Derek Jeter Rookie Question...
 

First off...please forgive my absolute ignorance...I haven't bought a pack of new cards since 1990...so anything from then to present I am clueless.

My new son in law is a huge baseball fan (we get along very well...:))...I have already given him a full run of Topps Nolan Ryan cards, his idol (he pitched in HS and College, great kid and athlete). Just in random conversation the other day he mentioned he wished he had a Jeter rookie card, his favorite modern day player. Of course I would like to get him one for his upcoming birthday and went to Ebay to check it out. Wow...I see there are basically 3 different ones...the Stadium, Topps, and Upper Deck? So...a few questions. Which one is the most sought after? Prices are ALL OVER THE PLACE regardless of grade...9's and 10's (I definitely want to buy graded) are from a couple hundred bucks to a couple thousand?

ANY HELP would be appreciated. The goal is to say, hey, here is Jeters rookie card...and not have someone tell him there is a better card...lol. The Topps Draft card looks like the coolest, but I am clueless. HELP!

Thanks...

You want the 1993 Upper Deck SP RC. It has the foil background. Foil makes it easy to get lower grades. That card is the creme de la creme, especially in higher grades. I am looking at buying one. If you care for PSA you will pay a premium. I don't, I'm fine with Beckett. I have "watched" Beckett 8's and 8.5's and the sellers will reach out and make offers going as low as $375. Don't pay over $500 for that range by Beckett.

That grade range for the SP, 7-8-8.5, also has bundles sometimes that might make it more appealing. I've seen a Becket graded 7 and 8 bundled with ungraded Jeter RC's in the same price range, $375 - $500. So you can get 2 or 3 rookies of Jeter for the same price.

I think the Stadium Club Murphy is the second most desirable. It's just a very sharp looking card.

The Topps base Jeter is probably #3 in popularity. However, there is also the Topps Gold which is a variation short print. I don't know how desirable that one is. But it is scarcer.

If you want to give him the thrill of the chase, unopened 1993 Topps 36 count boxes are on Ebay for $100 - $150. You could buy him the SP rc, and a box of Topps and have some fun.

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Agreed; they go SP, then Stadium Club Murphy Stadium box set (didn't come in packs), then Topps Gold, then base Topps.

I sold my PSA 8 Jeter SP I won in a PSA contest for $750 last year, soon after I received it. A reason the BGS cards are cheaper for the same grades is because PSA rejects a large number of the 93 Jeter SPs for being factory cut short, but BGS seems to slab them all without an issue. So people expect that the BGS is either tiny (not the full 2.5x3.5 inches) or trimmed. But then PSA has graded a whole bunch of trimmed ones or ones treated with car wax to buff out scratches themselves.

I would say Jeter's true rookie cards would be the 1992 Little Sun High School prospects and Front Row Draft Picks

And Derek Jeter's official Rookie Year is 1996, so these are all pre-rookies. But the widely accepted answer are the nationally released professional MLB sets from 1993 (also including Pinnacle and some others not yet named).

I wouldn't, I'd call those minor league cards.

You can play 30 years in the minors, but your 1st year in MLB, you are a rookie

1992 Front Row was nationally released in packs but not MLB

Thanks for the replies...helps a lot and now I have a basic understanding. That era is quite confusing! The hunt is now on...

There's also 1993 Bowman, Pinnacle, Score, and Select too which can be found cheap unless you want PSA 10 price will be quite a bit more.

To confuse things even more, he also debuted in 1995 and had a number of MLB released issues that year after his call up which mention him debuting.

I'm a fan of the Pinnacle myself. :)

Thanks Irv...that's a good looking card. Is there a reason it's so inexpensive? A BGGS 8 for $30? Was it double printed? Frankly that has the best eye appeal than the others, much better pose...I have honestly never heard of Pinnacle.

Pinnacle was Score's attempt at an upgraded set. Not much following for that set, and as with most black bordered cards, shows edge chipping and damage much easier. I didn't mention it because you said you wanted to know about his "Best" cards.

The cheaper one of Front Row

DOH! had it backwards... As Emily Littella would say "nevermind"

I get that, and that is true. I'm looking at a couple Upper Deck SP Foils right now based on feedback...as I have said before, what a crazy time for cards. I'll dip my toe with this card...and run...lol.

