Overrated/Underrated/Favorite/Least Favourite Singles

[skelly423]

I started a similar thread about a year ago about baseball card sets. I thought it would be fun to put a new twist on the theme, and start a thread for singles. The concept is self-explanatory (I hope). I tried to stick to popular cards in the hobby, but feel free to use any cards you want. Here's my personal list:

Overrated - t206 Ty Cobb red portrait. It's a super print, so there are thousands out there. It's a direct rip-off of the green portrait, which is a much better looking (and tougher) card.

Underrated - 1933 DeLong Lou Gehrig. There are probably less than 500 in existence (compared to over 4000 1933 Goudey Gehrigs), and it is a simply gorgeous card. The combination of player and scarcity should make this Lou's most valuable card.

Favorite - I could easily use the DeLong Gehrig again, but I'll change it up and go with the 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson. Iconic card, iconic player, iconic set. I think this is Jackie's best card, and I think it's more visually striking than the Mantle from the same set.

Least Favourite - 1940 Play Ball Joe Jackson. Strike one - black and white card. Strike two - not a playing days card. Strike three - historically overrated player*





* Don't beat me up Jackson fans, I don't actually believe that, but I can't call the card out on just two strikes.

[Seven]

Overrated: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. It's iconic for sure, and I do love the card, but feel that it shouldn't be as valuable as it is, especially since it's a 2nd year card.

Underrated: 1939 World Wide Gum Ted Williams. I think it's Ted Williams best issue as a player. It's a beautiful card, and while rare, I think it gets lost in the prewar shuffle.

Favorite: 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle. I Don't own it, but it's Mantle's true RC and he's the guy that I collect the most.

Least Favorite: 1940 Joe Jackson. I understand why it's popular, but it's not a playing days card, and it shouldn't be the price that it is, in my opinion.

[Exhibitman]

Overrated: Obak Ten Million. It's a damn novelty name, guys.

Underrated: Tris Speaker Exhibit cards. This guy is one of the premiere players of all time yet he is priced like a third-tier HOFer.

Favorite: T206 Collins portrait. Horner and the artist who created the card were masterful, making Collins look good. That man was fugly.

Least Favorite: 1926-27 Exhibit Gehringer



Well, if you say it is Gehringer, I guess I will believe it...

[jingram058]

Overrated: 1952 Topps Mantle, followed closely by the comic book cartoonish 1953 Topps Mantle.

Underrated: 1933 Goudey Gehrig 92. Here is greatest first baseman ever. How is Ruth, at the end of his career, or Mantle worth more?

Favorite: 1960 Topps Mantle. Just a gorgeous card. IMO Mantle's best ever.

Least Favorite: Those hideous W series strip cards of Ruth and others. Frankly, I do not understand why anyone with taste would want them. They look like something made by Fisher-Price. It can only be because of the money.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Seven

Overrated: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle. It's iconic for sure, and I do love the card, but we are literally one number away from it not being apart of the high number set, and it's not even his Rookie.

Underrated: 1939 World Wide Gum Ted Williams. I think it's Ted Williams best issue as a player. It's a beautiful card, and while rare, I think it gets lost in the prewar shuffle.

Favorite: 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle. I Don't own it, but it's Mantle's true RC and he's the guy that I collect the most.

Least Favorite: 1940 Joe Jackson. I understand why it's popular, but it's not a playing days card, and it shouldn't be the price that it is, in my opinion.

What does the one number away have to do with it, don't follow.

[Carter08]

Overrated - will agree with Peter on t206 Plank.

Underrated - 48 Leaf Spahn. Rookie of an underrated player and a striking portrait. Plus in a set with a lot of reds and yellows, the orange is just cool. Can’t think of another orange Leaf, much less one of a HOFer.

Favorite - Ruth’s red Goudey

Least favorite - Ruth’s American Caramel holding a bird

[G1911]

The Leaf’s are a 1949 set, Spahn’s mainstream rookie would be the 1948 Bowman.

[Carter08]

Originally Posted by G1911

The Leaf’s are a 1949 set, Spahn’s mainstream rookie would be the 1948 Bowman.

