What is a rookie card? That has become an age-old question in the hobby that has become highly subjective with an ever-changing definition over the past few decades.

During the hobby’s vintage era, which is classified as when Topps monopolized the industry prior to the 1980s, the definition of a rookie card was cut and dry. A player’s rookie card was their first card. Collectors can easily point to rookie cards of all-time greats like Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Nolan Ryan, and Tom Seaver.

The 1980s brought collectors more options as a federal court ordered the end of Topps’ monopoly on the hobby, thus ushering in the introduction of card brands like Donruss and Fleer in the early part of the decade and Score and Upper Deck towards the end of the decade.

Topps quickly began taking steps to retake the industry by taking the idea of their Topps Traded set to another level. First released in 1974, Topps began experimenting by releasing a 44-card traded set randomly inserted in packs toward the end of their production run. They did it again in 1976 but shelved the venture. With Donruss and Fleer entering the fray in 1981, Topps turned its Topps Traded set into a 132-card set printed on a different stock than their flagship set and released the product directly to hobby shops as factory sets only.

Fleer eventually followed suit, by releasing their version of the traded set as Fleer Update in 1984. Both sets included cards of players that changed teams prior to and during the season, along with rookie cards of the hottest new stars in the game. This action led to the creation of the confounding XRC, or extended rookie card.

XRC was a classification given to rookie cards that appeared in sets like Topps Traded and Fleer Update. Mets legends Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are notable examples of players with famed XRCs, released respectively in 1983 and 1984. As with all players with an XRC, cards of Strawberry and Gooden released in the flagship sets the following year kept the classification of rookie cards because Topps Traded and Fleer Update sets were not cards that collectors could pull out of a pack.

The creation of the XRC and the decision to allow a rookie card classification to carry over to the following season for players with XRC created confusion throughout the industry.

Then came 1988 when the Score brand debuted and included the rookie card of the game’s most widely known top minor league prospect, Gregg Jefferies. Donruss followed suit by including Jefferies in their 1988 release despite Jefferies not yet appearing in a major league game. The XRC designation was retired after the release of the 1988 baseball cards products, but the XRC designation stayed in use for cards that previously had that designation.

The 1989 baseball card release continued the new trend of including top minor league prospects in their flagship releases with Ken Griffey Jr. given the distinction of being card number one in Upper Deck’s debut set. Topps joined the party when they decided to resurrect the Bowman name by including Griffey Jr. in their new Bowman product, along with rookie cards of players that had yet to play a major league game, like Robin Ventura, Rico Brogna, and 1989 Nationa League Rookie of the Year Jerome Walton. This trend continued into the 1990s as Topps and Score began including cards of the previous year’s first-round draft picks. Then Topps changed everything in 1992 with the release of their Bowman product.

The 1992 Bowman release changed the landscape of the industry by devoting roughly half of the cards to rookie cards of top minor league prospects and draft picks, some of which never appeared in a major league game. Adopting the moniker “The Home of the Rookie Card”, 1992 Bowman included rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Mike Piazza, Mariano Rivera, Pedro Martinez, and Trevor Hoffman, future superstar Manny Ramirez, all-stars Troy Percival and Garret Anderson, and industry darlings like Jeffrey Hammonds, Michael Tucker, Brien Taylor, and Frank Rodriguez. The set also included rookie cards of former Mets such as Carlos Delgado, Alex Ochoa, Damon Buford, Butch Huskey, Mike Hampton, Cliff Floyd, Turk Wendell, Jerry DiPoto, Pat Mahomes, and many more.

The trend of including rookie cards of minor leaguers continued for more than a decade when the MLBPA intervened in 2006. For decades, Topps and the MLBPA had a long agreed-upon licensing agreement that allowed Topps to print baseball cards of members of the MLBPA, and the MLBPA received compensation from the licensing agreement. The issue, as the MLBPA saw it, was that Topps was not restricted by the agreement from signing contracts with hundreds of minor leaguers every year with the intention of including them in major league licensed baseball card releases. In some instances, there would be a two or more season gap from when a player would have their rookie card appear in a baseball card product before they even made the major league debut, but a more frequent occurrence, these minor leaguers would retire without playing one major league game.

There are hundreds of examples of these occurrences, such as David Wright. Wright’s rookie card was included in Upper Deck’s 2001 Prospect Premieres release, yet the Captain didn’t make his major league debut until 2004. Chris Roberts, who along with Preston Wilson, was drafted in the first round of the 1992 Amateur Draft out of Florida State was included in several baseball card products from 1993 to 1995, yet never made it past AAA.

With the buy in of Topps and Upper Deck, the MLBPA created a rule in 2006 that stipulated a player’s rookie card could not be included in a major league licensed product until after a player’s major league debut. This created a problem for players that had already appeared on cards prior to the rule taking effect with the MLBPA incorrectly assuming collectors would ignore rookie cards printed prior to the new rule taking effect for 2007 baseball card releases. They were wrong.

Despite the new rule, Topps continued to release products with cards of minor leaguers, which led to yet another rule that made nearly all Bowman products hit the market minor league sets. That made popular hobby products such as Bowman Prospects, Bowman Chrome Prospects, and Bowman Draft all minor league products and none of the card included in those sets would be classified as rookie cards. Taking it a step further, cards included in insert sets or parallel sets would also not be classified as rookie cards.

So, for collectors in today’s hobby, what is a rookie card? Let’s take a look at the baseball cards of current Mets centerfielder Brandon Nimmo. Drafted in 2011, Nimmo’s first appearance was in 2011 Bowman Draft.

