What Are The Top 10 Most Iconic Baseball Cards Ever?

[4815162342]

Baseball Collector on YouTube posted a video this afternoon asking for collectors’ opinions on the top 10 most iconic baseball cards:

https://youtu.be/lgQjFdYfz0w?si=NMdmKVnJ07iIKbSc

It’s definitely not a new topic, but it’s fun.

My list:

1. T206 Honus Wagner
2. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
3. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144
4. 1916 M101-4/5 Babe Ruth
5. T206 Ty Cobb Red Background
6. 1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson
7. 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson
8. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron
9. 1939 Play Ball Ted Williams
10. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.

What say you?

[rats60]

1 t206 Honus Wagner
2 t206 Eddie Plank
3 1933 Goudey Napoleon Lajoie
4 Baltimore News Babe Ruth
5 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
6 1914 Cracker Jack Joe Jackson
7 Turkey Red Ty Cobb
8 1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson
9 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente
10 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr

[Beercan collector]

T206 Wagner
52T Mantle
Baltimore Ruth
‘14 CJ Joe
‘14 CJ Cobb
‘14 CJ Mathewson
49L Robinson
Zeenut Joe throw
#53 Goudey Ruth
39 PB Ted

[Kidnapped18]

1909 T206 Wagner, 1952 Topps Mantle and 1989 Upper Deck Griffey are a must on a top 10 list!
The other seven cards can be debated...

[todeen]

Originally Posted by Kidnapped18

1909 T206 Wagner, 1952 Topps Mantle and 1989 Upper Deck Griffey are a must on a top 10 list!
The other seven cards can be debated...

Agree. Not enough modern on these lists. 1989 UD Griffey is a must. 2011 Topps Update Trout is a likely candidate, in a parallel form. And it's possible that 2018 Chrome Ohtani would be on the list, although I prefer 2017 Bowman Chrome Ohtani.

Modern is of course the bread and butter of collecting.

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[bk400]

Fun thread!

I think the first few posts captured the big ones for me. I'd put the 54 Aaron higher on all of the lists, though.

For modern, I'd add 2013 Ohtani #42 BBM (especially the scarce parallel versions). That's Ohtani's first baseball card.

[egri]

T206 Honus Wagner
1933 Goudey Babe Ruth #144
1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
1941 Play Ball Ted Williams
1948 Leaf Ted Williams
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
1954 Topps Hank Aaron
1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski
1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.
1989 Fleer Billy Ripken

[martuzzi]

T206 Wagner
1952T Mantle
1916 Sporting News Ruth
1914 CJ Jackson
1933 Goudey Ruth 53
T206 Plank
1951B Mantle
1951B Mays
T206 Cobb Green
1954T Aaron

Bonus: 1989 UD Griffey

[oldjudge]

T206 Wagner
T210 Jackson
Baltimore News Ruth
M101-4/5 Ruth rookie
E107 Wagner
1952 Topps Mantle
W600 Cobb
1951 Bowman Mays
1954 Topps Aaron
1939 Play Ball Williams

[doug.goodman]

I'm shocked.

Shocked, I say!

That this card has been on no list...

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Kidnapped18

1909 T206 Wagner, 1952 Topps Mantle and 1989 Upper Deck Griffey are a must on a top 10 list!
The other seven cards can be debated...

Wagner, Plank and Lajoie are the only 3 musts. They are the foundation of the hobby and were iconic when the rest were commons. Mantle represents the Topps era and Griffey the modern era and definitely belong on the list.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

These lists have been done to death. There really need to be four such lists.

1. The "Universal Top 10 Card List" that non-collectors can most identify with. Frankly, I don't think most non-collectors could name 10 cards, nor would I expect them to.
2. The list that all types of collectors can identify with (even if you abhor modern, you'd have to make some obvious concessions)
3. The list that pre-1980 vintage collectors can identify with, to include any pre-1980 card
4. The list that pre-war collectors can identify with, to include pre-war cards only.

