Hank Aaron 1954 Topps vs Johnston Cookies -- which was issued first?
 

Does anyone know which was issued first?

The 54 Topps was in the third series, so I'm assuming that it was issued later in the year -- or at least later than the first two series.

The only relevant information I could find about the 54 Johnston Cookies is that Aaron's card was issued when he replaced Bobby Thomson in the Braves lineup, after Thomson broke his ankle on March 13, 1954. Bobby Thomson's Johnston card was pulled and replaced with that of Hank Aaron.

Personally, I would go with the Indianapolis Clowns postcard as a true rookie and with the inclusion of negro league stats into the records it only cements that more.

I have also heard strong arguments that Johnston’s predates the 1954 Topps but falls into the usual regional bias. You can also add the spic & span into the argument as well.

IMHO, the 1954 Topps is the furthest down the list of all four to me as a rookie with the Clowns postcard winning easily. However, the 1952 Topps Mantle is a rookie because of Topps bias to 90% of mainstream collectors, so what do I know. :D

Thanks for the feedback. The Clowns postcard is pretty cool, but hard to find. I'm also personally not convinced that postcards are baseball cards, per se. Same as the spic and span. On the other hand, the Cookie Rookie seems to have been meant to be a collectible card and was issued in a team set that was issued for three years.

It's all in the eye of the beholder, I suppose. If you ask me, the 54 Topps autos relative to the price seems more attractive than the 54 Topps itself. And if you suspend cynicism around counterfeits, the population isn't increasing either.

The Cookie Rookies have a population that is quite similar to the autographed 54 Topps, but at a lower price.

For the record, I am neither a current seller nor an owner of the Cookie Rookie, but it is interesting especially if it is his first "card."

Johnston Cookie Card Article
 

Not sure how widely available it is on the web, but Bob Lemke's take on the Johnston sets from a 1981 magazine article might be of interest to those not familiar with the legendary hobby writer's in depth analyses.

That's a very informative article. Thanks for posting.

I really miss those magazines from the old days with great articles like that

Has anyone ever seen the Clowns postcard? I think I remember seeing it once but am not certain

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Spic and Span was issued 54-56 by all accounts so no way to tell when an individual example was issued, as I understand it.

54T Aaron is a classic of the genre. Johnston is a regional issue. I like and have both, but the 54 wins by miles.

Here is the PC.

https://www.huntauctions.com/online/...m=792&lot_qual

Totally get it. I just cringe a bit when I have to pay close to $5,000 for a PSA4 with decent eye appeal -- and there's something like 2,500 graded higher. I guess it's a case where demand outstrips high supply.

Almost certainly a top 10 postwar card in terms of importance, and probably not towards the bottom of that list either. And his stature is only going to grow if history definitively rejects Bonds' record because it's hard to imagine anyone else ever again playing so consistently and so long as to get there.

Thanks for posting Steve. It's amazing how much info was in the old articles. I miss reading the old magazines like Old Cardboard and VCBC