[mjmj1966]

[quote='ricochetrob' pid='1751677' dateline='1319325284']

Sounds good.

Aren't RC's & prospects the same thing? Or is their a key difference I'm missing?

They are not. Prospects haven't played in a MLB game yet and the Rookie cards are of players with their first card after they have been called up to the big club.

Also, do you prefer Bowman's more limited space devoted to stats versus the Topps base set?

This doesn't bother me at all.

Do you choose Bowman over Topps? If so, what are the key reasons why (if they go beyond the reasons you already stated)?

Yes
1. Topps is broken up into 3 series. I, II, and Update (more money)
2. Too many SPs---Sparkle, card variations, etc
3. Not into the inserts
4. No prospects

Collecting Bowman is just easier for me. It gives me everything I want in a set.

[chrisa19978]

[quote='ricochetrob' pid='1751677' dateline='1319325284']

Sounds good.

Aren't RC's & prospects the same thing? Or is their a key difference I'm missing?

They are not. Prospects haven't played in a MLB game yet and the Rookie cards are of players with their first card after they have been called up to the big club.

Here is where I can kind of take his side you say this but its not techinally true either. We will go with my favorite player first Derek Jeter his rookie card was in 1993 but he didn't play in the MLB till 1995 with that it was for only 15 games as well. I have always looked at it like this a persons rookie year is his first year he played atleast half the year with a MLB team. Now lets speed it up to now Bryce Harper has yet to play in the MLB and should still be considered a prospect till he plays in the Major League. But I look and see he has quite a few Topps cards which are supposed to be his rookie card (Topps Heritage, and Topps Pro Debut). Now with this said he will be all over the Topps base product next year which they will consider his rookie year but there is a chance he might not play next year as I am sure he won't start in the Majors next year and the possibility of an injury could set him back another year. I am sure I can make a list of players that had rookie cards and never made it to the Majors for a few years later if ever at all. But I thought the point of this topic was about why people like Bowman. I like bowman for one off the same reasons you have its one box to complete the set and not various series. Bowman cards always seem to hold better value than the base Topps products so this is why I feel people collect them.

[waynetalger]

I collect bowman. In fact I need 2 more to finish the 2010 Bowman sterling auto set. Also I dont sell cards so it couldnt be for the money.

[jacobystealshome]

I collect bowman. In fact I need 2 more to finish the 2010 Bowman sterling auto set. Also I dont sell cards so it couldnt be for the money.

you must be lying, because the OP said definitely nobody does, and obviously he right about all blankets statements in the world. so you are just lying to make him look bad, you lying liar

[dpatera]

Now with this said he will be all over the Topps base product next year which they will consider his rookie year but there is a chance he might not play next year as I am sure he won't start in the Majors next year and the possibility of an injury could set him back another year. I am sure I can make a list of players that had rookie cards and never made it to the Majors for a few years later if ever at all.

Unless I'm mistaken, I'm pretty sure a player can not appear in a regular Topps base set until he has appeared in the majors. That's why Strasburg ended up being an MCG redemption like he was initially. I think this was part of the recent Topps contracts with baseball, so it may have happened in the past, but can't anymore.

I'm not sure how that applies to Bowman, but I know there's a reason a lot of the players are only featured in the insert sets.

[oneofakindcards]

I agree WHOLE-HEARTEDLY! ... with EVERYTHING you said, ... but I would be less tactful about your last paragraph -

I would elaborate in the following, for all to know -

Topps' motivation behind Bowman is purely monetary! They realized and saw an immediate need to get SEPARATION between the children's market (Topps) and the many ethically-challenged adults constantly looking to turn a profit off the value of stars and (especially) RC's!
They had originally hoped interests in both would boom and they could manipulate this greedy/older segment of the "collecting" world, gaining HUGE profits off of them, but only the RC's gained IMMENSE popularity.

They dropped 2 nuclear bombs on this demographic, but only one went off.
Plenty profitable! just the one, and hence, Bowman is synonymous with RC's, and its now aka 'Home of the Rookie Card!'
Very true, ... and VERY PROFITABLE, ... for Topps!!

At least adults are no longer motivated to corrupt the base set, so ... I APPLAUD Topps for what they did. It was a child-protective maneuver, and its made my collecting more enjoyable, no doubt.

Topps needed to sell more cards in the mid-90s because almost *everyone* who wanted to invest in cards was starting to buy vintage cards again because even then, everyone realized Topps (and Fleer and Donruss) was flooding the market with new cards - and as a result investors weren't buying current product which obviously hurt Topps' bottom line.

So Topps did what any company would probably do and experimented with ways to get investors into buying current product again - which is probably the biggest reason why there were so many new things in the hobby in the '90s.

Whether flipping cards and prospecting is ethical seems to be up to the person doing the selling, but I'm a little uncomfortable when a company that is supposed to be advocating collecting for everyone suddenly advocates selling - especially short-term selling/flipping. Remember these?

Just like everything else, selling anything brings in a lot of people who care little or nothing about the item being sold or the people buying the item. Its just my belief that in order to help protect potential real collectors everything should be above-boards, honest and transparent - which is another reason why I don't think its right to show minor league players as major league players.

[ricochetrob]

You know what? The simple fact that you even thought to go here on a fun internet message board discussing pieces of cardboard that people like to collect for various sentimental, monetary, or personal reasons proves you're a tool. Thanks for removing all doubt.

As for the arrogance you fling around demanding someone give you an "argument FOR Bowman", here you go:

Simple. Direct. To the point. People buy it because they want to.

/thread /question

But here's one that still needs to be answered:

What's the appeal of your posts?

I'm sorry you're not having fun; I am.
Also, when I use the word "argument", I mean it by its legal definition.
I think you might be implying that I'm 'looking for trouble' - that's not how I mean it.

As for your defense of Bowman (which you clearly feel strong about) "People buy it because they want to." ... it reminds me of a childlike back-and-forth - one kid asks repeatedly 'Why?', the other replies 'Because.', then 'Just because!', again 'Just because because'.

I was looking for a deeper persuasive speech (<-i.e. an 'argument').
So far, you've put very little thought into it; although, I admire your passion for your favorite product.

[jacobystealshome]

/trolled