[todeen]

Originally Posted by rats60

Wagner, Plank and Lajoie are the only 3 musts. They are the foundation of the hobby and were iconic when the rest were commons. Mantle represents the Topps era and Griffey the modern era and definitely belong on the list.

I don't think 89 Griffey can represent the modern era because it has no parallels. We've been in an era of parallels (I'm thinking Chrome colored refractors to build a rainbow) for 25ish years. Gotta include Trout or Ohtani to get that on the list.

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[ullmandds]

I agree with billy!

[todeen]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

These lists have been done to death. There really need to be four such lists.

1. The "Universal Top 10 Card List" that non-collectors can most identify with. Frankly, I don't think most non-collectors could name 10 cards, nor would I expect them to.
2. The list that all types of collectors can identify with (even if you abhor modern, you'd have to make some obvious concessions)
3. The list that pre-1980 vintage collectors can identify with, to include any pre-1980 card
4. The list that pre-war collectors can identify with, to include pre-war cards only.

Responding to #1, I don't think Baltimore Ruth could be on that list. I don't think I'd include it on my list, and I know what it is. It doesn't get the same publicity of the T206 Wagner or 52 Mantle, or even his own Goudey cards when it's not at auction. But I also think non-collectors could name 10 players rather than cards. Wagner, Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Mantle, Griffey, Ohtani would likely be universal. Maybe includes Aaron, Bonds, Gehrig, Dimaggio, Mays, Ryan, Trout, Judge.

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[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.

[Yoda]

Simply because I love the card, I would include the E95 Ty Cobb.

[JohnP0621]

THE t206 Ty Cobb with the Ty Cobb back has to be in the Top 10. Probably Top 5.

Regards
John P

[Kutcher55]

1. Wagner T206
2. 1952 Topps Mantle
3. 1954 Topps Hank Aaaron
4. 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson
5. 1952 Topps Willie Mays
6. 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth 144
7. 1949 Leaf Jackie
8. 1968 Ryan / Koosman RC
9. 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly
10. 1989 Fleer Bill Ripken Error

[Huysmans]

T206 Wagner
1952 Topps Mantle
1933 Goudey Lajoie
1933 Goudey Ruth red background
T206 Cobb portrait red
1914 Ruth Baltimore News
T206 Cobb Tobacco Ty Cobb back
1954 Bowman Williams
T206 Plank
1951 Bowman Mantle

[jchcollins]

Though certainly nothing against the card; it's fantastic and I'll never own one in a million years - but I don't really see how the Baltimore News Ruth can be called "iconic."

It's just so scarce - what are there like 10 known copies in the world? I had never even seen a picture of that card until I was an adult in the hobby - well more than 20 years after I started collecting.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be fine with calling one of the Goudey Ruth's iconic, or maybe even the M101. But I just can't get there with the BN. Just because a card is uber expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's the most well known or iconic. Just my 2 cents.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by rats60

Wagner, Plank and Lajoie are the only 3 musts. They are the foundation of the hobby and were iconic when the rest were commons. Mantle represents the Topps era and Griffey the modern era and definitely belong on the list.

What would be the 2nd most iconic card of the modern era? The '85 McGwire Olympic card is the only one I can think of that reached that level of popularity/pursuit.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by jchcollins

Though certainly nothing against the card; it's fantastic and I'll never own one in a million years - but I don't really see how the Baltimore News Ruth can be called "iconic."

It's just so scarce - what are there like 10 known copies in the world? I had never even seen a picture of that card until I was an adult in the hobby - well more than 20 years after I started collecting.

Don't get me wrong, I'd be fine with calling one of the Goudey Ruth's iconic, or maybe even the M101. But I just can't get there with the BN. Just because a card is uber expensive doesn't necessarily mean it's the most well known or iconic. Just my 2 cents.

I agree with this. Value doesn't equal iconic status.

I'd go with:

T206 Wagner
T206 Plank
1914 CJ Jackson
1914 CJ Cobb
1916 Ruth M101-4/5
!933 Goudey Lajoie
1949 Leaf Robinson
1951 Bowman Mantle
1952 Topps Mantle
1989 UD Griffey

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

What would be the 2nd most iconic card of the modern era? The '85 McGwire Olympic card is the only one I can think of that reached that level of popularity/pursuit.

