Your Top 10 Cards

[Harliduck]

I would love to know what others out there covet. For whatever reason, be it value, sentimental, asthetics, or even a childhood memory/card, what are the Top 10 cards that you personally own. If you want to take the time to explain why, that would be great too.


Top 10 Cards I Own -

1. 1957 Topps Mickey Mantle
2. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron RC
3. 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew RC
4. 1967 Topps Harmon Killebrew
5. 1969 Topps Nolan Ryan
6. 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle
7. 1955 Topps Hank Aaron
8. 1963 Fleer Roberto Clemente
9. 1966 Topps Willie Mays
10. 1979 Topps Reggie Jackson




1. Just a classic card and I have it in EX. A cornerstone for my 57 Topps set.
2. Iconic card, childhood dream to actually SEE one, let alone own one.
3. Favorite player of all time, very cool year.
4. Classic pose, classic card, favorite card of favorite player.
5. Coolest Ryan card of his iconic career, first "big" card I got as a kid.
6. Classic pose, player, and card. What can you say about Mantle?
7. Again, a work of art of my second favorite player.
8. I have a MINT card of one of his toughest to own. A cornerstone of my set.
9. Card #1 of my favorite set, and I have a MINT version.
10. First card I ever owned, out of my first pack. In 1979 Reggie was a GOD.

[Bestdj777]

1. 1951 Wheeties Mantle - one of the coolest looking cards I have ever seen. Searched for about a year before grabbing a vg/ex copy.
2. 1970s Topps Common - I have a 1970s common in very poor condition. I couldn't tell you the year or the player (it is stored with my childhood cards). But, it easily makes my top 10. My grandpa found it while working for construction, tucked it in his wallet, an saved it for me. It will always have a special place in my collection.
3. 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan - Nolan was a childhood hero. Always wanted this card in the 80s. It was one of my first vintage cards when I re entered the hobby. I was fortunate enough to get it signed by him last year, and this will never leave my collection.
4. Topps Push/Pull Mantle/Berra - In my opinion, this is one of Topps' coolest issues. Very happy to be able to play with it.
5. 1952 Topps Mantle - This is just such a classic card. It's hard not to have it in my top ten.
6. 1951 Bowman Mantle - This was my first big Mantle card purchase and got me started on my chase.
7. 1954 Redheart Dog Food Mantle - The colors on this card are amazing. It is one of the few non rookie cards I actually display. I have a dog that I really love, so the fact that I was able to combine my dog/Mantle interest was really cool.
8. 1960 Topps Mantle/Boyer - No real reason but I just think this card is really awesome. My copy was actually shoved in someone's bike spokes which I find pretty cool.
9. 1969 Topps Super Mantle - Such a sharp card.
10. 1887 Old Judge Common - This card is so beat I can't even read the name on it anymore. I feel like I am holding a piece of history though when I touch it.

[pawpawdiv9]

^^^^ You assume this guys loves Mickey Mantle, you be right!! ^^^^^^

[Bestdj777]

Originally Posted by pawpawdiv9

^^^^ You assume this guys loves Mickey Mantle, you be right!! ^^^^^^

You are very right. I saw your posting in the pickup thread though, so I know I'm in good company. I also love Yogi Berra (likely my next player project) and Nolan Ryan (too many modern cards for me) though.

[71buc]

1. 1956 Topps Ted Williams
I read My Turn at Bat for a 7th grade book report. I learned Ted was the last man to hit .400; he was a fighter pilot, a fisherman, and a big game hunter. My father told me Ted was what John Wayne pretended to be. The problem was I had learned to hate the Duke at age 5. In 1968 my Dad was in Vietnam, Mom and I were waiting in a trailer park in Fort Benning when Hollywood came to town. She signed on to play a Vietnamese extra in the film the Green Berets. The fact that she was a Chicana was a minor detail. I overheard her telling her Colombian friends, who were too light skinned to be considered viable substitutes for the Viet Cong, about Mr. Wayne. I understood that the Duke apparently liked Vietnamese Mexicans and was not shy about it. Why couldn’t he have been more like George Takei? I never told my Dad until he compared the Splendid Splinter to Ole Rooster Cogburn. When I spilled my guts he laughed and said that the Duke must have had great taste. He then explained how during the 50’s Teddy Ball Game used to give him the finger and mouthed F**K You! at him and his little brother when they heckled him from the Municipal Stadium bleachers. He said those tender moments spent with Ted were some of his fondest childhood memories. Obviously Ted was very cool. The fact that he was half Mexican like me sealed the deal. My 1956 Topps Ted Williams was a gift from Dad after my Mom had died. He winked at me when I opened it. I later learned that my mother had laughed very hard when he told her about my disclosure.

