“The Splinter” made his first card appearances in the 1939 Goudey and Play Ball issues, with a Play Ball repeat the following season, before World War II seriously curtailed the use of cardboard and paper.

Of course, WWII also curtailed one of the most promising baseball careers of the era, but even multiple stints as a  United States Marine pilot could not derail the hitting prowess of Theodore Samuel Williams. By the dawn of the 1950s, Williams had logged four mostly full seasons, with a three year “break” for the war, and had amassed 265 home runs among his 1488 hits, compiling a gaudy .353 batting average.

Not surprisingly, Williams cards were virtually non-existent during the war years, with just a couple of odd-ball issues popping up here and there to whet collectors’ appetites for a visual take on one of the greatest players any of them would ever see.

In fact, Williams had been back in the Sawx lineup for a couple of years before his next major issue hit store shelves, courtesy of the 1948 Leaf set. Beginning the next season and running through 1953, Ted was a major calling card for the Bowman Gum Company as they dispatched Leaf to the hobby history bin and took control of the burgeoning gum card market.

Longtime collectors have lamented for decades the lack of a Williams card anywhere in the early, iconic Topps cards, and it’s not hard to imagine that the upstart would have upstarted even faster and stronger than they did had The Splinter crashed the boards in 1952 or 1953. As it was, his exclusive contract with Bowman kept him off Topps’ checklist for the first three years of their baseball card existence, but all of that changed in 1954.

Scaling back to just 250 cards, Topps made up for lost time by featuring Williams on both the first (#1) and last (#250) cards of the set.

At the same time, Bowman was trying to bail the water out of their sinking dingy, and to help in that effort they plopped down a smiling Williams on card #66 in their own set. Stories vary about what happened next, but two prevailing theories have emerged about why that beauty was pulled early in the print run and replaced with Red Sox teammate Jimmy Piersall.

One idea held that the printing plate on which Williams appeared was somehow broken and that, rather than scramble to create a replacement, Bowman instead replaced Teddy Ballgame himself.

The second, and probably more plausible, theory, was that Williams had switched allegiances — a notion supported by the sudden Topps surplus of Williams cards — and that Bowman went ahead with his card even though they were not legally entitled to do so. In this scenario, Williams himself pulled the plug, likely through the threat of a lawsuit.

In any case, the 1954 Bowman Ted Williams is one of the true rarities of modern baseball cards and sells for thousands of dollars more than 60 years later.

At the same time Topps and Bowman were slugging it out over Williams’ likeness on cardboard, another company with a much lower profile stepped up to the plate and delivered what just might be the tastiest Ted Williams offering of all time.

Chicago-based Wilson, meat packers minding their own business and undoubtedly seeking to drum up a little more business, spent the summer of 1954 doling out cards of 20 Major Leaguers to Midwesterners as premiums with their hot dogs. Or rather, as premiums in packages of their hot dogs.

And not just near the wieners, either, but snuggled up right next to them. It was a card collector’s sweetest dream and worst nightmare all rolled up into one soggy, meat-scented, processed lump of Americana.

Gum-stained Topps cards have nothing on these bad boys, and one of the baddest of all the unnumbered Wilson Franks cards is the one featuring Ted Williams in his sweet follow-through.

At first glance, you might be forgiven for thinking that these cards are from the 1954 Topps set, and that the white-backgrounded Williams offering is yet another nail in the Bowman coffin, courtesy of their young rivals.

After all, card fronts feauure a color image of the player in question, cut out silhouette-style and slapped down on a solid background, broken up by only the player and team names at the top of the card and a facsimile autograph across the player’s body.

It’s quintessential Topps, and there is even a very 1950s-ish team logo in the upper left-hand corner.

Wait a minute. You say you took a second look a that logo?
Well, if you did that, then you already know it’s not a batting red sock or a charming Mr. Red at all — it’s a pack of hot dogs, for goodness sake!

And so, this scratch-and-sniff regional issue that just a few fans could get their mitts on in 1954, and which brings five figures if it’s within dripping distance of NM condition, stands as one of The Splinter’s most sought-after cards, and certainly one of his most scarce issues.

For the sake of comparison, PSA has graded 1100 of the 1954 Williams Bowman cards and just 158 Wilsons, and almost none of the Bowmans have mustard stains on them. That scarcity finally caught on with vintage collectors during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Wilson card now easily outpaces its more famous Bowman counterpart on the pricing front.

Indeed, you can expect to pay 10 grand or more for a PSA 4 copy of the Wilson Williams card on up toward six figures by the time you reach a PSA 8. Want a PSA 9 or 10 copy? Good luck — to date (October 2022), only one of the former exists, and none of the latter.

So, what do Rickey Henderson, Kobayahsi, and this Ted Williams baseball card have in common? They’re ALL all about the hot dog, man.

If you’re a s
tickler for definitions, you might argue that 1941 Wheaties “Champs of the U.S.A.” issue is not a card at all, but you can bet fans and collectors were thrilled to get their hands on any rendering of Rapid Robert as America ramped up our involvement in World War II.

Can’t Hit His Terrible Stuff

When Bob Feller took the mound against the Chicago White Sox at old Comiskey Park on April 16, 1940, he was coming off a 24-win season that had helped the Cleveland Indians to an 87-67 record and third-place American League finish in 1939. He was widely considered one of the best pitchers in the game, yet had just turned 21 the previous November.

That spring day, the youngster was still finding his groove for the new season, but so were White Sox hitters. In his nine innings, Feller walked five, struck out eight, and retired 15 straight batters through the middle of the game.

Yet, it took a diving, knock-down stop of a Taft Wright liner by Tribe second baseman Ray Mack to preserve the no-no.

Feller would go on to toss two more no-hitters in his storied career, and he generally maintained that his “stuff” was the worst in this first one.

In a hostile environment at the head of a promising season, though, Fellers’ repertoire and heat were more than enough to get by, with a little help from his infield friends.

Breakfast of Champs of the U.S.A.

In the spring and summer of 1941, the War was raging in Europe and tensions were rising in the US. We were not yet officially involved in the battles, but most Americans felt it was a matter of “when” we joined the fray, not if.

In the meantime, we had baseball to think about, especially the battle between Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio for hitting supremacy. Their exploits captivated a nation as Williams marched toward .400 and DiMaggio threatened to never go h
itless again en route to a 56-game hitting streak.

Collectors were treated to a few mainstream sets that season, courtesy of Play Ball, Goudey, and Double Play, the latter pairing Feller with  Joe Krakauskas. But this was 10 years before Topps burst on the scene and three-plus decades before “highlight” cards became a regular part of yearly issues, so hobbyinsts looking for a mention of Feller’s no-no were shutout — nearly.

Wheaties had been around for a couple of decades by 1941, and their association with sports stretched back nearly as far. Kids whose parents could afford the prepared cereal already had come to think of Wheaties as “The Breakfast of Champions.”

In 1940, General Mills had plastered each Wheaties box back with three “Champs of the U.S.A.,” profiling great athletes of the era. Each “card” featured a crude creme, blue, and orange rendering of the player, and Feller took his place among luminaries such as Byron Nelson, Jimmie Foxx, and Mabel Vinson, among others. Card backs, which formed the inside of the cereal boxes, were blank.

The series returned with 24 athletes in 1941, and Feller made his second appearance. This time, the block of bio text detailed his Opening Day no-hitter from 1940, becoming one of the first modern baseball issues to highlight an event from the previous season.

Today, you can occasionally find complete Wheaties box backs with Feller as part of a three-player panel with Bernie Bierman and Jessie McLeod. Those generally sell for around $100.

Less often seen for sale are hand-cut singles of Feller, either just the drawing or the complete drawing-plus-bio combination. A high-grade slabbed Feller with both pieces would likely bring a good deal more than the ungraded three-player specimens mentioned above.

If you want a vintage, in-the-moment cardboard commemoration of perhaps the greatest Opening Day performance of all time, though, the 1941 Wheaties Bob Feller baseball card is really the only game in town.

(Check out our other player card posts here.)

Want to see a video version of this article?

When Babe Ruth was sold by the Boston Red Sox to the Yankees in January of 1920 in a move that changed the game forever, he was already one of the biggest names on the diamond. It’s not surprising, then, that card manufacturers mocked up their first Ruth NY  cards before the cash windfall had fully nestled into BoSox owner Harry Frazee’s bank account.

But which was first?

The answer depends on a muddled chronology of those early sets and also what, exactly, you’re looking for.

