I agree, that is very good stuff and a great read. Far from being an expert in anything, I believe the values all lie in perception of the player. The stats of Yaz, Mays, and Clemente have been known all along in 1987. Yaz was freshly retired, and headed to the Hall in 1989. Everyone rode the wave of speculation. So, it's reasonable that his cards had a " bump " in price. Let's face it, in 1987, Clemente was no where revered as he is today. As the greatest Latin ball player, Clemente is viewed in the same manner as Jackie Robinson, in the Latin community. Clemente has an award named after him and gets daily press from ESPN through commercials and their baseball studio which is the 21 Zone I believe.
Not sure where the tide turned for Mays. Perhaps it was the All Century Team in 2009, but I suspect it was Barry Bonds run on the home run record and his close ties to Willie Mays that brought the stats back to everyones minds. Willie Mays stats were relevant again. Mays stole bases and hit home runs, so did Barry. It would be natural to compare the two players as they were both great ball players.
Mantle? It was the 50's, played CF for the Yankees, the heir to Joe D. There was the tradition, the lore, the championships, and Mantle was white. He was in the media capital of the world, and baseballs Golden Boy. And he could play. MVP's, Triple Crown. Mantle was in the right place at the right time, the stuff Legends are born from, Legends that never die.
Aaron really didn't have anything to keep him in the public eye. He may do appearances from time to time, but he's not in public that often. Again, I believe it's our perception of the player that will drive the value of their cards. Aaron did not play in media markets, did not receive new publicity during Bonds home run assault ( Mays did due to his ties to Bond's family ), and isn't revered as Jackie Robinson or Clemente.
Aarons cards, imo, are tremendously undervalued. Until perception changes, cards of the GOAT can be had for a fraction of other stars from the same era. And yes, I said GOAT. The top 5 players of all time are interchangeable, and arguments can be made for either of them as the greatest.
Some here will disagree, but as an open forum, we can agree to disagree.
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My new found obsession the t206!
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