Ha classic comment! As a Spahn collector I think both are considered his rookies. And I’m glad you ended the 1948/1949 Leaf debate once and for all. Bravo!

[Seven]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

What does the one number away have to do with it, don't follow.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't number 311 start the 4th series of the 1952 Topps? Which pushed it into the high number category which are more difficult to find do to the time of the year they were printed?

[G1911]

Originally Posted by Seven

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't number 311 start the 4th series of the 1952 Topps? Which pushed it into the high number category which are more difficult to find do to the time of the year they were printed?

1-80
81-130
131-190
191-250
251-310
311-407

That Mantle leads off the high series does not make him any less of a high than any other high; the original comment saying he is barely a high number of course does not actually relate to how sheets are printed or cards distributed. A card either is or is not in a certain series; it’s a solid cutoff and not a sliding scale. Mantle is one of the 3 DP’s in series 6.

[G1911]

Overrated - Fictional rookies like Jackie’s 1949 Leaf. Post career cards like Play Ball Jackson and Leaf Ruth. Meme cards like Ten Million, Contentnea’s Uncle Sam and Old Judge’s that include a dog. Hype train cards that defy any rationality like 52 Mantle’s. Cards of Black Sox layers commanding a ~1,000% premium over their playing ability.

Underrated - great players without the PR team. Hornsby, Collins for example. Rarities without the PR team, especially unique or nearly unique items that seem hurt by the fact that there are hardly any extant to appear in auctions and fuel hype.

Favorite: T3/T9 can’t be beat aesthetically in my eyes.

Least Favorite: Strip cards that are ugly.

[3-2-count]

Overrated - 1952 Topps Mantle. It’s not his true RC and I dislike the pose.

Underrated - T206 Eddie Plank. Finally getting the recognition that it deserves.

Favorite - T206 HOF portraits. Take your pick.

Least favorite - E90-1 Joe Jackson. Such a hideous image.

[Seven]

Originally Posted by G1911

1-80
81-130
131-190
191-250
251-310
311-407

That Mantle leads off the high series does not make him any less of a high than any other high; the original comment saying he is barely a high number of course does not actually relate to how sheets are printed or cards distributed. A card either is or is not in a certain series; it’s a solid cutoff and not a sliding scale. Mantle is one of the 3 DP’s in series 6.

My mistake Greg. Did not actually know that. We learn something new everyday, I suppose. I'll edit my previous post. Thanks for the knowledge!

[egri]

Overrated: 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle, and that set in general. Some of the cards look nice, but a lot of them look the same.

Underrated: 1935 Diamond Stars Lefty Grove. I'm a sucker for anything Art Deco.

Favorite: 1949 Leaf. If Andy Warhol designed a set, I imagine that is what it would look like.

Least Favorite: 1958 Topps. Who decided that cutout players on garish backgrounds was a good idea?

[skelly423]

Originally Posted by egri

Underrated: 1935 Diamond Stars Lefty Grove. I'm a sucker for anything Art Deco.

Great call. It’s a fantastic set, and the Grove card is so tough

[brianp-beme]

Originally Posted by egri

Least Favorite: 1958 Topps. Who decided that cutout players on garish backgrounds was a good idea?

Perhaps someone who had fond memories of the 1941 Goudeys when they were growing up?

Brian

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by skelly423

I started a similar thread about a year ago about baseball card sets. I thought it would be fun to put a new twist on the theme, and start a thread for singles. The concept is self-explanatory (I hope). I tried to stick to popular cards in the hobby, but feel free to use any cards you want. Here's my personal list:

Overrated - t206 Ty Cobb red portrait. It's a super print, so there are thousands out there. It's a direct rip-off of the green portrait, which is a much better looking (and tougher) card.

Underrated - 1933 DeLong Lou Gehrig. There are probably less than 500 in existence (compared to over 4000 1933 Goudey Gehrigs), and it is a simply gorgeous card. The combination of player and scarcity should make this Lou's most valuable card.

