What Are The Top 10 Most Iconic Baseball Cards Ever?

4815162342 · #1 08-14-2025, 08:38 PM

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 · #2 08-14-2025, 08:54 PM

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 · #3 08-14-2025, 09:34 PM

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 · #4 08-14-2025, 09:56 PM

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 · #5 08-14-2025, 10:31 PM

Quote:

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.

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

bk400 · #6 08-15-2025, 12:24 AM

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 · #7 08-15-2025, 01:01 AM

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 · #8 08-15-2025, 01:14 AM

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

rats60 · #9 08-15-2025, 05:04 AM

Quote:

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 · #10 08-15-2025, 09:40 AM

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 · #11 08-15-2025, 09:58 AM

Quote:

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.

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

todeen · #12 08-15-2025, 09:51 AM

Quote:

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.

Sent from my SM-S926U using Tapatalk

ullmandds · #13 08-15-2025, 09:54 AM

I agree with billy!

Brent G. · #14 08-15-2025, 12:42 PM

Quote:

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.

gonzo · #15 08-15-2025, 01:08 PM

Quote:

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�.

bbnut · #16 08-15-2025, 01:45 PM

#1 for me

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

Sent from my SM-S911U using Tapatalk

darwinbulldog · #17 08-15-2025, 02:45 PM

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 · #18 08-15-2025, 03:28 PM

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 · #19 08-15-2025, 03:39 PM

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 · #20 08-15-2025, 05:40 PM

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 · #21 08-15-2025, 05:45 PM

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.

spec · #22 08-15-2025, 09:43 PM

Quote:

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 · #23 08-16-2025, 12:05 AM

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 · #24 08-16-2025, 02:10 AM

Quote:

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.

4815162342 · #25 08-15-2025, 06:35 PM

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.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Four Mascot Dog Food Baseball Cards Come to Market! Inc. Yogi Berra Iconic Pose!	chuckw	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	6	08-31-2022 11:23 AM
Most iconic baseball card image	Rhotchkiss	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	21	12-07-2021 01:55 PM
Cards becoming iconic	polakoff	Modern Baseball Cards Forum (1980-Present)	6	03-07-2021 05:51 PM
10 Most Iconic Cards under $200	jared6180	Postwar Baseball Cards Forum (Pre-1980)	47	07-12-2016 04:01 PM
The Last Iconic Baseball Card	Yankeefan51	Net54baseball Vintage (WWII & Older) Baseball Cards & New Member Introductions	20	08-22-2009 12:36 PM