The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 1

It all comes down to this.  I have ranked the cards that I consider the tops in my collection.  I feel like I chose all of the cards on this list very well, and they all slot into their different positions nicely.  The card that made No. 1 on the list has much more meaning to me than for it to be just another card in my collection.  It meets a lot of the criteria that landed other cards on the list.  Vintage? Check. Rookie? Check. PC Player? Check.

The thing that pushes this card to the top of my list, ahead of all others is that it was/is the culmination of a PC that I never expected to start in the first place.

Card No. 1 out of my Top Ten is:

My 1948-49 Leaf Virgil Trucks rookie card.  Anyone familiar with this blog knows how I feel about Mr. Trucks.  He was a gem of a man, and a favorite to those in the hobby.  I first discovered him when I was discussing TTMs with my good friend, Drew.  I did a phone interview with him.  I corresponded with him a great deal, and I cried when he passed away.  He was a good man, and a great American.  A hero to many of us in the hobby.  When I bought this card, it was (and still is) the most that I ever spent on one baseball card.  I won an auction on Ebay and got this card for $350.00.  Graded, this one would likely go for a lot more.

The price was so high, mainly because this card was a short print.  It was the last of Mr. Trucks regular series cards that I needed for the PC.  I added some more later on, like the 2011 Topps Black Diamond auto, but this one was the last of his regular issue cards from his playing days.  It caps my Trucks PC nicely.

Furthermore, this, like a lot of the older cards with minimal color, it really pops.  The picture of Trucks on the card is a blurry, but he still looks cool.  I also love the old school Tigers jersey.

This card made No. 1 on my list for a lot of reasons.  To me, it most represents what Mr. Trucks meant to me as a person and my desire to have a nice PC built around him.

Thank you all for checking in to see my Top Ten posts; for all of the comments here on my blog, or my Facebook or Instagram.  This has been a lot of fun to do.  I plan on revisiting this in a few years to see if the numbers still stack up.  Who knows, I may add some awesome pieces between now and then, and the list will get a good shake-up.  For those that are interested, I created a page among my tabs (at the top of the blog) so you can go back and look at the Top Ten.

I always hated the Top Watever countdowns that VH1 would have, because there was always some current song or artist that just didn't quite fit in with whatever the countdown was.  Like, they would always try to find a way to sneak Celine Dion into the countdown.  Like, Slash would be the Number 3 guitarist on their list, followed by Celine Dion at number two.  Stuff like that.  I tried my best to make sure that the list was comprehensive of my entire collection, and it didn't reflect any bias toward anything that was obtained last week versus last year.  Thanks for reading!

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 2

Each of the card on this list were ones that cost me a decent enough amount of money and/or were amazing gifts from friends and loved ones.  Each card is desirable and would be highly sought after by any collector.  The next card on my Top Ten list is one that took me over 20 years to add to my collection.  It is also one card that I was almost willing to pay any price to get it in my hands.  It is also the only card in my Top Ten that came out of the Junk Wax era, showing that there are cards from the late 80s to early 90s that still command value and mystique.  Card No. 2 in my Top Ten would be No. 1 in any collection, but it is supplanted here, but is still an amazing piece:

My 1992 Donruss Elite Cal Ripken auto card was one that I wanted to add since it was announced to be able to be pulled out of 1992 Donruss packs.  I can't even begin to count how many 1992 Donruss packs that I opened in hopes of adding this card to my collection.  I had a chance to get one at the 2012 National, but declined, believing that I would be able to find one cheaper than what I found there.

I made it my mission to get this card at the 2015 National and I was able to leave Chicago with it in my hands.  I dropped $300 on the card, but in the end, I was super satisfied with it.  I had walked clear across the Donald Stephens Center looking for it, until I found a vendor who had it.  My excitement probably cost me a few bucks, since he wasn't willing to come down on the price any.  It didn't matter.  I wanted the card so bad, I was willing to pay up.  The hunt for the card was a welcome side-quest at the National and made it a very enjoyable time.