The card on the left is Nimmo’s Bowman Draft base card. The card in the middle is Bowman Draft Chrome, and the card on the right is the gold parallel of his Bowman Draft base card. Conventional wisdom would consider these cards to be Nimmo’s rookie cards since they are his first appearances on a baseball card. Based on the rule from the MLBPA, the Bowman Draft release, along with the Bowman Draft Chrome release, are considered minor league products. The Gold parallel of the Bowman Draft base card would not be considered a rookie card simply because it is a parallel of the Bowman Draft base set. Either way, these aren’t rookie cards.

Just because these cards aren’t considered rookie cards does not mean they cannot have more value than Nimmo’s actual rookie card. In some instances, these cards of players included in Bowman Draft or Bowman Prospects releases may have similar value or more value than a player’s actual rookie card.

Next, Nimmo has several cards included in Topps Heritage Minor Leagues and Topps Pro Debut releases. Excluded from any baseball card products in 2012, Nimmo’s inclusion in 2013’s Topps Heritage Minor Leagues and Topps Pro Debut (top row, first and second from the left) were his only cards printed that year. Topps was sure to include Nimmo in both products from their 2014 (top row, third and fourth from left) and 2015 (bottom row, first and second from left), but was only included in the 2016 Topps Pro Debut (bottom row, far right). Like every card included in Topps Heritage Minor Leagues and Topps Pro Debut releases, players are featured in minor leaguer uniforms, so they’re not rookie cards.

Topps made the decision not to include Nimmo in any of its 2012 baseball card products, and why would they? Scouts panned the Mets selection of Nimmo as being a reach since his home state of Wyoming did not have high school baseball. Most scouts disagreed with then-general manager Sandy Alderson’s assessment that Nimmo would hit for average and develop enough speed and power to become an everyday centerfielder. Not to mention, commenters on MMO all swore Nimmo would be a bust.

With the exception of their Topps Heritage Minor Leagues and Topps Pro Debut 2013 releases, Nimmo was not included in any baseball card products until 2014 when he appeared in Bowman Prospects, Bowman Chrome Prospects, and Bowman Platinum Prospects. Nimmo didn’t fare much better in 2015 as he was only included in the Bowman Chrome Prospects and Bowman’s Best Top Prospects sets.

It wasn’t until 2016 when Brandon Nimmo made his major league debut and finally after five years had a rookie card: 2016 Topps Update card number US74. Nimmo appeared on two other cards in 2016, Bowman Scouts 100 and Bowman Chrome Turn Two with Amed Rosario, neither of which would be considered a rookie card since they are from insert sets, so it leaves Nimmo’s 2016 Topps Update card as his only official rookie card.

It’s not often in today’s hobby that a player, let alone a player that has turned into the type of player that Nimmo is, has only one rookie card. Yet Nimmo has managed to not only accomplish that feat, Nimmo managed to do so with card that captured a special moment in his career. Look closely at the picture of Nimmo.

When I purchased this card, I knew exactly when the picture was taken because I watched the game this picture was from: July 1, 2016 at Citi Field against the Cubs. Facing Jason Hammel in the bottom of the fourth with runners on second and third, Nimmo crushed a 1-0 pitch over the right-centerfield fence for his first career home run. Nimmo sprinted the bases as Gary Cohen proclaimed, “Nimmo hits one to Wyoming.” After returning to the dugout, the crowd at Citi Field asked for and received a curtain call from Nimmo. And that is when this picture was taken. Nimmo standing on the dugout steps at Citi Field, pumping his fist in the air and grinning ear to ear after getting a curtain call for his first major league home run.

Now that picture is forever memorialized on his only rookie card, the 2016 Topps Update card number US74.

The post The Confounding Definition of a Rookie Card appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

“DAR-RYL! DAR-RYL!”

Every Mets fan that had the privilege of watching Darryl Strawberry don the Orange and Blue knows that chant. They remember that chant. They’ve participated in that chant.

Whether it was on their couch, their backyard at a summer barbeque, a block party, or in the car.  In a bar in any of the five boroughs, or in the Tri-State area. In the Mezzaine at Shea, or on the road at Veterans Stadium, or Three Rivers, or the bleachers at Wrigley.

Whether it was the looping lefthanded swing that launched a ball to Manhattan, the slow home run trot or the one-handed catches, the chant of “DAR-RYL! DAR-RYL!” reasonates in the memories of every Mets fan in the 1980s. My earliest memory of that chant, came from an unlikely source.

The legendary Vin Scully.

It was the 1986 World Series and Vin Scully did what he always did, describing every aspect of the game to the viewers at home. I had just started kindergarten the month before and Scully began sharing with the viewers what all of the Mets-faithful were chanting that magical night at Shea.

Strawberry didn’t just provide memories to Mets fans, but he also brought memories to collectors throughout the baseball card industry with his iconic rookie cards that every collector wanted in there collection.

Much like another superstar from Queens in the 1980s, Darryl’s first rookie card was an an extended rookie card that appeared in the 1983 Topps Traded release. The 1983 Topps set is one of the most quintessential Topps releases of the decade as it featured rookie cards of future Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Ryne Sandberg, and Wade Boggs, but the Topps Traded set would have fallen flat had it not been for Strawberry’s inclusion in the release.

A card design that I originally wasn’t a fan of until it was released as an insert set for Topps 2018 to celebrate the product’s 35^th anniversay, Topps used a design that included a head shot in either the bottom left or right corner of the card with the player’s name opposite in red over white, their position, and then their team name in white over blue.

