When Did RC Become Most Important?

[HistoricNewspapers]

Originally Posted by rats60

The 1969 Topps Reggie Jackson has two years of MLB stats on the back. Is it no longer a rookie card?

The hobby adopted the definition of a rookie card to be inclusive. They knew that if the hobby was to grow and survive, a player's best card had to be accessable to everyone, not just to dealers and wealthy adults. That is why Jackie Robinson's RCs are 1949 Leaf and Bowman and Michael Jordan's RC is 1986 Fleer. It doesn't stop you from collecting earlier cards.

The hobby is no different today. Julio Rodriguez's RCs are in the 2022 products. It doesn't matter that he had a 2021 Bowman's Best card.

That sure looks like the definition of manipulation. At best, it is an artificial designation. A foolish definition for certain.

Robinson and Jordan third year cards...are not rookie cards.

XRC lol....still says it is a rookie card, just an extra one...and two years earlier.

[midwaylandscaping]

Fun thread. I dabbled with card collecting from 1978-82 before the deep dive in 1983/84.

** Fernando Valenzuela 1981 RC's are the ones I think of first as being sought after. Dale Murphy RC's had a strong following in my area also in 82-83 (S.C)

** One local dealer was a Star Co. seller. Spring of '86 he had quantity of the bagged team & all star sets 83-86. I had no interest, naturally, I needed Dan Paqua 85 Donruss rookies

Late Spring / early Summer of 1987 Fleer basketball wax boxes were readily available in the Roses Dept store in Boone NC for some ridiculous price of 7.99 or that range. Of course I said nah, I need Greenwell rc's not worthless basketball

Ahh, for a time machine