1980 and later, these are the ones that come immediately to mind for me (in no particular order, after the top 2)

1989 UD Griffey Jr.
1985 Topps McGwire Olympic
1980 Topps Henderson
1984 Donruss Mattingly
1988 Donruss Gregg Jeffries
1989 Fleer Billy Ripken FF
1990 Topps Frank Thomas no name on front
The Score card with Bo Jackson wearing the shoulder pads
The Upper Deck baseball card of Michael Jordan

I would put Jeter, Pujols, Trout, and Ohtani rookies somewhere in there, but I don’t really know much about which of their options are the “best”.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by gonzo

1980 and later, these are the ones that come immediately to mind for me (in no particular order, after the top 2)

1989 UD Griffey Jr.
1985 Topps McGwire Olympic
1980 Topps Henderson
1984 Donruss Mattingly
1988 Donruss Gregg Jeffries
1989 Fleer Billy Ripken FF
1990 Topps Frank Thomas no name on front
The Score card with Bo Jackson wearing the shoulder pads
The Upper Deck baseball card of Michael Jordan

I would put Jeter, Pujols, Trout, and Ohtani rookies somewhere in there, but I don’t really know much about which of their options are the “best”.

That's solid. The 1984 Traded/Update of Gooden was on fire in '84-'86 -- Clemens and Puckett got there over time, but that initial Doctor K frenzy was wild.

[Eric72]

• T206 Honus Wagner
• T206 Eddie Plank
• T206 Ty Cobb Red Portrait
• 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth 144
• 1933 Goudey Nap Lajoie
• 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
• 1963 Topps Pete Rose
• 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan
• 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey, Jr.
  
• 1993 SP Derek Jeter
• 1989 Fleer Billy Ripken FF

[bbnut]

#1 for me

https://images.app.goo.gl/65xkEcVW42FB981b6

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[darwinbulldog]

T206 Wagner
T206 Johnson (portrait)
CJ Cobb
CJ Jackson
1933 Goudey Ruth (#53)
1934 Goudey Gehrig (#37)
1951 Bowman Mays
1952 Topps Mantle
1954 Topps Aaron
1989 UD Griffey Jr.

[Sean]

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth
T206 Honus Wagner
N172 Old Judge -Cap Anson in Uniform
T210 Old Mill- Joe Jackson
T206 Eddie Plank
T206 Ty Cobb w/Cobb back
M101-4/5 Babe Ruth
1952 Topps- Mickey Mantle Mantle
1933/34 Goudey-Napoleon Lajoie
1949 Leaf- Jackie Robinson


But just for myself, I would rather own a T206 Joe Doyle Nat'l than all of these except the BN Ruth, but the Doyle isn't what I consider "iconic," it's just my favorite.

[B O'Brien]

Probably not a top 5 card, but the E90-1 Young sure has a lot going for it, including a timeless baseball name. Even the kids know his name because of the award.

I would have to include it in my top 10, with a mix of the above mentioned cards. This was the first card on my list of cool cards to check off.

Ready for the weekend,
Bob

[Rhotchkiss]

T206 Wagner and 52 Topps Mantle are in their own stratosphere. Every other card fights for the scraps. But if we are talking “iconic”, I don’t think many of the prewar cards being listed are correct. Here post WW2 cards I think could be above almost all those pre war (my knowledge ends after 1989):

1954 Aaron
89 UD Griffey
1963 Rose
1968 Ryan
1989 fleer Ripken FF
1985 Topps McGuire
1951 Bowman Mays
1949 Leaf Robinson
1955 Clemente
1951 Bowman Musial
1953 Bowman Reese
1980 Topps Henderson

[samosa4u]

If you display a Goudey Ruth at a show up here in Canada, then yes, we Canadians will instantly recoginize it. It is an iconic card indeed. Same goes for a Leaf Jackie Robinson, Topps Mantle, Topps Aaron, etc. But a Goudey Lajoie? A T206 Plank ?? Ummm ... I don't know about that ...
And the Baltimore Ruth is so rare that most people have never even heard of it.

