This page highlights what I consider my 50 card collection - that is if I could only keep 50 cards that I currently own, which ones would they be. These aren't necessarily the 50 most valuable cards in my collection. Some hold much more sentimental value than monetary value. Others are just cool cards that I enjoy owning and looking at from time to time. Eventually I will add photos of each card, but for now I'll just list them with some explanation of why they made the list. You'll notice that T206s comprise about 1/3rd of the 50 card collection list. That is mostly due to the backs which is one of the main focal points of my collection. I expect some of the common players with off backs will be replaced as I get more Hall of Famer cards.
Later on, I may add my 50 card collection wish list - that is what 50 cards I wish (or hope one day will) were in my 50 card collection.
1. 1965 Topps Mickey Mantle #350 ungraded, VGEX
This was the first Mantle card that I bought. It isn't in top condition (probably about VGEX), or the most valuable card in my collection, but it holds a lot of sentimental value as I saved my money for it when I was around 12 years old or so. My dad and I went to Nostalgia World in Memphis, TN to pick out a Mantle card for me and this was the one I came home with.
2. T206 Jimmy Collins with Carolina Brights back ungraded, authentic
I picked this up while in grad school at UT Knoxville. I had been outbid on another rare back card on ebay and messaged the seller asking if he had any other similar rare backs available. He told me about this Carolina Brights back and I ended up buying it for $200-300 if I remember right. It's now worth probably $1500-2000 which makes it my most valuable card.
This was the very first card I ever got autographed. I went to the card show with my dad not having anything to get autographed. So we looked for a card, ball, or photo for Mr. Brock to autograph and I picked out this 1978 Topps card. It was in really nice condition and has a good image of Brock that I liked. I remember Mr. Brock being very nice and asking me about my favorite teams and players. Ever since then Lou Brock has been one of my favorite vintage players and his 1962 Topps rookie card is at the top of my list and may be one of my main targets to pick up in 2023.
I bought this card in a card shop in Kenosha, WI when my Dad had one of his business locations up there. The card was both my first Richie Ashburn card and I think my first 1952 Topps card. My Dad helped me pick it out as I had no idea who Richie Ashburn was at the time. But what got it on this list is that I had it autographed in person by Mr. Ashburn when he played at one of the FedEx St. Jude Classic golf tournaments in Memphis, TN. He was riding a golf cart (rather than walking the course) and I caught him in between holes, asked him if he was Richie Ashburn (which he confirmed) and got him to autograph the card. Since that time Richie Ashburn has become a minor focus point of my vintage card collection and he's one of my favorite vintage players and I currently have 9 of his cards including 1952T, 1954T, 1955B, 1955 Red Man, 1956T, 1959T, 1960T, 1961T, 1962T, and 1963T all ungraded just how I like them!
I bought this card probably in the late 1980s and picked it to get autographed at a card show that Mr. Mays was attending in Memphis,TN. The card is a off center left-to-right, but I am thrilled to have an autograph that I got in person of the currently oldest and greatest Hall of Famer still living.
6. T206 Jeff Pfeffer multiple conditions
Pfeffer was my very first T206 card which I bought from a high school classmate probably around 1991-1992. I think I only gave him $5-10 for it because it has significant paper loss on the back. However, this being my first T206 and the front of the card having a very attractive sunset behind Big Jeff Pfeffer holding his bat ready to swing at a pitch makes it a cool card. Since getting my first T206 Pfeffer (which is a Sweet Caporal 350-460 variant of some kind...hard to tell for sure because of the paper loss), I have also picked up American Beauty 460, Cycle 460, Polar Bear, and Piedmont 350-460 Factory 25 variants giving me 5 Pfeffers so far. Although I haven't bought any more since 2021, I do intend to try to complete the back run for Pfeffer someday. For my 50 card collection, I would probably keep either the Cycle 460 or American Beauty 460 cards...maybe both since these are the only examples of those backs that I own.
7. T206 Mordecai Brown (Cubs on shirt) ungraded, Good
This was the first T206 Hall of Fame player that I got. I bought it for $110 at a card show in the Memphis area in the early 1990s. In hindsight, I probably paid too much for it, but it being my first T206 HOF'er and Mordecai's unique background story and outstanding pitching career make it one of my most cherished cards.
8. 1955 Topps Ted Williams ungraded, VG
I got this as part of my 1955 Topps beater set build. It was my first Ted Williams playing days card and is still my oldest Williams card I own. I have been eyeing his 1954 Topps cards (both #1 and #250), so one of those may be on my target list for 2023.