2. 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente
See my avatar and user name no other explanation necessary

3. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron
It's April 8, 1974 I’m 10 and dancing in my underwear in front of the Curtis Mathis color TV (our first) and Mom was certain I had lost my mind.

4. 1914 WG4 Ty Cobb and Honus Wagner
Two cards that individually are boring, side by side they become very sexy. I refuse to separate them so I’m bending the rules. My first and only ménage à trois.

5. 1955 Topps Sandy Koufax
1974 was a very good year (see #3), that summer I mowed my neighbor’s lawn and got an advance on my allowance for this beauty. It was my first 1955 Topps card and when I saw it I knew what art was.

6. 1914 Cracker Jack Sam Crawford
A gift from my wife, the only thing sexier than her that night was the Carmel stained Tiger outfielder in my sweaty palms.

7. 1954 Johnston Cookie Hank Aaron
My most recent Christmas gift from my 73 year old father. I learned long ago that James Dean didn’t die in that Porsche Spyder. He is a cigar smoking bachelor living incognito in the Great Northwest.

8. 1956 Topps Jackie Robinson
What a bad ass, he was Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. in flannel before America even knew who they were. It's too bad he wasn't Mexican like me and Ted.

9. 1958 Topps Mickey Mantle
1950s Manhattan, Billy, Whitey, and the Copa need I say more? In this card Whitey has just said, ”Hey Mick check out the rack on the blonde behind home”. The look in Mickey’s eyes says he’s located her.

10. 1953 Topps Satchel Paige
In the fourth grade I traded three chocolate milks to a fat kid for this one. The next day he told me Satch was his big brothers property. He begged for me to send Satch home. He claimed that his brother was going to kill him if Satchel didn’t return. I told him that was an ass whipping he was going to have to take. Twenty-eight years later at my 20th High School Reunion I’m approached by a Jose Canseco doppelganger. He said, “You don’t remember me do you”? He then recounted the saga of Satch and our 4th grade trade. I told him Satchel was at home in my safe and I was prepared to take an ass whipping to keep him there. Thankfully it didn’t come to that.

11. T206 Christy Mathewson
My first proof that Mom was right when she said Graduate School would pay off in the long run. I miss her. I hope the Duke doesn’t realize she is up there with him.

[brewing]

In chronological order.

1. 1953 Bowman Stan Musial - A beautiful picture of him in the dugout. I love this card so much I displayed a reprint until I acquired the real deal.
2. 1953 Topps Hal Newhouser - Prince Hal in full color, defines awesomeness.
3. 1953 Topps Willie Mays - love the photo of young Willie, thinking about him telling Duroucher he was good enough. Only card on list I don't own.
4. 1954 Topps Al Kaline - The first card if Mr. Tiger is a piece of art I dreamed of owning as a kid.
5. 1956 Topps Mickey Mantle - My first vintage Mantle will always be a favorite.
6. 1957 Topps Hank Aaron - Classic card that was always on my wish list. The purchase of it got the collecting fever in me reignited.
7. 1964 Topps Pete Rose - Love him or hate him now. The 12 yr old in me loves this card. The crew cut, the trophy, it all fits perfectly in the 64 template.
8. 1969 Topps Johnny Bench - The boyish look on his face, with the classic vest uniform, topped off with the trophy.
9. 1972 Topps Roberto Clemente - 1st Clemente I owned. The picture seems so unique, how can this not be a top 10'er.
10. 1980 Nolan Ryan - The Express in full power mode and the All Star label made this the coolest card to have the first year I ripped open a pack and smelled the mix of gum and card board.

[ALR-bishop]

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[ALR-bishop]

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[71buc]

Al, Your collection never ceases to amaze me. How many people could post all that Topps treasure and include a President, a pedophile, and a bad movie reference? Too bad there wasn't a matching Rebecca De Mornay card. Im certain that an early 80's De Mornay would have been a fun card to look at

[ALR-bishop]

Mike- you have the better looking Palmer card

[Harliduck]

Awesome posts! I love reading them...and 71buc, your post may be the BEST one I've read here since joining...CLASSIC good stuff, thanks!

Al...who is Darryl Palmer???

