Need a recommendation...Harper & Trout Rookies

[t206blogcom]

I have no recommendations for Trout as I don't collect him.

I'm a huge Harper fan and have a bunch of his cards, but none of the autos or expensive cards. I'm waiting a few years for those premiums to come back down to reality. So far, my favorite Harper has to be the 2011 Topps Heritage.

As previously mentioned, the 08 and 09 Upper Decks are nice. The 2011 Bowman's Brightest is a nice card as well IMP. Also, the Hagerstown Suns have a series of I think 5 cards from around 2010 or 2011.

I prefer to get the Harpers in PSA 10s, but have a few BGS 9.5s. I also have a stack raw cards as well. You'll obviously spend a lot less going with raw.

[chaddurbin]

i know some people prefer these prospects pictured in their MLB uni...and they're turned off by cards like Team USA or Under-18 stuff. Not sure why, as I would consider those '08 or '09 harper rookies while the '10 BC more like 2nd year stuff.


sorry can't comment on the base stuff as i do the auto thing

[Big Six]

Thanks guys..will post some pickups soon!

[VoodooChild]

I would personally recommend the following:

2010 Bowman Chrome Harper - he's in the Team USA uni but it has the "First Bowman Chrome Card" logo on it. The Base version will run around $50. I prefer serial #'d cards, but the refractor #'d/777 will run closer to $150.

Any 2012 Harper that has the "RC" logo on it. I'd go with Bowman or Topps Chrome, Sterling, Platinum, or Finest. I like the image on the 2012 Platinum the best, but it's the only issue that doesn't come serial #'d. Instead there are SP colored parallels (gold, green, blue, ruby red). The ruby red is the "rarest" and will run about $15. The others (2012 Chrome, Sterling, Finest) have #'d refractors that will run $30+ depending on the print run.

For Trout, I'd go with any 2011 issue that has the "RC" logo on it. I prefer the #'d Bowman Chrome, Sterling, and Finest. Actually, I like his 2011 Topps Update image the best. The Gold version #'d/2011 runs around $25.

Also, check out both of their 2013 Topps issues. They aren't "RC's", but they have the cool "Topps All-Star Rookie Trophy" icon on them. Plus the current Topps photography has some pretty cool images.

Hope that helps

- Jason

[novakjr]

One thing to consider is what "will" eventually be considered a "rookie card". There's a lot of people who don't buy into MLB designated "rookie card logo".

2010 Bowman Platinum Mike Trout for instance. Standard MLB released set, featuring many current MLB players. Technically an insert, but looking closer at the pack ratios, and checklists, these hardly count as inserts to me. 100 standard cards, 50 platinum prospect cards. 5 card per pack, 2 PP cards per pack. Not counting other inserts, this works out as 1/33 of the standard set per pack and 1/25 of the PP set per pack. If anything, the way the ratios work out, the standard cards should be considered the insert..

Mike Trout listed with the Angels and pictured in Angels uniform. To me, and speculatively speaking in terms of the hobby future, this is(and will be considered) his "Rookie card". Anything after will possibly not ultimately be considered a rookie. That doesn't mean the other cards won't still be desirable or more desirable though..

Looking at Harper, most of his 2011 releases meet all of the same standards. Therefore, speculatively speaking, anything after 2011 will possibly not be considered a rookie card down the road...

This of course is part preference, and part opinion..