The auto is on-card and is still share after all these years.  It is also the only signed card in my Top Ten.  I guess it shows how much I value vintage and rookie cards.  Still, Cal was my first PC and my first baseball hero.  I doubt I will be able to add any Ripken card that means more to me than this one.  As amazing as it would be to pull this out of a pack, I was happy with being able to find it when I could afford it, and bring it home.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 3

I've covered rookie cards, amazing vintage and set building in the previous Top Ten posts.  There was no card I was more excited to receive that the next one on the list.  I was working really hard on building a major vintage set at that time, but I had told myself that I wouldn't ever be able to afford the key rookie card, so my set would likely be incomplete.

It took a cursory look on Ebay one afternoon at the card shop, some nudging from my friend, and I put a bid in.  Little did I know at the time that the card would be one of the crown jewels of my collection.  Card No. 3 in my top ten is:

My 1955 Topps Roberto Clemente rookie card.  I placed the bid on the computer at the card shop, but the auction was ending about 30 minutes after closing time.  I raced to my parents' house and begged my mom to let me use her computer so I could watch the end of the auction (since I was still winning).  She let me, but said "If your dad comes in, he's going to want to get on the computer and you'll have to get off."  I took my chances and signed into Ebay.  With about a minute to go, my dad walked in, wondering why I was on his computer.  I told him I was winning an auction and really wanted to make sure I won.  He walked over and saw it was for a baseball card; then he saw the price.  I figured he would tell me how silly it was that I was bidding so high for a piece of cardboard.  What he said next really surprised me, though.  He chuckled and said "I guess we all have our things, don't we?  You should see what I paid for the engine I just bought..."

He walked away, saying he would be back in about five minutes, to which I told him that would be fine.  I ended up winning the auction for this card for about $150.  That was a complete steal, since the book value on the card is exponentially higher.

It isn't mint, but it looks great.  The card now resided with my 1955 Topps set, which I was able to finish about a year and a half later.  I still think it is really cool that my dad got to see me get it, and he understood the importance of my collection to me.  I'll always remember that about this card.  I have met a lot of collectors over the years who's parents either didn't understand or support their hobbies.  I am lucky to say that both of my parents not only understand, but they support it and they each have their own hobbies as well (Dad actually collects a great number of things, from fishing reels to trains to Johnny West figures and more).  This card reminds me just how lucky I am.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 4

We are getting to the best of the best cards in my collection as this countdown begins to wind down.  The cards that made this list have significant value to me, but they each also have significant value in the hobby.  When you are able to add a rookie card of a baseball legend, and one of the most underrated players of all-time, you have to jump on it.  It doesn't matter if the card isn't the most aesthetically pleasing.  We covered that already.  The card that is slotted at No. 4 on the list is there for all of the right reasons.  It is a truly tough card to add, and I was able to with a little bit of luck and some really good timing.  This card will likely only increase in value, both monetarily, and also in my own mind.  So, here we are with card No. 4:

My 1948 Bowman Stan Musial rookie card is ranked No. 4 on my Top Ten because it really is a cool card.  I saw one for a good price, and pretty much robbed it from Ebay at a time when Musial wasn't really at the forefront of people's minds.  He is one of the all-time greats in baseball, but when the discussions are being had, he tends to be overshadowed by the likes of Mays, Mantle, Ted Williams, etc.

Something else that is significant about this card is that this card pretty much showed me that I could complete the 1948 set, since it was one of the biggest keys to the set, and I was able to add it without having to take out a mortgage.  I had already owned the Feller and Spahn rookies, so when I was able to add this as well, it was on!  I was able to complete the set, and I added a couple other significant HOF rookies that were in there, but the Musial still ranks above and beyond those others.

