18,000 rookie cards for one player

[Brent G.]

In 1995, I stopped collecting because it became a pain in the ass to collect every card of my favorite player.

Now, those days seem so simple.

This guy does a great job of quantifying the absurd increase in cards and variations over the last 30 years -- including Paul Skenes, who had 18,000 DIFFERENT CARDS last year.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cymZrqsO5ns

In America, we seldom learn from our mistakes, and apparently, cards are no different

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

This guy does a great job of quantifying the absurd increase in cards and variations over the last 30 years -- including Paul Skenes, who had 18,000 DIFFERENT CARDS last year.

Get 'em all, man!

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by Balticfox

Get 'em all, man!

Or you could just collect Paul Skenes' 2019 Leaf Perfect Game National Showcase cards and be done with it. No binders needed.

[Rich Klein]

Originally Posted by Brent G.

In 1995, I stopped collecting because it became a pain in the ass to collect every card of my favorite player.

Now, those days seem so simple.

This guy does a great job of quantifying the absurd increase in cards and variations over the last 30 years -- including Paul Skenes, who had 18,000 DIFFERENT CARDS last year.

LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cymZrqsO5ns

In America, we seldom learn from our mistakes, and apparently, cards are no different

I just want the cards of him and Livvy

[BioCRN]

Kyle Hendricks has a very rare ultra-modern RC count, one.

There's just a 2014 Topps Heritage. There's no border variations, autos variations, or other print variations...just the base card.

[Peter_Spaeth]

By my definition, Aaron Judge's only true RCs are in 2016 Topps Now, with three different ones. The cards were issued after he was on a major league roster and show him in major league action. And Topps Now, in subsequent years, carried the official RC logos. I don't know what these are if not late season rookie cards. I get that they are not "base" cards but a lot of cards that carry the RC logo are not "base" cards nowadays.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

By my definition, Aaron Judge's only true RCs are in 2016 Topps Now, with three different ones. The cards were issued after he was on a major league roster and show him in major league action. And Topps Now, in subsequent years, carried the official RC logos. I don't know what these are if not late season rookie cards. I get that they are not "base" cards but a lot of cards that carry the RC logo are not "base" cards nowadays.

I thought Judge's RCs were all from 2013. Aren't the Bowman draft cards considered RCs in today's parlance? Don't get me wrong, I love Topps Now. Probably spent too much pizza money on those over the years and now have small stacks of random Ohtanis and various Call Ups.

Personally, for modern players that I like to collect for fun, I just try to find his first issued card, whether it is a minor league or overseas or something like a Bowman Draft.

[OhioLawyerF5]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

By my definition, Aaron Judge's only true RCs are in 2016 Topps Now, with three different ones. The cards were issued after he was on a major league roster and show him in major league action. And Topps Now, in subsequent years, carried the official RC logos. I don't know what these are if not late season rookie cards. I get that they are not "base" cards but a lot of cards that carry the RC logo are not "base" cards nowadays.

The rookie logo doesn't determine what is a rookie card. They even put it on inserts these days. All it means is that it's a card issued during the year that the player's rookie cards were issued. Not that the card is necessarily a true rookie card.

That said, with regards to Topps Now, they are generally not considered true rookie cards because they are made to order, and not pack issued cards of a widely distributed product. And even though some Topps now cards have a rookie logo, Topps is very careful not to put the logo on players' cards who won't have true rookie cards that year. Players who are playing in the majors, but were called up after the cutoff date to be included in that year's sets, don't get the rookie logo on their Topps Now cards, they get a "Call Up" logo instead. Judge's 206 Topps Now cards would be similar to someone like Roman Anthony this year. He has been called up and is playing in the majors. He has Topps Now cards this year. But they don't have the rookie logo, they have the call up logo. Whereas someone like Roki Sasaki, who is included in Topps products this year, has the rookie logo on his Topps Now cards.

[BioCRN]

"The market" seems to strongly favor the RC shield/logo card as the true RC as far as 2006+ baseball cards.

Bowman 1st vs RC sales and popularity strongly backs this up.

One can view it as stupid or arbitrary, especially since early 2000s Bowman cards of guys who won't play in MLB for years are considered RCs...but aside from some 2005-2006 straddling cards (Verlander, most obviously) the market really gravitates toward the RC shield/logo cards as true RCs.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by OhioLawyerF5

The rookie logo doesn't determine what is a rookie card. They even put it on inserts these days. All it means is that it's a card issued during the year that the player's rookie cards were issued. Not that the card is necessarily a true rookie card.

That said, with regards to Topps Now, they are generally not considered true rookie cards because they are made to order, and not pack issued cards of a widely distributed product. And even though some Topps now cards have a rookie logo, Topps is very careful not to put the logo on players' cards who won't have true rookie cards that year. Players who are playing in the majors, but were called up after the cutoff date to be included in that year's sets, don't get the rookie logo on their Topps Now cards, they get a "Call Up" logo instead. Judge's 206 Topps Now cards would be similar to someone like Roman Anthony this year. He has been called up and is playing in the majors. He has Topps Now cards this year. But they don't have the rookie logo, they have the call up logo. Whereas someone like Roki Sasaki, who is included in Topps products this year, has the rookie logo on his Topps Now cards.

I understand what you're saying. I guess my minority take is that with so many cards now issued other than in the traditional packs, that has lost its importance and if it's a card from a licensed and mainstream manufacturer that is not a prospect card, because the player is in the majors and depicted as such, it should count.