When it comes to the best two sports athletes in the history of sports, only a handful typically come to mind. 

Throughout my life, I witnessed a few: Deion Sanders, Danny Ainge, even Brian Jordan. However, there is one player that rises to the top of them all: Bo Jackson.

It might seem like a no-brainer to invest in Bo Jackson’s rookie cards, but his cards were issued from 1986 to 1987, the peak of the Junk Era, and produced in the tens of millions.

Still, I wanted to review Bo’s rookie cards to see if there might be one or two that could be attractive investments for the long run.

Let’s dig in. 

When card collectors ask me for the best cards to invest in, I always say ‘look for scarcity’ with the GOATs. 

Sure, modern card collectors will flock to the rookies of Kobe Bryant or Tom Brady, but, personally, I like the OLD stuff. 

It’s the old, vintage cards of guys like Babe Ruth, produced in shorter supplies, often left for dead, that I believe have the best chance of long-term investment potential.

I’ve covered some of the more affordable Babe Ruth cards in the past, but in this piece, I wanted to focus on the rookie card of Babe Ruth. 

I should note, Babe has both a pre-rookie and what is considered a TRUE rookie card, both of which I’ll cover in this article.

‘Deal or No Deal’ groups have become quite popular on Facebook. One of my collector friends sent me his thoughts on the format, which I’ve published here.  Note, if you’re a collector and would like to see your thoughts on our website, shoot me a line at chris@allvintagecards.com. 

Deal or No Deal Facebook groups annoy me. 

They wouldn’t if I didn’t belong to them, but I am a glutton for punishment.

Simply put, DOND listings are generally sucker bets.

Let me explain why.

The 1948 Leaf Baseball issue is probably one of my favorite vintage sets.  

The bright color images and the bold backgrounds make for one of the most attractive post-war designs, in my opinion. 

Some speculate that the Leaf set was issued in 1949, but many cards have a 1948 copyright on the back.

Also, note that the grading companies consider this a 1948 issue, so we will stay consistent and reference it as the ‘1948 Leaf Set’. 

The set’s importance lies in the fact that it was one of the major baseball issues released following World War II and the first full-color issue.

The beautiful colors provided collectors with a glimpse of what soon would become the norm with baseball cards.

In addition, the set is loaded with star power, including Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, and even a rookie card for one Satchel Paige. 

Many collectors believe that the 1948 Bowman Baseball set preceded the Leaf issue; however, some of the key rookies from both sets share accolades as being a player’s first card.

Pete Rose was the epitome of hard-nosed baseball players. ‘Charlie Hustle’ earned his nickname for his tenacity on the field and his prowess at the plate.

Despite being banished from baseball due to gambling on games, Rose remains one of the most well-respected players of all time. 

And while Rose will never likely reach the Hall Of Fame, his 1963 Topps Rookie card remains one of the hobby’s most valuable cards. 

The Rose rookie card has always been one of my favorite baseball cards. I love the bright colors of the 1963 Topps set, and Rose’s tiny circular rookie headshot makes for one awesome-looking card.

Rose’s rookie has continued to appreciate in value as collectors and investors alike bid up high-grade copies. Ultimately, I still think despite the above-average supply, Rose’s rookie in higher grades remains an excellent investment.

The 1948 Bowman Baseball set is one of the more important baseball card issues in the history of the hobby.

It represents the first baseball card issue for Bowman, and the first baseball cards released following a seven-year hiatus of card issues post World War II. 

Bowman would go on to have a short-lived monopoly in the baseball card market, lasting from 1948 through 1951, ultimately ending when Topps came to town in 1952.

Few pitchers in MLB history were as dominating on the mound as Hall-of-Fame pitcher Bob Gibson.

Gibson’s fastball helped him break records while winning two World Series Championships (1964 & 1967) with the St Louis Cardinals.

Despite Gibson’s dominance over his 17-year career, his 1959 Topps rookie card has been a bit underappreciated by collectors.

However, over the last few years, his rookie card has exploded in value, as the hobby has finally recognized the legend of Gibson.

In this piece, I’ll examine the population reports for Gibson’s rookie card, current values, and take a look at his career, while providing thoughts on the future investment value for his 1959 Topps card.

In what came as a shock to many, MLB and the MLBPA (MLB Players Association) signed a new exclusive deal with sports memorabilia company Fanatics, effectively ending the near 70-year dynasty for Topps.

The immediate reaction from collectors?

Surprise, confusion, and outrage.

Keith Olbermann, not afraid to speak his mind, said the deal orchestrated by the ‘Butcher Of Baseball’ (aka Rob Manfred, head of MLBPA) will lead to ‘ Shit Propagandist Cards’ due to  MLB’s involvement as an equity partner in the deal.

While Topps won’t win any awards for the junk-era designs and overproduction during the ’80s, the brand represents a certain nostalgia for many in the hobby that crosses generations.

And the fear is that Fanatics will flip the industry upside down, leaving the hobby in a state of disarray.

I’ve had a few days to digest this and had a lot of questions from collectors. Here’s a summary of my thoughts and answers to some of the biggest uncertainties regarding the deal.

The early Spring of 1950 brought the release of Bowman Baseball Cards to local neighborhood corner stores. 

As kids ripped into new packs, a surprise awaited; beautiful full-color cards, a big improvement over the monochrome colors used in the 1949 Bowman issue.

The beautifully painted images in the 252 card set boast a mix of breathtaking ballpark backgrounds, action shots, and classic portrait photos. 

The thin white border leads the collector’s eye to focus on the brilliance of the artistry, a simplicity that makes it one of my favorite baseball sets. 

Like the 48 and 49 Bowman cards that preceded it, the cards are a smaller size (2 ⅙  x 2 ½), which was the norm, until Topps rolled into town in 1952 with larger size cards.

A few stars of the day are notably absent from the set, both Stan “The Man” Musial and Joe DiMaggio are glaring omissions. Neither had signed contracts with Bowman. (Note, however, that Joe’s brother Dom is a part of the set)

As the prosperous days of the Roaring Twenties inched toward conclusion, baseball fans were gifted with an all-time rivalry that played out over a 4-year period from 1927-1930.

It was almost like a final treat to Americans before they would be wreaked havoc upon by the Great Depression that loomed just around the corner after the conclusion of the 1929 World Series.

It was an interesting period for America’s Pastime. Most major cities on the east coast had two professional teams, between the AL and NL, because baseball had not yet garnered as much popularity in the west.

However, these four years saw one of the earliest battles between two teams who were in a quest to become major leagues’ supreme club at the time. 

It was a rivalry between the Philadelphia Athletics and the New York Yankees.