Most significant or sought after postwar cards (besides Mantle)

[almostdone]

As I looked at the postwar page tonight there is another thread about 52 Topps Mantle cards. I don't think many would disagree that this card is one of, if not the most significant or sought after postwar card out there but it is a card I truly have no interest in ever owning.

I started to think of all the other cards out there that we as collectors go after and talk about.

My question is what would be the most significant or sought after postwar non Mantle cards in the hobby?

Since we here seem to love top 5 lists let's try to go with that for a theme. Feel free to give reasons or examples of why they hit your list. Pictures are nice to. If you got 'em, show 'em.

I'll let others chime in before I give my opinions. So let's see what is on collectors minds when it comes to things sans Mantle.

Drew

[CW]

The first two cards that come to mind are the '54 Topps Hank Aaron and the '55 Clemente. Both cards also seem to have steadily increased in value over the years, leaving many collectors wishing they'd bought one years ago.

[cardsfan73]

1963 Topps Pete Rose

1968 Topps Nolan Ryan

[1963Topps Set]

1967 Topps Tom Seaver.

This seems to be on everyone's wish list.

[bcbgcbrcb]

1951 Bowman Mays

[almostdone]

I remember reading an article years ago (I think it was in Beckett) of the results of a poll given to vintage collectors about top ten most desired cards. I want to say you know what was first but fairly high up was 53 Bowman Pee Wee Reese.
Drew

[hcv123]

1) 1955 Clemente - Iconic rookie of an iconic player (Also my favorite personally). A difficult card to find well centered. The key to the 55 set.
2) 1952 Topps Willie Mays - First Topps card of Mays - another Iconic player from the Iconic postwar set. After mantle one of the keys to the 52 set.
3) 1954 Topps Aaron - Grossly underappreciated in his lifetime - a third Iconic player and the key to the 54 set.
4) 1963 Topps Rose - One of the most loved players ever to play the game. Key to the 63 set and a really cool card.
5) 1968 Topps 3-D Clemente - Probably the most valuable of the more readily available "test" cards and one of the most valuable of the 50's-70's. Hard enough to find that it is on many want lists. Expensive enough that it will stay on many want lists. Also a shining example of Topps willingness to play with new ideas. A spectacular symbol of 1960's culture, baseball and Clemente!

Runner up's:
1949 Leaf Paige
1952 Topps Jackie Robinson
1954 Topps Williams #1
1953 Topps Mays
1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski
1968 Topps Ryan rookie
1969 Topps Reggie Jackson Rookie

[MattyC]

1. 68 Ryan
2. 63 Rose
3. 51B or 52T Mays
4. 54 Aaron
5. 54 Ted Williams (Topps, Bowman, or Wilson Franks)

Hon Mention:

55 Koufax
55 Clemente
Leaf Paige
69 Jackson
73 Schmidt
75 Brett

[David W]

I would say that for cards that anyone could realistically attain this would be my top 5.

51 Bowman or 52 Topps Mays
55 Topps Clemente
68 Topps Ryan
63 Topps Rose
54 Topps Aaron

Cards that would be in high demand but very tough to acquire.

68 3D Clemente
48/49 Leaf Paige

[rats60]

1955 Topps Clemente
1952 Topps Mays
1954 Topps Aaron
1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Koufax

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Originally Posted by rats60

1955 Topps Clemente
1952 Topps Mays
1954 Topps Aaron
1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Koufax

I was thinking of the same ones. My alternate would be the 1954 Topps Banks rookie.

[Jdoggs]

Sorry I'm going to do one from each of the 4 major sports:
Baseball-1955 topps Clemente
Football-1981 topps Montana
Basketball-1986 fleer Jordan
Hockey-1979 opeechee Gretzky

[Zach Wheat]

We need to fit the '48 Leaf Robinson in there somewhere.

Z Wheat

[egri]

Mine would be:

1954 Bowman Williams
1952 Topps Mathews
1954 Topps Aaron
1955 Topps Clemente
1953 Bowman Reese/1960 Topps Yastrezemski

[Robextend]

As a biased RC collector I would say:

'55 Topps Clemente
'54 Topps Aaron
'55 Topps Koufax
'51 Bowman Mays
'63 Topps Rose

[RaidonCollects]

Looking at some of the major auction/ebay prices, post war cards (50's cards especially) are on the rise.

All the 1952 Topps rarities are usually in high demand. Pafko, Mays and of course Mantle to name a few.

The 53 Topps Mays card is always a scarce one to have, as it is a high numbered short print.