1920 Felix Mendelsohn (M101-6)

Felix Mendelsohn was a well-known sports photographer in Chicago during the early years of the 20th Century. Starting in 1917 and running through about 1920, The Sporting News offered a series of his photographs as “cards” through a special offer to their readers.

Although Ruth had already appeared in the set as a member of the Red Sox, TSN and Mendelsohn scrambled to get Ruth on a Yankees card after the big sale. Problem was, they were either too early or otherwise unable to attain a photo of Ruth in New York togs. So, while the card says “C.F. Yankees,” it actually shows Ruth following through on a throw while wearing a Red Sox uniform.

1920 Pathe’ Freres Phonograph

Pathe’ Freres was a French record company who tried to make a name for itself in the United States on the back of a record they called “The Babe Ruth Home Run Story.”

Purported to feature the voice of the “Babe” himself, the record was actually ghost-voiced:

(via @auctionreport)

Nevertheless, the record came with a small Ruth photo that undoubtedly dated to late in the 1920 season, and which definitely shows him in a Yankees uniform.

In the pictures, the Babe is wearing a black armband to honor the memory of Ray Chapman, who was killed on the field that August.

Distribution was limited to those who bought the records, though, and that, coupled with the fact that Ruth was the only subject is enough to cause some dispute over the legitimate “firstness” of this phonograph issue.

1920 W516-1, W516-1-2

The two W516-1 sets were issued as strips of cards, prompting most collectors to cut them apart to get to the individual players. Each of the two sets features colorized artist renderings of 30 players, with the W516-1-2s being mirror images of the W516-1s — each player thus had his handedness reversed!

Babe Ruth was card #1 in each of the two sets, and though he’s listed with the “Yanks,” he’s also listed as a pitcher. His generic white uniform is ambiguous enough that it could belong to just about any team, so it’s hard to say these set depict him in Yankees rags.

1920 W522

The W522 strip set consists of 20 cards, each featuring a black-and-white photo against a pastel background and blank backs. Ruth is set against solid yellow, and the only text on his card is a small #48 and his name along the bottom. While no team is designated, his red belt and pitching motion definitely give the card a Boston feel.

1920 W519

Yet another strip set, W519 consists of 20 cards, with Ruth checking in at #5.
While there is some debate around its date of issue, many hobby vets have settled on 1920 based on the checklist composition.

What is not in doubt is that Ruth appears in Yankees pinstripes and blue cap.

1920 Headin’ Home (Tex Rickard)

Issued to promote the 1920 silent film featuring the Babe and entitled Headin’ Home, the Tex Rickard “set” consisted of three cards showing Ruth in different poses.

Given that the movie was released in 1920 and that Ruth appears in Yankees pinstripes on the cards, it’s hard to argue that the Tex Rickard issue is not a strong candidate for the designation of “first Yankees Ruth card.” The only real knocks on its provenance are the set’s limited distribution and tiny checklist.

1921 American Caramel (E121)

American Caramel was formed by two competitors of Hershey in the late 1800s, and they began issuing baseball cards in their boxes of caramels not long after. While their pasteboard production was curtailed during World War I, American Caramel was back in full force by 1921. That year, their checklist contained 80 different cards, though with variations, that number rises to 120 or more.

Babe Ruth appears in the 82nd slot alphabetically (cards weren’t numbered), complete with three variations:

• Position listed as R.F.
• Position listed as R.F. and first name in quotes (“Babe”)
• Position listed as L.F. and first name as “George” (no quotes)

This last seems to be quite scarce, as PSA has graded less than 10 of the “George” variations.

Alas, while all of these cards purport to show him with “New York Americans,” the photo depicts Babe pitching in a Red Sox uniform.

Mostly, the E121 is included here as a bridge to …

1922 American Caramel (E120)

In 1922, American Caramel ramped up their cardboard efforts as the Roaring Twenties got underway in earnest. The E120 set contains a mammoth (for the time) 240 cards, featuring 15 players from each of the Major League 16 teams.

Babe Ruth made his obligatory appearance, both with the standard card back and with a blank back.

While the E120s were issued more than two years after Ruth moved to the Yanks, the Babe card has two things going for it in this argument.

First, it clearly shows Ruth in not just a Yankee uniform but in the iconic NY pinstripes.

Second, it was the first card of Ruth to depict him in Yankee togs which was widely distributed … sort of like the modern “rookie card” definition arguments.

For some some collectors, this combination of attributes is enough to give E120 the nod as “first Babe Ruth Yankees card.”

1921 Exhibit

Issued by the Exhibit Supply Company, the 1921 Exhibits were the first in a line of “arcade” cards that were sold in vending machines at amusement parks (and elsewhere) for nearly 50 years.

This inaugural edition featured gorgeous black-and-white photography, including a majestic shot of the Babe in profile.

Alas, while the card lists Ruth’s team as “New York, Am.L.,” it’s far from clear which uniform he’s wearing. Is that the classic “NY” on Babe’s cap?

Hard to tell.

1922 National Caramel (E220)

While the E220s are generally listed as a 1921 issue, there is some compelling evidence that they were actually produced in 1922.

Either way, they are at least contemporaries to E120, and the Ruth card features a rousing batting follow-through against a grandstand background — and the pinstripes are on full display, to boot.

With no clearcut “first” among other Ruth contenders, this one merits consideration, too.

1922 American Caramel Series of 120 (E121)

The “series of 120” was a follow-on to the 80 E121 cards issued in 1921.

In 1922 American Caramel expanded the issue by 40 cards, and while there were many near duplicates from the year before, they dedicated three new poses to Ruth: Babe holding a bird, Babe holding a baseball, and a photo montage of Babe.

The best part?

All three show Ruth in Yanks pinstripes.

—

Are there others?

Almost certainly, if you consider postcards, other promos surrounding Headin’ Home, and various minor (very) regional slips of ephemera.

But the checklist presented here gives you plenty to consider as you sort through your own definitions and predilections.

So which is the first Babe Ruth baseball card showing the slugger with the New York Yankees? It’s all a matter of perspective and semantics — in other words, the choice is yours.

(Want to know which was the first baseball card, period? We have the, or at least an, answer right here.)

Why that specific date range?

Well, these things are somewhat subjective, of course, but this one isn’t too tough to figure out …

After World War II and its paper rations, the fledgling hobby took a few years to get back on track. But in 1948, both Leaf and Bowman issued cards with bubble gum to set the stage for the modern pastime.

Baseball cards grew in popularity over the coming decades against a varied landscape of manufacturers and a changing game. By 1994, it seemed like every baseball fan was also a collector until … BOOM! … the strike changed everything.

Even though the game itself recovered and reached new heights, collecting has never been quite the same since, at least in the eyes of those who lived through the build-up and boom, and then the fall.

So that’s the deal with my definition of the hobby’s Golden Era.

Now, here’s the deal with this guide …

I’ve always loved to read about baseball cards, and I also enjoy writing about them. Naturally, I most love to read about cards from 1948-1994, and there are some great articles out here on the wild web.

But these awesome posts are scattered all over the place. Wouldn’t it be neat if you could go one place and read about any of the sets that made our hobby so fascinating for nearly 50 years?

I sure thought so, and that’s why this guide was born — to give us access to the best article about each of the regular-issue sets from 1948-1994, all from one page.

What follow are 101 articles from across the web chronicling the most important years of the baseball card industry, divided into four “generations”:

• Post-War (1948-1955)

• Topps Monopoly (1955-1980)

• Hobby Boom (1981-1986)

• Junk Wax (1987-1994)

A good swath of these are articles I’ve written, and my eventual goal is to write an “ultimate guide” type of post for each of these sets, right here on Wax Pack Gods.

For now, though, I’m confident you’ll love these articles.

After all, they’re the best, just like the cards themselves.

Post-War (1948-1955)

After Leaf and Bowman broke the seal on the hobby in 1948, Topps joined the fray in 1951. After a bitter battle for collectors’ hearts that lasted a bloody five years, the younger company dispatched Bowman to the scrapheap of history.

From 1948-1955, though, the hobby grew and changed and jockeyed for its place in the tableau of American boyhood, and we’re all the better for it.

