What's your Collection number?
 

With an even number of 300 Baseball Hall of Fame members, I thought that it would make a good time to see where the Baseball HOF Rookie collectors are at. How many "true" Rookies do you currently have in your collection?

I am currently at 191/300 which represents approximately 63% after nearly nine years of working on this.

Phil,
I guess that all depends what constitutes a "true" rookie.

That's true, Jeff, everyone will have different standards. I tend to be more liberal than most and include all catalogued traditional cards, postcards, cabinet cards, cdv's, premiums and team issues which picture no more than 4 players (no team cards). Also, I include minor league cards as well as foreign issues. I think that about covers it but I could have forgotten to include something.

Please feel free to post your numbers based on your own parameters.

I have created my own "rookie checklist" of sorts. I am at @ 40% under that definition. With a broader rookie card definition, I'm closer to 70%. I truly believe this will be a 40+ year endeavor. And even then, there will be gaps due to card scarcity and new findings. I think that's half the fun!!

Phil- regardless of your "number", that is one heck of a collection you have. Random grabs over the next few years will definitely be all you might be able to do since you are at a breaking point.

Best of luck to all who brave this journey!

Using the "true rookie card" list that you had posted here
http://www.net54baseball.com/showthread.php?t=141603
and counting any "catalogued traditional cards, postcards, cabinet cards, cdv's, premiums and team issues"(no more than 4 players)that equally or pre-date what's on that list.

I also chose to count the 1930 Blue Ribbon for McCarthy(despite being 20 years after the Colgan's), since I believe it's the first year in which he appears a member of a MLB organization..

Sandberg and Ozzie were the only modern exceptions that I made for later dated cards. with Sandberg's '83 releases and Ozzie's '79 Topps..

Clarkson was the only exception I made for an item with more than 4 players. Because I believe the 1885 Harper's Chicago Woodcut is his earliest known collectible..

Anyways, counting those 4 exceptions, I'm at 138. Using slightly looser rookie standards, I'd be at 142.(but I'll leave myself at 138).

As far as members that I have at least 1 career contemporary card or collectible(only exceptions being members with no contemporary items). I'm at 261..

Anyone else?

Per the N54 rookie list I have fewer than 20%, and would be excluding several of my cards I'd bought as rookies and always considered rookies like the '48 Bowman Berra and the Leaf Jackie Robinson. Another, I'd considered a rookie was the N300 Kid Nichols since it's his first ML card.. At least I think it is.

I like collecting "rookies", but have no intention of trying to complete the full HOF list.. Nor do I think I'll attempt to pick up all the more obscure/regional issues like a Bond Bread Berra (however if there is something I like at the right price, I might grab it). I will probably just continue considering my '48 a rookie and be happy. I do think it's an amazing list to tackle or even attempt to tackle though! Best of luck to those trying.

Ah, 1 other exception that I made, that I forgot about. Berra.. Looking back, I think I also counted the '57 topps for Frank Robinson. So I was at 138 with 6 somewhat reasonable exceptions. I think the '49s for Jackie is pretty reasonable too, but didn't apply in my case..

I also don't play the XRC/RC game, with Puckett being the prime example. I don't have the '84 Fleer Update, but have all the '85s. I choose not to count those..

I counted mine up before I read the OP request again. I'm not a Baseball HOF rookie collector, but I'll report my results anyway. I had more than I thought I would : based on the list posted by Phil in Sept 2011, I have 32/300.

Based on David's "at least 1 career contemporary card" I'm at 226. I don't actively collect Managers, Umpires, Executives.

45% - 80/178...
 

I only collect HOF Autographed "Rookie Cards" of players only right now. There are about 238 players in the Hall, and lets say there is about 60 players who are nearly impossible signatures, no examples, minimum examples, and no known 'rookie cards', or or any to be signed if they do have a 'rookie card.'

With that being said, I have about 80 or so signed, with many duplicates, and in the process of about acquiring 10 more. So that's puts me at about 49% for my goal based off of my limitations.

I revise my number to 76/300 exceptions being some of the post cards and Bond Bread type sets. Excluding Bond/Tip bumps me up 4-5 via the '48Bowman set alone.. also added a couple others like the '57 Topps F Robinson. I like my new number.. I'm making progress!

What's your #?
 

Since our collection pursuit is at least 100x harder than that of our t206 brethren, we should have the right to call our 300 card "set" THE MONSTER!

Just as t206 collectors can pursue front/back combos and ghost prints and "freaks", we,too can define our "set".

I finally made an effort to more clearly define my focus, but I still keep track of my collection vs different standards, mostly utilizing Phil's master checklist, revising it slightly for my liking.

Here are my statistics:

>> my MONSTER number is 138 (or 46% complete), which is the earliest "ideal" solo card, postcard, OR photo of a player.

>> I am at 66.7% (exactly 200) if you expand the definition to include team photos and multi-player photos/cards.

>> I am at 72% (216) for career contemporary cards.