I really love this card, and I still am excited that it made its way into my collection.  I'm sure that if this card is ranked at No. 4, then the three ahead of it must be amazing, right?

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 5

We are halfway through my Top Ten list, and I have shown some pretty amazing cards, so far.  There have been some great rookie cards, a sick patch and some really sweet vintage.  Each one of the cards on the list is something that is pretty amazing.  Card No. 5 isn't any different.

I am a huge fan of patches, like I said before, and a unique patch makes them even better.  I also enjoy low numbered cards, because, well, I guess because that's what we are told to do.  Regardless, the next card on the list is in a well-deserved spot and it is all because of the relic and the super low numbering.  So, here we are with card No. 5:

This is a 2014 Panini National Treasures Chris Davis relic numbered 1/2.  The relic is really cool because it is part of the laundry tag from Davis's game used uniform.  I have another card that is in my Davis PC that has a piece of laundry tag, but it is numbered much higher than this one.  I also apparently know where the 2/2 is, but as of today, he still isn't willing to part with it.

I got this card off of Ebay, but I don't remember what I paid.  That's probably a good thing, I do know that I considered this a huge steal.  I feel like I paid only around $50 for this.  Maybe a little more, but not much more.

I have spent a lot of time on my Davis PC this year, and I have some really great cards to show for it.  It is only fitting that one of them was able to make it into the top five of this list.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 6

You don't often hear baseball cards referred to as works of art.  However, before 1957, most baseball cards looked more like painted images rather than actual photographs.  Cards like ones from the 1953 Topps set are a prime example, and they remain some of the most aesthetically pleasing of all-time.  When fashioning my Top Ten list, one of the first cards I thought of is one I have had for several years and it remains one of my favorite cards to look at, and show off.

It is placed well within my Top Ten, and would be high on anyone's list, so, here it is:

Card No. 6 is my 1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese.  As you can see, the card is far from mint.  There are surface creases in the top left and bottom right of the card.  However, it still catches the eye right off the bat.  It is a "Turn Two" card, and probably one of the best of all-time.

I picked this card up back in 2009 or 2010, back when I was close friends with someone who was a huge Dodgers fan.  I was looking for a nice vintage card to get him and I discovered this one.  I liked the card so much, I wanted one, too!  I was able to find one for $50 and another for $55, so I ended up buying both.  This card has, like I said above, been one of my favorite cards in my collection since then, and it doesn't take much to wonder why.

Upon further review after I purchased the two cards, I found that I got major steals both times.  It is very difficult to find any versions of this for under $100, let alone two of them.  This card, while it represents one of the better-looking cards in my collection, it also is a prime example of the luck I have had in "sniping" cards off of EBay.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 7

What is a top ten list without some amazing relic or patch?  I have grown to love the pieces of uniform patches that sometimes make their way onto relics, and when it is of a highly touted prospect in your favorite team's system, that makes it even better.  Add into the fact that it came from one of my favorite people in the hobby and is a huge piece in my history of trading on Instagram, and you have the reasons why this next card cracked my Top Ten.

This 2014 Topps Pro Debut Christian Walker patch made it to No. 7 on my list and was part of a huge trade I made with my amazing friend, Max.  The card is numbered 2/5 and is the "sickest" patch card that I own.  I hate using the term "sick" when discussing a card, but I think it fits in this case.  This card is awesome. The patch is actually game used and not a manufactured patch at all.  I can't even put a value on it, because it means so much more to me than money.  My friend made sure he made it very easy on me to get it, and it is now a jewel in my collection.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 8

Like I said yesterday, a common theme of my Top Ten cards is the Hall of Fame rookie card.  It wouldn't be a true Top Ten of my cards if it didn't include some players who I PC that are near and dear to my heart.  Another common theme is "vintage".  I am a huge fan of vintage cards, especially Topps.  Also, many of my favorite cards are ones that I "invested" a significant amount of money in, at least significant in my eyes.  This next card is the fisr huge card purchase I had when I jumped back into collecting as an adult.

