10 Most Iconic Cards under $200

[jared6180]

I posted this over on Blowout and it seems everyone is fixated on 1980s junk wax and 1993 Jeters. So let me ask you vintage guys for your opinion...

What are the Top 10 Most Iconic Cards for under $200. I put the price limit in there just because I am a small budget guy and I don't have the $1,000s to spend that some collectors do. Sure I expect there to be a few 80s cards represented, but not 9 out of 10!

I would like to start building a Vintage PC and these answers are going to be useful for what I chase in the near future.

Thanks ahead of time guys!!!

[pokerplyr80]

Most of the iconic postwar cards are available for 200 or less if condition isn't an issue. You can still get a Clemente RC in a 1 for not much more than 200. Ryan, Rose, Koufax, Banks, Seaver, etc can all be found for less. The rest can be found in higher grades, as can non RCs of pretty much everyone.

[CW]

a card loved by many collectors and under $200 in mint condition...

[the 'stache]

I'd imagine you could get a lot of the "iconic" vintage cards if they don't come entombed in a plastic slab.

A '75 Topps Yount, or a '75 Topps Brett...both can be had for under two C notes. Slabbed, you're going to pay more, obviously. But a PSA 8 Yount can be had for under $200. A PSA 8 Brett? Probably going to be over $200; a 7 can be had, and a 7 can still have real nice eye appeal.

A '71 Thurman Munson can be had in nice shape, sans slab, for well under $200. Hell, an upper-mid grade example can be had for under $200. That's the card to have of the former Yankee Captain.

A 1980 Topps Rickey Henderson is an iconic card. You can get a PSA 8 for well under $100.

A perfectly centered '78 Topps Eddie Murray, in a PSA 8, should be doable for $100, or slightly higher.

A real nice '78 Topps Paul Molitor/Alan Trammell, centered and without the black "smudge", can be had for $100 at a PSA 8.

That's just a few examples. There are more. It really depends on what you want. If you're collecting for the fun of it, you should do well with ungraded cards. Just be sure that you know how to determine if a card is authentic, or not. Start out small. Build a collection of "control cards" for each set that you're going to explore, and compare any card you're considering buying to one of those control cards, under a loupe. Get a black light, and look for alterations, or coloring (especially the '71 set. If you go for a Munson, a black light is a MUST. The black borders are notorious for chipping. Don't be fooled by somebody selling a card that has had the chips colored over by a permanent marker. That will show under black light).

[jared6180]

I get very nervous about buying fake cards and for this reason I will probably buy most if not all graded by PSA. I frankly do not trust BGS with anything as fragile as old cards, they barely get new cards done right plus their labels look like dog do-do with older cards.

It might be a little goofy, but ideally I would like to buy based on my own grading expectations and tolerances. I have provided the following "chart" to show you what I mean...
Year Min. Grade
2000+ 10
1990-99 9
1980-89 8
1970-79 7
1960-69 6
1950-59 5
etc...

Now, obviously there are some cards, esp RCs that will not fit this criteria. So these are set within perfect world scenarios.

I am thinking about starting my vintage collection with a Brett RC in a PSA 7 or a 58 Mantle/Aaron in a PSA 6.

[daves_resale_shop]

My 1975-90 list

1990 leaf Frank Thomas
1989 upper deck ken Griffey jr
1985 topps Mark McGwire
1984 fleer update roger Clemens
1984 fleer update Kirby Puckett
1982 topps traded cal Ripken
1980 topps Rickey Henderson
1977 topps dale Murphy
1975 topps robin yount
1975 topps George brett

[MCoxon]

Grade sensitive, of course, but

1978 Reggie Jackson
1975 Brett
1973 Clemente
1971 Munson
1968 Bob Gibson
1962 Mantle/Mays
1958 Mantle All Star

[ZiggerZagger]

As far as Iconic in terms of enduring images (as opposed to a card's importance or RC status), several come to mind.

