What was the last baseball card?

[RCMcKenzie]

When did baseball card collecting end? I mean, no matter the grade, you had the card. To me early 80's. I don't understand collecting today's cards. I don't know what Mike Trout's rookie is? Is that my bad? Barry Bonds rookie is not a "collectible" is that on me?

[glynparson]

When did baseball card collecting end? I mean, no matter the grade, you had the card. To me early 80's. I don't understand collecting today's cards. I don't know what Mike Trout's rookie is? Is that my bad? Barry Bonds rookie is not a "collectible" is that on me?

Yes that's on you. Many still collect modern. i don't, but many do, and thats a good thing. People should be able to collect what players they want to collect.

[Leon]

Yes that's on you. Many still collect modern. i don't, but many do, and thats a good thing. People should be able to collect what players they want to collect.

Did I miss where he said you can't collect what you want to? No need to put words in his mouth. For me it stopped after the 1994-1995 strike. Actually that made me dislike MLB not cards. I quit collecting as a young kid and then started again as a 30 something....To me a Trout is a fish. SO for me it was probably 1972 was when I stopped. I did love those crazy colors though.

[slidekellyslide]

I quit collecting modern cards in 1989. I just do not like the shiny cards at all. I really like the modern throwback sets on real cardboard though. I can tell you the year and company of probably every hall of famer pre-1990, but I too have no idea what the hobby considers Mike Trout's rookie card. That's just my opinion though and I realize that there are lots of people who love the shiny era of cards. Collect what you like.

[mechanicalman]

I'm with Dan. My last great card was 89 UD Griffey. I dropped off with the uninspiring 1990 designs. I generally have no interest in modern, but I recently bought the 2011 Topps Update Trout (base card, not the Raspberry Sorbet Super Refractor 1/1), and I didn't hate it.

[Throttlesteer]

To me a Trout is a fish. .

Tim Salmon and kevin Bass agree

[BleedinBlue]

Tim Salmon and kevin Bass agree

Was Mike Carp unavailable to comment? I know Jess Pike is dead.

[rats60]

When did baseball card collecting end? I mean, no matter the grade, you had the card. To me early 80's. I don't understand collecting today's cards. I don't know what Mike Trout's rookie is? Is that my bad? Barry Bonds rookie is not a "collectible" is that on me?

To me it would be the 1973 high numbers. There was always the chase to find each series of cards. In 1974, you just bought boxes until you had all the cards or you were close enough to just mail order the last few.

[Rookiemonster]

It’s a big in you but in the Modern collecting world it’s hard to find a “Rookie” of most players.


Barry Bonds Topps traded Tiffany is pretty collectiable. If you have any that you don’t want you can send them my way.

I stopped collecting for one year 1995 and regretted it. I slowed down around 2000 and would only pick up a few packs here and there. 2004 I was back and started to change my collecting habits.

Baseball card collecting has not stopped.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Was Mike Carp unavailable to comment? I know Jess Pike is dead.

Not to mention brothers Lip and Izzy Pike, Clarence Pickrel (cheating a little) Catfish Hunter (Cheating a lot!)

[btcarfagno]

I would say either 1982 or 1983 for me. Still collected for my favorite players/teams etc. In 1984 I was 13 and started earning some money and the 1984 Donruss set was known to be tough to find. I became obsessed with it due to the value, along with the Mattingly and Strawberry rookies in the NY/NJ area...that was it. After that I was no longer a collector except for certain players. It started to become about the money for me. So I guess 1983 was the last year of my true collecotor-dom.

[Orioles1954]

I've actually gone from collecting pre-war to modern. I really enjoying busting cheaper boxes in the $30-50 range and sorting through the cards.

[hysell]

To me guys, i went into the mid 2010's . but have went back to my sets & all most { ALL } of my { UV }/ junk coated sets 1994- mid 2000's are junk now! All stuck to each other like bricks , so I'm just working on my vintage cards ..now , plus to me ED just TOOK it all down hill & it's never stopped & Topps just puts out the same dull sets ! { SP } cards, now , for real ! I never got as many Griffey, JR cards as the other so called commons in any box & would guess it's true most of the bigger stars ?:eek:Rob,

[Orioles1954]

To me guys, i went into the mid 2010's . but have went back to my sets & all most { ALL } of my { UV }/ junk coated sets 1994- mid 2000's are junk now! All stuck to each other like bricks , so I'm just working on my vintage cards ..now , plus to me ED just TOOK it all down hill & it's never stopped & Topps just puts out the same dull sets ! { SP } cards, now , for real ! I never got as many Griffey, JR cards as the other so called commons in any box & would guess it's true most of the bigger stars ?:eek:Rob,

You're right about the UV cards turning into bricks. The modern hobby is FAR more about player/team collecting than it is getting a complete set.

