Opinion on Top (5) collected baseball players

[koufax1fan]

Hello Everyone:
Has there ever been poll taken on the top (5) mostly collected baseball players in our hobby. Would it even be possible? Just curious .Below would be my top 7.
Mickey Mantle
Babe Ruth
Joe DiMaggio
Sandy Koufax
Roberto Clemente
Willie Mays
Nolan Ryan

[BradH]

Interesting question, Phil. There is a difference between most popular and most collected. I think it depends on if you're talking about this board or the whole hobby in general.

On a percentage basis, I'm not sure how many collectors own a Babe Ruth item, especially when it comes to his cards (?). He's the most popluar player in the history if the sport, but maybe not the most collected...on this board most people probably own a Ruth, but in the general hobby, probably not.

Likewise, a decent percentage of this particular board might NOT own a Koufax, Mays or Clemente item.

I remember in the 1980s and 90s, dealers couldn't stock enough Cal Ripken and Nolan Ryan cards. Pete Rose was huge in the 70s-80s-90s too.

Anyway, your list is probably pretty close, but I'd probably include Rose and Ripken, simply as representation from the "modern" segment of our collecting population. If you expand to "Top 10" I think you'd have to include them.

(I want to add that I'm not a fan of either of these guys, but I'd guess that almost every collector has had a Rose or Ripken in their collection at some point in their collecting career.)

[quinnsryche]

My guess would be:
Ruth
Mantle
Gehrig
DiMaggio
Cobb

[Leon]

I should mention I moved this from a BST forum. Five most collected, imo...

Ruth
Cobb
Mantle
Ryan
Cy Young


I am sure there are lots of other good guesses too.

[z28jd]

I agree with Brad, I don't think a lot of people have Babe Ruth cards due to price. I'd guess popular players from the 50's-70's if I had to guess the players with a high % in collections. Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Ryan. I think Ruth is probably the highest among pre-war(1941) collectors, Cobb would likely be next.

An interesting poll on here would just be a simple yes or no, do you own a Babe Ruth card from his playing days

[cubsfan-budman]

Man, I think "most" collected would be much more modern players...if by most collected you mean most collectors actively collecting that one player.

I'd say:

Mantle
Ryan
Ripken
Rose
and then maybe like Jeter or ARod or some stupid Yankee

[Leon]

Originally Posted by cubsfan-budman

Man, I think "most" collected would be much more modern players...if by most collected you mean most collectors actively collecting that one player.

I'd say:

Mantle
Ryan
Ripken
Rose
and then maybe like Jeter or ARod or some stupid Yankee

Understandable but no Babe Ruth? I have to think even with modern included Ruth would be there...

[Julz24]

I would have to say - in order:

Mantle
Ripken
Griffey
Ryan

Pre War cards are just too rare in comparison to modern cards. Griffey has around 10,000 different cards to choose from, and that number is always climbing. If I had to have a pre war list...

Cobb

Ruth
Matty
Young