1954 Bowman Duke Snider
1961 Topps Yastrzemski
1962 Topps Banks
1967 Topps Mantle
1971 Topps Clemente (or many of his early 70's cards)
1974 Topps Winfield RC
1975 Topps Nolan Ryan
1976 Topps Bench
1977 Topps Schmidt

And of course the '75 Brett and '80 Henderson, '89 Griffey RC's, as have been mentioned.
I suppose the line between "iconic" and simply a very attractive card is a bit blurred for me, though.

[rats60]

1975 Brett
1973 Schmidt
1969 Jackson
1968 Bench
1967 Carew
1965 Carlton
1960 Yaz
1964,66-69 Mantle
Most 60s Clemente or Mays

[MCoxon]

Originally Posted by rats60

1975 Brett
1973 Schmidt
1969 Jackson
1968 Bench
1967 Carew
1965 Carlton
1960 Yaz
1964,66-69 Mantle
Most 60s Clemente or Mays

Very good list, and like Clemente/Mays, you also could get 60s / '70s Aarons (I love '61 and '73)

Also, 1969 Bench as well

[MCoxon]

Also Jared, if you're willing to go PSA 5 for 1950s card, you've got TONS of iconic cards to choose from:

1954 Bowman Willie Mays, Duke Snider (mentioned earlier)
1956 Topps Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente
1957 Topps Sandy Koufax, Ted Williams

Originally Posted by jared6180

I get very nervous about buying fake cards and for this reason I will probably buy most if not all graded by PSA. I frankly do not trust BGS with anything as fragile as old cards, they barely get new cards done right plus their labels look like dog do-do with older cards.

It might be a little goofy, but ideally I would like to buy based on my own grading expectations and tolerances. I have provided the following "chart" to show you what I mean...
Year Min. Grade
2000+ 10
1990-99 9
1980-89 8
1970-79 7
1960-69 6
1950-59 5
etc...

Now, obviously there are some cards, esp RCs that will not fit this criteria. So these are set within perfect world scenarios.

I am thinking about starting my vintage collection with a Brett RC in a PSA 7 or a 58 Mantle/Aaron in a PSA 6.

[Laxcat]

I'm not that big on condition. I would suggest a lower condition, but not fugly, '69T White Letter Mantle. Tough & Iconic card IMO.

[Rookiemonster]

I call it the forgotten hall of famers.

Duke snider

Harmon killabrew

Whitey ford

Ernie banks

Bob Gibson
These guys are always affordable . You can get a whitey ford rookie for 200!
And if your in to football you can get even more bang for your buck . I think for 200 you can almost have any player in low grade. The guys I listed you can find better grade for you price point .

[nat]

If you're willing to go PSA 3 in the 30s and PSA 2 in the 20s you can get tons of great stuff for under 200 bucks. Quick search shows a PSA 3 Goudey Hornsby sold for $175 two weeks ago. There's a 3.5 BIN at 230 right now. (Which is >200, but gives you the idea of what it'll sell for if an auction comes around.)

If you're looking postwar, I like the 71 Ryan. Or how about a 54 Robinson.

[pokerplyr80]

Originally Posted by jared6180

I get very nervous about buying fake cards and for this reason I will probably buy most if not all graded by PSA. I frankly do not trust BGS with anything as fragile as old cards, they barely get new cards done right plus their labels look like dog do-do with older cards.

It might be a little goofy, but ideally I would like to buy based on my own grading expectations and tolerances. I have provided the following "chart" to show you what I mean...
Year Min. Grade
2000+ 10
1990-99 9
1980-89 8
1970-79 7
1960-69 6
1950-59 5
etc...

Now, obviously there are some cards, esp RCs that will not fit this criteria. So these are set within perfect world scenarios.

I am thinking about starting my vintage collection with a Brett RC in a PSA 7 or a 58 Mantle/Aaron in a PSA 6.

Those two seem like a good place to start. A 75 Brett should have a 75 Yount to go with it though. You could get one of each in a 7 for 200 bucks.

The 58 Mantle/Aaron is my favorite Mantle combo card. I also like his 62 with Mays and 57 with Berra. Both well within your price range. Good luck building your collection.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by MCoxon

Very good list, and like Clemente/Mays, you also could get 60s / '70s Aarons (I love '61 and '73)

Also, 1969 Bench as well

My favorite is the 65 Topps. I originally had Aaron too, but realized that was 11 cards. You could go with the 66 NL Batting Leaders card since it has Clemente/Aaron/Mays and then add a 1965 Koufax.