[Throttlesteer]

You're right about the UV cards turning into bricks. The modern hobby is FAR more about player/team collecting than it is getting a complete set.

It's hard to choose and collect one of the hundreds of sets produced each year. Also, with a third of most sets being made up of super short printed rookies that cost hundreds a piece (most of which wont ever amount to anything), it just doesnt make sense.

[tschock]

For me, I (almost) totally stopped buying new stuff (Topps) around 2012. A few years after that, I got rid of (almost) all of my post 1980 cards and am working on going backwards from there and moving those out. The plan is until I start having a really hard time letting something go. It's hard for a collector to do that, but I found I haven't missed what I moved out so far.

I was always a set builder, and still work on putting vintage sets together, but I'm also a "that looks really cool" collector and buy that way as well, with no 'set' intentions. I found that to keep my toes in the water for modern cards that still have that retro feel, I will put together Giants team sets for each year. My modern cards of choice for this are the Topps Heritage. There are some well designed modern releases out there, but to me it's too much of a good(?) thing, so I keep my focus narrowed to these, with the occasional pack pick-up when I need a fix, or possibly a box buy when it is dirt cheap.

[HercDriver]

For me, it was when I went to a show in Chicago back in 1981. I was looking to find all the stupid errors from Fleer and Donruss that I hadn't come across yet. But I kept getting drawn back to a table that had a stack of T205s for about $200 or something. I finally pulled the trigger, and skipped out of there as one happy lad!!

Take Care,
Geno

[jcmtiger]

1990 for modern for me. When I moved last year I gave 2 cases of Donruss 1990 to my son for his two boys.
Joe

[leaflover]

The 67 Banks is my 'newest' favorite card.

[Santo10Fan]

Mike Trout's 2009 Bowman prospect refractor autos are the highest priced baseball cards of the last decade. BGS gem mints usually fetch at least $30K-at auction. There's an investor class that matriculated in the mid 2000s and those people seem to be really interested in any/all Trout autos. I'm assuming for every Ken Kendrick who has a publicly known Grade-A collection, there's tons of other CEO types hoarding gems in vingtage and modern, across all sports they're interested in. Panini does the top NBA modern cards. I'm not interested but I've seen some of the current players fetch five figures for their rather recent rookie autos. Probstein123 has a useful email subsrciption-it always announces ebay promo codes and its auctions of modern cards can give you a good sense of the market.

[bbcard1]

While I like prewar, I'm getting close to having everything I can reasonably obtain...Usually what happens is that I get a substantial lot of a set I find interesting and build it out. 1941 Playballs were the last one I did.

Working on 1950s, probably a mid-grade Kaline in my next target, still working on my birth year set, 1961...probalby will have it finished within the year, but the last card I bought was a Trout auto this morning.

There are a lot of good players today and the game is still interesting to me, so the cards are still interesting to me. Yeah, I wish it wasn't so homer-cyntric, but it will change soon enough. The Royal won the World Series just three years ago and they had a team that is completely different than the top teams today.

[CobbSpikedMe]

For me it was the early 1990's when more and more sets were coming out each year and the designs were lacking. Then I picked it up again around 2000 when I got into vintage and prewar. I don't know much about modern cards any more. I do occasionally buy some game used/auto cards of players that I like. I think some of those are cool looking and fun to collect. But if I'm going to spend real money on a card it's going to be vintage or prewar.

[pokerplyr80]

While I primarily collect vintage I do have a few modern cards, and have even broken open a few modern packs or boxes and participated in a few of those online group breaks. But for the most part my collection ends with the 89 UD Griffey as well.

One of my favorite cards is a Favre / Rodgers dual on card auto. Doesn't get much better for a Packer Fan.

[iwantitiwinit]

I consider 1972 to be the last great card issue so that would be #787 Ron Reed.

[bmattioli]

1989 Upper Deck was the last I bought packs. Couldn't believe they were $1.00 per pack what the hell.. Basketball was just starting to get hot. Too bad I missed out on the 86 Fleer which sat right next to the "Hotter" Baseball. Could have had all I wanted..