The 54 Aaron and especially Banks rookies are increasing in value, especially after Mr. Cub's recent passing.

That's about it from those particular years, there is of course the earlier Bowman's and the later 50's/60's Topps cards.

Kind Regards,

Owen

[Volod]

For true rarity and stunning obscurity based on same, let's at least mention the 1951 Topps MLAS Roberts, Konstanty and Stanky cards.

[KCRfan1]

Ditto on the 1951 All Stars. My top 5 are in no particular order:

1954 Topps Hank Aaron
1954 Wilson Franks Ted Williams
1968 Topps 3-d Clemente
1951 Bowman Willie Mays
1948 Leaf Satchell Paige

Fun thread.....

[mickeymantle24]

I would say...

1955 Clemente
1954 Hank Aaron
1963 Topps Rose
1952 Topps Mays
1968 Topps Nolan Ryan

[almostdone]

So here is the tally so far. I just listed everyone who was mentioned even in honorable mention.

1. 55 Clemente (9 votes)
2. 54 Aaron (8 votes)
3. 52 Topps Mays (6 votes)
4. 63 Rose (5 votes)
5. 54 Bowman Williams, 55 Koufax (4 votes each)
6. 68 Ryan, 51 Bowman Mays (3 votes each)
7. 68 3D Clemente, 48 Leaf Paige, 54 Wilson Franks Williams (2 votes each)
8. 67 Seaver, 54 Topps Willams, 69 R. Jackson, 73 Schmidt, 75 Brett, 54 Banks, 48 Leaf J. Robinson, 52 Mathews, 53 Bowman Reese, 60 Yaz (1 vote each)

I find it interesting that no one has mentioned some players from any set like Musial, Berra, Munson, Killebrew, Dimmagio, Ford, Gibson or even some retired ones like Ruth or Wagner.

Keep it going though. I'll change the tally marks if others continue to chime in.

Drew

[Bigdaddy]

1. 1952 Topps Mays
2. 1954 Topps Aaron
3. 1955 Topps Koufax
4. 1963 Topps Rose
5. 1968 Topps Ryan

That's my list and I'm sticking to it.

[begsu1013]

here's my top 5 picks in no particular order:

68 ryan
54 aaron
55 clemente
63 rose
89 ripken error*

* while not necessarily an iconic player like the others, this card created one of the biggest crazes in baseball card history and has remained one of the top selling baseball cards on ebay to this very day.

[Harford20]

I would choose:

1954 Bowman Williams
1955 Topps Clemente
1954 Topps Aaron
1963 Topps Rose
1968 Topps Ryan

[jsconscum]

1980 Henderson

[begsu1013]

'89 griffey upper deck.

#1 card of the inaugural set.

[JollyElm]

Unfortunately, everyone's picks invariably come down to rookie cards. The same rookie cards. It would be nice to redo this entire thread and eliminate all Mantles and all RC's from consideration. Then we could get somewhere. But then, of course, it would become all about the high numbers from various years (1961 All Stars, 1967 Brooks Robinson, etc., immediately come to mind), so I guess there's no real solution to this dilemma.

Unless…how about the top 5 toughest non-Mantle, non-RC cards to find centered? That's a topic that would result in many, many vastly different lists.

[vintagebaseballcardguy]

Unless…how about the top 5 toughest non-Mantle, non-RC cards to find centered? That's a topic that would result in many, many vastly different lists.

I like this thread! In no particular order, here is what I came up with :

1953 Bowman Color Stan Musial (and really every star from that set)
1954 Topps Ted Williams #1
1948-1949 Leaf Ted Williams
1957 Topps Yogi Berra
1955 Topps Duke Snider

[autograf]

1955 Topps Clemente
1952 Topps Mays
1954 Topps Aaron
1953 Bowman Color Reese/Musial
1951 Bowman Mantle

UPDATING TO ADD #6

1963 Topps Pete Rose

[bnorth]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

here's my top 5 picks in no particular order:

68 ryan
54 aaron
55 clemente
63 rose
89 ripken error*

* while not necessarily an iconic player like the others, this card created one of the biggest crazes in baseball card history and has remained one of the top selling baseball cards on ebay to this very day.

I would agree with the 89 Fleer Bill Ripken being an iconic must have card. I have bought/sold/traded 1000's of them over the years. It is also one of the most altered cards because of the whiteout version.

[Beatles Guy]

The '53 Topps Satchell Paige ain't no slouch.

[hcv123]

Originally Posted by almostdone

So here is the tally so far. I just listed everyone who was mentioned even in honorable mention.

