What was the it card of 2017 ?
 

So I was a occupied this years with a lot of stuff. So I’m curious on what was the best card of the year. Share your feedback on the topic. I know modern is probably judge or bellinger. Pre war ? Maybe green Cobb ? But let’s see what your post war winners were from 2017 or even pre war .

My best pickup was a 1936 Canadian Goudey of Gabby Hartnett. Was in disbelief to end up with one in such nice shape.
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Pre-War: ???
Post-War: 1955 Mascot Dog Food Mantle discovered
Modern: 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Autographs Aaron Judge

I've had a great year, no complaints, so it's tough to just pick one.

Most of my purchases this year are within the top 15-17 rows of pg 1 in my FlickR link below, and some of those were tough to come by and afford.

Many in there I am especially glad to own, Erautt, Baker, Gordon, Aloma, Sisti, Sleater, Pesky, Brecheen, Carrasquel, Ross, Surkont, to name a few, but since it's only one, I will have to say my 52 Topps Duke Snider card is the card I am most happy about purchasing.:)

For me it was getting two 52 Topps cards, the Mantle and Mathews. Still working on set however. I see a lot of people working on 52 Topps, but it is rare to see someone finish it. It is a long process for most of us, but I feel worth the challenge.

I suppose I have to say two
 

First, a 1953-55 Dormand Postcard of Mickey Mantle, batting pose, in PSA 7. I owned one for many years, until I sold my set in the 90s. It was very pleasing to get this one back again. With Louis's use of brilliant Kodachrome, it's Mickey in living color, mid-1953.

Second, a LOTG auction win during Al's summer event, a 1962 Gehl's Gold Mine Ice Cream premium of Roger Maris, the full length batting pose, in PSA 6.5. Extremely satisfying. I have wanted a specimen of this great, teenzie set every since Bill Heitman penned a brief, but marvelous piece in the old esteemed hobby paper, THE TRADER SPEAKS, about very rare cards, back in about 1979-80.

On another niche, for many years I have admired the famous photo, at least to Mickey Mantle collectors, of The Commerce Comet taken by Ray Gallo in September 1956. Mick was relaxed and happy in the dugout, prior to a game at Fenway Park. Mickey later said it was his favorite picture of himself.

Mr. Gallo decided to become a small entrepreneur. In July 1980, when the Mickey Mantle card collecting mania was starting to become red-hot, he had renown, gifted artist Yvette Andreoni hand-color his famous photo of Mick. He then created a limited number of prints, each with a notary public style embossed stamp on the lower left corner, and had Mickey autograph them. When I first saw a picture of one, featured on the cover of SPORTS COLLECTORS DIGEST, it was love at first sight. Probably because I was concentrating on Mick's cards back then, I failed to buy one of those elegant 8 X 10 colorized prints. Long to short, early this year I found one on EBAY, already PSA / DNAed. The cost proved how much these super beautiful prints had appreciated in 30 years. There were several others, all priced about the same, or even higher. Shoulda bought one back when Mr. Gallo offered them--yeah, yeah, yeah..... Nevertheless, it was worth every penny to me. My first, and my only, Mickey Mantle autograph. The print stands as a definite and defiant example of a Mantle item that has way more eye appeal than most of Mickey's cards, and that's saying something. With this much "Hee Haw-ing", you would all rightly demand an image from me. Maybe later in the week I'll get my son, when he comes home for Christmas, to edit this post, and load it up for youse guys. It is December 23rd, and my dear son has now loaded up the image of the Ray Gallo Mickey Mantle autographed photo!

Thanks for listening. Hope you didn't mind the long story.

---Brian Powell

My Favorite 2017 Mays Pickup
 

Whoa
 

GREAT STUFF GUYS! Brian I think we need a pic I never heard about these pieces so obviously I never seen one.

The fact that this was basically forumvised was fantastic too. I followed along for the joyous journey...

1960 Horne's department store Roberto Clemente
 

These were issued for a 1 day appearance at Horne's - got the Clemente with a small group of other Pirates as well!! Knew they existed, but never saw before.

Pics?