[bbnut]

Not to mention brothers Lip and Izzy Pike, Clarence Pickrel (cheating a little) Catfish Hunter (Cheating a lot!)

And Jim "Mudcat" Grant, too (it's a catfish, so this counts).

[GregZakwin]

Trout's "true" rookie. He's only the best player of his generation, one of the best ever already, and could easily end up the best ever. Who could ever find enjoyment in collecting his cards....

https://images.psacard.com/s3/cu-psa/cardfacts/2011-topps-update-us175-mike-trout-gem-mt-10-67531.jpg?h=1000&format=png&s.roundcorners=10

[SAllen2556]

1981 ended it for me. Topps cards were ugly and cheap looking - for the third year in a row I thought. Plus, I bought two boxes and wasn't even close to a complete set, which seemed on purpose. And, I wanted no part of Fleer or Donruss.

So for me, my last card is a 1978 Burger King Detroit Tiger. Those are the last new cards I HAD to have.

[Copa7]

I thought it was great to have three different companies in 1981.

However, I now feel different as there are way too many sets and cards in the sets.

So I stopped getting any new cards, and in particular, not do not specifically collect other sports except pre-1970.

I don't feel like I'm missing out because I don't have some modern rookie that has 100,000 copies or one that is 1 of 1.

I enjoy cards that have been handled, collected and even passed through generations.

I do not discriminate against those who collect modern
If I have a card they may need, I'd be more than happy to pass it on.

[wvpccollector]

Junk wax era kind of killed it for me. I was out of collecting a long time. Fire got reignited with my son who collects the modern guys and I now collect the vintage, rookies and hall of famers. I did briefly get back in in 2011 and bought my son the Trout Topps Update rookie in PSA 10 for $47. He is an Angels fan and Trout is his favorite player. I should have bought 10 of them! My son and I went to Cooperstown for the induction this year for the first time (He is a Vlad fan) and seeing all the card shops and returning hall of famers ignited the fire again. I mainly collect the 30's-70's now of hall of famers with the occasional older (couple t206 and 32 Ruth Sanella). Between my son and I, we have vintage and the modern kind of covered. It is fun for both of us.

[rats60]

Trout's "true" rookie. He's only the best player of his generation, one of the best ever already, and could easily end up the best ever. Who could ever find enjoyment in collecting his cards....


It's just hype by Topps and Panini to sell cards.

[x2drich2000]

While I continued to collect for a few years after, I think the real downfall for me started with 93 Finest. I remember the first time I saw packs, they were $18 each. While I could still afford packs of Stadium Club, Ultra, Flair, or the like if I really wanted them, but I couldn't afford even a pack a week for Finest. Today, it seems like kids are priced out of most products before they are even released and the products kids can afford barely get any mention.

DJ

[btcarfagno]

Definitely no disrespect to the modern collector. They are a vital part of the broader hobby and I am very grateful that they are able to enjoy doing their thing.

To each his/her own.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

While I continued to collect for a few years after, I think the real downfall for me started with 93 Finest. I remember the first time I saw packs, they were $18 each. While I could still afford packs of Stadium Club, Ultra, Flair, or the like if I really wanted them, but I couldn't afford even a pack a week for Finest. Today, it seems like kids are priced out of most products before they are even released and the products kids can afford barely get any mention.

DJ

I've often thought if I won the lottery I'd start a card company called JPC. Just Plain Cards. They would be released in series with short prints and double prints and cost 99¢ a pack.

[WillBBC]

Still waiting on it.

I could never justify spending the money for any of the 390583049 redundant high end products but I still happily open boxes upon boxes of Topps series 1 and 2, Heritage, and every now and then some Stadium Club.

The redundant high end products like Dynasty, Diamond Icons, Tribute, Five Star, Museum--they put out some incredible looking cards but year after year they're the exact same. Why would I spend 200 bucks for a pack when I go on eBay and get the one autograph from those sets that I want for 20 bucks?

People enjoy the thrill of opening those and they have quite the following, more power to them!

I'm not trying to sound snide--but is it really that difficult to do the research to find out which cards are Trout's rookie cards? I know there are two schools of thought, the pre RC label and the 'true' RC label crowd but beyond that--what makes it so difficult?

You could hop on eBay, type in 'Trout rookie' or 'Trout RC' and have an understanding of what the collecting world views as his rookie cards-in either school of thought.

[GregZakwin]

It's just hype by Topps and Panini to sell cards.