[jchcollins]

Some of the early combo cards are iconic in my eyes - both the '57 Mantle / Berra and the '58 Mantle / Aaron can be had for well under $200 in less-than-PSA 8 but still very attractive shape.

How about a '64 Aaron or Clemente? Great looking cards that don't come anywhere near breaking the bank.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Shoebox]

Some great cards on this list. Some cards I would consider adding if you are willing to own lower to mid grade cards.

53T Satchel Paige
56T Jackie Robinson
54T Ted Williams
57T Hank Aaron
56 or 57T Mickey Mantle
54B Willie Mays
53B Stan Musial
65T Sandy Koufax
69T Tom Seaver

Some of those would require condition sacrifices on your budget. Especially the Mantles (PSA 2?) but all of these are great cards in my opinion and while not RCs for several they represent historic years in their careers.

[the 'stache]

Exactly. I don't get it when somebody lists a '75 Brett as iconic, but not the Yount from the same set. Both came up at the same time. Both were among the very best players of their generation. Both got their 3,000th hit within 10 days of each other, and both went into the Hall together.

It's like having Lennon but not McCartney. Blasphemous!

Originally Posted by pokerplyr80

Those two seem like a good place to start. A 75 Brett should have a 75 Yount to go with it though. You could get one of each in a 7 for 200 bucks.

[the 'stache]

Nervous, or not, you really need to learn how to differentiate between a real card, and an inauthentic one. I cannot stress this enough. It's really not that difficult, and doing so offers you far greater protection than buying PSA slabbed cards alone could ever do. PSA slabs can be faked, and tampered with.

The mantra of Net 54 is "buy the card, not the flip" for a reason. If you automatically assume a PSA-slabbed card is authentic, you expose yourself to unnecessary risk.

I find it curious that you are so concerned about buying faked cards, but you then you have nothing but negative thoughts about Beckett. They may not command the same premium PSA does, but I've never seen a BGS slab tampered with. If authenticity is your chief concern, a Beckett-slabbed card would seem to be the way to go. You can always send it to PSA, and have them cross it over. Yes, it would cost you money, but if you ever decided to sell, you'd have iron clad provenance, as a unique serial number would be issued for your card, and you'd have been the only owner.

Originally Posted by jared6180

I get very nervous about buying fake cards and for this reason I will probably buy most if not all graded by PSA. I frankly do not trust BGS with anything as fragile as old cards, they barely get new cards done right plus their labels look like dog do-do with older cards.

[the 'stache]

Also, no discussion of iconic vintage cards is complete without this beauty:



Not a chance in heck you get this card, at this grade level, for under $200. But ungraded, you should be able to get a very nice example for yourself.

If you buy from a reputable seller, and spend just a little effort learning how to authenticate vintage cards, you're really going to expand your collecting universe. Good luck.

[jared6180]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

I don't get it when somebody lists a '75 Brett as iconic, but not the Yount from the same set. Both came up at the same time. Both were among the very best players of their generation. Both got their 3,000th hit within 10 days of each other, and both went into the Hall together.

This is a legitimate point. My only reason is because I was born in 1980 and raised a Royals fan, so I consider Brett to be the best. Yes, I'm a bit of a homer for my Royals. I remember Brett and Yount reaching 3,000 at about the same time, but Brett had a larger impact since I watched him play in person and on the TV FAR more frequently than Yount. Is Yount still involved in baseball? I know Brett is very involved with the Royals front office.

Is there a guide for various years of cards and what to look for? Something specific I could read and maybe see images of Real vs. fake? I would love to learn this stuff, and would especially love to learn how PSA grades their cards. In my untrained opinion a PSA 3 and 1 don't look very different especially when we start talking about the difference in the half-grade differences. I bought a few vintage cards from a set breaker in 2012 and what I thought for sure would be an 6 or 7 came back 4s and 5s. I was very disappointed and decided to stay with modern cards. I just really have a desire to get mostly out of the new stuff though so I keep circling around to vintage.

