[Bruce3D]

Just a quick question regarding Zion Williamson's non-RCs in 2019-20 Panini Prizm Draft Picks.  Why are none of the base cards listed as RCs in the Beckett guide?  I wouldn't expect the Crusade or All-American cards to be RCs but #1 or #64 should be considered a rookie card, correct?  Not correct?  Am I missing something?  Please let me know your thoughts!

Thanks!

[rjcj2017]

Yeeeeeaaaaah, the whole "rookie card" thing is a lost concept full of contradictions and irregularities.

Like, draft picks in Score Football are considered "rookie cards" despite having no pro affiliation on the card and no playing experience with the pro team whatsoever, yet Bowman Baseball is full of players in major league uniforms who are not considered rookie cards despite having pro (minor league) experience with the organization depicted on the card.

UNLESS - they already made their major league debut.

Then, Topps takes it one more fun level of confusion by slapping that "official rookie card" logo on everything ... checklists, inserts, "debut" subsets, manufactured relics, you name it ... yet those are NOT rookie cards.

Clear as mud, right?

[Bruce3D]

Yeeeeeaaaaah, the whole "rookie card" thing is a lost concept full of contradictions and irregularities.

Like, draft picks in Score Football are considered "rookie cards" despite having no pro affiliation on the card and no playing experience with the pro team whatsoever, yet Bowman Baseball is full of players in major league uniforms who are not considered rookie cards despite having pro (minor league) experience with the organization depicted on the card.

UNLESS - they already made their major league debut.

Then, Topps takes it one more fun level of confusion by slapping that "official rookie card" logo on everything ... checklists, inserts, "debut" subsets, manufactured relics, you name it ... yet those are NOT rookie cards.

Clear as mud, right?

Haha, right!  I could see the argument that since Zion is in his college uniform on the cards in question, they don't count as RCs.  But they do have the RC logo (of course, that is just a Panini decision to put the logo on the card, whereas the official designation of a rookie card should probably not come from the card manufacturer since they have a vested interest in everything being an RC to drive up prices, demand, etc.).  Furthermore, I bought a couple boxes of the Panini Prizm Draft Pick football cards from this season, and the Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields cards of them in their college uniforms, with the RC logo, are RCs.

[rjcj2017]

Haha, right!  I could see the argument that since Zion is in his college uniform on the cards in question, they don't count as RCs.  But they do have the RC logo (of course, that is just a Panini decision to put the logo on the card, whereas the official designation of a rookie card should probably not come from the card manufacturer since they have a vested interest in everything being an RC to drive up prices, demand, etc.).  Furthermore, I bought a couple boxes of the Panini Prizm Draft Pick football cards from this season, and the Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields cards of them in their college uniforms, with the RC logo, are RCs.

Yes, it would help if a certain price guide company made its own consistent rules - that would be a good start.