Again...thanks all...J

Sorry, John, I don't know a lot about the cards. I pulled this one myself from a pack I purchased way back then and only found it again when I began reading posts about Jeter and the HOF here.
I honestly don't think I purchased more than a few packs as I was getting out of the hobby due to it collapsing back then. A bunch of modern cards of mine sat idle in a shoe box until 2016 or until I joined this site.

I know the card has gained some popularity but at what level, I am not sure?
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1993-Pinnacl...kAAOSwrZVezZ0z
https://www.ebay.ca/itm/1993-Pinnacl...sAAOSwQv1e0nsa

That's a great pack pull, and to find it later is pretty cool. Reminds me of some of the later blossoming stars in the 80's...they would get hot and I would go back a few years and pull them all out. Fun times...

I pulled a 1993 Jeter Topps rc, when I was 8 y.o. The card looks like it was owned by an 8 y.o. too! Dog ears and what not. Similar story though, i rediscovered it years later.

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These are all prospect card technically. His rookie is 1995. It’s another one of those weird hobby thing where people just say it’s recognized as his rookie but it’s not. So now we have “Rookie” and True Rookie to deal with.

13 at bats does not count as a rookie; the limit is 50 plate appearances. That's why I put 1996 up there earlier.

Your right I meant 96 but I guess his debut gave a brain fart .

1993 SP is the runaway favorite but I think his 1993 Topps rookie is more iconic, if that makes sense.

Personal favorite is 1993 Stadium Club Murphy.

If your budget is in the 300-500 range I'd go with a PSA 10 1993 Topps rookie with the best centering you can find.

There's also the Topps Marlins and Rockies inaugural sets as well which are a nice little piece of 1993 baseball nostalgia. Same card as the base but with a little gold stamp on the front with the Rockies or Marlins logo on it.

The only one I'd vote against is 1993 Score. It's fugly. Pinnacle is beautiful, Bowman is a nice, clean design. Upper Deck is iffy--the Upper Deck Gold Hologram is tough to find but looks exactly the same, don't think it's worth the money.

If you want something from his rookie year--1996 Topps Chrome in a high grade is a good bet, or the 1996 Chrome Refractor. Beautiful card, tough to come by but is well over four figures at this point.

Just by typing these paragraphs I'm realizing just how many sets we had in the 1990s. I'd love to see Upper Deck get a license again.

Well, it's Topps Flagship for one. And two, it's inspired by the Delong card set from the 1930s.
https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1933...1721&size=zoom

Digging into this was quite an education. I've already bought a Topps SGC 8.5...I like my new son in law....but not "10" like...HAHA. j/k

Looking to buy a high grade Pinnacle...I just like the look after Irv posted that...classic Yankee colors. And pondering a couple of BIN's on a UD SP...I think I will present him with all three. His other favorite player is Mariano Rivera...and that rookie card of his in his street clothes is about as ugly as a card I have seen. Street clothes? Sheesh!!

Thanks again all...as said, I learned a lot and it's been fun. Can't wait to get back to my 8 cards left on my 1961 set...way more my comfort zone...haha

That's part of the charm of 1992 Bowman, home of the prospect card. Definitely a love it or hate it, with the Chipper Jones and other cards in that set.

lol, I was wondering about the Chipper SP that I had sent in that just came back as trimmed.

That said, I agree 100% here with the pecking order.
Population Report (PSA) for each (8/9/10):
SP (8790/604/21)
*Stadium Club Murphy (989/2240/893)
Topps Gold (1909/2833/377)
Topps (6723/12462/2629)

* IMO - this is best for gifting... lower populations, better looking card - can get a 9 at a reasonable price (for most) and maybe a 10 in the price range between 8 and 9 SP. The Topps base is the iconic one, but don't see it as anything that will be overly unique amongst Jeter collections.

I threw out a hail mary but respectable offer on a SGC 92 Mariano last night that was accepted and now that I own one (for now, lol) my view has changed a bit...haha. Still a weird card to have someone in street clothes but Mariano was a special player for sure. As a die hard Mariner fan and a Yankee hater during his playing days, for some reason I always rooted for him and was a big fan. As said, he was special.

Now I can't wait to give him a nice little display of rookies...and if I haven't said it enough, thanks all for all the help. No way I could have navigated the mine field of 90's cards...haha....

For Mo--1996 Leaf Signature Autographs are just 100% beautiful cards. Well worth a look!

https://i.imgur.com/wTXsHJ2.jpg

Is this considered a RC for Rivera?

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1992 Bowman is widely considered his RC despite the ridiculous photo.