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I read the original question as what was the it card for the hobby overall for 2017, not for individual collectors. Maybe I’m wrong

I was confused by the question as well but when I seen the bolded part above, I assumed, like Jason maybe did, I took it as "your" best P/U of 2017?

I did want to know what the IT card for 2017 ( overall card of the year) but when people started posting there personal IT card I liked it so I was like ok I don’t mind seeing some eye candy. But yeah l was curious to hear about the cards that really shined this year. Either with a increase in value or with getting some recognized in the hobby .


Sweet Duke Irv!

The 78 Topps Trammell/Molitor rookie card could be the IT card of December 2017. Since Trammell's recent induction to the HOF, that card seems to have become extremely popular. And the fact that it features 2 HOFers makes it kind of special.

While I much prefer answers to what everyone's favorite 2017 pick-ups were, TO ANSWER WHAT THE OP MEMBER ACTUALLY MEANT BY HIS QUESTION, I would have to say any of the kazillion numbered minuscule sport prints of Aaron Judge. At this very moment, the Topps people are probably still working overtime, and will continue to do so while there's days left in 2017 to think up, design, and print more manufactured rarities of Da Judge.

STRIKE WHILE THE IRON IS HOT.

Right on. This strategy made a lot of collectors happy during 2017. That was a good thing for the hobby.

---Brian Powell

Mr. Erickson, I love your 1958 Hires Root Beer test issue Willie Mays. That is simply precious. I gift you an anecdote from veteran collector and dealer, Bill Zimpleman, who would have been a tween at the time they were issued, and a dedicated baseball card-lovin' kid. While interviewing him for my book on postwar regionals, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN, among the yarns he told me was a memory of the Hire's Root Beer baseball cards.

Bill distinctly recalls a time back then when he was at a grocery store with his mom. While walking down the aisle where the soda pop was stacked, he immediately noticed something else on the dirty floor. Strewn here and there all down the aisle were Hire's baseball cards. They now were filthy, being stepped on and run over by dozens of grocery carts. Let your imagination run loose of how they all came to be on the floor, having been yanked out of the Hire's Root Beer six-pack cartons. My point is not that kids thought they were worthless. I'm sure some ornery kid tried to pilfer them, and his parents put the kai bosh on that scheme. Rather, my point was to illustrate how vulnerable the cards were by how they were issued---being shoved down beside a bottle in a 6-pack. That card would have been subjected to all sorts of handling by the time the child recipient was given his "free prize".

By comparison to what Bill Zimpleman saw, your Willie Mays is pristine. Moreover, it is the test issue version, for which the window of opportunity to get one of these was doubtless very brief. Wholesale Cards Co. offered complete sets of the regular Hires issue in their 1960s mail order catalog, but I would have to hunt down my 1969 catalog I have somewhere to see what, if any, that Bruce Yeko offered of the scarce test issue.

I suppose your fine Say Hey fell into the PSA hands of Darth Grader. Let's say EX-MT 6 is deadly accurate. Sometimes a "6" is GEM MINT. Know what I mean, Brian? Back in the early 70s, when I was attending my first major shows in Chicago and Detroit, Excellent-Mint was considered the top grade for a regional, Goudey, or T-206. You just did not think in terms of being able to get something that was flat out MINT among those kinds of cards. If you went in demanding Mint of those issues, the veteran collectors would deem you ignorant, stupid, dumb, infantile, and an imbecile.

Let me say this, I know all the pioneers and knowledgeable collectors of today would say you did great in getting a Mays that nice. Tis a centerpiece of distinction, mate. Well done.;)

---Brian Powell

I will chime in on this. I was buying Topps Heritage from Target. I still like putting things together the hard way. Then Aaron Judge got hot. Then he got REALLY HOT!!! All of a sudden, ALL of the Heritage was gone in my area. Target, Wal-Mart, everywhere. Gone. Not a pack to be found. So, I am going to go with the 2017 Heritage Aaron Judge cards (the one with Austin, and the solo variation - which has become a VERY expensive card).

I'm going with the idea of best pickup for the year. I spent most of this year looking for non-mainstream issues with Pops <100; lots of Milk Duds boxes, Bazooka boxes and panels, regionals (Johnston Cookies Aaron; Kahn's Clementes and Aarons)

I like this one: