What are the best vintage, investment-type players in your opinion?

[jingram058]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

Mantle is the perfect storm. Yankees. 50s. Sorry to say this, but white where Mays and Aaron -- both probably better players -- were not. Switch hitting and power/speed things. Folk hero personality and looks. Mystique of playing through pain. And, taking into account the astonishing number of walks, his metrics really are great.

You said it in a nutshell; this explains it probably better than anyone else.

[Exhibitman]

Ideally, Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, certain Mantle cards (e.g., 1951B, 1952T), certain cards of top tier HOFers, some key RCs (e.g., Aaron, Mays, Koufax, etc.), Anything of the foregoing players in rare types, so you can set your price when you want to sell.

[Beercan collector]

Turning this into a Mantle appreciation , but who was a dangerous switch hitter before he came along ? Ripper Collins ? Roger Connor ?
And even after he retired there was nobody til Eddie Murray (249th on the OPS list)
(And yeah I looked it up)

[JollyElm]

Every city has an altar on which the great local players are put and worshipped as gods, but the golden New York shrine is just soooooooooo much higher than any other one in the world.

[lumberjack]

Well, start with the word "rookie" attached to any great player. Rookie card, rookie photo, rookie jersey, rookie glove....You get the idea.

[oldjudge]

Pre-1900 Buck Ewing, John Ward, Ed Delahanty, Albert Spalding
Post 1900. Thorpe, Alexander, DiMaggio

[Yoda]

I was fortunate enough to live in the New York area growing up in the 50's and see many games with my Dad at Ebbets, Polo Grounds or the old Yankee Stadium.
To understand Mickey's Zeus-like status, you had to see him play, which I did. He had a certain mystique; grace in the field, roaming center field, and when he came to bat, the crowd hushed in anticipation of might happen. I still can remember when he hit 2 HR, one from each side of the plate against the Indians.
How any of this translates to his card values, I am unsure, but he sure was something special.