Most significant or sought after postwar cards (besides Mantle)

[rsdill2]

In no particular order and to keep on track with the OP of most sought after non-Mantle I'd have to say top 6 are:

'55 Clemente
'54 Aaron
'68 Ryan
'63 Rose
'52 Mays
'67 Seaver

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.

Edited to add:
Most significant and most sought after are very different things to me. I'd say the above 6 are most sought after. Most significant may include cards like the '84D Mattingly and '89UD Griffey.

[Hammerin'Hank]

Originally Posted by rsdill2

In no particular order and to keep on track with the OP of most sought after non-Mantle I'd have to say top 6 are:

'55 Clemente
'54 Aaron
'68 Ryan
'63 Rose
'52 Mays
'67 Seaver

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.

Edited to add:
Most significant and most sought after are very different things to me. I'd say the above 6 are most sought after. Most significant may include cards like the '84D Mattingly and '89UD Griffey.

Why is the 84 Donruss Mattingly considered one of the most significant post war cards ever ? I'm just want to understand that perspective. Sure it was super significant from 1984 - 1990.............. just like Dale Murphy was from 1978 - 1990 but not so much any more. Unfortunately both players washed out in their early 30's. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

[kailes2872]

1) 54 Williams (either 1 or 250 but given where Topps was at the time with no Mantle, it feels like they could have lost the war if not for Ted)
2) 56 Mantle (significant card in that he was back in the fold and the monopoly had begun.
3) 53 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (most beautiful card in the most beautiful set. So nice that it might had led to Bowman demise.
4) 53 Bowman Martin/Rizzuto combo. (Feels like beginning of combo card era - might be a stretch to say this one but I wanted a card to represent that genre)
5) 56 Yankees team card (beginning of team cards that would lead to marked checklists and rubber band marks from being in the front of the team sets)

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

Why is the 84 Donruss Mattingly considered one of the most significant post war cards ever ? I'm just want to understand that perspective. Sure it was super significant from 1984 - 1990.............. just like Dale Murphy was from 1978 - 1990 but not so much any more. Unfortunately both players washed out in their early 30's. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

I can offer what I hope will be a helpful answer to this. To many who avidly collected or came of collecting age in that era, the 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly card was a very hot and desired card. The price it commands in high grade today is a testament to the nostalgic value it holds for a good number of collectors-- of which I am one. In fact it was the very first card I sought out when returning to the hobby. (The first would be a 52 Topps Mantle, and second the Donnie, but the latter was way more affordable.)

I was more of a Doc and Darryl fan growing up, though as I got older I began to appreciate Mattingly's work ethic, and the reasons he was so respected by his peers. But the appeal of the card has much more to do with its status in the hobby at its height, than even the player's performance. Though he was arguably the best hitter in baseball for the four seasons of 84, 85, 86, 87-- and in the biggest media market.

Taking Murphy as a useful touchstone, he was scorching hot for a shorter period, and also his offensive game was not as complete as Mattingly's, he played in a smaller market, and his card was not "the" key card of a very popular set. So to many, that card will always be fondly remembered. Add to that how the set represented, to many, the advent of a premium card offering that excited a new generation of collectors, and the Donnie Baseball card being "the" star card of the set, and it becomes easy to see how it was so significant for several years.

That significance doesn't wane to collectors for whom cards are a trip back to those very times.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

........I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

Good point Russ on the significance of the set.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

How did 84 Donruss raise the bar on card quality? Early Donruss and Fleer cards were of very poor quality compared to Topps. They were a thinner, flimsy card stock. That is why I bought very little of those sets. They were just cheap looking cards.

Donruss cut production in 84 at a time when the hobby was exploding. It was a perceived scarcity of 84 Donruss and 84 Fleer Update that created demand for their products, not putting out a better quality product.

[Exhibitman]

rats, I disagree re 1984 Donruss. The product was much better on one critical front: design. I am no fan of the post-1980 issues by any means but there are some beautiful cards in that set. The graphics were elegant and well integrated into the design and there were some really dandy photos, especially action shots. It was really a quantum leap above the prior Donruss offerings and the Fleer and Topps cards, which tended to have blocky design elements that broke up the card rather than bringing it together.





