! never thought of it, it really wasn't prevalent amongst us. even the cards of my teammates, we never signed for each other when they came in, nowadays. i'm pretty sure they all do it $$$$

How could you have not thought of it? A few years back I was having a few drinks with Steve Karsey who grew up in the same town I hung out out in when I was younger & he told me that he got autographs of many of the players he played with like Henderson & Gossage from when he started with Oakland, Manny & Doc from his days with the Indians. And all the greats with the Yankees from Clemens to jeter, Bernie & Posada & even Mo's.

Pasta unless you played with guys that just wasn't worth it I can't believe you didn't think of it.

 

[totus44]

A couple of Topps complete sets from the late 70s. Still at my folks place in storage. Definitely a couple of rare cards in that collection, turns out a bunch of cards from my dad ended up in the misc. pile. Some cards dating back to the 40s, but I haven't looked at them in 30 years. Waiting for the sets to hit 50.

 

[Rick2583]

A couple of Topps complete sets from the late 70s. Still at my folks place in storage. Definitely a couple of rare cards in that collection, turns out a bunch of cards from my dad ended up in the misc. pile. Some cards dating back to the 40s, but I haven't looked at them in 30 years. Waiting for the sets to hit 50.

Totus I think you should make the time to go through them. If for no other reason then to put the more valuable ones in plastic holders so they stay new. Recently a friend showed me a 1965 topps Willie Mays card that he had in a plastic holder. He took it out of the case & I could swear you could still smell the bubble gum on it.

 

[totus44]

Mom and Dad put everything into those plastic holders a long time ago. Should have sold them in the 90s when the market was highest. Pries have slipped 10-30% since then, but has flattened out. In another 10 years will sell and gift the money to my nephew to pay for his college.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Ive got like 10k cards, all the big rookie cards from the 80s, some 1960s football cards, David Robinson's rookie card, old Jordans, I have jaromir jagrs rookie card, patrick roy, a few giants cards from the 70s, and a great collection of will Clark Haha.

Like someone else mentioned though, the commons aren't worth the paper they are printed on, the market dropped out for everything except the cream of the crop

 

[Rick2583]

Mom and Dad put everything into those plastic holders a long time ago. Should have sold them in the 90s when the market was highest. Pries have slipped 10-30% since then, but has flattened out. In another 10 years will sell and gift the money to my nephew to pay for his college.

That's pretty much what I had planed for my grandsons with the rookie cards I had. Unfortunately, Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, A-Rod etc had to take short cuts.

Let me ask you, besides getting rookie cards of guys like Puig & Trout what cards would you be looking to get now?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

I have a bunch of garbage pail kids cards

You guys remember sportflix? Those cards that you can wiggle and the image changes? I have full sets of a couple years (88 and 89?)

Have some topps 3d cards, Brett saberhagen and Doin mattingly I believe, kobe rookie, Tim hardaway rookie, Gary Payton rookie, bunch of basketball and hockey cards

 

[3RA1N1AC]

That's pretty much what I had planed for my grandsons with the rookie cards I had. Unfortunately, Bonds, Clemens, McGuire, A-Rod etc had to take short cuts.

Let me ask you, besides getting rookie cards of guys like Puig & Trout what cards would you be looking to get now?

Not to butt in, but the cards you want now are the game worn jersey or autographed cards. Byron Buxton looks like the next big thing

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Be wary of the "hot prospects" though, I think I have 25 mint condition Ben McDonald rookies

 

[Rick2583]

Not to butt in, but the cards you want now are the game worn jersey or autographed cards. Byron Buxton looks like the next big thing

Let me ask before anyone else does, who the hell is Byron Buxton?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

#1 prospect from the twins, a revolutionary prospect if there ever was one

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Manny machado might be a good one, his injury is troubling though, maybe you would be buying low?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Bryce harper obviously...

 

[Rick2583]

#1 prospect from the twins, a revolutionary prospect if there ever was one

But is he stellar?

 

[3RA1N1AC]

That remains to be seen, scouts like him a bunch

 

[Mattingly23NY]

...hell, I wish I still had some of the cards I had and then threw away as a kid. I'd spend all my money on cards that came in either 1 cent or 5 cent packs, both came with that awful bubble gum as a bonus.

...the crummy cards no one wanted were relegated to being clipped to my bicycle with clothes pins so that they made a cool noise as the flapped on my spokes.

...for me, the holy grail was a Mantle card and though I don't recall actually ever finding one in a pack of cards, I do vividly remembering trading a Minnie Minoso and a Duke Snider for a Mantle card...ahhh, good times.

Great story 59- I can relate to those MLB sports card days. Although my buddies put their MLB/NFL/NBA cards in the spokes of Schwinn Sting Rays. I would opt to kipe some of my Mom's playing cards. Every weekend or so, she would play Canasta & other games with here family. I'd always get the "Bobby, what the hell did you do with my cards, I don't have one full set". She kept 4 packs. Due to my habit to ruin her cards, and not mine. Her family began to bring their own card sets. My Grandad would chuckle when he heard her chewing me out, then he'd give me a quarter, and off to the store I went to buy more Wax Packs.

