Top Ten Icons in the "Topps era"...1952 to present?

[mintonlyplz]

I would think collectors' perception of a player would have a significant correlation to the price of his cards...the other factors influencing price being scarcity of a player's cards as well as the aesthetics of the presentation (card design playing a role here). Here are mine in order. It will be interesting to see the rankings as well as inclusion or exclusion of players.


1. Mickey Mantle
2. Hank Aaron
3. Sandy Koufax
4. Willie Mays
5. Roberto Clemente
6. Nolan Ryan
7. Reggie Jackson
8. Bob Gibson
9. Stan Musial
10. Pete Rose

I noticed that my list was dominated by players who I watched growing up (watching less baseball now since free agency and steroid use) and by National Leaguers being from a National League city.

I would define an icon as a player who is/was influential (Bob Gibson's ERA of 1.12 in 1968 moved baseball to lower the mound the following season)...widely known...and/or stands the test of time through career achievements(record unapproachable). To put Pete Rose's career base hits total into perspective...if a player has 200 hits a season for 21 consecutive seasons...that player would still be 56 hits short and 200 hits in one season is not easily achieved. Or Nolan Ryan's career strikeout mark...if a pitcher fans 300 batters in a season for 19 consecutive seasons...that hurler would fall 14 strikeouts shy of 5714 KKs. And this remarkable feat of 300 strikeouts in a season has been accomplished ONLY 33 times in baseball history...and Nolan Ryan has 6 of those!

[DBesse27]

I would replace Gibson with Ripken.

[con40]

Your list is good except that it seems to end around 1985.

Somehow, George Brett and Derek Jeter have to be on there.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I don't understand the question.

[glynparson]

1. Mantle
2. Aaron
3. Clemente
4. Ryan
5. Rose
6. Koufax
7. Mays
8. Reggie
9. Maris
10. Jeter

Going by card demands nothing else. Better players than Maris but few with more demand. Left out Musial and Williams; Ted to many big issues prewar Musial not enough topps issues.

[tjenkins]

1. Mantle
2. Aaron
3. Clemente
4. Ryan
5. Rose
6. Koufax
7. Reggie
8. Yaz
9. Maris
10. Jeter

Going by card demands/abilities nothing else. Better players than Maris but few with more demand.

No Mays??

[glynparson]

I realized I missed mays so I put him in

[rats60]

1. Mantle
2. Clemente
3. Ted Williams
4. Mays
5. Koufax
6. Aaron
7. Ryan
8. Ripken
9. Rose
10. Musial

[Rookiemonster]

Deleted

[quinnsryche]

1. Mantle
2. Koufax
3. Ted Williams
4. Aaron
5. Clemente
6. Mays
7. Ryan
8. Rose
9. Maris
10. Jeter

When selling cards, this is the order in which I'd like to have the players available to my customers. Strictly selling, not who's best, favorite, most popular etc.

[MRSPORTSCARDCOLLECTOR]

I would think collectors' perception of a player would have a significant correlation to the price of his cards...the other factors influencing price being scarcity of a player's cards as well as the aesthetics of the presentation (card design playing a role here). Here are mine in order. It will be interesting to see the rankings as well as inclusion or exclusion of players.


1. Mickey Mantle
2. Hank Aaron
3. Sandy Koufax
4. Willie Mays
5. Roberto Clemente
6. Nolan Ryan
7. Reggie Jackson
8. Bob Gibson
9. Stan Musial
10. Pete Rose

I noticed that my list was dominated by players who I watched growing up (watching less baseball now since free agency and steroid use) and by National Leaguers being from a National League city.
Perfect List.
My only contention is I would put
Reggie Jackson(5 World Series Rings) and Pete Rose(All-time hits leader) higher up.

[MRSPORTSCARDCOLLECTOR]

Your list is good except that it seems to end around 1985.

Somehow, George Brett and Derek Jeter have to be on there.
Steroids really did a lot of damage.
I was trying to quickly come up with anybody else other than the two you mentioned and I only get Pedro Martinez.
One could argue Pedro Martinez could replace Koufax in the future.Think about how historians might look back on how Pedro dominated in the steroids era.
Any thoughts?

[ajquigs]

I'm thinking about the question as who are icons purely in my personal view. No chance anyone would agree with my list. I readily admit a pro-Mets bias. Still, while Mickey doesn't make my list, Jeter does and Mariano is hard to leave off, as is Cal.