In the mid to late 80s, this was one of the most expensive modern baseball card’s on the market with an asking price starting north of $70. In the early year’s of the Topps Traded release, Topps only released the product as a set and not in packs. So, in order to get your hands on this Strawberry rookie card, collectors were forced to purchase the full set that aside from Strawberry included rookies cards of 1983 American League Rookie of the Year Ron Kittle, Julio Franco, Tony Phillips, and Alejandro Pena.

Those collectors that made those purchases ended up losing out on their investment as Strawberry’s off-field issues tanked his card values. When I started getting back into collecting, this card was at the top of my list and I was able to add it to my collection for under $15. With card values rising over the past few years, this card has been steadily climbing upward in value and unless you get lucky in an eBay auction, you would be hard pressed to find this card ungraded for under $35.

With the release of the three 1984 baseball card products, collectors found themselves with more options to track down a rookie card of the budding superstar. First, came his 1984 Donruss rookie card.

Strawberry’s youth was fully on display in this card as the picture on this card was an up close shot of him in his blue batting practice jersey. Defintiely one of Donruss’ best card designs with a minimalistic design on the front was followed up with an awful shade of green on the back of the card.

The 1984 Donruss set was its first release to include their famous subset, the Rated Rookies. Although Strawberry’s card was not inculded in the Rated Rookie subset, his teammate Ron Darling was. The Rated Rookie subset also included rookie cards for future Mets Tony Fernandez (Blue Jays), Kevin McReynolds (Padres), Dick Schofield (Angels), Tim Teufel (Twins), and Sid Fernandez (Dodgers). All of the 1984 products were packed full of rookie cards, but it was Strawberry and a first basemen from the Bronx that collectors were most interested.

If you are looking to add Strawberry’s 1984 Donruss rookie card to your collection, you can easily find this card ungraded for under $15.00.

What seems like a forgotten card, Strawberry’s 1984 Fleer rookie card is underrated. Fleer quite yet released a product that attracted collectors, but that would change when they released their first update set after the 1984 season. Using a simple, yet different design throughout Fleer’s first decade in the industry, the 1984 design uses a blue stripe on the top and bottom of the player picture with thres of the card’s design in white.

The picture of Strawberry featured on the card displays an even more youthful appearance than his Donruss rookie card as he is pictured on one knee with his left arm resting over his bat. This product, much like every product released in 1984 were buoyed by the inclusion of Strawberry, along with Don Mattingly. The success of Fleer’s update release brought belated attention to this set, and rightfully so, as it is a highly underrated release with mostly posed photos of the players included in the set.

Of all of Strawberry’s rookie cards from 1984, his Fleer rookie is one of the most affordable. If you are looking to add this card to your collection, it can be yours ungraded for under $10.

Arguably the most recognizable of Darryl Strawberry’s 1984 rookie cards, his Topps rookie card is also one of my personal favorites in my collection. Unlike his Donruss and Fleer rookie cards, Strawberry’s Topps rookie card features an action photo of him following thru on his swing in the Mets pinstriped home uniforms. The orange and blue racing stripes make the slender young rookie appear ten feet tall and not six and half feet.

One of the the most popular baseball cards in the hobby in the the mid to late 1980’s, Starwberry’s 1984 Topps card was a card every kid wanted and could have been there’s for $20.00-$25.00. Topps has reprinted this card several times over the past two decades, including receiving a slight redesign in 2014 for an insert set called Future Stars That Never Were.

Then he left New York and his off the field issues increased significantly, his on-field production fell, and the value of his rookie cards dropped. Much like other cardboard treasures from the 1980’s, Strawberry’s 1984 Topps card has been seeing an uptick in value, moreso when the card is has been professionally graded. Ungraded, this card can be yours for under $10.00.

Despite how much Strawberry’s rookie cards may have dropped in value or the slow increase from the past few years, his rookie cards are among some of the most iconic of the 1980’s and they are definitely cards that any Mets would want in their collection.

The post Shoebox Memories: DAR-RYL! DAR-RYL! appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Screenshot via Mets YouTube

Last week, I finally had the opportunity to watch the new HBOMax documentary “Say Hey, Willie Mays.” I can count on one hand the number of baseball players from before I was born whose highlights I would look forward to watching. I would gladly watch highlights of Willie Mays any day of the week.

I was in awe watching a now 91-year-old living legend speaking about his career. Arguably the greatest baseball player that ever lived, Mays returned to New York when he was well past his prime, but for a small moment in time, the Say Hey Kid wore the Orange and Blue.

Adding a baseball card to your collection of Willie Mays in a Mets uniform from his playing days leaves collectors with few options. Topps left Mays out of their 1974 release, but he was pictured on card number 473 for Game 2 of the 1973 World Series, which the Mets won 10-7 over the A’s. The 1973 Topps set starts off with an All-Time Home Run Leaders card featuring the then Home Run King Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Mays.

That leaves collectors with just one option for a solo Mays card in a Mets uniform: card number 305 from 1973 Topps.

One of the vintage cards that has been in my personal collection the longest, a 1973 Topps Willie Mays is a difficult card to find in mint condition. So, when I found one with a slightly dinged corner, I jumped on it.

Naturally, the detail in the player pictures on vintage cards lacks the detail that can be seen in the photography used even ten years later, but it’s blatantly obvious that the years had caught up to Willie as he prepared to play his final season while turning 42 years old. The lines on his face bely that of a ballplayer that has seen feats of triumph in summer’s past in the city that never sleeps and then the city by the bay.

