Let's talk about rookie cards
Sports card collectors can't seem to agree on rookie card definitions. What do you consider a rookie card?
Sports card collectors can't seem to agree on rookie card definitions. What do you consider a rookie card?
2021 Bowman's Best #50
2021 Bowman's Best #50
2021 Bowman's Best broke the rule for clearly labeling prospect cards as such in sets that include veterans. While the prospects did have a shared card design, Beckett Media and some collectors viewed these prospect cards as rookie cards. The controversy around this card was compounded by 2021 being Wander Franco's rookie year. With no rookie Franco rookie cards in other 2021 sets, collectors felt that Topps was intentionally holding back the rookie cards to sell more 2022 products.
1986 Topps Traded #11T
1986 Topps Traded #11T
Barry Bonds has an uncommon scenario with his rookie cards. His 1986 cards are included in Update/Traded sets though he played over 100 games during his 1986 rookie year. These sets are complete boxed sets that some collectors do not consider eligible to be true rookie cards. Beckett made the designation "XRC" for these cards, which it later abandoned (though cards with this designation were grandfathered into keeping it). A core tenant of "rookie cards" is that they can't span multiple years, so the 1986 traded/update card eligibility will dictate if the 1987 base set cards are eligible.
1982 Topps Traded #98T
1982 Topps Traded #98T
Cal Ripken Jr.'s 1982 Topps card is unanimously considered a rookie card. Ripken's 1982 Topps Traded card is viewed as a rookie card by some and not by others. 1982 Topps Traded was released as a complete set, and Ripken had already had a 1982 Topps flagship card. While demand is high and collectors regularly call it a rookie card, the distribution method and 1982 Topps base set card can disqualify the Topps Traded card.
1991 Upper Deck #SP1
1991 Upper Deck #SP1
This insert card was released at the upswing of Michael Jordan's championship runs with the Chicago Bulls. It's often cited as Jordan's baseball rookie card. The problem: Michael Jordan never played an MLB baseball game for the Chicago White Sox. His baseball career began in 1994 and was spent entirely in the AA league.
