Starting a baseball card collection can be an exciting hobby. With so many cards from so many different eras of the game, it can be overwhelming to know where to begin. In this article, we will explore some of the best baseball cards for beginner collectors to target as they start to build their collection.
Rookie Cards: One of the best places for new collectors to start is by finding rookie cards of current star players. Rookie cards are always highly sought after because they capture a player at the very beginning of their career. Some great rookie cards to look for include Mike Trout (2009 Topps), Ronald Acuña Jr. (2018 Topps Series 1), Juan Soto (2018 Topps Series 1), and Fernando Tatis Jr. (2019 Topps Series 1). These players have all become superstars very early in their careers and their rookie cards hold significant value.
Hall of Famers: It’s also a good idea for beginners to search for affordable cards featuring baseball legends who are enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Some Hall of Famers with cards that can still be obtained relatively inexpensively include Nolan Ryan (1973 Topps, 1974 Topps), Reggie Jackson (1969 Topps), Rickey Henderson (1979 Topps), Cal Ripken Jr. (1981 Topps), and Pedro Martínez (1992 Bowman). Collecting future Hall of Famers early in their careers is another smart strategy.
Star Players of the 1990s/2000s: The 1990s through the 2000s saw huge spikes in interest in the hobby and produced some iconic baseball stars. Cards from this era that are fun to collect and still reasonable for beginners include Ken Griffey Jr. (1989 Upper Deck), Barry Bonds (1990 Topps Traded), Mark McGwire (1993 Topps), Sammy Sosa (1993 Bowman), Derek Jeter (1996 Topps), and Albert Pujols (2001 Topps Rookie/Traded). These were huge stars that dominated the game for years.
Vintage Stars: For collectors who want to reach further back in history, there are still affordable vintage cards to be found featuring legends from the early days of the game. Players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Christy Mathewson, and Honus Wagner have extremely rare and valuable cards, but you can still find reasonably priced vintage cards of these all-time greats from the 1930s-1950s in their later career years.
Team Sets: Building full team sets is a fun way for beginners to start their collection on a budget. Complete team sets from the 1980s and 1990s that are still very affordable include 1987 Topps, 1991 Donruss, 1992 Fleer, and 1994 Upper Deck. This allows collectors to obtain cards featuring an entire team’s roster from a single season.
Baseball Heroes: In addition to actual players, many collectors enjoy obtaining “baseball hero” cards that celebrate iconic moments in the game’s history. Some examples include Nolan Ryan’s record-setting 5,000th strikeout (Topps, 1983), Kirk Gibson’s walk-off home run in the 1988 World Series (Fleer, 1989), and Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series (Topps, 1956). These special cards commemorate legendary performances.
Parallels and Inserts: Once collectors have started obtaining mainstream base cards, they may want to branch out into parallel and insert sets within the same releases. These include things like refractors, jersey cards, autographs and special edition parallels that are inserted much more rarely into packs. Topps Chrome, Bowman Sterling, and Stadium Club are some examples of sets that include these types of parallel and insert cards at affordable price points.
Player Collections: Another fun way to start a collection is by choosing a favorite player and trying to obtain as many different cards of them as possible from across their career in various sets and years. This can include rookie cards, autographs, rare parallels, and more. Some players with especially large collections that are satisfying to chase include Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera and Ichiro Suzuki.
Baseball cards have been produced since the late 19th century, so there are countless options for collectors. But by focusing on rookie cards of current stars, Hall of Famers, 1990s-2000s stars, vintage legends and full team sets, beginners can start building a collection quickly while targeting cards that hold value and interest. It’s also wise to specialize in a favorite player or team to give their collection focus and direction as it grows. With some initial investment and research, any new collector can get started down the path of enjoying baseball cards.