The 1973 Topps Mets team set is an outstanding one. McGraw, Matlack, Grote, Koosman, Harrelson, Yogi, Kranepool, Cleon, Garrett, Seaver, and Willie. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Adding Mays’ 1973 Topps card is going to cost some money. The better the condition, the higher the cost. A Willie Mays card is a must-have for every collector. Of course, the amount of money you would have to spend really depends on how much wear and tear you can live with on a card. This card is listed as low as $18 on COMC and listings on eBay start slightly higher. However, you may be able to get lucky and pay less on an auction. Either way, it all comes back to what is the condition of the card and what price are you willing to pay for a card that is well below mint condition.

This year is the 50th anniversary of Willie Mays’ first and last player card as a New York Met, and it is a card that has stood the test of time. Now that Mets owner Steve Cohen has fulfilled former owner Joan Payson’s decades-old promise to retire the Say Hey Kid’s number 24, this card added significance for any Mets collector.

The post Shoebox Memories: The Say Hey Kid’s 1973 Topps Baseball Card appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Topps has been burning a hole in the wallets of collectors throughout the hobby since the beginning of October with so many new releases, and they didn’t let the holidays stop them. In the weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the hobby saw the releases of Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum, and Bowman Draft.

2022 Topps Heritage Minors (L-R) Brett Baty, Francisco Alvarez, Alex Ramirez.

Topps Heritage Minors is what it sounds like…a minor league version of Topps Heritage. Released using the same 1973 Topps card design, Topps Heritage Minors is a 220-card that includes Prospect Stars at each position and League Leaders. The final 20 cards in the set are short prints and the base set also comes with five different serial numbered parallels for the first 200 cards in the set, image variations, and autographs.

Topps chose the basic Mets top prospects to include in the base set and there are no Mets short prints or autographs. The lack of signed cards from any of the Mets prospects included in the set seems a bit shortsighted. I was able to track down some reasonable listings on eBay to piece together the team set, but it took some time.

2022 Bowman Platinum (L-R) Francisco Lindor, Max Scherzer, Calvin Ziegler.

The Bowman Platinum release seems to be released quietly every year. It’s a simple 100-card set of veterans and rookies plus another 100-card Top Prospects set. Bowman Platinum is much different from every other Bowman release as it super imposes the player over a futuristic background. I’ve been able to find reasonable listings for all of the base set cards and the Top Prospects on eBay.

Included in the Bowman Platinum release is Topps’ continued infatuation of have a dozen different parallel sets, autographs, memorabilia cards, and several insert sets. Collectors will be extremely thrilled with the high volume of autographs included in the Bowman Platinum from their top prospects and other current and former stars.

Released just days before Christmas, Bowman Draft is always one of the hobby’s most sought after products on the release calendar. Bowman Draft is usually one of, it not the final product released by Topps every year due to Topps representatives running around the country trying to obtain signed contracts from the top players drafted in the June draft. Bowman Draft is not just recent draft picks, though. It also includes some of the game’s top prospects.

2022 Bowman Draft (L-R) Kevin Parada, Simon Juan, Jett Williams.

For 2022 Bowman Draft, they really outdid themselves as there are several autographed cards included in the set from Mets first round draft picks Kevin Parada and Jett Williams. Nevermind the fact that there are over a dozen different serial numbered parallels for Bowman Draft and the Chrome parallel. This set gives collectors and Mets fans alike the chance to get the first cards for both Parada and Williams.

Of course, with every release there is a downside. Parada and Williams are the only Mets draft picks to be found in the Bowman Draft base set and Simon Juan is the only Mets prospect, too. I would have loved to have seen someone like Mike Vasil make his cardboard debut, or possibly the inclusion of Alex Ramirez. I feel this was a huge missed opportunity. Finding a reasonable price for cards of Parada and Williams has proved challenging.

Below you will find a full checklist of the Mets cards included in Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum, and Bowman Draft.

2022 Topps Heritage Minors

Base
5 Mark Vientos – Syracuse Mets
16 Brett Baty – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
72 Francisco Alvarez – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
76 Alex Ramirez – St. Lucie Mets
115 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
184 Brett Baty – Prospect Stars – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
187 Francisco Alvarez – Prospect Stars – Brooklyn Cyclones

2022 Bowman Platinum
Base
9 Francisco Lindor
32 Max Scherzer
42 Jacob deGrom
56 Starling Marte
63 Tylor Megill (rookie card)
65 Pete Alonso
72 Nick Plummer (rookie card)

Top Prospects
TOP-65 Calvin Ziegler
TOP-74 Jaylen Palmer

Minted in Merit
MM-2 Brett Baty
MM-11 Ronny Mauricio
MM-12 Francisco Alvarez

Minted in Merit Autographs
MM-2 Brett Baty
MM-11 Ronny Mauricio
MM-12 Francisco Alvarez

Platinum Pairings Patch Relics
PLPP-AB Brett Baty/Francisco Alvarez
PLPP-CD Jacob deGrom/Gerrit Cole

Platinum Pairings Patch Relics Autographs
Gerrit Cole/Jacob deGrom
Francisco Alvarez/Brett Baty

Platinum Patches
PLP-BB Brett Baty
PLP-PA Pete Alonso

Platinum Patches Autographs
Brett Baty
Pete Alonso

Platinum Pieces Autograph Relics
PPAR-BB Brett Baty
PPAR-FA Francisco Alvarez

Platinum Plating Die-Cuts
PPDC-8 Pete Alonso

Platinum Plating Die-Cuts Autographs
PPDC-8 Pete Alonso

Precious Elements
PE-20 Francisco Alvarez

Precious Elements Autographs
PE-20 Francisco Alvarez

Top Prospects Autographs
TOP-65 Calvin Ziegler
TOP-74 Jaylen Palmer

2022 Bowman Draft
Bowman Base
BD-47 Kevin Parada
BD-52 Simon Juan
BD-190 Jett Williams

Bowman Chrome
BDC-47 Kevin Parada
BDC-52 Simon Juan
BDC-190 Jett Williams

Bowman Draft Night
BDN-4 Kevin Parada

Bowman Draft Night Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Kevin Parada

