Rookie card
Encyclopedia
"Rookie card" is a relatively subjective term generally referring to an athlete's first appearance on a trading card
made for collectible or informational purposes. Collectors value more greatly these first appearances which generally hold more value than later, subsequent card issues.
This debate was exemplified when in 2001, Upper Deck
, a trading card company, created a set of golf cards which featured Tiger Woods
. However, Woods already had many cards from other manufacturers such as Sports Illustrated
which included a young Tiger in a 1996 edition of their Sports Illustrated for Kids
periodical, which routinely contains trading cards of various athletes. "SI Kids" cards have perforated edges and are normally unlicensed by the athlete. Hobby publication Beckett gave the 2001 Upper Deck Golf card a rookie card designation despite its arrival five years after the Sports Illustrated for Kids
release, sparking controversy.
The market, it appears, gives far greater credence and value to the 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids release which sells for exponentially more. As it remains, there is no formal definition of a "rookie card," though some players do have cards that are considered "rookies" by all.
Despite the popularity of the Griffey card, it was not a scarce card. The card was situated in the top left hand corner of the uncut sheets and was more liable to be cut poorly or have its corners dinged. Company policy was that if a customer found a damaged card in its package, the company would replace it. Many Griffey cards were returned and the result was that Upper Deck printed many uncut sheets (sheets consisting of 100 cards) of just Ken Griffey, Jr. According to Professional Sports Authenticator, the Ken Griffey, Jr. would become the most graded card of all time with the company. PSA graded over 50,000 of the cards. The Beckett Grading card service has evaluated over 25,000 of the Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards.
Trading card
A trading card is a small card, usually made out of paperboard or thick paper, which usually contains an image of a certain person, place or thing and a short description of the picture, along with other text...
made for collectible or informational purposes. Collectors value more greatly these first appearances which generally hold more value than later, subsequent card issues.
Debate
Debate within the hobby exists, as some believe that an athlete's first appearance on any trading card qualifies as his rookie card. Others believe that a rookie card is the first licensed issue from a major manufacturer that is widely distributed. There can be more than one rookie card for a player.This debate was exemplified when in 2001, Upper Deck
Upper deck
Upper deck may refer to :* The Upper Deck Company, an American trading card business* The upper deck is the highest level internal deck on a ship, i.e. just below the superstructure and open deck....
, a trading card company, created a set of golf cards which featured Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Formerly the World No...
. However, Woods already had many cards from other manufacturers such as Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
which included a young Tiger in a 1996 edition of their Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated Kids is a monthly spin-off of the weekly U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated. SI Kids was launched in January 1989 and includes sports coverage with less vocabulary and emphasis on humor...
periodical, which routinely contains trading cards of various athletes. "SI Kids" cards have perforated edges and are normally unlicensed by the athlete. Hobby publication Beckett gave the 2001 Upper Deck Golf card a rookie card designation despite its arrival five years after the Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated for Kids
Sports Illustrated Kids is a monthly spin-off of the weekly U.S. sports magazine Sports Illustrated. SI Kids was launched in January 1989 and includes sports coverage with less vocabulary and emphasis on humor...
release, sparking controversy.
The market, it appears, gives far greater credence and value to the 1996 Sports Illustrated for Kids release which sells for exponentially more. As it remains, there is no formal definition of a "rookie card," though some players do have cards that are considered "rookies" by all.
Definition
Generally, a safe definition of rookie card is any trading card manufactured prior to or during an athlete's rookie year. They can come in a variety of formats, including packs, boxes, sets, magazines, and more. (Source: RookieCards.com)1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey, Jr.
In the 1989 Upper Deck baseball set, Ken Griffey, Jr. was selected to be featured on card number one. At press time, Griffey had not yet played a major league game, so Upper Deck used an image of Griffey in a San Bernardino Spirit uniform. Competitors such as Score and Topps neglected to include a card of Griffey in its 1989 base set, but later included him in their traded issues. Such neglect helped Upper Deck gain exposure due to the popularity of Griffey in the 1989 MLB season. Fleer included a Griffey rookie in its base set, but it was never as popular as the Upper Deck issue.Despite the popularity of the Griffey card, it was not a scarce card. The card was situated in the top left hand corner of the uncut sheets and was more liable to be cut poorly or have its corners dinged. Company policy was that if a customer found a damaged card in its package, the company would replace it. Many Griffey cards were returned and the result was that Upper Deck printed many uncut sheets (sheets consisting of 100 cards) of just Ken Griffey, Jr. According to Professional Sports Authenticator, the Ken Griffey, Jr. would become the most graded card of all time with the company. PSA graded over 50,000 of the cards. The Beckett Grading card service has evaluated over 25,000 of the Ken Griffey, Jr. rookie cards.