Eric Hosmer rookie card. The real one?

Okay, there are somewhere around fifty "first" cards
for Eric Hosmer from various companies, but here is what
most people consider the official Eric Hosmer rookie
card--heck, it even has "RC" on it, so that must mean
it's for real, right?

This is a good looking card, the Topps Chrome. It's a fine
photo, and the sheen of the chrome printing gives is a slight
3D effect.

trisha

Mike Moustakas

At The National Sports Collector Convention held in
Chicago this year, Topps was giving away special Heritage
cards everyday, a limited run stamped 1-299. The only
"catch" was you had to open five packs of any Topps product,
and be one of the first 299 in line, to get said cards.

The youngest son and I were always early to the show, so
no problem with the lines--with a table set up, we had to
be there bright and early anyway, right? So, how did we
end up with 212/299???

:)trisha

Pete Maravich rookie card

I remember the first time I saw 1970 Topps basketball
cards--I thought they were the coolest cards I'd ever,
with the extra tall size and bright colors. Here is
Pistol Pete Maravich's rookie card, a PSA near mint-
mint 8. Here's a video of Pete from the same year:

Roger Maris autograph

Certified authentic by PSA/DNA, an index card autographed
by baseball great Roger Maris. We don't have any background
for this auto--whether it was obtained in person or through
the mail, by a baseball fan or autograph hound. It is,
however, a fun bit of baseball history, and would make a
great addition to any collection.

Shaquille O'Neal's shoe. For real.

It's big--size 23, as you may know--but it seems
unreal in person, like something for a store display.
But, if you were over seven feet tall, you would need
something substantial to stand on, too . . . at this
writing, Shaq's shoe is up for auction on our ebay
site--the link is to the right, go check it out!

1951 Topps Honus Wagner

These cards are something else, and hard to find
in good condition, due to the whole "Fold on dotted
lines to make figure stand." The players are die
cut, and punch out part way--a nightmare for collectors
now, but what a great idea for a set, back in the day!
They're extra skinny and tall, by regular card standards,
measuring 2 x 5 1/4 inches.

The 1951 Topps Connie Mack All-Stars featured eleven
cards of the greatest players of the 1900's, such as
Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner (seen here), and Lou Gehrig.

Gotta love this guy--check out his collection of
these fun cards:
The Virtual Card Collection

1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlain

The 1961 Fleer basketball Wilt Chamberlain
rookie card--I really like the clean lines
and interesting colors in this set. Here's
a great site for viewing more of these striking
cards:
The Virtual Card Collection

Want to know more about the 1961 Fleer basketball
set? Check out this article:
1961-62 Fleer Basketball - The Ultimate Vintage Hoops Set

1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle rookie card

Yup, it's the real deal, all right! Man, it feels
good to hold one of these, even if it IS in a plastic
psa case--makes me miss the good old days, fingers to
cardboard, know what I mean? 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle
Rookie Card. In my hands. Amazing.

1980 Topps Scoring Leaders

Gotta love this card--especially since the pieces
are still intact! 1980 Topps basketball scoring
leaders Larry Bird, Julius Erving, and Magic Johnson,
what an amazing combination. Subsets for this year
include Slam Dunk, All-Star, and Team Leaders, plus
the 16 posters that were issued as inserts folded
into the regular issue wax packs. They are printed
on thin white paper and feature one of 16 NBA teams
photos, using the same design as the regular cards,
and measuring 4 7⁄8 × 6 7⁄8 in.

2001 SPx Albert Pujols

Nice car, slick design--yep, it's a real auto, this card
numbered 441/1500 The 2001 SPx set also includes
these key rookies: Ichiro Suzuki, Travis Hafner, Brian
Roberts, Mark Teixeira, Mark Prior, Johnny Estrada, and
Ricardo Rodriguez.

1963 Fleer football Len Dawson

Here is Hall of Famer Len Dawson's 1963 Fleer
Rookie Card--this particular one, available (at
this writing) in our ebay store, is a psa 6.

Want to see more 1963 Fleer Football? Here's a
great site:
Football Card Gallery

1933 Goudey--Babe Ruth

Old cards are my favorites; they're like tiny time
capsules, and I really enjoy knowing what was going
on in the world at the time the cards were made.
This 1933 Goudey Babe Ruth, number 144, is a psa 1,
but what tales could it tell?

Here's a great site for viewing more 1933 Goudeys:
The Virtual Card Collection

And here you can learn more about this Goudey set:

1933 Goudey R319: A Closer Look . . .

1986 Fleer Michael Jordan

What can we say? It's a classic. Want to read
more about this set? Check out:
Historic Sets: 1986-87 Fleer Basketball

This particular Michael Jordan card is a NM-MT
psa 8, and is currently available to you in our
ebay store--check out the linky in the sidebar.

T 205 Ty Cobb Gold Border

The T205 "Gold Border" set, which came out in 1911, is, in my opinion, one
of the prettiest sets ever issued. The American Tobacco Company outdid
itself with the vibrant colors, distinctive design, and rich gold border.

There are three different leagues represented in the T205 series: the American, National, and Minor Leaguers. The American League cards are identified by the baseball diamond surrounding the portrait of the player with their team logo near the top. The National League cards show a simple colored background with the first-ever use of a facsimile (printed) autograph of the player. The Minor Leaguers are made up of 12 cards printed with obvioulsy different and much more detailed borders.

These cards measure 1 ½ x 2 5/8 and were available randomly in many brands of cigarettes (the "T" stands for tobacco, remember), including: Hassan, Polar Bear, American Beauty, Cycle, Piedmont, Sovereign, Sweet Caporal, Honest, Broadleaf, Hindu, and Drum.

The "Gold Borders" are the first issue to include a bio and statistics of the player on the back of the cards. T205's are VERY hard to find in really good, high grade condition, due to that gorgeous gold border--it's easily chipped gold leaf--and the generally fragile nature of the cards.

This set has tons of short prints, quite a few variations (my favorite is the Eddie Collins "Open Mouth" and "Closed Mouth"), and many Hall of Famers. Ever heard of Ty Cobb, Christie Mathewson, Walterd Johnson, Tris Speaker, and Cy Young? Despite all the big name players, the most difficult card find is, supposedly, the Hoblitzell with no stats on the back!