Counting Down The 10 Most Iconic Sports Cards of Alltime Video - Thoughts

[Peter_Spaeth]

If the list is confined to knowledge and stature within the hobby, I don't see how the Griffey can be left off. That card was and is HUGE. Likewise the 11 Trout.

[BobbyStrawberry]

I'm curious about the Ruth on the list - does anyone know why the yellow one would be considered more iconic than #144?

[nwobhm]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

If the list is confined to knowledge and stature within the hobby, I don't see how the Griffey can be left off. That card was and is HUGE. Likewise the 11 Trout.

I can’t see how a player that didn’t even play 1 WS game could be included on any iconic list. At least a guy like Lebron, who lost more than he won, actually won something.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

I can’t see how a player that didn’t even play 1 WS game could be included on any iconic list. At least a guy like Lebron, who lost more than he won, actually won something.

The 89 UD Griffey ushered in and is the symbol of the modern high end card.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The 89 UD Griffey ushered in and is the symbol of the modern high end card.

For people who collected in 1989-1994. The Exquisite LeBron made it an after thought. It is the symbol of modern high end now.

[Carter08]

Originally Posted by rats60

For people who collected in 1989-1994. The Exquisite LeBron made it an after thought. It is the symbol of modern high end now.

I was too young for the 84 Mattingly and too old for the Lebron rookie. The UD Griffey was my generation’s key card and there wasn’t anything remotely close.

[Rhotchkiss]

I think the list tends too modern, but I concede that many of the cards I would put on a top 10 list likely aren’t proper for an all time iconic, defining iconic as most widely recognized (definition 2 of Websters).

Here is my LAYMAN most iconic list

52 Topps Mantle
T206 Wagner
1987 Fleer Jordan
1989 UD Griffey
T206 red/green Cobb (Horner image)
1933 Goudey Ruth Batting
1980 Topps Bird-Magic
1954 Aaron
1914 CJ Joe Jackson
1979 OPC Gretzky

My Baseball card collector most iconic

T206 Wagner
BN Ruth
1952 Topps Mantle
M101-4/5 Ruth
T210 Jackson
T206 red/green Cobb
1914 CJ Mathewson
T206 Plank
1933 Goudey Lajoie
1914 CJ Jackson

Honorable mention
1933 Goudey yellow Ruth
1948/9 Leaf Paige
1948/9 Robinson
1963 Rose
1968 Ryan

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think the list tends too modern, but I concede that many of the cards I would put on a top 10 list likely aren’t proper for an all time iconic, defining iconic as most widely recognized (definition 2 of Websters).

Here is my LAYMAN most iconic list

52 Topps Mantle
T206 Wagner
1987 Fleer Jordan
1989 UD Griffey
T206 red/green Cobb (Horner image)
1933 Goudey Ruth Batting
1980 Topps Bird-Magic
1954 Aaron
1914 CJ Joe Jackson
1979 OPC Gretzky

My Baseball card collector most iconic

T206 Wagner
BN Ruth
1952 Topps Mantle
M101-4/5 Ruth
T210 Jackson
T206 red/green Cobb
1914 CJ Mathewson
T206 Plank
1933 Goudey Lajoie
1914 CJ Jackson

Honorable mention
1933 Goudey yellow Ruth
1948/9 Leaf Paige
1948/9 Robinson
1963 Rose
1968 Ryan

Our lists are pretty close. I included 1 junk wax era card and two modern cards being the difference.

8 of the cards on my list have been in general media news stories over the last ~5 years. Many times due to selling for record or near record prices. These cards should be the most known cards both in and outside the hobby. For the first ~60 years of the hobby there was a big 3. I could not ignore cards that were so important to our hobby for so long, and still are.

[mrreality68]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I think the list tends too modern, but I concede that many of the cards I would put on a top 10 list likely aren’t proper for an all time iconic, defining iconic as most widely recognized (definition 2 of Websters).

Here is my LAYMAN most iconic list

52 Topps Mantle
T206 Wagner
1987 Fleer Jordan
1989 UD Griffey
T206 red/green Cobb (Horner image)
1933 Goudey Ruth Batting
1980 Topps Bird-Magic
1954 Aaron
1914 CJ Joe Jackson
1979 OPC Gretzky

My Baseball card collector most iconic

T206 Wagner
BN Ruth
1952 Topps Mantle
M101-4/5 Ruth
T210 Jackson
T206 red/green Cobb
1914 CJ Mathewson
T206 Plank
1933 Goudey Lajoie
1914 CJ Jackson

Honorable mention
1933 Goudey yellow Ruth
1948/9 Leaf Paige
1948/9 Robinson
1963 Rose
1968 Ryan

These lists are close to my thoughts to me the Cracker Jack Cards needs to be mentioned and Joe Jackson is widely known. and the 1989 Griffey needs to be on it because that was the .card of that Generation and in some-ways kicked off the new look. the Topps Bird/Magic Card great card not sure it is that high on the list but I can live with it

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by rats60

For people who collected in 1989-1994. The Exquisite LeBron made it an after thought. It is the symbol of modern high end now.

I don't think Griffey has been supplanted at all.

[RCMcKenzie]

Rovell's list was from 2010. I think it was less random than the list in the 1st post of this thread. To me 'iconic' focuses on eras.

The 52T Mantle is the golden era, 1950's icon for cards. Wagner is tobacco era. Griffey is that card for the junk wax era collectors. I did not collect in college and so the Griffey doesn't ring any bells for me. I do recognize what it is, like a Gretsky rookie, or 1981 Topps Harold Baines.

