When did the rookie card phenomena start

[Fetamore]

1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela. Demand for a card has never topped this one.
Although the 1982 Topps Kent Hrbek is a close second.

[that T206 Guy]

Originally Posted by Fetamore

1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela. Demand for a card has never topped this one.
Although the 1982 Topps Kent Hrbek is a close second.

What were they Selling for?

I remember 1986 Donruss Jose Canseco in Beckett for $150

[quitcrab]

Maybe it's my age, but the 75 Rice ,Lynn and Brett where pretty hot rookies to chase. The Fernando Venezuela was too as mentioned earlier.

[JTysver]

I recall there being a lot of interest in 1980 or 1981 for the Brett Rookie, especially the mini.

[CW]

Originally Posted by JTysver

I recall there being a lot of interest in 1980 or 1981 for the Brett Rookie, especially the mini.

It's funny how the mini cards used to be valued at about 2x the cost of the regulars due to their scarcity. Now it's basically the opposite.

[JollyElm]

Originally Posted by CW

It's funny how the mini cards used to be valued at about 2x the cost of the regulars due to their scarcity. Now it's basically the opposite.

Growing up in New York, we never even saw the minis, and only became aware of them years later through baseball card magazines. Now that I live in California, I see those little guys all over the place in card shows and card shops. I can't get away from them!!!

[albrshbr]

I believe it started in 1979. A couple of guys bought some high-end 52 Topps Mantles at the National, and things haven't been the same. Bob Horner, Willie Wilson, and a bit later Carney Lansford were the big current rookies, but it was Rice and Lynn that were in the biggest demand.

Then in 1981 it was Valenzuela, Raines, and Charbouneau. I bought a couple of 73 Schmidt for $5 each and a 65 Carlton for $16.

In 1982 Ripken was hot, and Gretzky rookies were up to $12! I traded my Schmidts for $100 each and the Carlton for $150 (picked up 1957-1960 Aarons, Mays, B Robinson, etc.). The market had really taken off

[Fetamore]

The 1981 Topps Fernando Valenzuela card could be sold in quantity for about $3.00.

[Griffins]

I collected thru the mail and at shows '74-'76. Wasn't an factor then, but in '79 or '80 I set up at a show in L.A. to sell off my collection and everyone was asking for Rookie Jim Rice's, among others. Things had changed in that respect quite a bit in a few years.

[Steve D]

I started collecting seriously in 1975. The first one I remember "taking off" was the 1979 Bump Wills variations. It was Topps' first major error/variation since the 1974 "Washington NL" cards of the Padres. The Bob Horner 1979 Topps RC was also popular.

After that, the Fleer variation fiasco of 1981 reared it's head, lead by the "C"raig Nettles error. The Fernando and Charboneau RCs in 1981 Topps and Fleer took off, but not really that much. It wasn't until 1984 with the Don Mattingly Donruss RC, and to a lesser extent, the Daryl Strawberry 1984 Topps and 1983 Topps Update, that things really exploded.

It was in the early 1980s, after the 1979 Wills and 1981 Nettles, along with Jim Beckett publishing his first annual price guide in 1979, that people began going back and picking up previous rookies, like Rose, Ryan, Schmidt, Aaron; pretty much everyone, and prices started going up. Card collecting hit the newstands in 1981 with Krause's Baseball Cards Magazine. Baseball Hobby News by Frank and Vivian Barning started publishing, adding to Sports Collectors' Digest and The Trader Speaks. The investor side of it began growing with columns by Tony Galovich. Then of course, the tripling of companies issuing cards (Fleer and Donruss joining Topps), certainly added to all the fun.

Steve

[moeson]

Steve, you are totally on the money with these recollections!

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by Steve D

I started collecting seriously in 1975. The first one I remember "taking off" was the 1979 Bump Wills variations. It was Topps' first major error/variation since the 1974 "Washington NL" cards of the Padres. The Bob Horner 1979 Topps RC was also popular.

After that, the Fleer variation fiasco of 1981 reared it's head, lead by the "C"raig Nettles error. The Fernando and Charboneau RCs in 1981 Topps and Fleer took off, but not really that much. It wasn't until 1984 with the Don Mattingly Donruss RC, and to a lesser extent, the Daryl Strawberry 1984 Topps and 1983 Topps Update, that things really exploded.

