Team Issues and Rookie Cards

[Mungo Hungo]

Originally Posted by Leon

+1
I like the term earliest collectible more than I do "card" for some of the items.
While I consider postcards as cards, I agree with Phil, photo packs aren't cards. They are photos (pictures), like it says.

I'm glad to see people say this. I've found it frustrating that over time Beckett and others have gradually expanded their listings to the point where virtually anything depicting a player can show up in their online catalogue or Trading Card Database--even pages from photo albums and yearbooks.

Like everyone else on here, I certainly have no issue with those things being collectibles, but if anything and everything is classified as a card, the term itself has no meaning.

On a more specific note, one of the problems I have with classifying team-issued photos as cards--besides the fact that they are really just photos--is the lack of any inherent restrictions on them being reprinted. Most true cards have identifiers (bios, stats, copyrights, etc.) tying them to a specific year, and the licenses probably are good for only the given year anyway. But team-issued photos generally have no year identifiers--and that's on purpose. The teams can and often do distribute those things over multiple years. In fact, they presumably would have no restriction against reprinting team-issued photos even decades after the fact.

[topcat61]

Originally Posted by Mungo Hungo

I'm glad to see people say this. I've found it frustrating that over time Beckett and others have gradually expanded their listings to the point where virtually anything depicting a player can show up in their online catalogue or Trading Card Database--even pages from photo albums and yearbooks.

Like everyone else on here, I certainly have no issue with those things being collectibles, but if anything and everything is classified as a card, the term itself has no meaning.

On a more specific note, one of the problems I have with classifying team-issued photos as cards--besides the fact that they are really just photos--is the lack of any inherent restrictions on them being reprinted. Most true cards have identifiers (bios, stats, copyrights, etc.) tying them to a specific year, and the licenses probably are good for only the given year anyway. But team-issued photos generally have no year identifiers--and that's on purpose. The teams can and often do distribute those things over multiple years. In fact, they presumably would have no restriction against reprinting team-issued photos even decades after the fact.

This is an interesting topic and I'm glad to see collectors chime in. This more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to believe that "Picture Packs" and larger team issued sets should be classified as Premiums.

I believe that they do have a place and in many cases, can provide a great opportunity and in some cases the only opportunity to add a difficult or expensive player to your collection.

[triwak]

Right. How the hell else would I ever expect to get THIS guy, lol??! (Actually, this photo is postcard size. But who's counting)?

[h2oya311]

C'mon Ken! Don't you have this one yet???

[triwak]

Originally Posted by h2oya311

C'mon Ken! Don't you have this one yet???

LOL, Derek!! Funny that you ask. There was an autographed version of that Royals Picture Pack photo on ebay a couple of weeks ago, that went for $200. I DID have some interest... but not THAT much interest!! Since I only care that the card was issued during the HOFer's active period, I figured my "photo card" was adequate, haha!

Edited to add: If someone here bought that Royals Picture Pack photo, no offense intended. Definitely Schuerholz's rookie "card."

[Leon]

It is a friendly discussion. I think it is politically correct to call a Picture Pack a collectible more than a card. I still have some pic packs laying around. They are neat and mostly inexpensive ways to collect some neat collectibles.

Originally Posted by triwak

LOL, Derek!! Funny that you ask. There was an autographed version of that Royals Picture Pack photo on ebay a couple of weeks ago, that went for $200. I DID have some interest... but not THAT much interest!! Since I only care that the card was issued during the HOFer's active period, I figured my "photo card" was adequate, haha!

Edited to add: If someone here bought that Royals Picture Pack photo, no offense intended. Definitely Schuerholz's rookie "card."