9. T206 Johnny Kling w/ Brown Hindu back ungraded, poor (due to back damage)
I won this card via ebay auction back while I was still in grad school at UT Knoxville. The Brown Hindu back has a little paper loss, so it's not in perfect condition. I remember another bidder messaging me asking if I would sell it to them, which I obviously declined. I have since had several inquiries asking if I would sell, all of which I have also declined. It's just that this card is my only Brown Hindu back and with the prices of Hindu backs I likely won't be able to afford another one.
When I first started collecting cards, Darryl Strawberry was one of the first good cards I got was a 1985 Fleer. My Dad and I watched some mets games and Darryl quickly became my favorite player. 1984 Donruss is one of the best looking sets Donruss ever released. So Darryl's '84D rookie card is my favorite of his. I stopped collecting Strawberry after his fall from grace, but am starting to pick up more of his cards now that it's clear he's turned his life around and actively witnessing for Jesus Christ.
11. T3 Turkey Red Doyle ungraded, technically Poor
I bought this T3 off of Net54 several years back and it remains my one and only T3 Turkey Red card. I think the Turkey Reds are probably the most beautiful baseball cards ever produced. My Doyle card is ungraded and has a tack hole at the top, but it still presents well in my opinion. One day I hope to add more examples to my collection.
12. N172 Old Judge Del Darling ungraded, authentic or poor
I picked this one up from the Buy/Sell/Trade boards on Net54 while back too. It is my only Old Judge card. It is ungraded, has been rebacked and shows a triangular section of paper loss along the left boarder around the level of his torso. I love the Old Judge cards, but they can be hard to find with bold photos... many are faded or printed very lightly making them hard to see. This one is pretty good with respect to boldness and shows Darling ready to catch. I would like to get more Old Judges some day.
13. 1933 Goudey Mickey Cochrane graded, PSA 2
I can't remember when or where I got this Mickey Cochrane card, but it's been in my collection for a very long time now. I think it was the first Goudey card I ever bought. As with most of my collection, it is ungraded but is in nice condition for being 90 years old now. At one point I had thought about starting the '33 Goudey set, but then decided to hold off to focus on the T206s and my 1950s-1960s sets. I do plan on picking up some more of the HOFers from the Goudey set... I'd really like to get Jimmie Foxx, Mel Ott, and of course Gehrig and Ruth too!
14. 1955 Topps Ernie Banks #28 graded, SGC 45
Ever since I met Ernie Banks at an autograph signing at a card show when I was younger he's been one of my favorite vintage players. Mr. Banks went out of his way at that card show to engage the crowd (he had us all doing jumping jacks and such for exercise!) and was super friendly. I have a few other Banks cards, and his 1954 Topps rookie card is near the top of my want lists!
15. 1975 Topps George Brett RC graded, PSA 5
I had wanted a Brett RC forever it seems, but just never pulled the trigger to buy one. Finally, at the March 2022 big card show in Nashville I decided to get one. I hunted around and looked at a bunch, both graded and ungraded. I settled on an ungraded one which I thought was in pretty nice condition and bought it for $85. Someday I may upgrade to a graded version, but for now I can say I own a RC of Brett, one of the elite players from my youth!
16. 1973 Topps Mike Schmidt RC graded, PSA 5
I found this Schmidt RC in a bargain box at the Nashville flea market in 2022. I was flipping through the 50% off box and stumbled upon this and was shocked not only that it was in the bargain box, but that it had a $5 price tag on it. That made it only $2.50 for me! It may be the best deal I've ever made on a card and I was super excited to add Mike Schmidt RC's, one of the best players from the 1970s-1980s, to my collection.
17. 1972 Topps Carlton Fisk RC graded, PSA 5
I found this card at a local antique store. I think I paid around $25 for it, which for a HOF RC seemed like a good deal. It's from the 1972 Topps set which with the 2022 Topps Heritage set has made me more interested in collecting the entire original 1972 set. I really like the card designs and there are a ton of HOFers and other cool cards in the set.
I picked this Jackie card up as part of my 1955 Topps beater set build. It has some creases, rounded corners, etc. but it's my one and only Jackie Robinson card currently so that in itself makes it pretty cool. Jackie stuff is just so incredibly expensive these days, so it's likely to be quite awhile before I pick up another card of his.