1. 55 Clemente (9 votes)
2. 54 Aaron (8 votes)
3. 52 Topps Mays (6 votes)
4. 63 Rose (5 votes)
5. 54 Bowman Williams, 55 Koufax (4 votes each)
6. 68 Ryan, 51 Bowman Mays (3 votes each)
7. 68 3D Clemente, 48 Leaf Paige, 54 Wilson Franks Williams (2 votes each)
8. 67 Seaver, 54 Topps Willams, 69 R. Jackson, 73 Schmidt, 75 Brett, 54 Banks, 48 Leaf J. Robinson, 52 Mathews, 53 Bowman Reese, 60 Yaz (1 vote each)

I find it interesting that no one has mentioned some players from any set like Musial, Berra, Munson, Killebrew, Dimmagio, Ford, Gibson or even some retired ones like Ruth or Wagner.

Keep it going though. I'll change the tally marks if others continue to chime in.

Drew

The original post asked for "most significant or sought after" post war excluding mantle. While there is no question some of the players you mentioned were great players and are sought after, in my opinion, they are no where near as sought after or significant as those mentioned. Regarding post war cards of pre war players (Ruth, Wagner, etc.) I think that their post war cards are significantly less sought after than their pre war cards from their playing days - dropping their post war cards a few notches in the "significant or sought after" category.

Just my thoughts of course.

[rsdill2]

In no particular order and to keep on track with the OP of most sought after non-Mantle I'd have to say top 6 are:

'55 Clemente
'54 Aaron
'68 Ryan
'63 Rose
'52 Mays
'67 Seaver

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.

Edited to add:
Most significant and most sought after are very different things to me. I'd say the above 6 are most sought after. Most significant may include cards like the '84D Mattingly and '89UD Griffey.

[Hammerin'Hank]

Originally Posted by rsdill2

In no particular order and to keep on track with the OP of most sought after non-Mantle I'd have to say top 6 are:

'55 Clemente
'54 Aaron
'68 Ryan
'63 Rose
'52 Mays
'67 Seaver

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.

Edited to add:
Most significant and most sought after are very different things to me. I'd say the above 6 are most sought after. Most significant may include cards like the '84D Mattingly and '89UD Griffey.

Why is the 84 Donruss Mattingly considered one of the most significant post war cards ever ? I'm just want to understand that perspective. Sure it was super significant from 1984 - 1990.............. just like Dale Murphy was from 1978 - 1990 but not so much any more. Unfortunately both players washed out in their early 30's. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

[kailes2872]

1) 54 Williams (either 1 or 250 but given where Topps was at the time with no Mantle, it feels like they could have lost the war if not for Ted)
2) 56 Mantle (significant card in that he was back in the fold and the monopoly had begun.
3) 53 Bowman Pee Wee Reese (most beautiful card in the most beautiful set. So nice that it might had led to Bowman demise.
4) 53 Bowman Martin/Rizzuto combo. (Feels like beginning of combo card era - might be a stretch to say this one but I wanted a card to represent that genre)
5) 56 Yankees team card (beginning of team cards that would lead to marked checklists and rubber band marks from being in the front of the team sets)

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

Why is the 84 Donruss Mattingly considered one of the most significant post war cards ever ? I'm just want to understand that perspective. Sure it was super significant from 1984 - 1990.............. just like Dale Murphy was from 1978 - 1990 but not so much any more. Unfortunately both players washed out in their early 30's. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

I can offer what I hope will be a helpful answer to this. To many who avidly collected or came of collecting age in that era, the 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly card was a very hot and desired card. The price it commands in high grade today is a testament to the nostalgic value it holds for a good number of collectors-- of which I am one. In fact it was the very first card I sought out when returning to the hobby. (The first would be a 52 Topps Mantle, and second the Donnie, but the latter was way more affordable.)

I was more of a Doc and Darryl fan growing up, though as I got older I began to appreciate Mattingly's work ethic, and the reasons he was so respected by his peers. But the appeal of the card has much more to do with its status in the hobby at its height, than even the player's performance. Though he was arguably the best hitter in baseball for the four seasons of 84, 85, 86, 87-- and in the biggest media market.

Taking Murphy as a useful touchstone, he was scorching hot for a shorter period, and also his offensive game was not as complete as Mattingly's, he played in a smaller market, and his card was not "the" key card of a very popular set. So to many, that card will always be fondly remembered. Add to that how the set represented, to many, the advent of a premium card offering that excited a new generation of collectors, and the Donnie Baseball card being "the" star card of the set, and it becomes easy to see how it was so significant for several years.