Bowman Invicta
BI-9 Kevin Parada
BI-12 Jett Williams

Bowman Invicta Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Jett Williams

Chrome Prospect Autographs
CDA-DS D’Andre Smith

Chrome Prospect Autographs
CDA-JWS Jett Williams
CDA-KP Kevin Parada
CDA-TST Tyler Stuart

Class of 2022 Autographs (serial numbered to 250)
C22A-JW Jett Williams
C22A-KP Kevin Parada

Franchise Futures Dual Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
FFDA-PW Kevin Parada/Jett Williams

Heir Apparent
HA-9 Kevin Parada
HA-12 Jett Williams

Heir Apparent Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
Jett Williams
Kevin Parada

Image Variations
BD-47 Kevin Parada

Image Variations Autographs (serial numbered to 99)
BD-47 Kevin Parada

Mood Ring
MR-6 Jett Williams
MR-9 Kevin Parada

Mood Ring Red Autographs (serial numbered to 5)
Jett Williams
Kevin Parada

Positioned for Excellence Autographs (serial numbered to 10)
PEA-HJLNWY Jett Williams/Cole Young/Zach Neto/Termarr Johnson/Brooks Lee/Jackson Holliday

The post Now Available: 2022 Bowman Draft, Topps Heritage Minors, Bowman Platinum appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Every collector has at some point seen a card that they wanted, couldn’t afford, and thought to themselves, “I’m going to own that card someday.”

I began collecting cards when I was five years old. It was 1986 and the middle of the junk wax era. Baseball cards were being printed at a rate that every person on Earth could be given 400 new cards every year without getting one duplicate.

I stopped collecting cards in high school and figured I would never get back into the hobby, but there were a few things that led me back to the hobby nearly a decade ago.

One of those things was a specific baseball card I had dreamed of owning since the first time I saw it. The problem was the card was selling for $70.00. Had I saved the requisite $70.00 that the card was being sold for at Pinch Hit Cards in North Jersey, I can almost guarantee my parents would not have allowed me to buy it. I would have hated my parents for stopping me, but they would have been right. I don’t recall the exact order of events, but it led me to a Google search that took me to eBay where I found that $70.00 baseball card I had long admired a few decades earlier.

And it cost $7.00.

I was baffled. Confused. Gobsmacked…or, maybe I wasn’t.

I hadn’t heard of the term junk wax era yet. I didn’t know that all those cards I had purchased in the 1980s and 1990s weren’t worth the cardboard they were printed on. Considering brick-and-mortar card shops had disappeared, maybe it wasn’t so surprising that the value had plummeted. Without another moment’s hesitation, I quickly paid the $7.00 for the baseball card that once was selling for $70.00 that I had dreamed of owning….

A 1984 Topps Traded Dwight Gooden Extended Rookie Card.

It’s an absolute beauty, in my mind. A white border with the back Topps logo in the top right of the card above the player picture, the team name is written vertically in blue along the left side of the card above a headshot of Gooden in his blue batting practice Mets pullover jersey with his name and position to the right of his picture.

Topps Traded cards in the 1980s were printed on a different type of cardboard stock than the base sets so that you could feel the difference in the cards. As if that wasn’t enough, the design on the back of the card, although the same as the base set, had brighter, sharper coloring and the card number ended with a letter “T”. Gooden’s youth, all of nineteen years at the time of his Major League debut, was evident as he stood on the Shea Stadium mound in the home pinstripe uniform with the orange and blue racing stripes and long sleeve blue shirt under his pullover jersey.

This card was one of the most sought-after baseball cards in the hobby in the 1980’s. Despite its precipitous decline in value, this card has been reprinted half a dozen times since its 1984 release, most recently in 2019. When the card was delivered, I stared at it for hours. I had finally become the owner of the baseball card I had always dreamed of owning. And then, a thought popped in my head. What about other cards I had dreamed of owning? I eventually started looking around and purchased about a dozen cards of Mets rookies and prospects from COMC and then began purchasing more cards. I already had the 1984 Topps Traded Gooden, so why not buy his other rookie cards? First came his 1985 Fleer rookie card.

A gray border around another orange border surrounding the player picture with the Mets logo in the top left with his name and position to the right of the team logo. Gooden appears in a posed position with his hand in his glove. Fleer’s 1985 design, although simple and unimaginative, is one of my favorite designs that Fleer had every used. I ended up buying the card again when I decided to purchase the Mets 1985 Fleer team set. Next came his 1985 Topps rookie card.

Easily the most recognizable of Gooden’s 1985 rookie cards, I purchased the card when I bought the 1985 Topps team set. A white border with the team name in an orange rectangle next to the team logo, with Gooden’s name and position below the logo.

Gooden is again in a posed position in the Mets blue batting practice jersey staring into the distance. This design was reused for an insert set in the 2020 Topps Baseball set to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of 1985 Topps. Although the 1985 Topps set is one of my least favorite card designs from Topps Baseball in the 1980s, I’ve come to like the design a bit more. Last, Gooden’s 1985 Donruss rookie card.

Usually an afterthought, Gooden’s 1985 Donruss rookie card again features Gooden in a posed picture in the Mets blue batting practice jersey. Collectors had to wait until the 1986 baseball card product releases to begin seeing Gooden in actual action on the mound.

