This is a work in progress, but I think you guys will like the concept. Since no one can agree on the definition of "rookie" or even on the definition of a "card", I have decided to show/list them all. I have a huge spreadsheet and database of images for the earliest cards and photos for each HOFer and have taken on the ridiculously tedious task of adding them all to my website.
I have updated this album for the first 31 baseball HOFers (alphabetically). I'll add more in the coming weeks/months/year. You'll see that it is far more comprehensive than any other list you will find out there and there are some items here that never made it onto Phil's list or the old cardboard website. That said, major props have to go to Phil Garry with all the research he did up to about 2015. His work is legendary.
I don't pretend to have seen everything that's out there, but I have done my best to stay on top of any early cards and photos that have made an appearance in the past 10+ years on the internet, scouring AHs and eBay. If you all know of anything I'm missing on my website, please let me know via pm or email.
Enjoy!
https://imageevent.com/derekgranger/hofearliest
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http://imageevent.com/derekgranger
Working on the following:
HOF "Earliest" Collection (Ideal - Indiv): 250/346 (72.3%)
1914 T330-2 Piedmont Art Stamps......: 116/119 (97.5%)
Completed:
1911 T332 Helmar Stamps (180/180)
1923 V100 Willard's Chocolate (180/180)