>> And lastly, I am at 95.67% (287) for any card, regardless of date of issue. I'm sure I could get those last 13 pretty easily, but I'm holding out for a "rookie" issue.

All the best in everyone else's pursuit of the real MONSTER!! All I ask is that you stay out of my way when one-of-a-kind items come up for sale!! I can't say I'll do the same for you...

My kinda thread! :)

I count 64 rookies (a mere 21.3%), but that's not really my focus. My career contemporary count is 273. I am only lacking 5, including 2 that are virtually unobtainable (Pete Hill & Bill Foster). So realistically, I'm down to my final 3: Oscar Charleston, Andy Cooper, & Deacon White. Of course, I'm always on the lookout for the unique oddball team postcard, CDV, or Cabinet of the "impossible" HOFers (of which, I have a few myself). Wonderful pursuit!! And as we HOF collectors all know: The best part is that you are never really finished! Always new HOFers inducted, e.g. Deacon White!

My HOF collection:
http://s155.photobucket.com/albums/s290/triwak/

Ken - GREAT collection! I'm sorry I hadn't seen it sooner...if you ever find another contemporary Cartwright image and decide to sell your 1880's Taber Cabinet, please let me know. I would gladly take that off your hands (I'm sure it won't be cheap)!! And your Cuban cards are fantastic!

Good luck with your final three!

Just counted my way down the HOF list again, and am at 197/300 total "career contemporary cards"... now I'm all fired up to get those 3 more for 200.

Including period photos for those who don't have cards, I am at 288/300 HOFers. I'm missing several of the pioneers, Selee, and some of the negro leaguers. Insofar as rookie cards are concerned, I'm at 142/300 I believe (going by memory on this one).

Stealing the concept is flattery.

Stealing the name is blasphemy.

:eek::eek::eek:

Lots of good points, Derek!

After adding in all of the team photo items that pre date the true rookie cards, I am at 270/300 rookies, an even 90%. Those are a particular focus of my collection.

Damn:eek::eek::eek: The only way I can improve on my numbers in that regard is to count woodcuts(team or otherwise) I generally haven't counted them towards rookies(Clarkson being the only notable exception), but have counted Woodcuts as "career contemporary items"...

Based on woodcuts simply pre-dating what's on that list..

That Spalding guide woodcut of Brouthers, is the only solo "pre-date", that I could count.
And there's a decent chunk of other players(aside from Clarkson) on team woodcuts that I could technically count...

IF I were to count guide pages, I'm not sure where it would leave me. I have plenty that "pre-date"(or equally date what's on the earliest collectible list).. but the only ones off the top of my head that I would remotely consider putting any stock into though, are the 1895('94) Cleveland team for Young and Burkett. And possibly the Reach Guide page of the 1905 Philadelphia Giants for Sol White and Pete Hill(I don't have their Laughlins).

I've also been tempted to ignore the HOF "Sepia" PC's, and count the Albertype T1's, for some of those pioneers/executives that didn't previously have anything. But I don't think I will...

Thanks, Derek - I am enjoying your collection as well. Fantastic!!!

Bump to the first page for Phil.

Thanks, Rob. Another 500+ replies and we will be approaching the T206 thread......

I added another today, now at 77/300.. which I guess leaves 223 more potential posts:D

Picked up a few in the mail today, so I thought I'd contribute to this thread.

My number stands at 45/300. Looooooong way to go!!

I'll chime in too, since I've added 4 recently.. Now at 81. (and 500 posts!:eek: I guess I'm hooked)

Now up to 47 HOF RCs. Only 253 to go! LOL

Bump to help fight 'T206 envy'

My number is still '1'.

66 per the list here..

80 per my list.

Make that 51 with a few on their way to my home next week. :)

Wow! It's been a while since I've though about this thread. With additions since the last time I posted here. I'm now at....

143 based on this list(and/or pre-dated items)
150 based on slightly lower standards.
and 268 career contemporary items(I think)...

Great progress, David, you're about half-way there for rookies..........

I think I maaaaaaay be over 100 now for signed HOF rookies...which in my collecting numbers is little over 55%

Keep up the good work, Brent.

Even more importantly, this thread is now up to 33 replies, will catch up to the T206 thread any day now..........

Huge pickup last week puts me up to 112 HOF RCs which is why I have so much up for grabs now in the BST. Only 188 more to go! LOL

Jimi, I didn't even notice it 'til now. But damn, you went from 45 at the beginning of May, to 112 in a little over a month..:eek::eek: That's awesome. Would I be correct in guessing that you filled in a bunch of the modern rookies during that period?

Hey Dave,

Wow...just NOW saw this post....a month later! LOL Yes, I filled out a bunch of post war RCs in that batch. I just picked up 32 more RCs this weekend, and now my number is at 145....with 155 to go. I will be taking a break from buying for a little bit, unless they are small affordable ones still on the list, otherwise I need to lay off for awhile.

Love me some RCs! :p

Happy that I could help the cause, Jimi.