[packs]

Originally Posted by BobC

And exactly why I said earlier that not everyone is going to consider a Bond Bread card as a "true" card.

Remember all the years Beckett showed Ruth's rookie card as being his '33 Goudey cards? There actually is a big difference between being a player's first ever issue, and their first, nationally recognized and distributed "true" card.

I've always kind of figured the main reason behind the '48 Sports Thrills set not being always so well like and appreciated is because it includes many retired, older players, and not just all current players, and the various historically significant times and events in the history of baseball that they were part of. So, in that respect at least, it is not like a typical Bowman, Topps, or Goudey set of baseball cards of then all (or mostly all) current players. In this case though, Swell lucked out and produced this set right after Robinson entered the majors with the Dodgers, and they made sure to include Jackie's debut as part of this set. Name another sports card set or issue that preceded the '48 Sports Thrills cards that mentions and documents Jackie's debut and historical achievement. To me, that adds some significance to this particular card as well.

The Bond Bread portrait does those things and was released a full year earlier in 1947. It was available in every American city that had a baseball team at the time.