[4815162342]

After reading through these posts, I changed my mind on a couple cards and updated my list to swap the BN Ruth for the M101-4/5, and the ‘55 Clemente for the ‘89 UD Griffey Jr.

[spec]

Originally Posted by Sean

1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth
T206 Honus Wagner
N172 Old Judge -Cap Anson in Uniform
T210 Old Mill- Joe Jackson
T206 Eddie Plank
T206 Ty Cobb w/Cobb back
M101-4/5 Babe Ruth
1952 Topps- Mickey Mantle Mantle
1933/34 Goudey-Napoleon Lajoie
1949 Leaf- Jackie Robinson


But just for myself, I would rather own a T206 Joe Doyle Nat'l than all of these except the BN Ruth, but the Doyle isn't what I consider "iconic," it's just my favorite.

Sean,
Glad to see someone included the Old Judge Anson in uniform, the "Wagner" or "Lajoie" of the 19th century. I'm surprised Jay Miller didn't include it on his list since I suspect he's the only one of us who owns one.

[robw1959]

To me, an iconic card is all about capturing a great player in a great pose or portrait with great artistry. To that end, my list:

1. T206 Honus Wagner
2. 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
3. 1933 Goudey #144 Babe Ruth
4. 1933 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig
5. T205 Ty Cobb
6. T206 Christy Mathewson (White Cap)
7. 1941 Play Ball Joe Dimaggio
8. 1953 Topps Willie Mays
9. 1951 Bowman Ted Williams
10. 1952 Bowman Stan Musial

[oldjudge]

Originally Posted by spec

Sean,
Glad to see someone included the Old Judge Anson in uniform, the "Wagner" or "Lajoie" of the 19th century. I'm surprised Jay Miller didn't include it on his list since I suspect he's the only one of us who owns one.

Hi Bob! I did own one once, but no more. I never really understood the allure of the card since there are certainly scarcer HOF poses. I also find his role in the initiation of baseball’s color barrier distasteful. If I were to include anything from the 19th century it would probably be a Cincinnati Peck and Snyder trade card.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by gonzo

1980 and later, these are the ones that come immediately to mind for me (in no particular order, after the top 2)

1989 UD Griffey Jr.
1985 Topps McGwire Olympic
1980 Topps Henderson
1984 Donruss Mattingly
1988 Donruss Gregg Jeffries
1989 Fleer Billy Ripken FF
1990 Topps Frank Thomas no name on front
The Score card with Bo Jackson wearing the shoulder pads
The Upper Deck baseball card of Michael Jordan

I would put Jeter, Pujols, Trout, and Ohtani rookies somewhere in there, but I don’t really know much about which of their options are the “best”.

We probably aren’t giving the Canseco Rated Rookie its due. That thing was hot as the sun after 40/40.

[gonzo]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

We probably aren’t giving the Canseco Rated Rookie its due. That thing was hot as the sun after 40/40.

Oh yeah, that Canseco, along with the Gooden, Clemens, and Puckett update/traded cards you mentioned earlier, were all huge. And the Ripken Traded and Valenzuela Traded before that.


Not nearly as significant to the hobby, but a fond memory from the time, is opening 1982 Donruss packs, hoping to get the San Diego Chicken card. There was even an offer/address to get it autographed!

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I'd definitely take the Frank Thomas NNO off any list. I feel like I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago, or I found it so forgettable that it completely escaped me. Was it perhaps more regionally hot for a time? Thomas was and is still huge in the Midwest, so am wondering if it was more something like that.

I feel like I only saw one mention of the Billy FF card. That needs to be on there. That's one that many non-collectors would remember! If you had tried creating this list 35 years ago, I could see the whiteout and black box trying to vie for space on the list as well! It was that big a deal at the time. This card, in all its variations, seemed like it was was all the talk of the hobby and non-hobby world for a year or two. In a similar vein, I'm kinda glad nobody mentioned the Dale Murphy rev neg.