[ALR-bishop]

If you have ever seen the movie Caddyshack, he is aka Danny Noonan. The Palmer card was a prop for the movie the Sluggers Wife, a not very memorable baseball flick. The actor is Danny O'Keefe. Mike's card features his wife in the movie. The card shows up on ebay once in awhile, usually with a preposterous asking price. The back has fake stats and factoids and is # 801. No Topps 84 set is complete without it

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[39special]

Here are mine in no special order

1. '58 Topps Carl Furillo My dad bought it for me in '79 and Furillo signed it in his driveway for me.
2. '57 Topps Mantle The most money I ever spent on a card,plus its Mantle
3. '71 Topps Nolan Ryan I always loved this card
4. '65 Topps S.Carlton He was one of my favorite players growing up.
5. '65 Topps Maris The first "old" card I bought when I was a kid.
6. '83 Topps Ryne Sandberg I got to watch him play in Reading(AA).
7. '53 Topps Jackie Robinson I wrote a report on him in 7th grade.Learned alot about what he meant to the game.
8. '60 Topps D.Drysdale Saw him on an episode of The Brady Bunch and had to have one of his cards
9. '75 Topps S.Carlton Did I mention he was one of my favorite players growing up?
10. '47-'66 Exhibit Enos Slaughter Love the look on his face

[JollyElm]

In no particular order...
(All photos are grabs from ebay)
1973 Willie Mays - The first card of my idol in the uniform of my beloved Mets.
1978 Reggie Jackson - The classic Reg-gie follow through. Awesome!!
1972 Willie McCovey - Love the blurry hand. Can't recall another Topps card with that effect.
1962 Roger Maris - As a kid I heard of Maris' accomplishment like it was ancient history. Had one of these cards with a hole punch in it squirreled away in my collection.
1974 Nolan Ryan - This one needs no explanation. Look at that shot!!
1976 Johnny Bench - In a word, "intimidation."
1977 Dave Kingman - My absolute favorite player in a great photo.
1958 Mantle/Aaron - I wish the Mick was looking straight ahead, but that's just splitting hairs.
1965 Casey Stengel - Sitting on a bench and gesticulating. What's not to love?!
1972 Bobby Bonds - Look at that grin on his face. It says, "I can't believe I didn't launch that pitch!!"

[brewing]

Those are some classics, Jolly.

[ALR-bishop]

Agreed

[KCRfan1]

My Top 10 in no certain order:

1. 1952 Topps Andy Pafko BB - It's a beater but it's mine.
2. 1952 Topps Yogi Berra - Nice color, great corners, couple of print lines
got it for a great price. One card I thought I
never get since I bargain shop.
3. 1952 Topps Bob Schultz - I sold mine 20 yrs ago to help buy my wife's
wedding ring. I reacquired the card about a
year ago.
4. 1953 Topps Vic Janowicz - Same as above in #3
5. 1952 Topps Joe Hatton - The card is a PSA 9oc. One of 2 in this grade
none higher. The card is oc on the back.
60 / 40 front.
6. 1952 Topps Gil Hodges BB - Great corners, couple of heavy creases
7. 1952 Topps Robin Roberts - Sharp corners, high gloss, beautiful card.
8. 1952 Topps Al Rosen BB - Great corners, I got mine for a great price too.
9. 1952 Pete Runnels - Same as #6
10. 1952 Bob Harris - Same as #7

I like all of my cards, and have put time in to find nice cards at very good prices. I always try to buy raw, unless I find a a card I consider undergraded. Card collecting is a fine hobby, and it's nice to pull out cards and the end of the day to study and enjoy them. A life's pleasure for me.

[johnmh71]

My top ten:

1. 1961 Topps Mantle AS
2. 1958 Topps Mantle
3. 1955 Topps Ted Williams
4. 1960 Topps Mantle
5. 1952 Bowman Yogi Berra
6. 1961 Topps Mantle
7. 1957 Topps Willie Mays
8. 1962 Topps Roger Maris
9. 1956 Topps Hank Aaron
10.1956 Topps Sandy Koufax

The 1961 Mantle AS is huge for me because I have the entire '61 AS subset.

[pawpawdiv9]

1. Any of my 50+ Mantles (Red Heart, 51 Bowman RC, Oklahoma Today are atop the list)
2. Joe Namath RC (raw)
3. Johnny Unitas RC
4. Joe Montana RC Mint 10
5. Walter Payton RC (sweetness) Mint 10
6. OJ Simpson RC
7. Terry Bradshaw RC
8. Joe Greene RC
9. A complete album/set of TCMA/Immortals from Sears from when i was young as my 1st experience as a xmas gift. Tons of HoF's and vintage players.
10. Boxes of cards when i started collecting again in middle-high school (85-90's)