1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese is gorgeous. I really like that set, but I think my favorite is 1950 Bowman, for some reason the small square cards always get my attention.

[Robs70sCards]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbEHAsZxRYo

Three words: Pine Tar Incident. The footage is more iconic than the card

[begsu1013]

.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Exactly. I don't get it when somebody lists a '75 Brett as iconic, but not the Yount from the same set. Both came up at the same time. Both were among the very best players of their generation. Both got their 3,000th hit within 10 days of each other, and both went into the Hall together.

It's like having Lennon but not McCartney. Blasphemous!

The limit is 10 cards, so why have multiple cards from the same set and too many 70s cards when many key 60s RCs can be had in that range. Ideally, you would try to get one key card from each year 52-75. It's not that Yount RC is not iconic, just not as iconic as Brett.

[KCRfan1]

Brett's stats are pretty superior to Younts, and Brett is usually in the mix when it comes to discussions about the best at his position of all time. Yount is a great player but I have never considered him as the best at his position.

This is the major factor for me between the player and their card.

[the 'stache]

Consider where they played. Brett played third base, a position that places a premium on offense. Yount was a shortstop, a position that placed a premium on defense. Though Ernie Banks, Vern Stephens and a few other shortstops in the live ball era showed a shortstop could play great defense, and hit for power, it was really the trio of Yount, Ripken Jr and Trammell that changed the perception of the position.

JAWS has George Brett ranked as the fourth best third baseman of all-time, Yount the fifth best shortstop of all-time. Brett's 7 year WAR peak was 53.2. Yount's was 47.2, and would have been higher had he not blown out his shoulder in 1984.

All things considered, they're pretty close.

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

Brett's stats are pretty superior to Younts, and Brett is usually in the mix when it comes to discussions about the best at his position of all time. Yount is a great player but I have never considered him as the best at his position.

This is the major factor for me between the player and their card.

[Neal]

I believe Yount also played mostly in county stadium.

Pitchers park if there ever was one. Yount was a beast as well as a fantastic ss and cf

Brett was great and not taking anything away from him byw

[pokerplyr80]

I didn't mean to turn this into a Yount vs. Brett debate. I was just trying to say that certain iconic cards from the same set go well together, and that those two would be a nice addition to the OP's collection.

Same with 41 Play Ball Williams and Dimaggio, 51 Mantle and Mays, 55 Clemente and Koufax, 83 Gwynn, Boggs, and Sandberg, and many others. The 83 RCs would also be well within your range in PSA 9, probably less than 200 for all 3.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Consider where they played. Brett played third base, a position that places a premium on offense. Yount was a shortstop, a position that placed a premium on defense. Though Ernie Banks, Vern Stephens and a few other shortstops in the live ball era showed a shortstop could play great defense, and hit for power, it was really the trio of Yount, Ripken Jr and Trammell that changed the perception of the position.

JAWS has George Brett ranked as the fourth best third baseman of all-time, Yount the fifth best shortstop of all-time. Brett's 7 year WAR peak was 53.2. Yount's was 47.2, and would have been higher had he not blown out his shoulder in 1984.

All things considered, they're pretty close.

Brett was also better in the postseason. He has a championship and he has memorable big hits.3 run HR in game 5 76 ALCS. 3 HRs off Catfish Hunter in 78 ALCS. HR off Goose Gossage in game 3 80 ALCS. Hitting .390 in 1980. 2 HRs off Doyle Alexander in 85 ALCS. 4 Hits in game 7 of 1985 World Series. He was clutch, one of the best postseason players of all time.

People remember Reggie Jackson for his HRs in 1977, not his regular season stats, Mantle for his 18 WS HR, etc. Postseason matters. Brett has that reputation and that makes him the choice. It doesn't hurt that he also has the better regular season numbers, even if they are close.

[KCRfan1]

I don't really get too much into Saber metrics like WAR, JAWS, OARS, PAWS ect. Just looking at the basics like you find on the back of a card, Brett clearly has the better stats.

Not taking anything away from Yount.

