Most Important Baseball Card!

[sb1]

In my opinion 1952 Topps Mantle. Everyone knows it and most want it. And, it's a great looking card. The T206 Wagner is unobtainable for most and it's a fugly card, Alfred E. Neuman look alike

Much more of the general public could pick the Mantle out of a lineup versus the Wagner. In the card world people know the Wagner, elsewhere not at much. When I owned the Wagner below, friends and family outside of the hobby had no idea what it was. I could show them a 1952 Mantle and everyone knows Mickey Mantle, even if they don't know exactly what year it is.


Pics of both of them for context....I have a good eye for 2's

Further consideration should be given to of all things the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie. When the hobby was exploding circa 1990+/- it was the hottest card on the planet and still is in high demand in all grades. Like the Mantle high demand and ample supply make it a marketing darling. The Ryan Rookie was the gunpowder for the collecting boom of the 1990's.

[bnorth]

For me that is easy. The card I coveted the most and got me into the hobby was the 1983 Topps Wade Boggs rookie. No other card is even close.

[D. Bergin]

Originally Posted by bnorth

For me that is easy. The card I coveted the most and got me into the hobby was the 1983 Topps Wade Boggs rookie. No other card is even close.

Have you seen the show “Kevin Can F$%k Himself”?

That card features prominently, LOL 😂

[D. Bergin]

52T Mantle followed by Wags followed by 89UD Griffey Jr.

[JollyElm]

Coolness and rarity-wise, it would be the 1969 Topps #567 Pirates Rookies 'no black outline' variation, which is monstrously hard to find, and for pure joy and nostalgia, the earliest card I recall from my youth (and it puts a smile on my face every time I see one) is the 1972 Topps #49 Willie Mays.
Pure awesomehood!

[4815162342]

Originally Posted by bnorth

For me that is easy. The card I coveted the most and got me into the hobby was the 1983 Topps Wade Boggs rookie. No other card is even close.

It was the 1983 Topps Ryne Sandberg rookie for me when I was 12.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by bnorth

For me that is easy. The card I coveted the most and got me into the hobby was the 1983 Topps Wade Boggs rookie. No other card is even close.

Nice Ben, I knew you would say that. For me it is the '52 Topps Mantle for reasons already stated by many. A close 2nd would be the Walter Johnson card from T206. And to me what really brings these cards to life is listening to them tell their own stories in the audible book of "Glory of Their Times...."

[packs]

The 1989 Hoops Mark Jackson featuring the Menendez Brothers sitting courtside.

[butchie_t]

Next card I buy is important to me.

[NiceDocter]

1933 Sanella Babe Ruth since 100% of them are import-ed. Ba da boom.

[raulus]

Originally Posted by butchie_t

Next card I buy is important to me.

The one I’m trying to sell right now had better be important to someone else!

[mrreality68]

I agree with others that the 206 Wagner is most important. Everyone knew of it(regardless if we could ever afford it) even non Collectors and every time is sold/up for auction we always followed it to see what it sold for and generated interested to many in cards and the history of older players and their records.

The Mantle is Iconic potentially more so than the Wagner but the Wagner was known for decades as the Holy Grail

[e107collector]

Originally Posted by sb1

In my opinion 1952 Topps Mantle. Everyone knows it and most want it. And, it's a great looking card. The T206 Wagner is unobtainable for most and it's a fugly card, Alfred E. Neuman look alike

Much more of the general public could pick the Mantle out of a lineup versus the Wagner. In the card world people know the Wagner, elsewhere not at much. When I owned the Wagner below, friends and family outside of the hobby had no idea what it was. I could show them a 1952 Mantle and everyone knows Mickey Mantle, even if they don't know exactly what year it is.


Pics of both of them for context....I have a good eye for 2's

Further consideration should be given to of all things the 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan Rookie. When the hobby was exploding circa 1990+/- it was the hottest card on the planet and still is in high demand in all grades. Like the Mantle high demand and ample supply make it a marketing darling. The Ryan Rookie was the gunpowder for the collecting boom of the 1990's.

Scott,

Well said. Both of those cards look nicer than the grades shown.

[Rhotchkiss]

“Important”? No clue. Probably the first “card” is the most important. So something like the CDV pictured below, featuring the 1859 Brooklyn Atlantics baseball team.

If you told me I could have any card I wanted, it’s the t206 Wagner- all day, every day

If you asked for most famous, I would say the 1952 Topps Mantle (followed by the Billy Ripken Fuckface)

[GaryPassamonte]

Or this very underpriced cdv or the P & S trade card of the same team.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I understand why one of us collectors would single out the Peck & Snyder. That makes perfect sense--to this crowd. Few outside our circles are even aware of its existence.

I strongly disagree that "everyone" knows of the 52T Mantle. Most North Americans have heard of Mickey Mantle, but I recall having very few conversations come up with non-hobbyists about that card in particular. Mantle's name is more bound to come up in conversation for reasons other than that card or any specific one of his cards. I have certainly heard non-hobbyists mention "a Mantle card" or "Mantle cards", but it's always been in generalized terms. Mickey Mantle = $$$ to them, but they don't seem to know enough to get specific.

Non-hobbyists have been much more prone to bring up the Wagner. I've heard that card mentioned countless times over the years. Countless.

1. More people know of Mantle than Wagner, but when it comes to cards,
2. More people seem to know the T206 Wagner than the 52T Mantle.

It's been awfully rare, but I have heard non-collectors speciffically refer to it as a T206! While I'm sure my experience differs from some of yours, nobody outside of the hobby has asked about a "1952 Topps Mickey Mantle".

My vote is for Honus.

[BigfootIsReal]

Bond Bread Jackie Portrait

[rats60]

It is definitely the t206 Honus Wagner. The card makes the national news everytime it sells. Whenever someone finds out that I collect baseball cards, the first question they ask me is "Do you have the Wagner card?"

[Snowman]

Originally Posted by BigfootIsReal

Bond Bread Jackie Portrait

This is the answer

[samosa4u]

Originally Posted by sb1

In my opinion 1952 Topps Mantle. Everyone knows it and most want it. And, it's a great looking card. The T206 Wagner is unobtainable for most and it's a fugly card, Alfred E. Neuman look alike

It's a nice-looking card, yes, but the guy on it looks nothing like Mantle!

Here, look again and compare:







Shape of the head is wrong ... skin color wrong ... ears are too big ... teeth too big ...

[jchcollins]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

It's a nice-looking card, yes, but the guy on it looks nothing like Mantle!

Here, look again and compare:







Shape of the head is wrong ... skin color wrong ... ears are too big ... teeth too big ...

I’d agree. Judged on the aesthetics alone and not what we know of the card - I don’t think it looks fantastic. But of course it’s iconic, and has been for a long time, so most of that is just out the window at this point.

The ‘68 Topps Ryan / Koosman is another example of a card like that. I won’t call it downright ugly, but it’s certainly not the prettiest card ever made. But it’s become an icon unto itself, so nobody really cares.

The one card you actually hear this subject discussed around a lot is the ‘63 Rose. Arguably the ugliest pricey card ever made…


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Tomi]

Originally Posted by samosa4u

It's a nice-looking card, yes, but the guy on it looks nothing like Mantle!

Here, look again and compare:







Shape of the head is wrong ... skin color wrong ... ears are too big ... teeth too big ...

Looks pretty close when you use the original photo it was made from.