• 1948 Bowman Baseball Set Launched Post-War Card Market by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1948-49 Leaf Baseball Cards via Just Collect
• 1949 Bowman Baseball Cards by Ryan Cracknell via Cardboard Connection
• Baseball Cards – 1948 Leaf via PSA CardFacts
• 1950 Bowman Baseball a Trend Setter by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• Classic Card Sets: 1951 Bowman by T.S. O’Connell via Sports Collectors Digest
• 1951 Topps Blue Backs Baseball Cards by Trey Treutel via Cardboard Connection
• 1951 Topps Red Backs Baseball Cards via Cardboard Connection
• 1952 Bowman Baseball: Underrated Elegance by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1952 Topps Baseball Card Set Launched an American Icon by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• Collecting the Beautiful 1953 Bowman Color Baseball Card Set by Greg Bussineau via PSA
• 1953 Topps Baseball Cards Are Palm-Sized Masterpieces by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• The Virtual Card Collection – 1954 Bowman Baseball by Dan Austin via Vintage Card Traders
• 1954 Topps Baseball Cards: Big Stars and Dual Images by Dean Hanley via Sports Collectors Digest
• 1955 Bowman Baseball Set Marked Company’s Farewell by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1955 Topps Baseball Set: Small but Mighty by Rich Mueller via Sports Collectors Daily

Topps Monopoly (1955-1980)

From 1955 through 1980, Topps reigned nearly unchallenged as the only major manufacturer of baseball cards. Even though they faced limited competition, The Old Gum Company continually experimented with innovative ideas to entice new collectors to take the wax-pack plunge.

Without a doubt, some of the most iconic cards of all time were produced during Topps’ quarter century alone on top of the mountain.

• 1956 Topps Baseball Card Set – Topps After the War by Bill Szczepanek via The Golden Age of Baseball Cards
• 1957 Topps: Setting the Standard by John McMurray via Sports Collectors Digest
• An Infusion of Color: A Look at the 1958 Topps Baseball Card Set by Jim Churilla via PSA
• 1959 Topps Baseball Set Took Collectors Through the Porthole by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• The Sunshine Set: 1960 Topps Baseball PSA Set by Scott Alpaugh via Just Collect
• 1961 Topps Baseball a Sign of the Times by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1962 Topps Baseball Ingrained in Hobby Lore by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• Celebrating a Golden Anniversary: 1963 Topps Baseball by Dean Hanley via Sports Collectors Digest
• 1964 Topps Baseball Might Rub Off on You by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1965 Topps Baseball a Pennant Winner by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1966 Topps Baseball an Underrated Classic by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• A Closer Look at the 1967 Topps Baseball Card Set by Joe Orlando and Alan Cowart via PSA
• 1968 Topps Baseball Set Headlined by Ryan, Bench by Rich Mueller via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1969 Topps Baseball – A Blog via 1969 Topps Baseball
• 1970 Topps Baseball Card Checklist – Vintage Set Review via Sports Card Radio
• 1971 Topps Baseball Was a Dark Ride for Collectors by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1972 Topps (you’re a fine set) via Night Owl Cards
• 1973 Topps Baseball Set Bid Farewell to Clemente, Hello to Schmidt by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1974 Topps Baseball a One-Series Wonder by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1975 Topps via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1976 Topps Baseball a Bubble Gum Champ by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1977 Topps Baseball Heavy on Intrigue by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1978 Topps Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1979 Topps Wrapped Up Last Decade of Monopoly by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1980 Topps Baseball Marked the End of a Monopoly by Adam Hughes via Sports Collectors Daily

Hobby Boom (1981-1986)

When Fleer defeated Topps in an antitrust lawsuit in 1980, it set the stage for new manufacturers to crash the baseball cards party. In 1981, both Fleer and Donruss entered the fray, with Sportflics, Score, and Upper Deck joining them later in the decade.

As the 1980s progressed, fans and speculators from all walks of life jumped into the hobby with both feet, and “baseball cards” became synonymous with “investment.”

Competition and increased collector scrutiny changed the way baseball cards were conceived, manufactured, and distributed, resulting in a leap in quality that built a foundation for today’s high-end cards.

• 1981 Donruss – The Good via Wrigley Wax
• 1981 Fleer Baseball by Patrick Mondout via Awesome80s.com
• 1981 Topps Baseball Card Checklist via Baseball Almanac
• 1982 Donruss via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1982 Fleer Baseball by Patrick Mondout via Awesome80s.com
• Collecting the 1982 Topps Baseball Set by Kevin Glew via PSA
• 1983 Donruss via The Trading Card Database
• 1983 Fleer Baseball by Patrick Mondout via Awesome80s.com
• 1983 Topps Baseball Cards — The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• Best Set Countdown: #3 – 1984 Donruss by Ben Henry via Baseball Card Blog
• The 1984 Fleer Baseball Card Set by Derek Bain via Seamheads.com
• 1984 Topps Baseball -Part 1- A Set Deserving Recognition via Classic Wax Cards
• 1985 Donruss Baseball Cards by Ryan Cracknell via Cardboard Connection
• 1985 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• Collecting the 1985 Topps Baseball Card Set by Kevin Glew via PSA
• 1986 Donruss Baseball -Part 1- Forever The Canseco Set via Classic Wax Cards
• 1986 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1986 Sportflics Highlights by Patrick Mondout via Awesome80s.com
• Topps 1986 Baseball Cards by Topher via Topher’s Castle

Junk Wax (1987-1994)

Spurred by the increased interest in the hobby, card manufacturers ramped up production significantly in the late 1980s. It would take a decade or more before we realized just how much product was dumped on the market during these years, but even 30 years later, most of the cards from the “Junk Wax Era” can be had for a song.

Once the players’ strike wiped out a promising 1994 pennant chase and post-season, investors pulled back from the hobby, and even diehard collectors questioned their commitment and ability to absorb the hundreds of yearly issues that were being pumped into the market.

Still, the Junk Wax generation supplies today’s collectors with heaps of nostalgia on the cheap, and packs from this era can make us all feel young again.

• 1987 Donruss via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1987 Fleer Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• Preview – 1987 Sportflics via Cheap Wax Fix
• 1987 Topps Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1988 Donruss Baseball Cards by Ryan Cracknell via Cardboard Connection
• 1988 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1988 Score Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1988 Sportflics Baseball Review via Community Gum
• 1988 Topps Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1989 Donruss Baseball Card Checklist via Baseball Almanac
• 1989 Fleer via PSA
• 1989 Score via The Trading Card Database
• Baseball Card Set: 1989 Sportflics via VintageCardPrices.com
• 1989 Topps Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• SECRETS OF THE 1989 UPPER DECK BASEBALL CHECKLIST AND THE MOST FAMOUS KEN GRIFFEY JR. ROOKIE CARD by Dave Sliepka via Beckett
• 1990 Donruss Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1990 Fleer Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1990 Fleer Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1990 Sportflics via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1990 Topps Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1990 Upper Deck Baseball Cards – The Ultimate Guide by Adam Hughes via Wax Pack Gods
• 1991 Donruss via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1991 Fleer Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1991 Score via Beckett
• Taking a closer look at 1991 Topps Baseball, the 40th Anniversary issue via Junk Wax Gems
• 1991 Upper Deck via PSA
• 1992 Donruss via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Score via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Topps via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Upper Deck via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Donruss Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1993 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Score via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Topps Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1993 Upper Deck via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Donruss Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles
• 1994 Fleer via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Score via Beckett
• 1994 Topps via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Upper Deck Baseball Cards & Checklist via Keyman Collectibles

Traded, Update, and Rookie Sets

Almost from the day they printed their first card, Topps has fought a valiant battle to keep up with player trades. In the early years, that meant sometimes making parenthetical notes on high-number cards, and, by the 1970s, it meant gawdy airbrushing jobs.

But in 1972, The Old Gum Company started dabbling with marking certain players in the high-number series with a “TRADED” stamp across the card photo.

They expanded the effort to small standalone sets in both 1974 and 1976 and then, in 1981, peppered the hobby with a full-fledged, 132-card Traded boxed set.

Those early Topps Traded sets were popular, and collectors anticipated their fall release after each season.

Then Fleer joined the game in 1984 with its first Update set, a limited edition gem that carried the first cards of notables such as Kirby Puckett and Roger Clemens.

Traded series were here to stay … at least through the end of the Golden Era.

Donruss jumped in with “The Rookies” in 1986, and Score joined in right off the bat with their “Rookie & Traded” set in 1988.