It was in the early 1980s, after the 1979 Wills and 1981 Nettles, along with Jim Beckett publishing his first annual price guide in 1979, that people began going back and picking up previous rookies, like Rose, Ryan, Schmidt, Aaron; pretty much everyone, and prices started going up. Card collecting hit the newstands in 1981 with Krause's Baseball Cards Magazine. Baseball Hobby News by Frank and Vivian Barning started publishing, adding to Sports Collectors' Digest and The Trader Speaks. The investor side of it began growing with columns by Tony Galovich. Then of course, the tripling of companies issuing cards (Fleer and Donruss joining Topps), certainly added to all the fun.

Steve

I started off a just few years after you, but my recollection is quite similar.

[con40]

Originally Posted by Steve D

I started collecting seriously in 1975. The first one I remember "taking off" was the 1979 Bump Wills variations. It was Topps' first major error/variation since the 1974 "Washington NL" cards of the Padres. The Bob Horner 1979 Topps RC was also popular.

After that, the Fleer variation fiasco of 1981 reared it's head, lead by the "C"raig Nettles error. The Fernando and Charboneau RCs in 1981 Topps and Fleer took off, but not really that much. It wasn't until 1984 with the Don Mattingly Donruss RC, and to a lesser extent, the Daryl Strawberry 1984 Topps and 1983 Topps Update, that things really exploded.

It was in the early 1980s, after the 1979 Wills and 1981 Nettles, along with Jim Beckett publishing his first annual price guide in 1979, that people began going back and picking up previous rookies, like Rose, Ryan, Schmidt, Aaron; pretty much everyone, and prices started going up. Card collecting hit the newstands in 1981 with Krause's Baseball Cards Magazine. Baseball Hobby News by Frank and Vivian Barning started publishing, adding to Sports Collectors' Digest and The Trader Speaks. The investor side of it began growing with columns by Tony Galovich. Then of course, the tripling of companies issuing cards (Fleer and Donruss joining Topps), certainly added to all the fun.

Steve

THIS! I started collecting in 1975 in the Boston area. Rookie cards were not a big deal in the mid '70s. Heck, no one was even interested in Eddie Murray rookies in 1978 despite his awesome start.

But in 1979, I remember Bob Horner cards were all the rage, even in my area. Willie Wilson as well. Then, in 1980, Rickey Henderson caught fire as the season wore on because he was having such an awesome second year.

That just fueled the rookie chase every year after that... 1981 was Fernandomania, 1982 was Ripken, 1983 was Boggs and the Stawberry extended rookie. And so on and so on.

[Bcwcardz]

Originally Posted by quitcrab

Maybe it's my age, but the 75 Rice ,Lynn and Brett where pretty hot rookies to chase. The Fernando Venezuela was too as mentioned earlier.

I know those 75s were hot in the early 80s but how about in 75-76? That predates me a bit. I didn’t start serious collecting until 82-83


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[deweyinthehall]

For perspective, I have a copy of Sport Americana #1 in front of me - it was published in 1979. Looking through it - in the 1975 set, the 4 player rookie cards all priced at .03, except Lynn (.15) and Rice (.20). In the 1973 set, all rookie high number cards, including Schmidt, were .12.

In general, because older cards had higher value, a player's "rookie" card, before we called them that, generally priced higher.

What people have said about the Fleer Update Gooden and the 1984 Donruss Mattingly is all true, but I also remember the Rosen "find" of 1952s in 1986 had a big impact. The term "rookie" card had already sort of been defined by then, and all of a sudden we had maybe 100 mint Mantle rookies on the market. I think it was a perfect storm of players (Gooden, Mattingly) location (New York market teams) and the Mantle thing (it didn't hurt that Rosen was a self-promoter and achieved something like celebrity status for a brief moment) that really drove things to the next level and started the whole notion of "I can pay for Jimmy's college with baseball cards!".

I seem to recall Fritsch selling Fleer Update sets at over $1000 per before things began to settle down - but hey, Larry Fritsch always marked things up a tad.