[brian1961]

There really is no best player to collect. I've thought about it now and again. Forty years ago I collected what I could find of Mantle, Killebrew, Maris, Nellie Fox, Ernie Banks, Murcer, Drysdale, Mel Stottlemyre and Frank Howard. For some players there's just so few, such as Jackie Robinson. We all know about the problem with Mantle--the price, and sometimes just finding an example we really like that is available & affordable.

Aside from the above, a couple players with very interesting diversity in their master sets are Gil Hodges and Roberto Clemente, the latter of whom several have mentioned.

I admire the guy who laboriously and joyfully put together the finest PSA-graded master set of Ron Santo. He really went all out and has a simply amazing assembly of Ronnie's cards, coins, and other items. Great article on him in the SPORTS MARKET REPORT a few years back.

When the pickings are few, such as the aforementioned Jackie Robinson, it makes a lot of sense to go after the post-career cards from the last 25 years that are visually-stimulating--that move your collecting soul, so to speak. Market value? None--so what. Future value spike. I doubt it, but again, so what. A great-looking card, well-designed, anchored by a great pose is valuable to you as a fan. Of course, I refer not to issues where logos have been removed; don't waste your money on those. It's sad. These restrictions so reduce their visual impact, as a magnificent Bengal Tiger with its teeth pulled out. As an example of what is worthy, I love the late 80's Pacific Baseball Legends sets. Their Mickey Mantle is stunning, because they had the good taste to use an Ozzie Sweet portrait. There are many others in those Pacific sets that are fabulous. Same goes for some of the Perez-Steele cards, in particular their Greatest Moments. Ditto for several fantasy cards made by myself and a team, the '94 Upper Deck/Topps '54 Topps Mickey Mantle card that never was, and Bob Lemke's '53 Red Man Tobacco card of Mick. All simply elegant. They complement my period cards and other items beautifully because period vintage photos were used to create those post-career cards.

I mean, I still have items in my now small collection that would crack clear through any arrogance and superiority of the major player collectors [not referring to any of my fellow Net 54ers], but no big deal. If I love Clemente, I want his stadium pin from about 1970-71, the one with the matte finish and green background. If I love Mantle, the Topps are great, but what I really want are either of the Dormand postcards, the '59 Bazooka, and the '60 Post (the Drysdale in this set is flat out the best one of all of Big D), amongst a few others. I finally got the 1960 Post Mantle, though it took me well over 30 years. Of course, that doesn't mean I'll ever get some of them, but the mainstream are all so . . . . available, great-looking as they are. When the scarce and/or rare also happen to have devastatingly attractive eye appeal, they get put on a mental or paper want list. The wait can be long, and arduous the hunt for the rare game, but the fulfillment is wondrous.

With Jackie Robinson, I'm more interested in the tough Bond Bread regional than the Leaf. Black 'n white trumps this time, by far.

You have to factor in whether the player was photogenic, and of course if the card producer selected an excellent photo to go with an attractive design.

It comes down to collecting what or whom you love, and trying not to break your bank.

I want to say though regarding mainstream, where would we be without them? For player collectors, some of their best will always be mainstream. For Mantle, any of his gum cards are wonderful; Topps usually made sure Mick's cards looked smashing. Except in '62, where he honestly looks kinda smashed. To be sure, Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente Topps cards are all very moving.

We've had this discussion many times, but it's always nice to have one outstanding card of the player that is not easy to come by.

Finally, I think one nice twist is to aim for a favorite dozen of any number of players that you really like. The major benefit is you don't have to go mad trying to get every one ever done of the guy. Or, if you must have more, a 21-gun (item) salute. The ones to choose? What YOU like and can afford, regardless of what others say. Thus, you can have numerous player displays and arrangements in one or more All-State display cases, or a curio cabinet. I loved how a Jackie Robinson fan from Net54 used an ornate white shadow box built into a wall to display several of the very rare Bond Bread regional rarities and a '48 Leaf, with a gorgeous figurine of Jack stealing home as a centerpiece---well done! I never tire of looking at that when it happens to come up.

Research, your imagination, and following your heart and mind's aesthetic value.

Just ramblin--time to shush.

Salute. -Brian Powell