Collecting Hank Aaron and Willie Mays

[VintageVinnie]

I think what Aaron was forced to endure, while chasing Ruth's all time HR mark, will endear him to fans for years to come. The hate mail and racism was horrible and Aaron handled it with professionalism and didn't tell a lot of people at the time. He just went out and did his job every day. With the 45 year anniversary of his historic home run just passing, and soon to be 50th, I think a whole new generation will be made aware of Aaron's greatness. This includes both on the field and off the field...especially how he handled himself in the face of racism. This is right along the lines of the great Jackie Robinson.

As far as Mays, he is on my personal top 5 list of greatest of all time. However, as Brian said above, Mays has been so rude and outright mean to so many fans for so many years...people are just turned off by him. I think you will see Aaron's stock rise in years to come.

[Bigdaddy]

I've put together Topps/Bowman checklists of Mantle, Mays, Koufax, Clemente and Aaron and am slowly knocking off cards from the list. Looking at the lists as a whole, what strikes me is the affordability and attractiveness of some of -the All-Star, multiplayer and highlight cards of these guys. Cards like the '62 Mantle/Mays or '58 Braves Fence Busters or '63 Dodgers Big Three or the '58 Mick All-Star.

[hcv123]

It's been a while since I was setting up on the show circuit, but I don't believe much has changed. Purely from a collector demand perspective - Mantle is king followed by Clemente. Mays and Aaron were a relatively distant second.