The Donruss card design from 1985 was a bit boring with a black border with orange stripes near the bottom of the left and right sides of the card. Inside the black border was another white border with the player’s name and position at the bottom.

Like Gooden’s 1985 Topps rookie card, I purchased this card when buying the 1985 Donruss Mets team set.

Owning all of Dwight Gooden’s rookie cards, along with his 1984 Topps Traded card, was something I never thought would happen. It’s the 1984 Topps Traded card, though, that is most special to me. I remember being barely tall enough to look down on the card through the top of the glass display case. I remember so many of the other Mets cards that were kept in that display case.

Although I will probably never own the 1968 Topps Jerry Koosman–Nolan Ryan rookie card that sit near the Gooden 1984 Topps Traded card, I’ve managed to track down and purchase nearly every other Mets card in that case. Since purchasing Dwight Gooden’s 1984 Topps Traded Extended Rookie Card, the baseball card industry has changed significantly.

The global pandemic led many people to find their way back to the hobby. For some, this time became an introduction to the hobby. Card prices rose significantly and new card sales exceeded expectations as so many people found themselves with a bit more disposable income since they had begun working from home. The increase in card values saw some cards from the junk wax era suddenly start to rise in value again. Gooden’s 1984 Topps Traded card was one of them. Card values have mostly stabilized since the beginning of the pandemic.

I’ve seen Gooden’s 1984 Topps Traded card for as low as $19.00 and as high as $85.00. There are plenty of listings for the cards on COMC or eBay and it can be had at a reasonable price. I’ve considered purchasing another, but think it may be better to focus on finding Gooden’s 1984 Fleer Update rookie card at a more reasonable price first. This was the card that led me back to the hobby and is by far my favorite card in my collection. It’s not the most expensive, but it’s the card that evokes the most memories. For me, that’s what it is about. The memory of hoping to add them to my collection and the joy of actually doing it.

The post Shoebox Memories: Dwight Gooden’s Sought After Rookies appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Mets fans have seen this picture of Keith Hernandez before. Sitting in front of locker while working on a crossword puzzle with his road jersey hanging to his left, Dwight Gooden’s jersey further to the left, and Darryl Strawberry’s jersey behind him. It makes you wonder why this picture was never used on a baseball card before.

Enter Topps Stadium Club.

First released back in 1991, Topps Stadium Club was Topps’ answer for hobby enthusiasts that craved a more premium product in response to the debut of Upper Deck in 1989. Historically a card released with a full card player picture with no border, Topps Stadium Club focused more on the photography by using action pictures and poses that seemed more at home on the pages of Sports Illustrated.

The strategy worked. Until it didn’t.

Topps Stadium Club was printed continuously through 2003. The product had long ago lost its luster having been overshadowed by more popular, better-looking products. Above all else, Topps Stadium Club begin moving away from focusing on the photography by featuring the same boring cookie cutter player pictures that other products had been using for years.

Topps Stadium Club reappeared suddenly for a one-year return engagement in 2008. Largely ignored, Topps Stadium Club was scrapped once again.

Six years later, Topps Stadium Club came back for good. Having now adapted to the whims of the hobby in a new decade, the product slowly began refocusing on the photography that made it a popular hobby product in the early 90’s. Mixing its player checklist of current major league stars with retired stars and fan favorites, Topps Stadium Club began digging through the archives of never-before-seen photos and popular photos of retired stars while featuring photos of today’s stars that were ignored in the past for use on baseball cards.

Enter 2022 Topps Stadium Club.

This product is far and away the best-looking product Topps has released in 2022. The action photos have a crispness that is not usually seen in other Topps products. How can someone not like this photo selected for Pete Alonso’s card.

Or staring down a young Dwight Gooden? The emotion of Francisco Lindor? Or getting an autograph from Darryl Strawberry?

Topps Stadium Club didn’t stop there. From stunning action photos of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tylor Megill on the mound, to an up close shot of Starling Marte flying around the bases, to Hall of Famer Mike Piazza shedding his mask, and the Captain David Wright rounding the bases after hitting a home run with the Apple in the background, Topps Stadium Club has continued building on its original purpose of a product that has focused on the photography involved in the game instead of cards with the best-looking border design.


The 2022 Topps Stadium Club release is packed full of Mets cards. Featuring Chrome parallels for various cards, image variations, autographs, and design variations that features the 1991 and 1992 designs, this product has a wide selection of Mets cards.

Below is a full checklist of Mets cards included in 2022 Topps Stadium Club.

Base
32 Dwight Gooden
41 Francisco Lindor
64 David Wright
90 Starling Marte
125 Jacob deGrom
139 Mike Piazza
164 Darryl Strawberry
216 Pete Alonso
220 Keith Hernandez
228 Max Scherzer
290 Tylor Megill (rookie card)

1991 Design Variation
41 Francisco Lindor
125 Jacob deGrom
216 Pete Alonso
228 Max Scherzer

1992 Design Variation
290 Tylor Megill

Base Autographs
SCBA-DG Dwight Gooden
SCBA-DST Darryl Strawberry
SCBA-DW David Wright
SCBA-KH Keith Hernandez
SCBA-MCA Mark Canha
SCBA-PA Pete Alonso
SCBA-PM Patrick Mazeika
SCBA-TM Tylor Megill

Beam Team
BT-7 Pete Alonso
BT-10 Jacob deGrom

Beam Team Autographs
BTA-PA Pete Alonso

Chrome
41 Francisco Lindor
64 David Wright
125 Jacob deGrom
139 Mike Piazza
164 Darryl Strawberry
216 Pete Alonso
228 Max Scherzer