Here are mine off the top of my head, which may not be a bad way to identify this category:

1. Jackie 2. Willie 3. Henry 4. Teddy Ballgame 5. Sandy 6. Stan the Man 7. Roberto 8. Tom Terrific 9. Pete 10. Derek.

[Neal]

Musial has 6 Topps cards .... stud HOFer, but Topps Icon nope

My list will include only players who have a Topps run of at least 15 years

1. Mantle
2. Aaron
3. Rose
4. Clemente
5. Mays
6. Schmidt
7. Ripken
8. Jeter
9. Reggie
10. Brett

[Peter_Spaeth]

Bench over Reggie. Greatest catcher of all time vs. one more slugging outfielder.

[Neal]

I could that, as I was thinking about that before I posted. Not a big Bench fan, so that probably was the reason :)

Also was thinking Carew

[Peter_Spaeth]

I could that, as I was thinking about that before I posted. Not a big Bench fan, so that probably was the reason :)

Also was thinking Carew

I would take Morgan over Carew, despite Carew's BA.

[MCoxon]

1. Mantle
2. Koufax
3. Ted Williams
4. Aaron
5. Clemente
6. Mays
7. Ryan
8. Rose
9. Maris
10. Jeter

When selling cards, this is the order in which I'd like to have the players available to my customers. Strictly selling, not who's best, favorite, most popular etc.


Furthering the idea that buyer/collector enthusiasm reflects which players are most "Iconic" - at least in the market place: one observation I've had is that serious player collectors can "skew" auctions or prices for individual players. For instance, Clemente at auction goes significantly higher than SMR time and time again; Aaron usually at SMR. My sense is that Aaron's collectors are more broad, but not as passionate, whereas Clemente has a few super-passionate collectors who drive up demand/prices.

Put another way, Aaron may have 1,000 collectors interested, but none passionate. Clemente may only have 200 collectors, but 100 passionate (I'm making up the numbers to illustrate the point). In this case, while Aaron has broader support, Clemente has deeper support which will drive prices in a different way, have his BIN cards sold in hours, etc., while Aaron pieces languish (comparatively)

I also find that Ted Williams cards have less demand, can be had at BIN or auction prices close to SMR, with good availability.

Mantle pieces go much higher than SMR, have much higher demand, etc. That might be a case of both broad and deep demand.

Feller is often available below SMR (I'm a player collector), especially on common issues.

of course, if SMR is meant to be a reflection of market prices, it would imply that Clemente and Mantle prices are experiencing significant price increases (which I think is true), but I also think there's something in the nature of these serious player collectors that causes them to disregard SMR

[JTysver]

1. Mantle- no words
2. Rose- Compare to Stargell and you can see the iconic nature
3. Ryan- Card typically sells for 4-5x the Bench Rookie and Ryan's is a DP
4. Clemente- Him, Aaron and Mays are in the same class- except his rookie is shooting up higher faster
5. Mays- Rookie going up also- My guess is when he passes, he could jump to number two. Back in the late 70s, early 80s, him and Mantle were almost co-number 1s.
6. Aaron- Rookie going up also
7. Jackie Robinson- Forget the rookie card, you can't keep any of his cards on the market too long
8. Sandy Koufax- The poor man's super icon. His cards typically value close to the Aaron, Mays, Clemente trio
9. Derek Jeter- Newer icon whose cards dominate the UV era
10. Mike Trout- Nobody whose cards hold value as well in today's game.

[Neal]

I would take Morgan over Carew, despite Carew's BA.

Morgan was probably the better all around player, but Rodney Cline Carew was a 70s batting ICON ....

a 72 Topps Carew has been on my wantlist for 35 years! lol

[Peter_Spaeth]

Morgan was probably the better all around player, but Rodney Cline Carew was a 70s batting ICON ....

a 72 Topps Carew has been on my wantlist for 35 years! lol

For all Carew's hitting their on base percentage and slugging percentage were virtually identical.

[Neal]

For all Carew's hitting their on base percentage and slugging percentage were virtually identical.

but not BA .... Carew in the 70s was the best hitter in baseball. Six batting titles.

Morgan is the better overall player, just not at the plate. Plus, Carew could hit lefties equally as well as RHPs

[Peter_Spaeth]

but not BA .... Carew in the 70s was the best hitter in baseball. Six batting titles.

Morgan is the better overall player, just not at the plate. Plus, Carew could hit lefties equally as well as RHPs

You are missing the point amigo -- AT THE PLATE Morgan had the same on base percentage and slugging average. He walked almost twice as much as Carew and had better power.

[David W]

1 - Mickey Mantle
2 - Nolan Ryan
3 - Ken Griffey Jr.
4 - Roberto Clemente
5 - Pete Rose
6 - Derek Jeter
7 - Hank Aaron
8 - Willie Mays
9 - Cal Ripken
10- Sandy Koufax

[Bored5000]

I know my perspective is influenced by being a kid growing up the late 1970s-early 1980s in the Philadelphia area, but I am shocked not to see Mike Schmidt at least make more of the lists posted on here.