Top 10 — Most Collected Players

[rats60]

My list would be
Honus Wagner
Ty Cobb
Joe Jackson
Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Jackie Robinson
Mickey Mantle
Willie Mays
Hank Aaron
Roberto Clemente

[oldjudge]

I like Ethan's list except I would include Gehrig and delete Aaron. My real preference would be a list of 11 with both Gehrig and Aaron included.

[jsfriedm]

I don't think there are enough Wagners and Jacksons, especially at reasonable prices, to make them collectable for any but a small elite. I also don't think DiMaggio is quite up there. My (strictly vintage baseball) list would therefore be:

Babe Ruth
Lou Gehrig
Ty Cobb
Mickey Mantle
Willie Mays
Ted Williams
Henry Aaron
Jackie Robinson
Roberto Clemente

And for the 10th...Sandy Koufax?

[Rhotchkiss]

I collect mostly players from the turn of the century (1900s), so my personal list of players I collect are:

Honus Wagner
Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Joe Jackson
Cy Young
Christy Mathewson
Eddie Plank
Nap Lajoie
Lou Gehrig
Tris Speaker

That said, I recognize that 5 of the bottom 6 (excluding Gehrig) wouldn’t show up on most lists, and I think most would substitute at least Mantle, Mays, and Robinson; not sure the balance

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Rhotchkiss

I collect mostly players from the turn of the century (1900s), so my personal list of players I collect are:

Honus Wagner
Ty Cobb
Babe Ruth
Joe Jackson
Cy Young
Christy Mathewson
Eddie Plank
Nap Lajoie
Lou Gehrig
Tris Speaker

That said, I recognize that 5 of the bottom 6 (excluding Gehrig) wouldn’t show up on most lists, and I think most would substitute at least Mantle, Mays, and Robinson; not sure the balance

No Walter Johnson?

[Rhotchkiss]

Originally Posted by rats60

No Walter Johnson?

Great call re Wajo, and I thought of him at 10, but I went with Speaker instead because aside from his T204, I dont own any specific Wajo cards outside of my T206 and 1914 CJ sets. With Tris Speaker, I have him as part of my T206 and 1914 CJ sets, but I also own his E90-1 and T216 and I do have an almost complete T206 back run. So, for me, I think I need to list Speaker ahead of Wajo. Actually, I probably have fewer Gehrig cards than any listed and fewer than Wajo....

All that said, I think Wajo is a top 5 best player of all time and probably the best pitcher in history.

[JollyElm]

It's a tough question to really answer as it becomes quite the jumble of all-time favorites, HOF'ers you're 'supposed' to want, valuable cards, home run Gods, players you would collect, but can't afford, and on and on.

As a post-war guy, I don't think the list even reaches ten (although each collector has his personal favorite players to feather the nest), but it clearly would be these guys in a sort-of 'if you see them at a good price, you buy them immediately' kind of way (in no specific order):

• Mickey Mantle
• Willie Mays
• Hank Aaron
• Sandy Koufax
• Roberto Clemente
• Nolan Ryan
• Jackie Robinson
• Ted Williams

[jethrod3]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

• Mickey Mantle
• Willie Mays
• Hank Aaron
• Sandy Koufax
• Roberto Clemente
• Nolan Ryan
• Jackie Robinson
• Ted Williams[/B]

I like Darren's post-war list, notably the addition of Ryan, but taking into account pre-war, even if I currently don't have many cards or other memorabilia featuring them, I'd add Ruth and Gehrig.