When Did RC Become Most Important?

[MikeGarcia]

Originally Posted by BobC

Yup, like others are saying, early 80's and being pushed by Beckett and those other early price guides. Also, a huge reason IMO that Goudey Ruth cards are so damn expensive. Those Beckett price guides listed '33 Goudeys as Ruth's rookie cards, despite 1933 being the 19th year of career. That is just insane given all the cards Ruth had issued in the years before.

... Did you know , some say , I've heard , that you can classify a card as a rookie card , just by thinking about it ?

..

[Hankphenom]

Originally Posted by MikeGarcia

... Did you know , some say , I've heard , that you can classify a card as a rookie card , just by thinking about it ?..

Has Q issued his (her, it's?) list of RCs?

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by MikeGarcia

... Did you know , some say , I've heard , that you can classify a card as a rookie card , just by thinking about it ?

..

A lot of people call the 1952 T Mantle a RC, simply because they wish it to be so.

[Orioles1954]

My first rookie card memories were of Ron Kittle and Darryl Strawberry.

[Chris-Counts]

I can say with confidence that rookie cards were being hyped as early as the mid-1970s. Much of the buzz at the time centered around the '54 Aaron, because he had recently passed Babe Ruth on the home run list. I recall being at a show during that era and listening to a dealer explain to me that his 1963 Rose was a "rookie card," and hence, deserved a higher price. I was only about 14 or 15 years old at the time, but I laughed the logic — and still do.

[Dead-Ball-Hitter]

I'm not sure when The Sport Americana price guides first began to be published (late 70s to early 80s?), but I know they predated the Beckett guides, and James Beckett was a contributor, before branching out on his own.

I don't believe these guides indicated which cards were "RC" or rookies. But I do remember dealers using them in the 1980's and that Dr. J's 1972 Topps #195 (his rookie) was listed at .50 cents! I remember the dealer doubled the price to $1 and I was offended as a kid!