30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Very Difficult Decision

Depending on the topic, choosing your favorites can be the easiest or hardest things to do.

For example, choosing my favorite french fries is a no-brainerMcDonald'sChoosing my favorite burger Not quite as simple.

Favorite baseball team?  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.  The Oakland A's Favorite football team?  Not quite as simple.

Favorite baseball card in the collection?  Walk in the park.  The 1956 Topps Jackie RobinsonFavorite relic card?  Not quite as simple.

That's precisely what J. Meeks is asking us to write about for the contest he's holding over on his blog:  My Cardboard Habit.  The prize is 150 Panini Points and a sweet looking patch card of Kyle Lewis.  If you're interested in participating, please click on the link.

Okay.  Let's get back to the question at handWhat is my favorite memorabilia card in my collection?

Now before I answer this question, I narrowed down my search by focusing only on baseball cards.  I also eliminated any autographed memorabilia cards from the running.

That left me with eleven cards: 10 runner ups and my official response to J. Meek's question.  So without further ado, here's my list:


Runner Up #101996 Ultra Diamond Dust #NNO


I'll kick things off with my favorite Ripken memorabilia cardUpper Deck often gets credit for baseball's first memorabilia card with their 1997 Game Jerseys (see down below).  However technically Fleer beat them to the punch with this game used infield dirt card from Camden Yards.


Runner Up #92012 Archives 1956 Relics #56R-I


This card combines my love for the 1956 Topps baseball card design and my fanfare for Ichiro Suzuki Kirk over at CaptKirk42s Trading Card Blog generously donated this card to my collection back in 2014.


Runner Up #82007 Sweet Spot Memorabilia #SW-GM


Most fans will never associate Maddux with the San Diego Padres... including me.  That's because he only spent two of his twenty-three MLB seasons there.  But that also means that he doesn't have a lot of Padres game used memorabilia cards.  And out of all of the ones sitting in my collection, this is my favorite.


Runner Up #72013 Topps Triple Threads Relic Combos #TTRC-GHJ


I love this card, because it combines my two favorite baseball players and some guy wearing Yankees pinstripes.


Runner Up #6 2004 Topps Clubhouse Career Leaders Relics #LG2


Cutting up a game used bat might be considered an act of blasphemy among baseball purists and I can't really argue with them.  If it were up to me, this card along with a few other cards on this list wouldn't exist.  However Topps produced it and I was fortunate enough to get it in a group break I participated in last year.


Runner Up #52005 Sweet Spot Classic Materials #CM-JR


This card popped up a few weeks ago in my Jackie Robinson post.  The simple card design is the primary reason this card is my favorite memorabilia card of #42.


Runner Up #41997 Upper Deck Game Jersey #GJ2


This card is a piece of cardboard history.  Back in 1997 Upper Deck made headlines when they produced baseball's first game used jersey cards.  I know that the Griffey is the card everyone wants from this set, but to this Padres collector... I'm totally content with owning the Gwynn.


Runner Up #32001 UD Decade 70's Game-Used Jersey #J-HA


This is the only Hank Aaron jersey card sitting in my collection and it happens to be a part of one of my favorite memorabilia sets.  I just love this card's design.  I've actually thought about putting together this set since I have two of the biggest cards out of the way.  See Runner Up #1.


Runner Up #22002 UD Vintage Timeless Teams Quad Bat Card #B-OF2


When I was originally thinking about J. Meek's question, this is the card that popped into my head.  Not only does it feature my two favorite baseball players, it also includes two of the greatest hitters of my generation.


Runner Up #12001 UD Decade 70's Game-Used Jersey #J-RC


What can I say?  It's a Roberto Clemente jersey card.  But more than that... it's actually part of a set that features a design I love.  I went back and forth a few times before finally settling on my official response to J. Meek's question.


Drumroll please...




My Favorite Memorabilia Card2004 UD Legends Timeless Teams Team Terrific #TT-OA


Campy, North, Williams, Rudi, Tenace, and Bando trump Clemente.  Well at least to me.  This card obviously received bonus points, because I'm a huge A's fan.  But it also received some sentimental points, because this was a generous gift from Jim over at Cards As I See Them and Timeless Teams.

This card is actually a booklet.  Here's what the front and back covers look like:



Well there you have it.  One of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in at least the past week or so.

If you have a favorite memorabilia card and would like to enter J. Meek's contest, then click here.

Speaking of contests... I'm holding one of my own.  All you need to do is click here and answer one of my questions.

Happy Thursday and sayonara!

14 comments:

Johnnys Trading Spot said...

Man oh man, I'd be very happy with any of those relic cards. Very nice!

J. Meeks said...

When Lou Gehrig is #6 on a list, the Top 5 better be pretty incredible. You, sir, did not disappoint! That booklet is beautiful!

Big Tone said...

Damn!All of those relics were beauties but that Oakland card Is stunning!I mean,It's a freaking booklet!

JediJeff said...

Gehrig only gets 6th??? Send me that card - it's needs some loving. :)

Dennis said...

I think you made a great selection but you sure are spoiled for choice! What an awesome bunch!

gcrl said...

Great stuff. Really glad you like that ud legends card!

RunForeKelloggs said...

A booklet card with my favorite childhood Cub, but he's in an Oakland uniform. That's still awesome. I want to get a booklet card of some kind but I don't see them often.

SumoMenkoMan said...

The US game-used cards have that classic, retro look that does look nice. Simple, but distinguished. Nice list!

The Lost Collector said...

Whoa, great choice. I like how UD used to brand the team logo into bat relics.

The Diamond Dust is great. I forgot about those.

Nachos Grande said...

A great bunch of relics for sure - that Griffey is bueno!

Matt said...

Um. Favorite fries goes to Burger King lol

The Snorting Bull said...

Wow!!! I don't think I had ever seen that A's booklet card before. That's a beauty. Cook Out and Burger King have better french fries than McDs.

Fuji said...

john miller - thank you kind sir

j. meeks & jedijeff - lol. in terms of value, the gehrig is probably #1, but sentimental value played a big role in these rankings

big tone - i'm pretty sure this is my only baseball booklet. but the best thing about the card was the player selection.

dennis - thanks. there'll be days when the clemente switches spots and reclaims #1. it just depends on my mood.

gcrl - thanks again for such a very cool card. i promise to treasure it for a long, long time

runfore kelloggs - i've seem some affordable booklets at card shows... but they're always hockey and basketball.

sumomenkoman - yeah... i sure miss UD producing MLB cards

the lost collector - the diamond dust card is sort of a hidden treasure within our hobby.

nachos grande - yeah i love that quad card. i'd love to one day own the 97 ud game jersey card too, but don't think that'll ever happen

sport card collectors - i'm surprised you didn't say in n' out fries are the best. i ask my students which fries they like the best and 80 to 90% vote in n' out. i've been a mcdonald's fry guy since i was a kid.

snorting bull - you should check out jim's site. he has a bunch of those booklets. as for burger king fries... i'd rather have their onion rings

Peter K Steinberg said...

This was rather an epic countdown. Each one is better than the next but each, also, could've been one ranking higher and even number 1.