Favorite - I could easily use the DeLong Gehrig again, but I'll change it up and go with the 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson. Iconic card, iconic player, iconic set. I think this is Jackie's best card, and I think it's more visually striking than the Mantle from the same set.

Least Favourite - 1940 Play Ball Joe Jackson. Strike one - black and white card. Strike two - not a playing days card. Strike three - historically overrated player*





* Don't beat me up Jackson fans, I don't actually believe that, but I can't call the card out on just two strikes.

Great Question and Thread Potential and I will have to think on it and then add my 2 cents worth.
However Regarding Jackson. I am a only a slight Joe Jackson Fan (sarcasm) but I agree that I prefer the playing day cards however I disagree when you say Joe Jackson is a Historically Overrated Player. Look at his stats and look at his playing day peers and what they said about him(Even the Babe said he modelled his Swing after Jacksons)

[rats60]

Overrated - 1952 Topps Mantle - It is not rare, it is a double print, and it is not his RC.

Underrated - T206 Eddie Plank, although after an A sold for 126k maybe it's in the 1933 Goudey Lajoie.

Favorite - T206 Honus Wagner, most of the portraits would fit here, but this is the grail.

Least Favorite - 1952 Topps Mantle - who uses a yellow bat? Although as said above the cartoonist 1953 Topps Mantle is close. The 1951-1953 Bowman Mantles are much better looking cards.

[skelly423]

Originally Posted by mrreality68

Great Question and Thread Potential and I will have to think on it and then add my 2 cents worth.
However Regarding Jackson. I am a only a slight Joe Jackson Fan (sarcasm) but I agree that I prefer the playing day cards however I disagree when you say Joe Jackson is a Historically Overrated Player. Look at his stats and look at his playing day peers and what they said about him(Even the Babe said he modelled his Swing after Jacksons)

I think you might have missed the comment after the asterisk Totally agree with you

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by skelly423

I think you might have missed the comment after the asterisk Totally agree with you

Gotcha and yes I missed the last half of the asterisk

I guess I have to better learn to read complete sentences

[Peter_Spaeth]

Least favorite comes readily to mind -- T206 Walter Johnson pitching, doesn't even remotely look like him.

Heresy but most overrated T206 Plank. I get the rarity, but it's Eddie Plank, not Young or Mathewson or Johnson or Alexander.

Underrated 1939 PB Ted Williams.

[michael3322]

Overrated - General: All Jasson Dominguez cards (Never played in MLB; cards go for more than the rookie cards of the top .001% of all players in MLB history). Here are his Baseball America Prospect rankings:
Pre-2020 #38
Pre-2021 #33
Pre-2022 #87
His RC sold for $475k earlier this year.

Overrated - Vintage: 1933 Goudey Ruths. There are 4000 of them in the PSA Pop Report.

Underrated - 1950 Bowman #22 Jackie Robinson. Only 1112 in the PSA Pop Report. Beautiful card. Compare with 1949 Bowman, where Jackie's card has a higher pop count by 20%.

Favorite - Home Run Baker 1912 "Series Of Champions" (T227) Baker was a great player, but some remember him for simply discovering Jimmie Foxx.

Least Favourite - Agree with everyone who mentioned strip cards. These are comic strips, not cards, and the drawings are so poor you need the name listed to know what player they claim to represent.

[cgjackson222]

Overrated: Mantle. Great player, but he's not Babe Ruth. His cards don't deserve to be priced like he is the best player of his generation.

Underrated: 1929 R316 Kashins. They are beautiful, oversized and very rare. PSA has graded about 2,000 cards TOTAL for the entire set. The most graded card is Ruth with less than 200. Gehrig has been graded about 50 times. Both are beautiful images, with the Gehrig being the same Charles Conlon image (Conlon did all of the photography for the set I believe, choosing action shots for the most part) used for the '33 Goudeys.

Speaking of Conlon, I think sports photography in general is underrated. I was salivating at the offerings RMY had last night in their auction.

Favorite: T206 Mathewson Dark Cap. I know its one of the most common T206 issues, but I think it is the most attractive.

Least favorite: As many others have said--cartoonish strip cards.