Card number 8 on my Top Ten list is the 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson rookie card.  This card was one that, at the time, I had felt that I would never get a chance to own.  I was used to operating on a very low budget, and being satisfied with pulling good cards from packs.  After I got back into the hobby in 2005, I set my sights on a Brooks rookie that I could afford, and after a little bit of time, I landed this one in an Ebay auction for around $150.00.  That was, at that time, the most I had ever spent on a baseball card.  As you will see, I have since surpassed that with some of the other cards on this list.

What can I say about Brooks that I haven't already said on this blog?  I have met him a couple times now and he is just a gem of a fellow.  Always the class act, I am proud to be able to say that I am a super collector of Brooks.  Adding this card to my PC was, at the time, such a huge addition as far as PC cards goes.  It still remains one of my favorite all-time cards.

I have had the opportunity to add other '57 Topps Brooks Robinson rookies to my collection, at prices cheaper than what I paid, but I never jumped on them for whatever reason.  I imagine that I will add some more of this card to my collection, because I like it so much.  It is just a cool-looking card.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 9

In collating the Top Ten cards in my collection, I noticed that a common theme existed, the Hall of Fame rookie card.  Of course, most players' rookie cards tend to be their most sought after, but also the Hall of Famers themselves tend to be more valuable as well.  Of course, not all rookie cards are from a player's first year, but it is their first official card.  When you pair a rookie card with a baseball legend, well, you end up with something really special.  That brings us to card number 9 in my Top Ten:

This is a 1933 Goudey Jimmie Foxx that I got in a deal on Instagram a while back.  The card is graded by SGC and is "Poor".  You can see that based on the severely rounded corners and the huge crease in the top right corner.  All grading issues aside, this is a Jimmie Foxx rookie card.  Let that sink in a bit.  Foxx is one of my PCs and one of my all-time favorite Hall of Famers.

The deal itself worried me some, since it seemed so too good to be true.  I got the card for $40 from a guy on Instagram that I hadn't dealt with before.  It turned out that I shouldn't have prejudged so easily, because he was 100% legit and sent the card really fast.  I haven't done any deals with him since then, but this had to have been one of my best deals on there.

The Foulbunt Top Ten - No. 10

Lately, I haven't had a lot to blog about, so I got to thinking.  Then, I thought some more.  Then, I went to the bank and pulled my baseball cards out of my safety deposit box and went through my collection to try to determine my Top Ten baseball cards.  It wasn't easy, but I think I got a pretty good list together.  My intention is to blog each of the Top Ten, even though all of them have been featured on this blog in the past.  Each card got a new scan, especially since some of them came before I got my new scanner, and way before I learned how to properly crop them as well.

Without further ado, here is card number 10:

Card No. 10 in my Top Ten (as of November 14, 2015) is this 1954 Topps Jackie Robinson.  This card beat out a good many "honorable mentions" like my 1960 Topps Mickey Mantle, my 1953 Topps Satchel Paige, my graded 1967 Topps Brooks Robinson and countless others.

I got this card back in May when I visited the Columbia antique shop with my mom.  She picked this up for me, along with the '60 Mantle to cover for a couple birthday gifts and Christmas presents.  I couldn't choose between the Mantle and Robinson, so she was awesome enough to get both.  Thanks Mom!

I only have two Jackie Robinson cards in my collection, this one, and the 1955 in my set.  I intend to do the 1954 set at some point, but I still need a bunch of the higher end cards like the Aaron and Kaline rookies.

The card itself is in pretty good shape, and is very aesthetically pleasing.  I always enjoy the 50s sets like this one, and 1959, with their bold colors.  I always find that they scan well.

Jackie helps to make this list not only because he is a Hall of Famer, but also because he is a cultural icon.  Having broken the color barrier and being a huge factor in the Civil Rights movement makes this a huge piece in my collection.