[barrysloate]

Welcome Dave, and I can help you with at least one of your questions. Which card is considered a player's true rookie is one of the subjects that is most hotly debated on this board. Often we don't have consensus, so in a sense it's up to you decide which one you want in your collection. Some like a player's first mainstream card, others want only his very first appearance, regardless of where it appears. Phil G., who posts regularly here, wrote a very important book on rookie cards. He can help better than I can.