The values of these late-year offerings have fluctuated over the decades, but traded sets are distinctly Golden Era fodder. Here’s the best of the net in this regard …

Topps Traded Sets

• 1972 TOPPS TRADED SUB-SET: A CLOSER LOOK via When Topps Had Balls
• 1974 Topps Traded via The Trading Card Database
• 1976 Topps Traded: The Missing Cards via
• 1981 Topps Traded via
• Ramblings: Really, 1982 Topps Traded Set? Steve Stroughter? by Rich Klein via Sports Collectors Daily
• 1983 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1984 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1985 Topps Traded via
• 1986 Topps Traded Baseball Cards & Checklist via
• 1987 Topps Traded via Lifetime Topps Project
• 1988 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1989 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1990 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1991 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Topps Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com

Fleer Update Sets

• The Beginning of the Update Set Frenzy: The Story Of The 1984 Fleer Update Baseball Card Set by Kevin Glew via PSA
• 1985 Fleer Update Checklist via Baseball Almanac
• 1986 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1987 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1988 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1989 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1990 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1991 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Fleer Update via BaseballCardPedia.com

Donruss The Rookies

• 1986 Fleer and Donruss: 25 Years After the Buzz by Diane Carter via Sports Collectors Daily (1986 Donruss The Rookies)
• 1987 Donruss The Rookies via HeroHabit
• 1988 Donruss The Rookies via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1989 Donruss The Rookies via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1990 Donruss The Rookies via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1991 Donruss The Rookies via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Donruss The Rookies via BaseballCardPedia.com

Score Rookie & Traded Sets

• 88 Score Rookie & Traded Set via 88scoretraded
• 1989 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1990 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1991 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1992 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1993 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com
• 1994 Score Rookie/Traded via BaseballCardPedia.com

Nostalgia Never Dies

The hobby was never quite the same after the 1994 strike and concomitant hobby “bust.”

But as we’ve come to realize that baseball cards are not the ironclad investment vehicles we once thought they were, a funny thing has happened for many of us who grew up worshiping our Wax Pack Gods in the 1980s and before — the magic is coming back, thanks in large part to the Internet.

Once again, we’re pouring through our cards — and virtual cards — just because we love them.

We love the way they look and the way they feel in our palms and the way they smell, even years after the aroma of gum has faded to nothing.

And, most of all, we love them because they transport us instantly to our own Golden Era.

Enjoy these articles, and check back here often for updates and additions. Do I hear Traded/Updated/Test issues in the future?

Could be!

That, or a roiling stomach … or hands clasped over the mouth … or just a disgusted head shake.

What the heck was Donruss thinking??

Bloody red borders, complete with speckles of, what, paint drippings? Bird droppings?

Egad!

About the best we could say was that the cards had the sort of flair that only Donruss could roll out. And, definitely not in a good way.

Add in the fact that these cards flooded the market like every other base set in the Junk Wax era, and you have the makings of a distinctly unvaluable run of cards all these years later.

But …

Well, there are some interesting cards in this set, including some solid rookie cards, and some unusual and collectible errors and variations.

And the red borders actually present some condition challenges, to the point that the most common condition returned from PSA’s grading services, according to their Population Report, is a mere PSA 8 — that’s a NM-MT rating, in case you’re wondering.

So, while 1990 Donruss baseball cards are certainly not the most popular in the hobby, they have their merits, and plenty of collectors still seek them out AND pay decent money for them.

What follows, then, is a list of the most valuable 1990 Donruss baseball cards, by measure of actual selling prices for copies slabbed in PSA 8, as reported in the PSA Auction Prices Realized tool.

(Note: The following sections contain affiliate links to eBay and Amazon listings for the cards being discussed. Check out our full series of posts on the history of Donruss baseball cards.)

25) 1990 Donruss Tony Gwynn (#86)

In 1989, Tony Gwynn had won his third straight National League batting title, hitting .336 for the San Diego Padres. It would be his last hitting crown until he made a run at .400 during the strike-shortened 1994 season.

So, in a way, this 1990 Donruss card represented the intermission – the seventh-inning stretch, if you will – of Gwynn’s storied Hall of Fame career.

Definitely worthy of leading off this list.

Value: $2-4

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24) 1990 Donruss Randy Johnson (#379)

The Montreal Expos traded Randy Johnson to the Seattle Mariners in May of 1989 in exchange for Mark Langston. Sure, Gene Harris, Brian Holman, and Mike Campbell were involved, but this one went down as Johnson for Langston.

And, mostly, as “The Trade that Turned Randy Johnson’s Career Around.”

Before he came to Seattle, Johnson was a towering blur of elbows and knees on the mound, with all sorts of promise, but also with frightening “control.” After … well, still some of the same, but he also became one of the greatest left-handers of all time, and an ace of aces in his generation.

This Red Menace of a card was the Big Unit’s first base Donruss issue showing him with the Mariners, so … it’s historical. In a hobby sort of way, at least.

Value: $2-4

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23) 1990 Donruss Nolan Ryan King of Kings – correct back (#665)

Nolan Ryan spent 1989 proving to the Texas Rangers that they made a wise investment in signing him to a free agent contract the previous December.

After notching his sixth no-hitter and 5000th strikeout, the Ryan Express had ascended from mere baseball superstar and elder statesman winding down a stellar career in his home state to an outright diamond legend and the hottest thing the hobby had seen since Mickey Mantle himself.

Donruss read the signals perfectly and dropped in plenty of Ryan in 1990, including this extra Diamond Kings entry at the back of the set.

Religious connotations aside, this King of Kings entry also contributed to the error card mania that proliferated through the late 1980s and 1990s, as we’ll see later in the list.

This Ryan card, though, is just as Donruss intended, and it’s a hobby winner.

Value: $3-5

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22) 1990 Donruss David Justice Rookie Card (#704)

David Justice had just about everything the hobby demanded from a big-time rookie when he made his first splash in the summer of 1990.

He was young(ish).

He was good looking.

He played for a team with a national profile and fan base.

And he hit for big power.

Ding! Ding! That’s a winner in collecting circles, no matter how you slice it.

And, though his movie-star profile may have rankled some, Justice spoke loudest with his bat, the same one that cranked 28 home runs on his way to the 1990 N.L. Rookie of the Year award.

And, all summer long, collectors could chase his 1990 Donruss rookie card in “live” wax packs.

Not surprisingly, some of that hobby swagger remains.

Value: $3-5

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21) 1990 Donruss Rickey Henderson (#304)

After more than four years of parading his special brand of hot dog in the Bronx, Rickey Henderson came back to the Oakland A’s in a summer 1989 trade.

That dropped him right into the noise and fury of the Bash Brother run and set him up to help Mark McGwire, Jose Canseco, Dennis Eckersley, and the rest win their only World Series together.

It also set up Henderson to break Lou Brock’s all-time stolen base record, top 1000 stolen bases, and take aim at any number of other SB records while wearing Gold and Green.

Oh, along the way, he also posted maybe his greatest all-around season on his way to Cooperstown, copping American League MVP honors in 1990.

This 1990 Donruss Rickey was there for the whole show.

Value: $3-5

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20) 1990 Donruss Larry Walker Rookie Card (#578)

Larry Walker’s trek to the Hall of Fame was more of a slow burn than a streak-across-the-sky rocket ride, and the early returns didn’t look all that promising.

He hit .170 in a cup of coffee with Expos in 1989, then just .241 as a rookie in 1990, after all. That latter mark was accompanied by 19 home runs and 21 stolen bases, though, enough to at least make collectors mark his 1990 Donruss rookie card as one to keep tabs on down the line.

More than 30 years on, of course, Walker has his plaque, and this card is one of the best in an overall maligned (and Junk Wax-y) set.

Value: $3-5

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19) 1990 Donruss Sammy Sosa Rookie Card (#489)

Sammy Sosa is hardly recognizable on his 1990 Donruss RC, standing there as a skinny young dude wearing Chicago White Sox duds and holding the bat sort of awkwardly.

Truth is, Sammy was being touted in some circles as a guy with plenty of tools-y potential, with power and speed that might play well in the majors … some day.

Those skills manifested pretty well through the middle 1990s, including through a trade to the Cubs, but all of that was swallowed up in the summer of 1998 as Sammy joined Mark McGwire in the chase to dethrone Roger Maris.

Sosa’s run of 60-homer seasons is still amazing to consider, even though he subsequent fell from grace – hard. There is still plenty of hobby love for Sammy, and his RCs still hold sway in whatever sets they appear.

Value: $3-5

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18) 1990 Donruss Nolan Ryan (#166)

This is just your standard, run-of-the-mill card featuring a living legend in his new uniform for the first time ever in a (Donruss) base set.

Ryan cards were fire in the early 1990s, and that went double for cards showing him with the Rangers. The fact that 1990 Donruss cards look like they’re actually on fire does little to change that fact.

Value: $4-5

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17) 1990 Donruss Deion Sanders Rookie Card (#427)

Neon Deion Sanders was the flashier, mouthier counterpart to Bo Jackson, part of a new generation of high-profile athletes who wanted to have it all – or at least two parts of “all.”