The 75 set is one of the best for rookie cards with Yount, Carter, Brett, and Rice. Brett and Yount are the 2 to have and can't really go wrong with either. In the Era of free agency and shuffling of player's between teams, it was nice to have those 2 stay with their teams throughout their career. Rice as well.

[Exhibitman]

Condition not an issue, you can do really well. I'd go for:

[the 'stache]

I understand your point. But Lou, don't you understand why Brett's numbers should be better? He played one of the premium offensive positions in baseball. Third base. First base. Left field. Right field. When WAR is measured, adjustments are made for second basemen, shortstops, catchers and center fielders, because typically, players at those positions won't generate anywhere near the same kind of offense the corner outfielders, third and first basemen will. Those guys are typically bigger, and slower. Shortstop is the most demanding defensive position on the field. When you plug a guy like Yount, as great as he was defensively, and then turn him into a wrecking ball with the bat, that's much more beneficial to a team than a third baseman that can hit. Because shortstop is the toughest spot on the field to fill; find a great defensive shortstop that can hit like Yount, Ripken, Trammell, and you've really got something. Now, granted, Brett was an exceptional hitter (and one of my favorite players growing up). And he was a real good defender, too. But Yount? Look at his prime before being forced to switch to center field because of his shoulder injury.

Between 1980 and 1984, five seasons, these are his 162 game averages as a shortstop:

.303 AVG, 117 runs scored, 197 hits, 42 doubles, 11 triples, 22 home runs, 15 stolen bases, 95 RBIs. He slashed .355/.498/.854 with a 139 OPS +. For that era, that's obscene production from a shortstop.

Yount had multiple shoulder surgeries after the 1984 season. Then, after basically re-learning how to hit in the 1985 season, altering his swing mechanics in the process, he had another great four year run as a center fielder. Much of his power had been robbed from him, but his 162 game averages in center, another premium defensive position, are quite good:

.312 AVG, 98 runs scored, 195 hits, 35 doubles, 10 triples, 17 home runs, 20 stolen bases, 90 RBI. He slashed .381/.477/.858 between 1986 and 1989.

By win shares, as of 2006, Bill James ranked the different historical players. He had George Brett as the second best third baseman of all-time (behind Mike Schmidt), and Robin Yount as the third best shortstop of all-time (though, I expect Alex Rodriguez may have passed him, depending on when he made the move to third base. Win shares is, of course, just one way of comparing players from different positions, and different eras. I don't mean to infer that win shares is the definitive metric. But I can't think of many shortstops who were better overall than Yount. Wagner, of course, and Cal Ripken Jr was just as good, and did it longer. Mr. Cub? He hit 512 home runs to Yount's 251. Interestingly enough, though, with all that power, his OPS + lead isn't that big: 122 to 115. Ernie was no slouch with the glove, either. He had some real good defensive seasons, and won a Gold Glove. They're close.

It certainly makes for a fun discussion, if you ask me.

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

I don't really get too much into Saber metrics like WAR, JAWS, OARS, PAWS ect. Just looking at the basics like you find on the back of a card, Brett clearly has the better stats.

Not taking anything away from Yount.

The 75 set is one of the best for rookie cards with Yount, Carter, Brett, and Rice. Brett and Yount are the 2 to have and can't really go wrong with either. In the Era of free agency and shuffling of player's between teams, it was nice to have those 2 stay with their teams throughout their career. Rice as well.

[KCRfan1]

Rock and Roll Bill!!! I love it! Yount is VERY under appreciated IMO and certainly overlooked in almost every discussion when the Hall comes up.

[CW]

Originally Posted by jared6180

1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese is gorgeous. I really like that set, but I think my favorite is 1950 Bowman, for some reason the small square cards always get my attention.

Good call by Bill on the Pee Wee Reese.

I agree about the '50 Bowmans. They're like little works of art. The Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson are classics from this set as well, and could probably be had in raw VG condition for under $200.

[midwaylandscaping]

I Really liked Robin Yount growing up. 2 MVP's at two different positions. Hard nosed athlete. He gets overlooked a good bit.

