Reminiscing......I got back into this "glorious" hobby....circa 1977.
If I recall correctly back then, Rookie cards were not such a big thing. Much of this started as the result of the excitement generated in 1978,
when Pete Rose challenged Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak. Rose's hitting streak ended with 44 games. It was amazing, Rose's rookie
card went from $5 in 1979 to $50 by 1980. And by 1983....$250.
In 1980, Mantle's so-called "rookie" card (1952 TOPPS) sold for $3000 at a an Auction in Philadelphia. His actual rookie card (1951 BOWMAN)
was listed in Beckett for only $400 that year.
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Anyhow, one of my first challenges, 40+ years ago, were to acquire the 1949 BOWMAN Satchel Paige card, in order to complete this 1949 set.
A tough Hi #, but quite available if you didn't mind at that time paying $400 for it. The price for this card was (relatively speaking) pretty high,
since it was considered his "rookie" card.
In recent years, research has revealed that the 1949 LEAF Paige card is his true rookie card. The 2nd series (referred to as the Single-Prints)
was issued in the Summer of 1949. The 1949 BOWMAN Paige was issued several months later in the Fall of 1949.
TED Z
T206 Reference
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