So, Sanders embarked on a dual career in both Major League Baseball and the NFL.

Neon may not have been quite as tantalizing as Bo when it came to his baseball ceiling, but he managed to stay healthy, maintain jobs in both sports for nearly a decade, and make it all the way to the football Hall of Fame in Canton.

Though Sanders’ RCs will never break the bank, they maintain a strong standing in the hobby all these years later.

Value: $4-6

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16) 1990 Donruss Bo Jackson Diamond King (#1)

Bo Jackson was the most exciting athlete most folks had ever seen, and he seemed like he might achieve and maintain superstar status in both MLB and the NFL for decades to come.

And, after smashing 32 home runs and landing his first All-Star berth for the Kansas City Royals in 1989, Jackson looked right at home in this Dick Perez rendering to lead off the 1990 Donruss set.

Of course, a hip injury suffered on the gridiron early in 1991 would change the course of his career(s) and life, but collectors still love Bo’s cards.

Value: $4-6

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15) 1990 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. Diamond King (#4)

Though Ken Griffey Jr. managed “just” 16 homers and 16 stolen bases in his 1989 debut, finishing third in A.L. Rookie of the Year voting, he was still viewed by most fans, pundits, and collectors as the most exciting and promising young talent in the game.

The next ten years would bear out that assessment, as Junior established himself as one of the handful of greatest players in MLB, inserting himself into conversations that featured terms like “greatest ever.”

A hobby star from the beginning, Griffey lights up whatever set he’s in, and his first Diamond Kings card is a favorite … even in a non-favorite set.

Value: $5-8

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14) 1990 Donruss Juan Gonzalez Rated Rookie (#33)

It took Juan Gonzalez a while to get warmed up in the major leagues, and some of his early exploits got swallowed up by the Nolan Ryan glare, but his 27 home runs and 102 RBI at age 21 in 1991 served notice of what was to come.

Those big power numbers also got Juan Gone’s rookie cards revving in the hobby, and they would continue to perk as he developed into a perennial 50-homer threat.

Two MVP awards by the time he was 29 had Gonzalez looking like a Hall of Famer, but a rapid post-30 decline put the kibosh on those ideas.

Still, Gonzalez and his big bat carry some hobby weight all these years later.

Value: $5-10

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13) 1990 Donruss 5,000 K’s – correct back (#559)

When Ryan notched his 5000th strikeout on August 22, 1989, he did so in dramatic fashion, setting down Rickey Henderson.

Ryan also established a new milestone that no one else has breached (and he’d add 700+ more before all was said and done) and set up the card makers to celebrate his milestone.

Donruss used this slot for their tribute, yet another Ryan entry in the 1990 list of collector favorites.

Value: $5-10

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12) 1990 Donruss Bo Jackson (#61)

Like Ryan, just about every Bo card stood – and remains – among the most popular and valuable cards in whichever set they appeared.

This base 1990 Donruss Bo Jackson is no exception, and, though the red borders do little to complement all the Royals blue, at least we’re treated to a shot of Bo himself coiled and ready to spring on a pitch.

Value: $5-10

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11) 1990 Donruss Ken Griffey Jr. (#365)

Griffey was already a hobby darling by the time 1990 Donruss cards made their debut, having helped springboard 1989 Upper Deck to stardom among collectors as that set’s de facto posterboy.

And, of course, Junior had that family pedigree and otherworldly talent to carry him in ANY set, even if he appears slightly unsure of himself, or of his surroundings, in this shot.

Not a great looking card, but still an early issue of an all-time great.

Value: $5-10

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10) 1990 Donruss Barry Bonds (#126)

Like Griffey, Bonds arrived in the majors with the weight of expectations that come with being the son of a big league star. Bobby’s kid had a head start on Junior, too, having debuted with the Pirates in 1986.

In the four years leading up to 1990, Bonds established himself as a five-tool-type who brought maybe the most well-balanced package of any player to the ballpark each night.

Though collectors took awhile to warm up to his 20-20 talents in the face of the 40-homer seasons popping up across baseball, Bonds’ hobby fortunes took an upward turn when he won the 1990 National League MVP Award – his first of a record seven of them!

Money and power and records and scandal followed, and today we’re left with a guy who at once is one of the greatest hitters the game has ever seen, and one of its most polarizing figures.

Stil, any early-career Bonds card is bound to draw some attention, and this gaudy 1990 Donruss is no exception.

Value: $5-10

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9) 1990 Donruss Bernie Williams Rookie Card (#689)

In 1990, Bernie Williams was just the latest in a long line of Yankees prospects that the Bronx faithful hoped would help return the Bombers to their former and rightful glory.

But, unlike the rest of those guys – Brien Taylor, Hensley Meulens, Al Leiter – Bernie actually stuck with the big club and made it through the lean years of the early 1990s.

The reward – for team, player, and fans – was a dynastic run from the 1996 through 2006, when Williams hung up his spikes.

Though Bernie may never make the Hall of Fame cut, he’s a Yankees legend and carries enough hobby sway even today to keep his rookie cards on lists like this one.

Value: $5-10

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8) 1990 Donruss Cal Ripken All-Star – error (#676)

By 1990, Cal Ripken Jr. was starting to take flak for continuing The Streak in spite of slipping performance at the plate.

Take a day off now and then, critics said, and the Orioles will be all the better for it.

Cal kept plugging, though, even when the Orioles were bad, and even when he himself wasn’t great. He kept racking up All-Star appearances, too, which led to this card.

But, while Ripken enjoyed a hobby resurgence in 1991 on the back of maybe his greatest season ever, this particular card lands on our list because it’s an error (and not of the silly “no period after ‘inc’” variety, either).

As an All-Star card, the back of this one shows his AS stats:

But some of the cards printed in early runs purported to show his “recent major league performance”:

It’s scarce enough, at least in Junk Wax terms, to land a pretty cherry spot on this list.

Value: $5-10

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7) 1990 Donruss Albert Belle Rookie Card – Joey (#390)

In 1990, the baseball world still knew Albert Belle as “Joey” – even if we didn’t really know him at all.

At that point, Belle had yet to really show the power or plate selection that would become his stock-in-trade, at least beyond limited playing time in the minors.

He was already having some off-field issues, though, and began insisting that the world call him “Albert.”

Card companies were slow on the uptake, and by the time Belle turned into a monster in the box with the Indians in the middle of the decade, we all had to settle for ogling our Joey Belle rookie cards.

Those RCs still carry some weight – and healthy prices – today.

Value: $5-10

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6) 1990 Donruss Nolan Ryan King of Kings – wrong back (#559)

When you jam a bunch of cards of the same player into your set, and when you’re Donruss, the same company who rushed to market with a Bible-paper mush of pulp in 1981 … well, funny things can happen.

Like, sometimes you issue one Nolan Ryan card front with another Nolan Ryan card back. That’s what happened here, where we get the King of Kings painting with a 5000K back.

Errors and variations at their best, huh?

Value: $7-10

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5) 1990 Donruss Kirby Puckett All-Star – error (#683)

Kirby Puckett was the spark plug that made the 1980s and 1990s Twins go, and fans and collectors alike loved the Minnesota center fielder who would eventually land in Cooperstown.

Still do, for the most part.

But here in this wad of gaud set, Kirby shows up by virtue of the same error-correct All-Star back combination that befell Cal Ripken.

The correct back:

The error back:

Voila! Instant hot list material.

Value: $8-12

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4) 1990 Donruss Mike Schmidt All-Time Great (#643)

Mike Schmidt broke a lot of baseball hearts (well, mine, at least), when he abruptly retired early in the 1989 season. He also gave the card companies plenty of time to write him out of their 1990 sets.

Indeed, Schmidt career cappers, showing his entire, amazing MLB record, are few and far between.

This Donruss special qualifies, though, so it’s little wonder it shows up here near the top of our list.

Value: $8-12

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3) 1990 Donruss Nolan Ryan 5,000 K’s – King of Kings back (#665)

Not only did Donruss include lots of Nolan Ryan in their bloody-red 1990 set, they also gave us some variations to help fill our 9-pocket sheets.

In this episode, Donruss, gave us the normal “5,000 K’s” front but slapped the King of Kings card back on the, um, back.

Fun and games – and higher prices – ensued.

Value: $10-15

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2) 1990 Donruss Juan Gonzalez Rated Rookie – reverse negative (#33)

If Gonzalez had sustained his Hall of Fame pace, or had 1990 Donruss been produced in lesser quantities than Indiana produces corn, this card might belong on a list of the most valuable cards of the entire decade of the 1990s.

