Custance: The 25 most iconic sports cards of all time
From Craig Custance at The Athletic on May 18, 2020, with mention of SABR members Keith Olbermann and Nick Vossbrink:
For me, it was 1987 Topps. That was the set that did it. The beautiful wood grain. The allure of a Mark McGwire rookie. That was the first box of baseball cards I ever received, and unwrapping each wax pack, setting the gum aside in a sandwich bag while sorting the cards into numerical order seemed like solemn work.
I fell in love with it all.
Many card collectors have their own versions of that set. And now, as another generation of fans is falling in love with collecting, those of us who might have left for a minute are realizing just how much it’s taking off.
“The industry has been expanding in the last few years quite significantly,” said Joe Orlando, president and CEO of Collectors Universe, the parent company of Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). “On the modern side, there seems to be a new influx of younger people getting into the hobby. And since the crisis started, with people having more time on their hands, that need for nostalgia is a real thing.”
Read the full article here (subscription required): https://theathletic.com/1817526/2020/05/18/the-athletics-25-most-iconic-sports-cards-of-all-time/
Originally published: May 19, 2020. Last Updated: May 19, 2020.