"Must have" 1970's cards

[sandmountainslim]

Why does the 1971 Munson card seem to be more desired than his 1970 Rookie? Do you think it will remain this way or will the rookie eventually surpass it in desirability.

[KendallCat]

Love the 70's cards and obvious answers are the 1973 Schmidt, 1975 Brett, and 75 Yount. I think those are the big 3. Next would be the 1978 Murray and 1979 Ozzie Smith.

Personally I like the 1970 Bench since it is his MVP year and a tough high number. After that the 1974 Ryan is an awesome card with his fastball looking like it is about to come right at you. I love the 74 set and the action photos. In 1971 the Clemente and Jackson are great looking cards, and my favorite is the 1976 Bench.

[CW]

Originally Posted by sandmountainslim

Why does the 1971 Munson card seem to be more desired than his 1970 Rookie? Do you think it will remain this way or will the rookie eventually surpass it in desirability.

I might look at two factors here... desirability and value.

The '71 might be more desired simply because of its visual appeal over the RC. It features one of the coolest action poses in the hobby. Many collectors just like solo cards rather than the multi-player RC used in the 60's and 70's.

The '68 Ryan RC is an iconic card, but it doesn't really have a wow factor when it comes to the visual aspect. It's basically two cropped portraits set against a burlap sack.

The reason the '71 Munson has more value, especially in higher grades like 8 and 9, is because the '71 set has those super-tough black borders.

In those higher grades, the '71 will always surpass the '70 in terms of value and desirability. The visual aspect just adds to the appeal.