19. T206 Danny Hoffman w/ AB 350 w/ Frame back ungraded, EX
All American Beauty backs are pretty tough to come by. I must have picked this one up early in my T206 collecting days, because most American Beauty's are outside my budget now. This card is ungraded, but in about excellent condition and is my only example of an AB 350 w/ frame back. I still need to get an example of an AB 350 No Frame to round out my backs collection down through the Carolina Brights back in terms of rarity.
20. 1955 Topps Harmon Killebrew RC #124 ungraded, Good
Several years ago I started my 1955 Topps "Beater Set". It's been super fun collecting this set in very low condition. I am down to needing 5 cards I think. Killebrew's card in this set is his rookie card, so it's one of the few vintage era HOFer RC's that I own currently. Eventually I will get the two bigggies - Koufax RC and Clemente RC - but for now I am happy to have Killebrew's RC in my collection.
21. T206 John McGraw (glove on hip) ungraded, Good
Ever since reading a book about Christy Mathewson and John McGraw, they have been some of my favorite players from that era. I had always really like the McGraw glove on hip card from the T206 set and finally in March 2022 I was able to acquire one from the Net54 B/S/T board for $159. This just has the Piedmont 350-460 back, so one day I hope to get a copy with a Sovereign, Polar Bear, Tolstoi, or other more rare off back.
22. T206 Hughie Jennings (portrait) Sovereign 350 back ungraded, VG
I don't have records for when I acquired this card, but it was likely at a card show back in the 1990s or early 2000s. With Jennings in the HOF and having the Sovereign 350 back, it is one of my more valuable T206s. I have the Jennings both hands showing variant with a Polar Bear back too. I love T206s HOFers with off backs!
23. T206 Vic Willis (with bat) with Polar Bear back graded, SGC 2
I have been trying to pick up T206 HOFers with non-Piedmont and non-Sweet Caporal backs. This Vic Willis was the result of that pursuit. It's graded a 2 by SGC, but the back in particular is quite bold with deep blue in the Polar Bear advertise and has nice white borders. Polar Bears are one of my favorite T206 brads because of their uniqueness when compared to many of the other backs. They aren't particularly rare which is great because it allows me to pick up a technically off back that doesn't hurt the wallet too much.
24. T206 Ed Foster Piedmont ungraded, Good
Back in the early 2000's I got on a kick to acquire some of the tougher SLers after some board discussions on Net54. Foster is known as one of the harder to find T206 Southern Leaguers. I picked up this Foster and some of the other harder ones like the Shaughnessy from ebay and Net54 B/S/T board. I'm glad I got it when I did... I am sure they currently sell for 2x-3x what I paid for this one.
25. T206 Chief Bender (no trees) graded, SGC 20
This Chief Bender was a March, 2021 acquisition from the Bet54 B/S/T . It has some creases and definitely rounded corners, but is a HOFer with a somewhat off center Polar Bear back. I am particularly fond of Polar Bear backs, especially when I can get one on a HOFer like this!
26. 1965 Topps Joe Morgan RC ungraded, EXMT
Morgan's RC is one of the key rookie cards, from the 1965 Topps set. I still need to get the RC's of Tony Perez and Steve Carlton for my set built. I don't have very many other Joe Morgan cards, so I am happy to have this HOF RC in my collection already.
27. 1954 Topps Eddie Mathews #30 ungraded, Fair-Good
I absolutely love the 1954 Topps design. I have started the set, but am a long way from completing it. Luckily I have this Mathews card which although not in great condition, still looks really good to me. I may never be able to afford a 1952 Topps Eddie Mathews rookie card, so this will have to serve as his oldest card in my collection for the time being.
28. 1954 Topps Duke Snider ungraded, VGEX-EX
I just recently picked up this Duke Snider. I had missed out on a 1955 Topps Duke Snider at a Nashville card show a couple of years ago. It was in a bargain bin and cost $50, which I knew was a good deal but I put it aside and continued to look through the cards. While I was standing there, another guy came up picked it up and bought it on the spot. I could have kicked myself! The 1955T Snider I have cost me significantly more, but I am OK with it because it's in nice condition. Anyways, this '54T one only cost me $35 at the Nashville card show on Dec 31, 2022. It's in decent condition and is from one of my favorite 50's sets.
29. 1967 Topps Ed Spezio #128 Error Card ungraded, EX
Ed who? Yeah I know. But this is an error card that turns out is pretty hard to find and quite valuable too. Some have sold on eBay for $500-1500. I don't know what mine would go for, but it's not for sale anyways. I actually got it in either a lot I bought off of eBay or in a trade deal several years ago when I started working on my 1967 Topps set. Obviously I was ecstatic when I found it was a valuable error card. I've been looking for another copy off and on in bargin bins, etc. but no luck yet!