Now, as for the OP question about significant cards 1945-1980, at this point, I'd say these are the big dogs:

1948/49 Leaf Robinson, Paige
1949 Bowman Robinson
1951 Mays
1952 Mays
1952 Topps Mathews
1954 Topps Aaron
1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Clemente, Koufax

Lots of other great cards that are maybe a rung below these.

I base my assessment on how lower end raw versions are doing. I've been watching most of these cards over the last several years as I downgraded my collection and adding these cards at a reasonable price has been challenging. I had hoped to snag a vg-ish 1954 Aaron with nice eye appeal and have watched prices on them rise by about 50%; I finally pulled the trigger on a very appealing PSA 3 yesterday at a price point about 25% more than I had hoped, but I had some good card sales last week and had the extra scratch to do it.

[nolemmings]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder of course, but I always hated the 1984 Donruss set and especially its design, although its horrible pigmentation of many player's skin was another reason. Donruss really turned it around in 1982 after its initial debacle, then told its design team to take a year off in '83-- it would just basically recycle the successful '82 look. I swear the designers took off in 1984 as well, and the panicked CEO asked his wife to come up with something, leading to: "Look honey, I made a swoosh". IMMHO, 1984 gave us the most overrated set of the decade--Donruss, and the most underrated--Fleer.

As for the OP's query, I generally add my own twist, elst I think we just see people grabbing for price guides and naming rookies. I would list 5 cards I would take any day if: 1) I didn't have to pay, and 2) I could never sell. Leaving out Mantle per OP's request, I would take:

1. 1953 Bowman Musial-- my favorite post-war card
2. 1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams-- love that schwing
3. 1952 Topps Mays-- just oozes cool
4. 1949 Leaf Paige-- infancy of a new card era and a new color of ballplayer
5. 1967 Brooks Robinson-- clean card, nice photo, high-number from my youth

I understand nobody turns down an Aaron, Banks, Kaline, Koufax, and Clemente rookie, but I would really like to have the ones I listed, especially if nice near-mint shape.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by rats60

How did 84 Donruss raise the bar on card quality? Early Donruss and Fleer cards were of very poor quality compared to Topps. They were a thinner, flimsy card stock. That is why I bought very little of those sets. They were just cheap looking cards.

Donruss cut production in 84 at a time when the hobby was exploding. It was a perceived scarcity of 84 Donruss and 84 Fleer Update that created demand for their products, not putting out a better quality product.

I was actually referencing Russ' comments regarding '89 Upper Deck. I really liked that set and the finished look. I think that set ushered in the era of the shiny stuff.

As for my top cards in terms of significance - here it is:

1948 Leaf Robinson
1951 Bowman Mantle
1954 Topps Aaron
1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Clemente, Koufax

-Z

[JollyElm]

It's right there in the title of the thread--Most significant or sought after postwar cards (besides Mantle)--yet people keep including Mantle. What's with this complete obsession with Mickey Mantle????!!!!!!! This site should be retitled the All Mantle, All the Time forum. Come on!!!!!!

[begsu1013]

mantle, mantle, mantle!

(in my best jan brady voice)

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

mantle, mantle, mantle!

(in my best jan brady voice)

Haha!! Nice!!!!

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

I was actually referencing Russ' comments regarding '89 Upper Deck. I really liked that set and the finished look. I think that set ushered in the era of the shiny stuff.

As for my top cards in terms of significance - here it is:

1948 Leaf Robinson
1951 Bowman Mantle
1954 Topps Aaron
1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Clemente, Koufax

-Z

What is 1948 Leaf?

[sago]

1948 Leaf Paige
1949 Bowman Duke Snider
1955 Topps Koufax
1963 Topps Pete Rose
1967 Topps Tom Seaver

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by rats60

What is 1948 Leaf?

Here it is (not mine):

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

Here it is (not mine):

That is a 1949 Leaf. I own one. It is dated 1949 and describes his 1948 season where he hit .296 and drove in 85 runs. So, I'll ask again, what is a 1948 Leaf?

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by rsdill2

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.
.

What about the period before the mainstream Topps cards were issued? You are ruling out all the sets prior to '52 ('52 Topps being their first main stream set).

Z Wheat