Gallery of non sports first cards
 

It is increasingly in vogue to see people call first cards of movie stars, musicians, politicians, other historical figures, etc. "rookie cards." I do it myself sometimes although always in quotes. A couple of observations:

1. Given the sheer number of often obscure issues out there, most of them foreign, and the uncertainty about the date of lots of these issues, it can be very difficult if not impossible to be sure what someone's first card is. There are some helpful resources, but far from definitive.

2. The term is massively misused and abused on ebay. I would bet close to half the cards people call rookie cards, are not. Some of it is ignorance, some of it is willful in my opinion from sellers who know better.

3. TPGs are horrible at dating many issues, and don't respond to corrections. For example, they insist on calling a particular Michael Jackson card 1969, which would make it his first card, except that it was really issued in 1973. There are countless examples of this.

Sure why not.

It's subjective and arbitrary anyways, just like Sports cards.

If it's a popular figure, collectors will eventually figure out which card is their favorite one way or another..."Rookie" card or not.

Still looking for Sonny Bono's "Pre-Rookie" card. ;)

It doesn’t make sense literally, but in card land “rookie” has come to mean “first I want to recognize” or “earliest card that works for my financial gain”.

If you are the seller, any way, shape, or form to hawk your wares can be used.

Sure, why not?

Seems every one of your points above could be made about a number of sports cards as well, particularly the non-mainstream sports. Tiger Woods has cards that people call rookies over like a 5-7 year span. Same with some of the athletes in racing (Senna, Hamilton, Earnhardt, etc.), tennis (Serena, Laver, Billie Jean King) and many others.

Your second point applies directly to sports as well. eBay and auction houses will always have cards listed as rookies that are not, for higher prices or just out of ignorance.

Soccer is another sport where there is confusion over rookies.

I think for like a couple of decades, the 1971 Barratt Card was considered Muhammad Ali's "Rookie" card...then it was considered his English language "Rookie" card...and now I'm not even sure if it's brought into the conversation any more.

Changed the title and will now start posting some of my first cards in the nonsports area.

bext

another

and

last one for now

Can you say what set the Blues Brothers card is from? The Harrison Ford?

You've got a Face-to-Face game card for Jack Nicholson (1991). He was in a couple of Topps Batman sets from 1989, two years earlier:

https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/No...-5306210Fr.jpg

BB is 1980 Telepop. Ford is 1978 Fabulosas. I much prefer cards that are not just "in role" but have the actor's name on them, but I hear you on the Batman cards. Actually Nicholson has a 1986 Dutch card of some sort but I refuse to buy it because it has a big dog on it lol.

I guess I never did the last installments of movie cards. So here is another.

More actors.

Here are a few for the Star Wars fans.

Harrison Ford? Looks more like Joe Jackson

Just added some directors: James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, and George Lucas.

Peter, where is Steve McQueen?

Here you go.

Thanks - you gotta love McQueen!

Hey Peter, what set is the Peter Sellers from?

1954 Chix Radio and TV.

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I think his many Mork & Mindy cards precede this by years.

They do, but they are purely in role and don't mention his name, I don't think, so they feel different to me.

Not a traditional card per say, but this was in the sticker insert set.

https://www.tcdb.com/Images/Cards/No...-5587933Fr.jpg

https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...n%20signed.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...0autograph.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi..._%20Martin.jpg
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ned%20card.JPG
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...ned%20card.JPG
https://photos.imageevent.com/exhibi...%20Gilbert.jpg

Nice. Was not aware of it.