Most iconic baseball card image
 

It was posted on a different post that the 1933 Goudey Ruth #144 is the most iconic card. I disagree. I think it’s the t206 Wagner, hands down. But why not put it to a vote. I have listed 5 iconic cards. By iconic I mean most noticeable or recognized by the population on whole- not most valuable, not best looking, but the image that would represent baseball cards if only one could be chosen for a time capsule or to show an alien, or something.

My order is:

1. T206 Wagner
2. 1952 Topps Mantle
3. T206 red Cobb portrait
4. 1933 Ruth #144
5. 1914 Cracker Jack Jackson

I think 1954 Topps Aaron, 1968 Nolan Ryan, 1989 UD Griffey, and 1987 (I think) Billy Ripken Fuck Face card could all be honorable mention

I have all 5 of those. So hard to choose. Just kidding.

I voted for Honus. Has been the most iconic card in the hobby since I was a kid. In fairness to the other post though I think they were asking to vote on the most beautiful, not iconic.

Those are truly the Iconic 5

The Wagner is by far number 1 and then Mantle #2

After that it is a toss up but I would put the Ruth 3, then Cobb and Then Jackson

Anybody know how I can edit the poll so that the 5th option says “1952 Topps Mantle”??

Leon, can you help? Thanks

Where's T206 Wajo port?

i voted wagner.

i actually think the cracker jack cobb may be more iconic than the jackson?

more people know cobb better, so recognition of the non-collector is actually much higher? just my opinion, for nerds like us it's probably jackson due to value but iconic doesn't just mean what we think - it's what the general public thinks

That is correct! My poll was for most beautiful iconic; not just most iconic and not just most beautiful.

That said, I love this idea for a poll as well, and have Wags as the #1 far and away leader here.

I voted for the Mantle rookie as the card that would be recognized by the public at large. I really don't know, though. Babe Ruth is probably still the most recognized name, without regard to his cards. Mike Trout has sold just behind the Wagner and Mantle, but I don't think he's generally well known.

i agree with this order...and the rationale!!!

Inside the hobby I think these top 5 are probably the 5 most iconic (or close to it). If you ask people outside the hobby to name famous baseball cards I think T206 Wagner and 52 Mantle would be the only 2 of the 5 people would mention. 89 Griffey would be 3rd and sadly Ripken 4th.

Wagner and Mantle. The rest are way behind.

^This...many members on here are VERY familiar and focused on pre-war cards...while I would say many have neither seen nor heard of the other three (I would argue that isn't even the most well known Ruth card to the masses). The pre-war bias as you might call it...as others have mentioned the 89 UD Griffey...I would put that in the top 5...not sure what else though I am biases towards the 1990 Thomas NNOF!

I was actually referring to Howard’s comment on the REA results thread, but re-reading that, he calls the 33 Goudey Ruth #144 the poster-card of prewar gum cards (not most iconic image, period)

Dr.

Let’s share the love Cobb already has 1 card on the list does he really need 2 cards?
Actually CJ Cobb is iconic but to me the T206 is more iconic as a result I could not personally but the 2nd Cobb on the list.
And Jackson is iconic and the Cracker Jack is his most iconic card so I can see it on the list.
Transparency I am a Jackson fan. If anyone could not have guessed

Cobb doesn’t need two on the list.

Wagner is THE T206, so Cobb T206 shouldn’t be there. I would put Cobb CJ on there, again because he’s more known than Jackson outside collecting circles. I’d love to add a CJ Jackson to my collection, but he’s not iconic in my view.

I don’t think Ruth really has an iconic card. An autographed baseball is what I would pick for him.

Wagner and Mantle are the cards the general public would recognize, it’s a large gap from them to the next cards.

I would characterize 144 a the most iconic card of the best player ever. That's just my thinking though...a friend of mine said it best: when you close your eyes and think of a Ruth card, you probably picture 144.

That may not be right for everyone but I think it is for many.

1. Wagner T206
2. Mantle 52T
3. Ruth Goudey 144

After that, I think it's a steep dropoff. I doubt the Jackson comes into the mind of most people. The Cobb red T206 would be in the conversation. The 6 or 7 card find about 10ish years ago that made all the media rounds gave it more exposure to non-collectors. That, and the fact most baseball fans know the name Cobb.

I'm going to throw a monkey wrench at you though, the 89 Upper Deck Griffey Jr. That card has become ubiquitous in the hobby over the years, and the fact that Griffey played much more recently than the others gives that card's future exposure a good outlook.

First, how dare you speak that name on this forum! :p Second, I'm gonna go ahead and say the Canseco Rated Rookie :D

But yeah, the 89 UD Griffey, imo is the face of the junk wax era. In more eloquent terms, it is the face of quite possibly the most popular time in our hobby!

I listed the UD Griffey as honorable mention in my first post. It is no doubt iconic and possibly more so than cards in my poll.

Wagner --> Mantle --> Griffey

I don't think my wife would recognize the Ruth/Cobb/Jackson, but she'd know those three.

Those 5 are good ones but what about this one?