[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

You'd also have various parameters that needed to be dealt with.

Are we talking only of cards with a perpetual impact on the hobby? We can all think of some "boom & bust" cards that had a huge impact, be it for a period of a decade or just a season! The 1980's-early 1990's boom produced some extremely iconic cards, most of which have since been relegated to sentimentally iconic! 2-3 different Bo Jacksons, a few Mattinglys, a couple of Cansecos, McGwire, Clemens, even Gregg Jefferies. Should those be counted? RCs of Ripken and maybe even Rickey should be represented IMO. All of the cards mentioned are far more identifiable to a much wider swath of humanity than a Plank ("Who?! What?!") or even a 144 Ruth.

Let's face it: the majority of the cards we'd pick for our personal lists would be more than a few time zones away from a Universally Recognized Iconic Cards list. You don't have to like the truth to admit to it. I'm OK with it, even if those newer issues are of no personal consequence anymore. While the cards themselves may have lost their luster, the memories associated with them are pure gold. As ridiculous as it sounds, you couldn't pry my 1988 Score or 1989 Topps & OPC Gregg Jefferies cards out of my hands! I've had them since they were released. If you were there, you remember, and hopefully don't think me too silly for still liking them.