Chrome Autographs
CA-64 David Wright
CA-125 Jacob deGrom
CA-139 Mike Piazza
CA-164 Darryl Strawberry
CA-216 Pete Alonso

Co-Signers
CSA-WA Pete Alonso/David Wright

Design Variations Autographs
DVA-PA Pete Alonso

Dynasty and Destiny
8A Francisco Lindor

Image Variations
41 Francisco Lindor
216 Pete Alonso
228 Max Scherzer

Lone Star Signatures
LSS-DW David Wright
LSS-PA Pete Alonso

Oversized Base Box Loaders
41 Francisco Lindor
125 Jacob deGrom
216 Pete Alonso
228 Max Scherzer

Oversized Base Box Loaders Autographs
OBA-PA Pete Alonso

Oversized Base Master Photo
41 Francisco Lindor
125 Jacob deGrom
216 Pete Alonso
228 Max Scherzer

Power Zone
PZ-10 Pete Alonso
PZ-24 Francisco Lindor

Power Zone Autographs
PZA-PA Pete Alonso

Team of the Future
TOF-4 Pete Alonso

Team of the Future Autographs
TOFA-PA Pete Alonso

Triumvirates
T-7 Jacob deGrom
T-8 Pete Alonso
T-9 Francisco Lindor

The post 2022 Topps Stadium Club Continues To Impress appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

Topps Heritage is back with its annual update set, Topps Heritage High Number. The High Number update features players that changed teams prior to and during the season in their new uniform, as well as some rookies that have made their major league debut.

Unlike the Topps Update Series, Topps Heritage High Number is a true continuation of the Topps Heritage set released earlier in the year. Topps Heritage. Printed using the same 1973 design, Topps Heritage High Number is a 225-card set numbered from 501 to 725, picking up where the 500-card Topps Heritage set left off. Topps has found a winning formula with the Topps Heritage and Topps Heritage High Number sets by utilizing vintage card designs and inserts that include retired legends. This is a product that collectors flock to and purchase year after year without thought.

As with every other Topps release, you will find relics and autographs randomly inserted and parallel versions in Black & White and Chrome for some cards in the set. Also included are cards from the original 1973 Topps set that include a buyback stamp on each card.

Numerous Mets cards can be found in this product, including one of the first Mets cards of Gosuke Katoh. Looking at some of the cards included in the base team set, Topps certainly made some odd decisions. Max Scherzer and Mark Canha, held back from the Topps Heritage release, were included in the High Number release. Strangely enough, the only trade deadline acquisition included is Daniel Vogelbach. Even stranger, was the inclusion of Eduardo Escobar. Escobar was included in the original Topps Heritage release as card number 254 and then again in High Number as card number 538. The oddities of Escobar’s inclusion doesn’t end there.

(L-R) 2022 Topps Heritage Eduardo Escobar, 2022 Topps Heritage High Number Eduardo Escobar.

No, those aren’t the same card and you are not seeing double. Topps used the exact same picture of Escobar on both cards…but that isn’t the only Mets player Topps did this with. Starling Marte got the same treatment. Makes you wonder how many players from other teams Topps did this with.

I’ve seen Topps use the same picture numerous times across different products, but nothing like this before. Although Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty, and Mark Vientos made their debuts too late in the season to have been included, Topps could have at least had a card of Adam Ottavino, Luis Guillorme, Adonis Medina, Tommy Hunter, Trevor Williams, or even trade deadline acquisitions like Darin, Ruf, Tyler Naquin, or Mychal Givens.

The duplicates Eduardo Escobar and Starling Marie were truly an error that Topps could have prevented.

Below you will find a full checklist of the Mets cards included in 2022 Topps Heritage High Number.

2022 Topps Heritage High Number Mark Canha and Daniel Vogelbach.

Base
538 Eduardo Escobar
624 Nick Plummer                                                                                                                                                                  
641 Max Scherzer
661 Gosuke Katoh (rookie card)
669 Mark Canha
671 Starling Marte
685 Carlos Carrasco
698 David Peterson
699 Daniel Vogelbach

1973 Baseball Pin-ups
73PU-29 Starling Marte
73PU-32 Tom Seaver
73PU-37 Max Scherzer
73PU-40 Francisco Lindor

1973 MLB All-Star Game Highlights
ASGH-9 Willie Mays
ASGH-15 Tom Seaver

1973 Topps Candy Lids
HN8 Max Scherzer
HN18 Tom Seaver

1973 Topps Comics
73TC-27 Max Scherzer
73TC-33 Francisco Lindor
73TC-42 Tom Seaver

1973 Topps Oversized
OB-MSZ Max Scherzer
OB-SM Starling Marte
OB-TS Tom Seaver

1973 Topps Venezuela
33 Max Scherzer
41 Pete Alonso

Action Image Variations
641 Max Scherzer

Black and White
641 Max Scherzer
669 Mark Canha
685 Carlos Carrasco
699 Daniel Vogelbach

Chrome
641 Max Scherzer
669 Mark Canha
685 Carlos Carrasco

Clubhouse Collection Dual Relics
CCD-ML Willie Mays/Francisco Lindor (numbered to 73)

Clubhouse Collection Relics
CCR-FL Francisco Lindor
CCR-MS Max Scherzer
CCR-SM Starling Marte

Mini (numbered to 100)
641 Max Scherzer
685 Carlos Carrasco

Nickname Variations
641 Max Scherzer

Now and The
NAT-8 Francisco Lindor

Player Icon Swap Variations
641 Max Scherzer

Real One Autographs
ROA-TM Tylor Megill

Team Name Color Swap Variations
641 Max Scherzer

The post Strange Lineups Plague 2022 Topps Heritage High Number Release appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

We all have Aunts down in Florida.  Okay, maybe not everyone, but I do.  And recently she sent some “vintage” mid-80s Mets cards up to me in NY from a neighbor who wanted to get rid of them after her spouse passed on.  In looking through them, I came across the 1986 Mets card shown below:

Several things about this card. Firstly 1986 is not “vintage”.  In 1986 I was in high school, had a full head of hair, and weighed about 150 pounds.  The Mets had a young Dwight Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, and Lenny Dykstra and would win their second World Series. Truly just a few short years ago.

