I’m almost ashamed to 
call myself a Red Sox fan sometimes. All these years I’ve been collecting cards I’ve gone above and beyond to obtain certain cards for my collection, yet when it comes down to it, they rarely feature players from Boston. Why? Because aside from Ted Williams, most of these players are over looked in this hobby, so I feel like I can always find a good deal. Carl Yastrzemski’s rookie card is a prime example. Continue reading
Archive for Random Rookie Recap
Random Rookie Recap: 1960 Topps Carl Yastrzemski
Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags baseball, baseball cards, Boston Red Sox, Carl Yastrzemski, Random Rookie Recap, rookie card, Topps, Triple Crown on March 15, 2009 by Cardboard IconsRandom Rookie Recap: 1983 Fleer Ron Kittle
Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags baseball, baseball cards, Cardboard Icons, Chicago White Sox, Fleer, Random Rookie Recap, Ron Kittle, rookie card, rookie of the year on March 6, 2009 by Cardboard Icons
Every once in a while a card comes along and makes me think. Sometimes the card is new and shiny and showing me how far baseball cards have come. Other times the card is old and dingy, reminding me of what used to be, both in the hobby and sport. The latter was the case Thursday when I uncovered this Ron Kittle rookie card in a box purchased at a thrift store. Truth be told, I’ve got a new Thrift Treasures post in the works regarding two boxes of cards (about 1,500 total) I got for a mere $9. But perhaps one of the most intriguing cards in the boxes was this 1983 Fleer Kittle rookie. Continue reading
Random Rookie Recap: 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan / Jerry Koosman
Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags baseball, baseball cards, Cardboard Icons, Hall of fame, Jerry Koosman, New York Mets, Nolan Ryan, Random Rookie Recap, rookie card, World Series on February 18, 2009 by Cardboard IconsI know what you’re thinking: “Why on earth did he actually put Jerry Koosman’s name in the title. No one calls that card the Ryan/Koosman rookie.” Well, fact is Koosman wasn’t exactly John Hilton. Got me?
Whether you call this card the Ryan rookie or something 
else, the undeniable fact is that this is one of the greatest cards of the last two decades. No other card during the early 1990s grabbed hobby headlines like the Ryan/Koosman; at its height in popularity, this card held a $1,500 book value. At present, price guides list it at $500.
Upper Deck made splashes with the 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. release, Kevin Maas and his rookies had their 15 seconds of fame. But pound for pound, the Ryan (and Koosman) rookie is an iconic card, one that still captivates men who stopped collecting many years ago. Continue reading
Random Rookie Recap: 1975 Topps George Brett
Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags baseball, baseball cards, Brett Favre, Cardboard Icons, George Brett, Hall of fame, Random Rookie Recap, rookie cards, Topps, vintage baseball cards on February 17, 2009 by Cardboard Icons
Don’t ask. I wish I could tell you what happened to this card, but I can’t — it was like this when I obtained it a few weeks ago for about $5. This is the definition of a filler, a card in such a condition that its sole purpose is a place holder in a collection to be upgraded at some point in the future.
I’ve got some big name rookies in my collection, but one that always eluded me for some reason was Brett. Maybe it’s because he’s got a huge following and it’s tough to find a bargain on his rookie. Maybe it’s because I’m too cheap to spend $20-30 on a decent-looking copy; the cards book at $80. Nonetheless, I decided to pounce on this nasty copy; I figured at least I could have one in my collection until I had a change of heart. Continue reading
Random Rookie Recap: 1987 Donruss David Cone
Posted in Random Rookie Recap with tags 1987 Donruss, baseball cards, Cardboard Icons, Cy Young Award, David Cone, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Random Rookie Recap, rookie cards, World Series on February 16, 2009 by Cardboard Icons
This is part 20 of an ongoing series. To see the rest of this series, click here.
When I said “random,” I meant it. For this first “Triple R” post, I reached into one of my four rookie boxes and pulled out this mint condition 1987 Donruss David Cone card.
This Donruss series was always a hit with me. It is filled with rookie (or rookie year) cards of several stars from the late 1980s and 1990s. And the design I felt always made these cards seem better than they really were. The black borders immediately rewarded collectors who took care of their cards. And aside from the Mark McGwire “Rated Rookie” in this set, this David Cone was always a standout to me. Continue reading
cardboardicons.com 