That significance doesn't wane to collectors for whom cards are a trip back to those very times.

[gnpaden]

Here are my top 5:
1955 Clemente
1986 Jordan
1989 Griffey
1958 Maris
1955 Koufax

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by rsdill2

Topps is by far the most sought after postwar card so I'd have to go with all Topps cards.
.

What about the period before the mainstream Topps cards were issued? You are ruling out all the sets prior to '52 ('52 Topps being their first main stream set).

Z Wheat

[brewing]

Here's my top 5

54 Aaron
49Leaf Paige
49Leaf Robinson
49Leaf Newhouser
68 Ryan

I detest the Leaf's because they are ugly and expensive. Expensive can mean "sought after" in this case.

[Rich Klein]

Here's a couple of cards that got National Pub

1989 Fleer Billy Ripken "Rick Face"

2007 Topps Derke Jeter with Mantle/Bush

[rsdill2]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

Why is the 84 Donruss Mattingly considered one of the most significant post war cards ever ? I'm just want to understand that perspective. Sure it was super significant from 1984 - 1990.............. just like Dale Murphy was from 1978 - 1990 but not so much any more. Unfortunately both players washed out in their early 30's. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

The '84D Mattingly has certainly loss lots of its desirability but I think it is still very significant to the hobby. It established Donruss (and, indirectly, Fleer) as a viable competitor to Topps' monopoly which led to the explosion in the late 80s early 90s. It also didn't create, but certainly was one of the biggest influences on the explosion of the rookie card craze.

Originally Posted by Zach Wheat

What about the period before the mainstream Topps cards were issued? You are ruling out all the sets prior to '52 ('52 Topps being their first main stream set).

Z Wheat

True. Quite frankly I know very little of cards issued between '45-'51 other than the '48-'49 Leaf set; however, I don't think any cards issued then are more desirable than the ones I listed.

[begsu1013]

for the record and count:

the 84d mattingly and the 89 ripken have had a few mentions.

to my generation, these cards were huge. while I don't really collect much stuff from '85 and on anymore, here's my ripken and would never let her go:

[MattyC]

I think part of what makes collecting and viewing others' collections so fun is seeing what holds significance to each collector.

I mean, I have a Ruth Rookie but also hold these cards incredibly dear, and love looking at them every day multiple times. These images are what keep me from ever needing Xanax.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by rsdill2

True. Quite frankly I know very little of cards issued between '45-'51 other than the '48-'49 Leaf set; however, I don't think any cards issued then are more desirable than the ones I listed.

The 51 Bowman Mantle definitely would be more desirable. One could argue the 48 Bowman Musial or 49 Bowman Jackie Robinson also belong on the list.

[Shoebox]

It hasnt been mentioned but for my personal collection the #1 post war card on my wish I could buy one list is the Josh Gibson Toleteros.

[begsu1013]

I think part of what makes collecting and viewing others' collections so fun is seeing what holds significance to each collector.

I mean, I have a Ruth Rookie but also hold these cards incredibly dear, and love looking at them every day multiple times. These images are what keep me from ever needing Xanax.








ol gregg jeffries! man was he hot in the day. that just brought me back. and that sports flics is the tartabull/canseco card, right? was a huge canseco fan as well and even that 86 donruss card could make a strong argument as a post war run. far down on the list, for sure, but that one was a big one for a while!

[jasonc]

Top 5:

1954 Aaron
1955 Clemente
1963 Rose
1968 Ryan
1953 Mantle

[parkerj33]

top 5:

1. 54 aaron
2. 55 koufax
3. 52 mays
4. 55 clemente
5. 67 seaver - tough tough hi # short print.

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

........I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

Good point Russ on the significance of the set.

[rats60]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

. I guess the 84 Donruss set was kind of like the 89 Upperdeck set in that it raised the bar on card quality throughout the hobby but that seems more like a the significance of a set vs. the significant of 1 card.

How did 84 Donruss raise the bar on card quality? Early Donruss and Fleer cards were of very poor quality compared to Topps. They were a thinner, flimsy card stock. That is why I bought very little of those sets. They were just cheap looking cards.

Donruss cut production in 84 at a time when the hobby was exploding. It was a perceived scarcity of 84 Donruss and 84 Fleer Update that created demand for their products, not putting out a better quality product.

[brewing]

I see all the love for the 52 Topps Mays. I don't get it. Isn't his 51 Bowman or 1953 Topps more significant?