[ls7plus]

'73 OPC Schmidt in "7" (or even a "6" with great eye appeal)--the greatest third baseman of all time and far, far tougher than his Topp's rookie.

Have fun in the quest,

Larry

[the 'stache]

Those Bowman cards were all great; even the tv set has a unique appeal. You can't go wrong with any of them, really. It comes down to preference.

Some of my dream cards come from the '50 set.



The Splendid Splinter? Jackie? Rapid Robert? Yes, please!

If I owned that Ted Williams, I'd take it out, and stare at it all day, like Smeagol staring at "The Precious".

Originally Posted by CW

Good call by Bill on the Pee Wee Reese.

I agree about the '50 Bowmans. They're like little works of art. The Ted Williams and Jackie Robinson are classics from this set as well, and could probably be had in raw VG condition for under $200.

[the 'stache]

I readily admit to being biased where Robin is concerned. He and Clemente are my baseball idols, with Teddy Ballgame not far behind.

I spent a lot of time at old Milwaukee County Stadium as a kid, and I watched him emerge from a strong glove guy with a pretty good stick into an absolutely lethal hitter. The ball just jumped off his bat. I mean, it screamed. He was always in tremendous shape, but when he started hitting the weight room, and adding lean muscle, you could really see what a threat he was becoming, offensively. When he was on, the doubles, triples and home runs came in bunches. He battled at the plate, and really rose to the occasion when his team needed him most. I remember the one game "playoff" the Brewers had against the Orioles in 1982; the winner would meet the Angels in the American League Championship Game. Yount absolutely destroyed Jim Palmer in that game, homering in his first two at bats. And he hit .412 in his only World Series. He's still the only player in World Series history to have multiple four hit games.

The guy always came to the game, and played his heart out. I don't remember his ever taking a play off. I mean, if he hit a grounder to short that was sure to end the inning, he ran like he was trying to beat it out.

Originally Posted by midwaylandscaping

I Really liked Robin Yount growing up. 2 MVP's at two different positions. Hard nosed athlete. He gets overlooked a good bit.

[arexcrooke]

One thing about Banks is that he played more games at 1st base than he did at SS.
As far as iconic cards under $200 I like the following:
1953 Bowman Color Stan Musial. Great picture of Stan and his last card until 1959 I believe? PSA 5 for around $200 and a 4 for well under $200
1953 Bowman Color Duke Snider. Jeez just a beautiful card and a great picture. PSA 5s close to $200 and 4s easily under 2 bills
1967 topps Mantle great pic and great card. I just bought a 6 for $180
What about the 57 Aaron? Great pic tough to find centered and good picture...but it's a reverse negative. Does that bother anyone and keep it out of the iconic department?

[bobsbbcards]

I don't have a list of under $200 iconic cards, but the '69 Bench would probably fit the bill.



Some more '50 works of art.

[deltaarnet]

Originally Posted by CW

a card loved by many collectors and under $200 in mint condition...

Agreed!!!

[bobsbbcards]

Maybe these too:

[rats60]

I would add the 57 F Robinson rc and 1959 Gibson rc to my list. Both can be found for 200 in Ex-Mt condition.

[RobertGT]

I'm partial to the player, but this card is at the top of my list. 84 Donruss is affordable to basically everyone and still gets love from me:

[KCRfan1]

Robert -

That certainly was THE card back in the day!!!

I remember talking to Jim Roy of V&J Cards ( at N. Oak and Englewood in Gladstone MO and named after his daughters first initials ) who told me about a customer who only bought Mantles and Mattinglys.

Seeing that card brought back some great memories!

[71buc]

Originally Posted by rats60

I would add the 57 F Robinson rc and 1959 Gibson rc to my list. Both can be found for 200 in Ex-Mt condition.

I would love to find a PSA 6 Gibson for under $200. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw...psa+6&_sacat=0

The Robinson has been creeping out of this price range as well.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from...p2045573.m1684

[PowderedH2O]

How about one of the most beautiful and most colorful images of all time of one of the most admired superstars of all time?

1952 Bowman Stan Musial

You can get it graded in PSA 5 for around $200 often. Ungraded, maybe even better.