Derek Jeter Rookie Question...

[Harliduck]

First off...please forgive my absolute ignorance...I haven't bought a pack of new cards since 1990...so anything from then to present I am clueless.

My new son in law is a huge baseball fan (we get along very well...)...I have already given him a full run of Topps Nolan Ryan cards, his idol (he pitched in HS and College, great kid and athlete). Just in random conversation the other day he mentioned he wished he had a Jeter rookie card, his favorite modern day player. Of course I would like to get him one for his upcoming birthday and went to Ebay to check it out. Wow...I see there are basically 3 different ones...the Stadium, Topps, and Upper Deck? So...a few questions. Which one is the most sought after? Prices are ALL OVER THE PLACE regardless of grade...9's and 10's (I definitely want to buy graded) are from a couple hundred bucks to a couple thousand?

ANY HELP would be appreciated. The goal is to say, hey, here is Jeters rookie card...and not have someone tell him there is a better card...lol. The Topps Draft card looks like the coolest, but I am clueless. HELP!

Thanks...

[todeen]

You want the 1993 Upper Deck SP RC. It has the foil background. Foil makes it easy to get lower grades. That card is the creme de la creme, especially in higher grades. I am looking at buying one. If you care for PSA you will pay a premium. I don't, I'm fine with Beckett. I have "watched" Beckett 8's and 8.5's and the sellers will reach out and make offers going as low as $375. Don't pay over $500 for that range by Beckett.

That grade range for the SP, 7-8-8.5, also has bundles sometimes that might make it more appealing. I've seen a Becket graded 7 and 8 bundled with ungraded Jeter RC's in the same price range, $375 - $500. So you can get 2 or 3 rookies of Jeter for the same price.

I think the Stadium Club Murphy is the second most desirable. It's just a very sharp looking card.

The Topps base Jeter is probably #3 in popularity. However, there is also the Topps Gold which is a variation short print. I don't know how desirable that one is. But it is scarcer.

If you want to give him the thrill of the chase, unopened 1993 Topps 36 count boxes are on Ebay for $100 - $150. You could buy him the SP rc, and a box of Topps and have some fun.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

[swarmee]

Agreed; they go SP, then Stadium Club Murphy Stadium box set (didn't come in packs), then Topps Gold, then base Topps.

I sold my PSA 8 Jeter SP I won in a PSA contest for $750 last year, soon after I received it. A reason the BGS cards are cheaper for the same grades is because PSA rejects a large number of the 93 Jeter SPs for being factory cut short, but BGS seems to slab them all without an issue. So people expect that the BGS is either tiny (not the full 2.5x3.5 inches) or trimmed. But then PSA has graded a whole bunch of trimmed ones or ones treated with car wax to buff out scratches themselves.

I would say Jeter's true rookie cards would be the 1992 Little Sun High School prospects and Front Row Draft Picks

[swarmee]

And Derek Jeter's official Rookie Year is 1996, so these are all pre-rookies. But the widely accepted answer are the nationally released professional MLB sets from 1993 (also including Pinnacle and some others not yet named).

[yanksfan09]

Originally Posted by swarmee

And Derek Jeter's official Rookie Year is 1996, so these are all pre-rookies. But the widely accepted answer are the nationally released professional MLB sets from 1993 (also including Pinnacle and some others not yet named).

To confuse things even more, he also debuted in 1995 and had a number of MLB released issues that year after his call up which mention him debuting.

[Republicaninmass]

Originally Posted by rgpete

I would say Jeter's true rookie cards would be the 1992 Little Sun High School prospects and Front Row Draft Picks

I wouldn't, I'd call those minor league cards.

You can play 30 years in the minors, but your 1st year in MLB, you are a rookie

1992 Front Row was nationally released in packs but not MLB

[steve B]

Originally Posted by Republicaninmass

I wouldn't, I'd call those minor league cards.

You can play 30 years in the minors, but your 1st year in MLB, you are a rookie

DOH! had it backwards... As Emily Littella would say "nevermind"

[gtrogb]

Originally Posted by swarmee

Agreed; they go SP, then Stadium Club Murphy Stadium box set (didn't come in packs), then Topps Gold, then base Topps.

I sold my PSA 8 Jeter SP I won in a PSA contest for $750 last year, soon after I received it. A reason the BGS cards are cheaper for the same grades is because PSA rejects a large number of the 93 Jeter SPs for being factory cut short, but BGS seems to slab them all without an issue. So people expect that the BGS is either tiny (not the full 2.5x3.5 inches) or trimmed. But then PSA has graded a whole bunch of trimmed ones or ones treated with car wax to buff out scratches themselves.

lol, I was wondering about the Chipper SP that I had sent in that just came back as trimmed.

That said, I agree 100% here with the pecking order.
Population Report (PSA) for each (8/9/10):
SP (8790/604/21)
*Stadium Club Murphy (989/2240/893)
Topps Gold (1909/2833/377)
Topps (6723/12462/2629)

* IMO - this is best for gifting... lower populations, better looking card - can get a 9 at a reasonable price (for most) and maybe a 10 in the price range between 8 and 9 SP. The Topps base is the iconic one, but don't see it as anything that will be overly unique amongst Jeter collections.