[Brent G.]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I'd definitely take the Frank Thomas NNO off any list. I feel like I hadn't even heard of it until a few years ago, or I found it so forgettable that it completely escaped me. Was it perhaps more regionally hot for a time? Thomas was and is still huge in the Midwest, so am wondering if it was more something like that.

I feel like I only saw one mention of the Billy FF card. That needs to be on there. That's one that many non-collectors would remember! If you had tried creating this list 35 years ago, I could see the whiteout and black box trying to vie for space on the list as well! It was that big a deal at the time. This card, in all its variations, seemed like it was was all the talk of the hobby and non-hobby world for a year or two. In a similar vein, I'm kinda glad nobody mentioned the Dale Murphy rev neg.

And this site introduced me to the Randy Johnson Marlboro -- like the Ripken, a bizarre correction history, but certainly not iconic. There is a 6-year-long thread with 520+ replies on here though.

[packs]

When I think of the iconic cards I think of all the cards I’d always see on the covers of price guides and the old almanacs you used to have to buy. They always seemed to find space for a T205 Matty.

Even in the movie The Accountant there’s a scene where he opens a safe and inside there’s a T205 Matty among a stack of cards and comics.

[Brian]

I am probably more aligned with the idea of 'iconic' espoused in the last post.

For me, they are the cards that make our hobby great--the ones that are most recognizable, the ones I dreamed about as a kid (and even as an adult). For me, the hobby would not be the same without them:

T206 Wagner
T206 Plank
T206 Cobb green portrait
1914/15 CJ Cobb
1933 Goudey Ruth #53
1933 Goudey Ruth #144
1933 Goudey Gehrig
1951 Bowman Mantle
1952 Topps Mantle
1952 Topps Jackie Robinson

I don't distinguish CJ cards that look the same or prioritize cards that are most valuable. Just the ones that are awe-inspiring for me. Of course, I could add at least another 10 to the list, and for purposes of full disclosure, at least some of them are my own favorites within my PC.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I'm also amazed that I don't think I saw the T205 Cobb mentioned anywhere. Surely, it should be represented even on a "For Collectors Only" list. To me, that is the iconic Cobb card, bar none. CJ Cobb comes close, but I'll take the T205.

[robw1959]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

I'm also amazed that I don't think I saw the T205 Cobb mentioned anywhere. Surely, it should be represented even on a "For Collectors Only" list. To me, that is the iconic Cobb card, bar none. CJ Cobb comes close, but I'll take the T205.

It made my list; see post #35. I nearly had one delivered to me in July after buying it from a member here. Unfortunately, someone evidently intercepted the package.

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by robw1959

It made my list; see post #35. I nearly had one delivered to me in July after buying it from a member here. Unfortunately, someone evidently intercepted the package.

As a Cobb collector, I could easily draw up lists of top ten iconic Cobb cards and Cobb PCs. There are that many.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

Originally Posted by calvindog

As a Cobb collector, I could easily draw up lists of top ten iconic Cobb cards and Cobb PCs. There are that many.

Oh, for sure. And even if you were choosing them for purely aesthetic reasons, too! The guy made for a mean card!

Which tops it for you? Forgive me if I'm asking to repeat something you already said. If you had to ditch all but one, which comes out the winner? I could jokingly see the comparison made to having to choose between your children. I went back to check. CJ it is!

[calvindog]

Originally Posted by BillyCoxDodgers3B

Oh, for sure. And even if you were choosing them for purely aesthetic reasons, too! The guy made for a mean card!

Which tops it for you? Forgive me if I'm asking to repeat something you already said. If you had to ditch all but one, which comes out the winner? I could jokingly see the comparison made to having to choose between your children. I went back to check. CJ it is!

I think if I had to pick one Cobb card....not based on value, but based on my favorite? I'd say probably this guy:

[Casey2296]

Originally Posted by calvindog

As a Cobb collector, I could easily draw up lists of top ten iconic Cobb cards and Cobb PCs. There are that many.

I’d like to see that list. That DFP Cobb is incredible.