30. 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr. RC ungraded, NRMT
When 1989 Upper Deck came out, I looked around to find where to buy them because most stores didn't carry them around me. I found a drug store (can't remember if it was Walgreens, Eckerds, or something else) and I ended up buying two or three complete boxes from them that summer. I able to pull 2 or 3 Ken Griffey Jr. RC's from those. I also have the complete set which has one in it. Griffey Jr. was probably the biggest name in baseball as I was winding down my collecting as I started college in 1993. Maybe one day I will get these graded and see what they get.
31. T206 Dick Rudolph El Principe Del Gales w/ back stamp ungraded, G
At a card show way back when I was starting my T206 back collection, I purchased three EPDG backed cards together. I have two of them still (one I sold or traded away a few years ago). This one is unique because it has a back stamp of John A. Anderson from The Saturday Evening Post on it I like T206s with period back stamps like this.
32. T206 Addie Joss Sweet Cap 350-460 OP ungraded, Poor-Fair
Addie Joss is arguably the best HOFer I currently have from the T206 set. The card has some creases down the left side and a Sweet Caporal 350-460 overprint back. I bought it on the Net54 B/S/T board in 2020 for $125.
33. T206 Larry Doyle Tolstoi w/ bat ungraded, VG
Again, I can't remember for sure when I acquired this Tolstoi back card, but it's only 1 of 2 Tolstoi's that I own right now. The other is a SGC 30 graded Bill Bergen that I bought in 2020 at one of the Nashville card shows at Lighthouse school. Tolstoi is listed as the 18th rarest T206 back, so I am glad I have a couple of examples in my collection.
34. T206 Josh Devore with Sovereign 460 back ungraded, EX
I can't remember when I got this or how much I paid for it. It has a Sovereign back which is scarce and is the only Sovereign 460 back in my collection currently. It is in excellent condition too.
35. T206 Maloney Cycle 350 back ungraded, EX
I acquired this card back in 2016 from the Net54 B/S/T board for $75 which would be a steal in today's market. It's my only Cycle 350 backed card currently, so occupies the slot for 21st most rare T206 back in my collection. The background of the Maloney card is really cool in that it has the silohouette of the stadium and a sunset skyline.
I picked this up from ebay in November 2022 after many Howe McCormick stamped cards from a 950 card auction began being sold/auctioned off individually. I think I had a Howe McCormick stamped card back in the 1990s, but sold or traded it to a Net54 collector who was trying to re-compile Howe's collection. With the introduction of so many of these cards recently, I decided to add one to my collection. What is especially nice about this example is that it has an Old Mill back which is among the rarer backs that Howe collected.
37. 2008 Joe B. Scott Memphis Red Sox Negro League Star card ungraded, NRMT, auto'd
My dad met Joe Scott at Southland Greyhound Park where he ran his business for many years. Over the years my dad and Joe became friends and Joe gave me a custom made laminated collage of some photos and other highlights from his career. He also autographed a baseball for me which I still have. I was able to get two other Joe Scott autographs on cards including this one through a trade online. Since Mr. Scott was the only Negro Leaguer that I really ever knew, his stuff is very special to me.
38. 2006 Diamond Signatures Mickey Vernon ungraded, NRMT, autographed
My Dad was born in Mansfield, OH and Mickey Vernon was his favorite player growing up. Knowing that I have picked up a few cards of Mickey over the years, but this is the only autographed one I own. I got it in a trade deal through one of the online trading groups I am a member of. Having some cards and an autograph of my Dad's favorite player means a lot to me.
39. T206 Shag Shaughnessy ungraded, VG
I bought this card back in the early-mid 2000s I think when I got on a kick to pick up some of the harder to find Southern Leaguers. It has an Old Mill SL back which makes it a nice part of my collection.
40. 1952 Topps Bob Feller #88 ungraded, VG
I remembered Joe Scott saying he batted against Bob Feller, so when one of the vintage card trading groups I am part of bought a lot of 1952 Topps, I picked this card as my first draft from the lot.
41. 1962 Topps Lou Brock #387 ungraded, VG
I just picked up a Lou Brock rookie card at the Nashville Card Show on 7/7/2023. Lou Brock was the first HOFer that I got an autograph from, so I always wanted to also have his rookie card. I have been looking for one for over a year. The one I got today is ungraded and in about very good condition. It only cost me $110 which was over $100 cheaper than the next best one at the show that I liked. I may someday upgrade it, but for now I have checked it off my want list.