As things stand, though, this reverse-negative card is instantly recognizable and a hobby classic, even if it doesn’t break the bank and won’t fund your trip to the Bahamas.

Or even to the local Walmart.

Value: $15-30

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1) 1990 Donruss Nolan Ryan King of Kings – no number (#nno)

Of all the cards to gaffe on, or to introduce a variation for, you’d think Donruss would be extra careful to make sure it didn’t happen on an extra-special Nolan Ryan … right?

Right. Unless you’re some sort of conspiracy theorist or something.

Still, Donruss did, indeed, issue some of their Ryan King of Kings cards with no card number, setting it up to be the most valuable thing in the entire set more than 30 years later.

Value: $35-50

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Check out our full catalog of posts about the most valuable baseball cards in the hobby.

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Clemente appears to be confused, caught between a lunge and a checked swing, basked in the twilight of day and his career, warm sun on one side of his body and cold shadow on the other. The best of his diamond feats were surely behind him, but he still wanted to do a bit more.

Just months before the first wax packs hit shelves in the late winter of 1973, Clemente was killed in a plane crash en route to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

The tragedy cemented his legacy as a selfless humanitarian and boosted his status as a player even higher than it already was.

In truth, Roberto Clemente didn’t need much help in achieving “legendary” status, as his 18 years in the Big Leagues left him with 240 home runs, a .317 batting average, the 1966 NL MVP award, and exactly 3000 hits.

But Clemente still had more to do.

The Pirates had won the World Series in 1971 but couldn’t quite overcome the budding Big Red Machine in the NLCS the next season. And, though Clemente played just 102 games, he did hit .312 with 10 dingers and was part of Pittsburgh’s heart in 1972.

They were on the verge, again, and had big plans for 1973.

Instead, they finished under .500 and would have to wait until the end of the decade when Willie Stargell was an old man before they made it back to the Series.

Clemente would have turned 39 in 1973 and might have played a couple more seasons, but the clock was clearly running out on his Hall of Fame career.

There could have been a few more hits, maybe a handful of homers, perhaps another trophy.

What the baseball world really lost on that runway in Puerto Rico, though, was the chance to say goodbye to Roberto, and the chance to talk to him in retirement, and the chance to see him grow old. Could it be that he would, even now, be enjoying a kind of elder-statesman status at the elbow of Hank Aaron and Willie Mays?

Maybe.

As for Topps’ final Clemente pasteboard, that foreboding image is made all the more eerie by the timing of Clemente’s death and the card’s release. It seems likely that Topps would have had their Series 1 photos set in stone by the time news of the dark plane crash broke.

Either way, the somber mood on #50 of the 1973 Topps set is a fitting final cardboard tribute to an all-time great.

And, if you want a dose of “Bob” in sunnier times, Topps — and Fleer — captured all of his seasons in their regular-issue cards.

Enjoy the show below.

Roberto Clemente Baseball Card Values

Although these Clemente cards would be gorgeous and super nostalgic even if they weren’t worth the cardboard they’re printed on, the truth is, they can bring big bucks in top shape … and pretty hefty sums even in lesser condition.

So, how do you go about figuring out the value of Roberto Clemente baseball cards?

Well, the market is always changing, so you really need current information. That’s why looking at the “sold” listing on eBay is usually a great place to start when looking for current card values.

Here is the most recent Clemente sales: https://ebay.us/dc6810 (affiliate link)

And if you want to see some of the *really* expensive Clemente card values, PSA does a pretty good job of tracking graded cards through their Auction Prices Realized tool.

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Just look at that steely gaze on Cobb’s 1914 Cracker Jack card or the challenging, choked-up stance on his T3 Turkey Red issue. He looks as if he’s ready to club any ball, or man, who comes his way into submission.

And that seems to be a fitting depiction of the player who is often described as one of the most fiery competitors the game has ever known and likely one of its nastiest characters, as well.

After all, when Cobb retired in 1928 at the age of 41, he held the all-time records for hits (4191), runs (2244), stolen bases (897), and batting average (.366), among others. By all accounts, he climbed those statistical mountains on the back of his enormous talent and a complete lack of compunction when it came to driving spikes deep into the legs of defending second basemen or punching out opponents whom he might perceive as impediments.

Apparently, Cobb was not above engaging in fisticuffs off the field, either, even if his sparring partners were not always as physically capable as the legend himself.

So, through a litany of pasteboards issued during the first quarter of the 20th Century by tobacco companies, candy makers, and other vendors lucky enough to capture his likeness on cardboard, Cobb’s fierceness and competitive nature shone through on his cards, threatening to burn them to ashes.

And, much like the stars of recent generations, the cardboard love did not cease when Cobb retired.

Indeed, old Tyrus Raymond Cobb was one of the marquee names when US Caramel rolled out their 32-card set of sporting legends in 1932 (although the set is often referred to as a 1933 issue). Along with Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Jimmy Foxx, Cobb headlined a checklist that featured 27 baseball players and a handful of standouts from other sports.

But, while card #16 of Fred (Lindy) Lindstrom is famous for being one of the most rare and valuable in the hobby, the image of Cobb is perhaps the most interesting in the set.

Gone are the intimidating full-body shots topped off by a direct stare daring you to take one more step toward him. Missing is the air of danger that accompanies just about every card released during Cobb’s career.

Issued four years after his retirement, the US Caramel card shows a mid-40s Cobb who appears decidedly human. His once thin and athletic shoulders seem to be thicker, almost soft. His gaze is offered through squinting (maybe myopic?) eyes, and is cast off to the side. Even Cobb’s face is doughy, hinting at a decent amount of body-weight gain.

It’s Cobb’s non-descript white uniform that really stands out, though, and especially the bulbous hat perched over his prominent ears

Is Cobb an early inspiration for Elmer Fudd?

Has he just finished his shift as a baker at the local pastry shop?

Or has Tyrus changed his rabble-rousing ways and turned to the cloth, intent on making a run at the Papacy?

In the end, it hardly matters, because any Cobb card is a desirable gem for collectors, and that US Caramel #14 can fetch several thousand dollars depending on condition.

Maybe, though, just maybe, a small dollop of that premium is due to the enduring human riddle that Cobb represents, and his un-Cobbly appearance on this forgotten hobby classic.

(Check out our other player card posts here.)

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And, of all the Wax Pack Gods that I worshipped as a kid in the 1980s, Rose was always one of the most difficult to come by. He was in all of the same overproduced sets as Walt Terrell and John Mizerock, but somehow there never seemed to be enough Pete Rose baseball cards to satisfy my appetite.

Maybe it was because I was a Reds fan or maybe it was because I was in awe of Rose’s exploits on the field as he marched toward Ty Cobb’s legacy at an age when he should have been collecting Social Security and taking up woodworking.

Rose wasn’t my favorite player — that was and still is Mike Schmidt — but Charlie Hustle did intrigue me like no other.

And he touched the same nerve with the hobby at large, as his assault on the all-time hits record was maybe the first large-scale milestone watch that was accompanied by escalating card prices. In many way, Rose’s 1963 Topps issue was instrumental to the burgeoning rookie-card craze.

The Pete Rose bubble was also one of the first to burst when he succumbed to a gambling scandal in 1989, and demand and prices tumbled through the 1990s.

Over the years, though, as the steroid taint touched players who had eclipsed Rose in the public eye, many fans began to take a more positive view of Rose, at least in terms of his on-field accomplishments.

As support has grown in recent times for Pete’s reinstatement, or at least for his induction into Cooperstown, the values of his cards have stabilized and begun to climb again, too. That’s especially true for quality graded copies of his early pasteboards.

And, after 27 long years, Pete Rose was finally inducted into the Hall of Fame in late June of 2016. Of course, Rose was enshrined in the Reds Hall of Fame and not Cooperstown, but it did get his name into the news again and sparked new interest in his cards.

Turns out those same cards that were so elusive 30-40 years ago have held a decent amount of their value over the decades and, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, you (and I) can look at them anytime you want.

To help out with that endeavor, I have gathered the entire run of regular-issue Rose cards below.  For now, these include just Pete’s base card from each set, but check back here — and on our Pete Rose page — often if you’re a Rose nut like I am, because I’ll be adding leader and record-breaker cards, oddball issues, and other goodies over time.

Happy collecting!