I clearly recall those 1 cent packs, then 2 cents, 3 cent, then a NICKEL-WTF? (I thought the gum would of not been so hard and stale, once the price rose to a nickel: Oh, now they're going to give me fresh gum, that doesn't break my teeth. I would take a bag with me to Little League Practice. On the way home afterwards, I'd find plenty of quart Coca-Cola bottles, (redemption value=10cents), a single 12 or 16 oz. bottle was redeemed for a nickel.

Same here, always on the look out for Mantle, Ford, Berra, Howard (Ellie and Frank), Mays, McCovey, Marichal, Koufax, Drysdale......et al. Those were truly the Golden Years.

I hope that doesn't mean were also antiques...

 

[Pastafazul]

How could you have not thought of it? A few years back I was having a few drinks with Steve Karsey who grew up in the same town I hung out out in when I was younger & he told me that he got autographs of many of the players he played with like Henderson & Gossage from when he started with Oakland, Manny & Doc from his days with the Indians. And all the greats with the Yankees from Clemens to jeter, Bernie & Posada & even Mo's.

Pasta unless you played with guys that just wasn't worth it I can't believe you didn't think of it.

Personally, i don't like asking for anything.

2 org.s, many leagues, instructional ball, having had the priviledge of playing with some of the best, and hanging out with a few, just didn't want to bother em.

do i regret it , not for myself, but for my kids? YES

 

[Pastafazul]

i have a card, who has the picture of 1 player and the stats of another, it is a misprint obviously, not a great player.. curious to know what it is worth...

 

[Mattingly23NY]

I think the best I have/had is a Mattingly Rookie card... I didn't get cards as a season for more than like 2 or 3 years...

Always a great card back then and now! I'll never forget gambling on a Topps-rack pack back then, and finding my first Mattingly Rookie.

84 Donruss/Fleer/Topps-Mattingly cards, got pricy for quit awhile, back then. Now, one can buy any of them for a 1/4 what they were selling for.

Then again, my 58 Maris Rookie, plummeted like all cards, to 1/4 of its value, as has many great Hall Of Fame Rookie Cards, and their additional following years of cards, thereafter: (less a Topps 52 Mantle, or T-206 H. Wagner). Even then, with a very soft market, obtaining or trading for Hall Of Fame players cards, (pre-1986 cards) are always a worthy venture.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

A couple of Topps complete sets from the late 70s. Still at my folks place in storage. Definitely a couple of rare cards in that collection, turns out a bunch of cards from my dad ended up in the misc. pile. Some cards dating back to the 40s, but I haven't looked at them in 30 years. Waiting for the sets to hit 50.

Totus I think you should make the time to go through them. If for no other reason then to put the more valuable ones in plastic holders so they stay new. Recently a friend showed me a 1965 topps Willie Mays card that he had in a plastic holder. He took it out of the case & I could swear you could still smell the bubble gum on it.

I agree, Totus, you have to be sitting on some great cards. 1940s Holy Cow, do you want me to drive down and help you open those old boxes? J/K...those 70s had some great rookies, and of course Hall of Famers too. Sure you don't want me to drive down, hell I'd parachute in to see those 40s cards of your Father's, as well as your own.

 

[Mattingly23NY]

I think right now people should be looking for the rookie cards of Puig & Trout. Any others come to mind?

Yes, Puig, Trout, Goldschmidt, Corbin, Wacca. Maybe-Byron Buxton (OF, #1 Mid-season Baseball America‘s Prospect), Byron Bradley (D‘Backs-SP rookie), Xander Boegarts (Bosox top prospect SS), could turn out to be good to great historical players. Quit a few others.

Funny though, how many Top Prospects, (only approximately 25-30% according to Prospectus) make it to have a decent career. That's not including those very very few who will ever be considered great enough to garner HOF votes.

However-

Pitchers are always suspect when collecting their cards. Or investing big contracts for their services. I heard Corbin is already on the DL with a worn out arm. So many great Pitcher’s start out with a big bang, only to fall prey to the knife. Ex: 85 Topps-Brett Saberhagen, Orel Hershiser, to many to name, from all years of MLB History.

So often a player makes a huge splash, only to decline from injury. PED use, has more than destroyed collecting sports cards.

 

[3RA1N1AC]

Byron Bradley (D‘Backs-SP rookie)

archie bradley?

and yeah, pitchers are a crapshoot, as evidenced by my amazing ben mcdonald collection

 

[Hammerojustice]

Ive got like 10k cards, all the big rookie cards from the 80s, some 1960s football cards, David Robinson's rookie card, old Jordans, I have jaromir jagrs rookie card, patrick roy, a few giants cards from the 70s, and a great collection of will Clark Haha.

Like someone else mentioned though, the commons aren't worth the paper they are printed on, the market dropped out for everything except the cream of the crop

I honestly didn't even know there were hockey cards.... love hockey and never knew...