Saturday Night Five: The Big Hurt Collection

Do you ever wonder why it took you so long to start something?  That's how I feel about starting my Frank Thomas PC.  I've admired Thomas and the damage he could inflict on opposing pitchers since the early 90's.  But it took me over twenty years to officially start a collection of his cards.

Since tomorrow is his special day, I figured I'd honor him by sharing some of my favorite cards featuring The Big Hurt in my collection...

#1:  1990 Leaf Rookie Card #300

This particular card actually combines two new collecting interests: Frank Thomas and certified autographed rookie cards.  It's not his rarest regular issue rookie card, but it's definitely the most iconic. And that's why it's one of my favorite cards in my collection.


#2: 1988 Cape Cod League #126

Back in the early 90's, I (along with millions of other collectors) went through a "minor league trading card" phase.  Over the past few years, I've crossed several of them off of my wantlist, but this is the only one I own that's autographed.


#3: 2001 UD MVP Souvenirs #GFT

I own a bunch of Frank Thomas jersey/bat cards, but only one batting glove relic.  In an era where demand for relic cards is nowhere near what it once was... it'd be hard to argue the coolness of this card.

#4: 1990 O-Pee-Chee #414

This might surprise you, but this card is a lot more difficult to track down compared to his other rookie cards.  Okay... so it's not as rare as the Topps "no name" error.  But this is one of those rare instances where Beckett actually has this card listed below their actual market value.

#5: 1996 Leaf Signature Extended Jumbo Auto #NNO

I'll wrap up this post with quite possibly the most affordable Frank Thomas autograph on the market.  You can pick one of these up for around $25 on eBay or Amazon and it's hard signed.  The downside?  It's oversized (5" x 7"), so it might create storage issues for some collectors.

If you're interested in seeing my entire Frank Thomas collection, click here.  It's still pretty small... but my goal is to add three to five new cards each year.

Well that's it for tonight.  Happy Saturday and sayonara!