Ryan’s 1968 Topps rookie card, of course, led the way, and climbed to more than $1000 (check updated Ryan values here) by the time he hung up his spikes in 1993. That burlap-bordered beauty dragged along the rest of Ryan’s early-career cards, and soon collectors were paying three figures for pasteboards from 1969 through the mid-1970s.

Later cards weren’t all that far behind, and the years have done little to soften those prices.

But you don’t have to break the bank in order to stock up on vintage Ryan cards.

In fact, the list below contains 23 cards from throughout the career of The Ryan Express that you can pick up for a relative song.

First, though, a few ground rules …

For the purposes of this list, “vintage” means anything before 1990. You can quibble with this if you want, and I might, too, under other circumstances, but it makes perfect sense when you consider that …

I set out to include at least one card from every team for which Ryan pitched, and he didn’t catch on with the Texas Rangers until 1989.

Finally, in order to qualify for this list, a card has to be available today in NM or better condition for less than $100.

So there you go. If you can live with these terms, go ahead and soak in the vintage fireballer cardboard that follows.

(Click on the titles for each card to see copies currently for sale on eBay — these are affiliate links.)

1970 Topps – Mets Celebrate: We’re Number One! Nolan Ryan (#198)

The 1969 Miracle Mets are one of the most famous and inspiring teams of all time. Led from the dugout by the great Gil Hodges, the Mets were boosted by stellar pitching from Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, as well as a colorful lineup, that took them all the way to a World Series championship.

In commemorating the Mets’ victory in the first-ever NLCS, Topps issued this “WE”RE NUMBER ONE!” card depicting a shirtless Ryan in the clubhouse with teammates Duffy Dyer, Tommie Agee, and Wayne Garrett.

It’s a rare light-hearted pasteboard moment for the man whose stare and power could frighten batters even from the confines of his baseball card. The best part is that you can pick this one up for less than $10 in ungraded condition and for under $50 when slabbed in NM shape.

1972 Topps Mets Team Card (#362)

Looking for Nolan Ryan’s last card as a member of the New York Mets? Normally, you’d turn to the Topps set issued during his first year with a new team, since card makers are generally a season behind in their photos — this year’s Mike Trout cards shows what he looked like last year.

But in 1972, Topps pushed Ryan into their high-number series and, since he was shipped to the California Angels in December of 1971, his new card reflected his new team affiliation. But the 1972 Topps Mets team card at #362 shows the team as it was during the summer of 1971, and that meant Ryan duly made his thumbnail appearance with his blue and orange teammates.

So Topps managed to sneak in one last Ryan Mets card while at the same time squeezing him into his Angels togs at the end of the set. Whew!

You should be able to find the Mets team card for less than $5 in nice raw condition, while a graded NM-MINT copy might run closer to $30.

1973 Topps  – 1972 Strikeout Leaders – Nolan Ryan/Steve Carlton (#67)

In 1972, Nolan Ryan led the American League with 329 strikeouts in less than 300 innings pitched. It was the first of 11 times that Ryan’s name would top the leader board, and it’s fitting that he and Steve Carlton appeared together on Topps’ strikeout leaders card the next year. Those two would battle for K supremacy over the next decade-and-a-half, with The Ryan Express finally steamrolling lefty.

Today, you can buy this card for less than $10 in raw condition and under $50 for graded NM-MT copies.

1974 Topps Nolan Ryan (#20)

Fresh off a record 383 strikeouts in his second season with the California Angels, Nolan Ryan was starting to make baseball people rethink the notion that he was just a one-dimensional pitcher. For this 1974 card, Topps captured the sight that was making batters from coast to coast quiver in the box as they awaited  Strike 3 — or for something a bit wilder but just as fast. This is the first base card on our list, and it’s a bargain at less than $30 raw and less than $80 in graded NM condition.

1975 Hostess Nolan Ryan (#58)

If you were a collector who didn’t eat sweets in 1975, then chances are you gave away, or threw away, your fair share of Hostess pastries that summer trying to collect the cards the cupcakery issued on the bottoms of family-sized boxes of their sweeties.

The good news was that you got three at a time, panel style, so you could at least show some restraint in your Twinkie-buying habits.

For his part, Nolan Ryan led off a sheet that also included outfielder Reggie Smith of the St. Louis Cardinals and hurler Joe Coleman of the Detroit Tigers, the cards separated by dotted lines that were meant for cutting.

While not all that rare, it’s an interesting period piece that you can find for less than $20 in ungraded condition, for either a nice hand-cut Ryan or the full sheet. Graded copies of the Ryan in NM-MT condition sell for less than $50.

1975 Topps – ’74 Highlights: No-Hitters Nolan Ryan (#5)

On September 28, 1974, Ryan racked up his third career no-hitter. Even though he had tossed two no-nos in 1973, it took Topps until 1975 to commemorate his untouchable-ness in cardboard, and even then he had to share the spotlight with the temporarily unhittable Steve Busby and Dick Bosman.

Still, it’s an early piece of ephemera dedicated to the budding Ryan legacy, and it can be yours for under $10 raw and less than $40when slabbed in NM condition.

1976 SSPC Nolan Ryan (#187)

As card companies sprouted like weeds in the infield of the hobby during the 1980s, veteran collectors continued to lament the fact that no one seemed committed to producing a pure product that focused primarily on presenting the players we idolized while eschewing fancy design elements. Inevitably, these hobbyists would point to the 1975 SSPC set as a prime example of such “purity.”

While most hardliners warned that SSPC was an unauthorized, unlicensed product and could be reproduced whenever the creators — or anyone else — decided to turn on the presses again, a fair number of player collectors added these to their master-set checklists. The fact that it was later revealed the cards were printed in 1976 and not 1975 likewise did nothing to dim enthusiasm for the SSPCs.

The Ryan card shows a typically sharp (for the time), nearly full-bleed photo of The Express in his Halos uniform and sells for less than $10 raw today. Even graded GEM MT copies trade for less than $50.

1976 SSPC Catfish Hunter and Nolan Ryan (#593)

Another SSPC card, this one shows two pitchers at different ends of the career spectrum, though we didn’t really know it then.

In his late 20s, Catfish Hunter was coming off a 23-14 record in his first year with the New York Yankees, but it would be all downhill from there, and “Jim” would be out of the league by 1979.

Ryan, a couple of years younger than Hunter, was just getting warmed up and would continue to build on his legend for nearly two full decades. The card is a contraband classic that you can find without too much trouble for under $10.

1977 Topps Record Breaker Nolan Ryan (#234)

Usually, when guys start breaking career records, it’s a pretty good bet that they’re rounding second and heading toward the end of their big-league journeys. And that’s probably what most collectors thought about Ryan when he appeared on this Topps card commemorating his feat of four 300-strikeout seasons. He was turning 30, and it was only a matter of time before his powerful right arm flew right off his body, after all.

As it turns out, Ryan wasn’t quite finished, as he went on to record two more 300-K campaigns and to pitch at the highest level until 1993. Nevertheless, his 1977 Record Breaker card is a great snapshot of early-career achievement that you can find for under five bucks when ungraded and less than $30 when slabbed in NM-MT condition.

1978 Kellogg’s Nolan Ryan (#51)

Nothing screams “1970s” like garish colors, blurry psychedelic backgrounds, sideburns, and Afros. The 1978 Kellogg’s Nolan Ryan card scores on all of those except the ‘Fro, and we don’t really know what was hiding under his Angel’s cap, right?

Angel on top, Devil underneath; business in the eyes, party in the hat?

Could be.

What we do know is that you can snatch up nice, solid NM copies of this card for less than $10, though you should beware of bowed and (Corn) flaking, cracked surfaces.

1979 Topps All-Time Record Holders: Strikeouts Nolan Ryan/Walter Johnson (#417)

When collectors first tore into wax packs of 1979 Topps, many of us thought we’d stumbled into an accidental treasure. How did Ty Cobb and Walter Johnson get wedged among our stacks of Ed Figueroas and Bump Willses? And does anybody recognize the mistake they made?

Soon enough, we realized that 1) the “All-Time Record Holders” were just a black-and-white device to give us some nostalgia with our record-holder education and 2) Lou Brock’s successful career denouement and assault on every imaginable stolen base records were the impetus for the subset’s existence.

Nearly 40 years later, this Nolan Ryan-and-Walter Johnson card is a happy byproduct of the Brock celebration, and one which foreshadowed Ryan’s strikeout march over the next decade-and-a-half.

Even better? You can score these all day long for about two bucks a pop (raw).