Secondly, while I remember Tom Paciorek, I don’t remember him ever being a Met. Paciorek had come up to the Dodgers in 1970 as a corner outfielder and had become an All-Star with Seattle in 1981 when he was second in the American League with a .326 batting average.  In 1985 he was a 38-year old fourth outfielder, and back-up first baseman with the White Sox when the Mets acquired him for good glove but no-hit shortstop project Dave Cochrane, who was batting .223 in AA when traded on July 16. That was at the All-Star break in 1985 and the Mets were in second place, 2.5 games behind St. Louis.

It was a trade to shore up the bench as young outfielder John Christensen was hitting .190. Paciorek could also serve as a defensive placement for an aging George Foster in left, provide Strawberry a day off in right, spell Keith Hernandez at first or serve as a right-handed pitch hitter while Rusty Staub was the left-handed pitch hitter.

Paciorek did exactly that in 1985 with the Mets, hitting a solid .284 while playing 8 games at first, 29 in the outfield and pinch hitting 17 times as well.

The picture on the card is easy to determine where and when it was taken.  Shown in the home uniform and high-fiving after a home run, Paciorek only hit one home run for the Mets.  A check of BaseballReference.com shows that occurred on August 15, against the Phillies in the bottom of the first off of Jerry Koosman, who was pitching in his final year of baseball.  Wally Backman, who had walked, scored ahead of him, so that’s likely Wally on the left side of the card shown.

Alas, the 1985 Mets remained where they were at the All-Star break, as despite winning 98 games, the second-best record in the National League and the third-best in baseball, the Cardinals won 101 games, finishing 3 games ahead of the Mets. St. Louis won the pennant that year but fell to the Royals in the World Series.  At least the way Don Denkinger saw it.

After the season, with a young Kevin Mitchell on the way, Paciorek was released.  He signed with Texas and played two seasons with the Rangers, finishing his career with a .282/.325/.415 slash line, and at least one card showing his 1/2 season with the Mets so “vintage” fans can be prompted that Tom Paciorek was once a New York Met.

The post Shoebox Memories – 1986 Topps Tom Paciorek appeared first on Metsmerized Online.

At long last, the 2022 Topps Pro Debut was released on September 30th. First released back in 2010, Topps Pro Debut is one of several products Topps releases that strictly feature minor league players. Over the years, Topps Pro Debut has found itself with a much earlier release date on the calendar, but its September release date represents the set’s latest release date. Like the flagship Topps release, Topps Pro Debut has always utilized the same design on the front and back of each card featuring player pictures of every player in a minor league uniform.

Although the first two Topps Pro Debut sets were filled with Mets farmhands that failed to make it to Queens, you can find future Mets such as Juan Lagares, Wilmer Flores, Jeurys Familia, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, and Matt den Dekker.

Starting in 2012, the Topps Pro Debut began featuring several future Mets stars such as Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, Noah Syndergaard, Travis d’Arnaud, Michael Conforto, and Steven Matz, as well as current Mets Brandon Nimmo and Dominic Smith. More recent Topps Pro Debut releases have included Pete Alonso, David Peterson, Mark Vientos, Francisco Alvarez, and Brett Baty.

The 2022 Topps Pro Debut release features several of the Mets’ top prospects. The 200-card set includes the first card for some 2021 first-round picks and there are eight parallel sets serial numbered from 1 to 199. The release also is available in Chrome with six parallel refractors that are serial numbered from 1 to 99.

Also included are certified autographed cards, Draftee Debuts, MiLB Legends, and Brick by Brick insert sets.

Below is a full checklist of Mets cards in the 2022 Topps Pro Debut set. I’ve already purchased each of the base set cards at a reasonable price on eBay.

Base
PD-18 Francisco Alvarez – Brooklyn Cyclones
PD-87 Alex Ramirez – St. Lucie Mets
PD-123 Jaylen Palmer – Brooklyn Cyclones
PD-154 Brett Baty – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
PD-160 Robert Dominguez – FCL Mets
PD-175 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
PD-177 JT Schwartz – St. Lucie Mets

Base Autographs
JT Schwartz – St. Lucie Mets

Brick by Brick
BB-15 Brett Baty – Binghamton Rumble Ponies

Chrome
PDC-18 Francisco Alvarez – Brooklyn Cyclones
PDC-87 Alex Ramirez – St. Lucie Mets
PDC-123 Jaylen Palmer – Brooklyn Cyclones
PDC-154 Brett Baty – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
PDC-160 Robert Dominguez – FCL Mets
PDC-175 Ronny Mauricio – Binghamton Rumble Ponies
PDC-177 JT Schwartz – St. Lucie Mets

Future Cornerstones Autographs
FC-FA Francisco Alvarez – Brooklyn Cyclones

The post 2022 Topps Pro Debut Makes Long-Awaited Arrival appeared first on Metsmerized Online.