Modern is really a different hobby to me. I don't really recognize any cards made after 2000, so I don't really know what symbolizes that era, other than refractors of the stars like Kobe, Brady, LeBron, and Messi, and Justin Herbert, and so on.

I just realized I don't own any of the top 10 cards in the hobby from post 1. I used to own a Leaf Robinson when I was a kid that my Dad bought me for $45. I may have a Bird rookie from a pack in a box in storage somewhere.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by RCMcKenzie

Rovell's list was from 2010. I think it was less random than the list in the 1st post of this thread. To me 'iconic' focuses on eras.

The 52T Mantle is the golden era, 1950's icon for cards. Wagner is tobacco era. Griffey is that card for the junk wax era collectors. I did not collect in college and so the Griffey doesn't ring any bells for me. I do recognize what it is, like a Gretsky rookie, or 1981 Topps Harold Baines.

Modern is really a different hobby to me. I don't really recognize any cards made after 2000, so I don't really know what symbolizes that era, other than refractors of the stars like Kobe, Brady, LeBron, and Messi, and Justin Herbert, and so on.

I just realized I don't own any of the top 10 cards in the hobby from post 1. I used to own a Leaf Robinson when I was a kid that my Dad bought me for $45. I may have a Bird rookie from a pack in a box in storage somewhere.

The Fleer Michael Jordan RC is the card for the junk wax era.

[nwobhm]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

The 89 UD Griffey ushered in and is the symbol of the modern high end card.

We apparently lived opposite lives in this hobby in the late 80’s. I remember near zero talk among collectors of the Griffey…. Jordan was like a tsunami. Gretsky, Montana, Jordan…. Clemons, Puckett, Gooden from the update were all the rage… FF Ripken was also always in the conversation. Everyone wanted the 84’ Donruss factory sets too. IDK…..Maybe it was a regional thing.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

We apparently lived opposite lives in this hobby in the late 80’s. I remember near zero talk among collectors of the Griffey…. Jordan was like a tsunami. Gretsky, Montana, Jordan…. Clemons, Puckett, Gooden from the update were all the rage… FF Ripken was also always in the conversation. Everyone wanted the 84’ Donruss factory sets too. IDK…..Maybe it was a regional thing.

It definitely was not a regional thing. I was setting up at shows across the country and it was all about the 1986 Fleer Jordan RC and 1986 Fleer basketball in 1989/90.

The Upper Deck Griffey was the new speculation in 1989, but many in the hobby were uncertain of Upper Decks future. It took a while for the Griffey to catch on, but by then Jordan was king of the hobby.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

We apparently lived opposite lives in this hobby in the late 80’s. I remember near zero talk among collectors of the Griffey…. Jordan was like a tsunami. Gretsky, Montana, Jordan…. Clemons, Puckett, Gooden from the update were all the rage… FF Ripken was also always in the conversation. Everyone wanted the 84’ Donruss factory sets too. IDK…..Maybe it was a regional thing.

Were you in Chicago? If Jordan was such a tsunami in the card world, why did Fleer's basketball offerings basically flop? The Griffey was everywhere - that's why UD printed more of it.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Were you in Chicago? If Jordan was such a tsunami in the card world, why did Fleer's basketball offerings basically flop? The Griffey was everywhere - that's why UD printed more of it.

Jordan was a tsunami in 1988-1989. Fleer's basketball offerings didn't flop. They were a good seller, similar to Topps Football and Hockey products of the time and Fleer kept making them.

Upper Deck Griffeys were everywhere in 1989 because that is all that Upper Deck had and as it was a brand new company, they were going to milk it. The 1989 Griffey was just that year's popular rookie and it was only popular until Upper Deck made their high series. Then everyone wanted Jerome Walton. The card everyone really wanted was the 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco. 1988 MVP, 1st 40/40 player, 3x AL Champion 1988-1990, 1989 World Series Champion.

[Exhibitman]

T206 Wagner
1952 Topps Mantle
1986 F Jordan
1980-81 Magic-Bird
1979-80 Gretzky
1989 UD Griffey
1957 T Russell
1965 T Namath
1966 T Orr
1993 UD Jeter

FWIW, I think Brady and LeBron and Trout are hurt by the sheer variety of RCs they have.

[Tabe]

Originally Posted by rats60

Jordan was a tsunami in 1988-1989. Fleer's basketball offerings didn't flop. They were a good seller, similar to Topps Football and Hockey products of the time and Fleer kept making them.

Topps Hockey was a good seller? No way. Fleer's sets flopped. Or have we forgotten all the stories of Fleer's boxes selling for $5?

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Tabe

Were you in Chicago? If Jordan was such a tsunami in the card world, why did Fleer's basketball offerings basically flop? The Griffey was everywhere - that's why UD printed more of it.

In my experience, since the day it was released, the UD Griffey has been an instantly recognizable and consistently popular card, synonymous with the modern hobby. I don't think it was supplanted by anything.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

In my experience, since the day it was released, the UD Griffey has been an instantly recognizable and consistently popular card, synonymous with the modern hobby. I don't think it was supplanted by anything.

I guess that is why in the fall of 1989, Griffey was the 5th best rookie in the set behind Jerome Walton, Dwight Smith, Jim Abbott and Todd Zeile.

[Wanaselja]

Originally Posted by nwobhm

I can’t see how a player that didn’t even play 1 WS game could be included on any iconic list. At least a guy like Lebron, who lost more than he won, actually won something.

Scratching head out of confusion emoji.