[daddys lil all star]

It has to be griffey ud rc.... its #1 in the set for a reason plus it is the card that defines the 80-90's kid era.that one and the topps chipper rc also defines the 90's childhood..

[mnc99]

No question, it's the 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr.

[showstopper2]

once I started player collecting specifically I sold off most of the key 80's and early 90's rookie cards I owned. So IMO there are no must have cards for everyone's collection.

[dpatera]

(12-30-2012 11:53 AM)showstopper2 Wrote:  once I started player collecting specifically I sold off most of the key 80's and early 90's rookie cards I owned. So IMO there are no must have cards for everyone's collection.

I agree with this. Collecting has changed a lot since the 80s. With all the different releases, and all the different inserts and parallels, a player may have hundreds of different cards each year. There is too much variety to have any seem as iconic as they did in the past, not to mention all the segmented collecting people do today.

I saw someone listed the hot rookies each year, but I think you used to be able to take that a step further. If you wanted a Griffey rookie, it was the UD version. Sure, there were others, but they just were never the same. If you wanted a Ripken rookie, it was the Topps, not Fleer or Donruss. A player may have had three or four rookie cards, but usually one stood out above all else.

Fast forward to today, and which of the Strasburgs are really iconic for everyone? What about Harpers? There are just too many options, for any single one to be iconic.

[75toppsfan]

A Griffey rookie for sure! But for me it was always a '75 Yount & Brett rookies!

[waynetalger]

ok since this is really an opinion thread i will play
1- must have 1 pre war card no matter the player, set or condition. just to say you have one is good enough
2- must have at least 1 1948-1979 preferred a good or HOFer card
3- Must have a rookie card of a HOFer ( who is already in the hall)
4- must have a player collection or team collection no matter who it is
5- and above all else must have fun building their collection no matter what someone else thinks of the collection you are building. I know I get made fun of all the time

[nyyankeesfan28]

I have all but the first one, waynetalger.

[esa0315]

A rare '90's insert preferably a '93 Finest refractor imo.

[ceocards]

Being that I wholeheartedly believe each collector should collect whatever makes him/her happy, I think the original question is bunk (no offense intended). I don't believe there are any cards that a collector HAS to have.

[DrMitchJ]

A good topic with all good points. Of course, money being no object a nice '52 Topps Mantle would be one if those iconic cards that everyone that collects should own, but most if the folks I know can't justify/afford buying a 30k card.
So, my opinion of one card that every collection must have? It's gotta be any Mickey Mantle card, doesn't matter if its vintage, a reprint, a new Topps #7 card of any of the past several years. If you don't have at least 1 mantle, you don't have a card collection. IMO