You mean the overabundance of products? Of course, they're businesses I would expect them to hype things up to stay in business. I don't collect as much modern as I used to but I still find enjoyment in great cards of my favorite guys or of a legend like Trout.

[Chris Counts]

I agree 1972 is the last great card issue, although for me, the official end came in 1974 when all the cards came out on opening day. It was such a let-down. I started collecting vintage, went to my first card show, and never looked back.

[Leon]

+1 Can't be said often enough that all baseball card collectiing is good collecting :).

Definitely no disrespect to the modern collector. They are a vital part of the broader hobby and I am very grateful that they are able to enjoy doing their thing.

To each his/her own.

[ejharrington]

For me, it was 1987. I think the new cards look great and a lot of them are innovative. However, I could never collect the modern cards only because there is so many of them and my goal is to collect my favorite players to completion using a checklist. For example, I love Ichiro but I believe he has about 10,000 cards per his checklist and therefore it is impossible for me to get even close to them all.

[RCMcKenzie]

Thanks for all the feedback, gang. Lots of interesting responses. I now know the Trout rook is this superfractor that sold for over 400,000 dollars. I'd rather have a T206 Wagner beater, but that's me. The hobby is alive and well, that's for sure.

[rats60]

Thanks for all the feedback, gang. Lots of interesting responses. I now know the Trout rook is this superfractor that sold for over 400,000 dollars. I'd rather have a T206 Wagner beater, but that's me. The hobby is alive and well, that's for sure.

Wagner is already considered one of the all time greats. Bill James has him #2 behind Babe Ruth. Trout is today's hot player. I remember when it was Ken Griffey Jr. Then he started getting hurt and his numbers fell off. Then it was Albert Pujols. Then when he went to the Angels and his numbers fell off.

Last year, Trout got hurt and only played 114 games. This year Trout got hurt and has missed 21 games so far. If this pattern continues, it could catch up to him and he doesn't reach the milestones that are already baked into that 400k number. Or he starts putting up average numbers as he hits his 30s. Or he retires early because of injuries...

[puckpaul]

i really wanted to collect the modern cards and be entertained. deGrom has been my favorite player since he came up, and i bought a bunch of his "
rookies" on EBAY. i have NO idea if i bought the right one(s). if someone had to own the DeGrom rookie, where would they turn and which one will reflect his value the most? i just cannot figure it out. many of the cards are boring or just different color scheme versions of the same card. i figured signed cards with low numbers are probably the most interesting for value. some went for crazy prices already, so hard to see the upside...especially if you guess wrong and buy the wrong ones that no one wants.

i guess if i find some interesting card to buy of a favorite, i will still do it, but i find it impossible to navigate.

i have a hard time even looking up the cards i have, not sure what they are called!

[Rhotchkiss]

1988-89 is the year(s) the music died for me. I didn’t mind the early-mid 80’s, and we all seemed to know that 1982-83 was Topps, 1984-85 was Donruss, 1986 sucked, 1987 was fleer, and then 1988 Bowman came back, and sportflicks (I think was name), and then upper deck, and that’s when I was done collecting new cards. Now I only own two cards that are newer than 1920 - a 33 goudey Lajoie and a 35 National Chicle Nagurski

[clydepepper]

Did I miss where he said you can't collect what you want to? No need to put words in his mouth. For me it stopped after the 1994-1995 strike. Actually that made me dislike MLB not cards. I quit collecting as a young kid and then started again as a 30 something....To me a Trout is a fish. SO for me it was probably 1972 was when I stopped. I did love those crazy colors though.


Leon- I recently conversed with a younger member who had no idea the 1994 World Series was canceled. I had to reach down and pick my jaw up off the floor.

I've never stopped collecting, though there some players who I will not collect...my own choice based on my own conclusions.

I do have to correct myself and confess to stopping temporarily at the time of the afore-mentioned strike...1993 was the last year for three of my favorites: Ryan, Brett & Yount. Attending their inductions six years later 'eased my pain'.

[Leon]

I guess we have are own things that make us tick. MLB has never regained it's luster but at least cards have been fun again for several years running.



Leon- I recently conversed with a younger member who had no idea the 1994 World Series was canceled. I had to reach down and pick my jaw up off the floor.

I've never stopped collecting, though there some players who I will not collect...my own choice based on my own conclusions.

I do have to correct myself and confess to stopping temporarily at the time of the afore-mentioned strike...1993 was the last year for three of my favorites: Ryan, Brett & Yount. Attending their inductions six years later 'eased my pain'.