1980 Topps Nolan Ryan (#580)

This is Ryan’s last base card as a member of the California Angels, and it’s a beauty. While the angle of the image doesn’t leave the viewer staring down the barrel of The Ryan Express like his 1974 card did, the action seems almost more powerful somehow. Add in a clear photo and great complementary colors in the card’s design, and it seems all the more a bargain at less than $10 raw. You should also be able to snag a NM graded copy for less than $30.

1981 Donruss Nolan Ryan (#260)

In 1980, Ryan came home to Texas, and this 1981 card shows Ryan in his first season with the Houston Astros. It also happens to be part of Donruss’ first-ever baseball card issue, one of three major sets produced that year. But while Fleer and Topps settled for head shots of the powerful legend, Donruss caught him mid-delivery with the Wrigley Field brick and ivy in the background.

It’s not a gorgeous card, but it IS a perfect period piece that you can buy for less than $5 ungraded and for less than $50 in slabbed MINT condition.

1982 Donruss Diamon Kings Nolan Ryan (#13)

In their sophomore effort, Donruss rolled out their first Diamond Kings, miniature versions of paintings by renowned Hall of Fame artist Dick Perez. Each team had a representative, and it was none other than Ryan who was positioned in front of the blaring orange Astros rainbow. Today, you can buy the original Ryan DK card for around $1 raw and around $30 in graded MINT condition.

1983 Topps All-Star Glossies Nolan Ryan (#28)

Beginning in 1983, Topps inserted flimsy game cards that allowed you to accrue “points,” which could be redeemed for groups of 10 All-Star Glossy cards. These were the pasteboards that we all wanted Topps toissue as their base sets each year, because the card stock was thick and white, the photos were large and clear, and the design was minimal. In many ways, these were the harbingers of Topps Tiffany and the later move toward premium and super premium sets, and these days, you can buy the Nolan Ryan from this first issue for less than $5.

1983 Topps Nolan Ryan Super Veteran (#361)

In 1983, Topps dipped into their archives to recognize 35 “Super Veterans” who had been around the Majors for 10 years or more. The roll included such luminaries as Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt … and Gene Garber.

(30-Year-Old Cardboard shows them all to you here.)

And of course, Nolan Ryan made the list, too. It’s just that he and fellow Super Vet Carlton Fisk would be around for another 10 years and could have appeared in these types of subsets for decades. As it is, you can buy the Ryan SV for less than $40 in graded MINT condition.

1984 Topps – 1983 Highlights: Nolan Ryan, Carlton and Perry Surpass Walter Johnson (#4)

In 1983, Walter Johnson lost his 56-year hold on the all-time strikeouts record, and the mark didn’t fall just once.

Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, and Gaylord Perry each dropped The Big Train, in order.

Perry retired after the season, and Carlton surged into the all-time lead, but Ryan had plenty more up his right sleeve. Topps commemorated the event(s) with #4 in their 1984 set, and you can buy ungraded copies for less than $5. Even in graded GEM MINT condition, you should be able to find it for less than $35.

1984 Topps – NL Active Career Strikeouts Leader – Nolan Ryan-Carlton-Seaver(#707)

With all sorts of big records and milestones within sight in 1984, Topps took the opportunity to stuff more star power into their set with a series of active career leaders in the major statistical categories for both leagues. Card #707 showcased the NL’s best strikeout artists, with Ryan riding shotgun to Steve Carlton and Tom Seaver easing into third. Of course, plenty of Ryan’s strikeouts had come in AL and not the NL, but don’t let the facts get in the way of great cards like this. Pick it up for less than $5, and you’ll be happy Topps fudged.

1985 Donruss Action All-Stars Nolan Ryan (#20)

Card companies may have produced an infinite amount of product in the 1980s, but they were nearly as prolific when it came to the types of cards they offered. One of Donruss’ running specials was the Action All-Stars, which debuted in 1983 and showcased the biggest names in the game on the biggest cards in the game — 3 1/2″ x 5″, to be exact.

Nolan Ryan made his obligatory appearance in the black-bordered 1985 version, which sells for less than $5 ungraded and less than $40 when slabbed in MINT condition.

1986 Fleer Star Sticker Nolan Ryan (#102)

After a five-year hiatus, Fleer rolled out their second series of Star Stickers in 1986. These were full-blown Fleer cards with complete stats on the back, but you could peel away the front and plaster it on your notebook or TV screen if you were so inclined. Stick to the unslabbed version, and you can find the Ryan for less than $5, while a graded NM-MT copy goes for less than $15.

1987 Mother’s Cookies Nolan Ryan (#8)

Issued in packages of baked goodies in 1952 and 1953, and then given away as in-stadium promotions from 1983-1998, Mother’s Cookies cards were a regional issue with an unusually far reach — the entire west coast and both Texas teams. Collectors who appreciated the pure, clean look of SSPC enjoyed Mother’s Cookies cards since they featured full-bleed photos and little else besides a player name and rounded corners. This 1987 Nolan Ryan example sells for less than $5 raw and less than $20 in graded GEM MT condition.

1988 Score Nolan Ryan (#575)

Seven years after Donruss and Fleer joined the baseball card fray, Score showed up with an innovative set that featured premium (for the time) card stock and solid photography on the front AND backs of each pasteboard. As it happened, 1988 was also Nolan Ryan’s last year in Houston, and his orange-bordered Score card is a powerful snapshot of his amazing delivery even in his 40s. You can buy ungraded copies for less than $2 each, and even a perfect GEM MT graded specimen will set you back less than $80.

1989 Bowman Nolan Ryan (#225)

The baseball card field became even more crowded in 1989, when Upper Deck unveiled its premium offering and Topps resurrected the old Bowman name. But while all of the other major base sets showed Ryan in his Astros uniform, Bowman was able to take advantage of a later release date and captured The Express in his new Rangers togs.

The 1989 Bowmans never really clicked with collectors, owing in part to their larger-than-normal size (2 1/2″ x 3 3/4″), but they did set the stage for the later, more popular renditions of the brand. Today, they also provide an early look at Ryan the Ranger for less than $2 in the raw and around $50 for a slabbed GEM MT copy.

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There you have them: 23 “vintage” Nolan Ryan baseball cards that won’t set you back more than a tank of gas (OK, maybe two in a couple cases). And, really, who needs to go anywhere anyway when you have your wax pack gods to keep you company?

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For most of the last three decades, Ken Griffey Jr. baseball cards sat near the top of the hobby mountain.

The popularity of Junior cards climbed steadily through his first 11 years with the Seattle Mariners and then jumped into the stratosphere when he came “home” to the Cincinnati Reds before the 2000 season. Unfortunately for the Reds and Griffey, that marriage turned out not to be quite the dream match-up we all envisioned, and Griffey’s star dimmed, just a bit, as his numbers tumbled and other superstars stepped into the spotlight.

With the late-career exploits of Barry Bonds and the continued emergence of early-career greats like Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, and Ichiro Suzuki, Griffey lost his top-of-mind spot among many sectors of collectors.

But make no mistake — Griffey was always there, plugging along with solid stats even as his lithe body grew thicker and even as it became clear that he wouldn’t quite achieve the career milestones many had predicted for him. And all the while, he stayed clear of the PED fray that dragged down the reputations of those who had overshadowed him, and in 2010, he retired with the Mariners … what could have been better?

As it turns out, Griffey wasn’t quite done, because in January of 2016, as the game was emerging from the clouds of the Steroid Era in earnest, Junior was elected to the Hall of Fame, being named on the highest percentage of ballots — 99.32% — ever and topping the great Tom Seaver’s mark of 98.84%. (Until Mariano Rivera toppled everyone’s Cooperstown cart, that is!)

That election was the red ribbon tied around the party-papered box of Griffey’s career, and his Cooperstown induction in July will be the bow. In the meantime, Griffey’s baseball cards still sit near the top of the mountain, ratcheted up perhaps a bit from their pre-2016 levels, but undeniable leaders among modern pasteboards.

If Griffey had been born 20 years earlier, getting a handle on his cards would be relatively easy, and you would even have a decent chance to collect them all and amass a Junior master set. But since he debuted in the early years of the card explosion and helped hasten its advent, Griffey has been the subject of thousands of cards, making it nearly impossible to track them all. That doesn’t mean you can’t wade through the mass, though, and zero in on the issues that matter most to you.

All you need is a guide.

Luckily, we’ve done that leg work for you.

What follows is a comprehensive guide to Ken Griffey, Jr., baseball cards, courtesy of some of the best Junior resources on the web. We’ve organized these links into convenient chapters to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, but you just might want to read the whole thing.

After all, there’s only one Griffey, Jr., but there are thousands of ways to collect him.

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