The Last Topps Cards of Hall of Famers project is a fun one for me. For the most part, it's budget-conscious collecting as many of the last cards of players elected into the Hall of Fame are super cheap: as in under a dollar. Of course there were plenty that weren't. Some that were very much not.
From this year's class going backwards I'm doing rather well. I have 137 cards in total. Under my criteria--must be a Topps card--it eliminates anyone who played before 1951. But those Topps Red and Blue backs don't give you any indication of what the player's career was like, so the first applicable year is 1952.
The first players elected into the Hall of Fame who had a last card with Topps were inducted in 1962 and their last year was 1956. One guy goes by the name of Jackie Robinson.
The other guy is below: Bob Feller of the Cleveland Indians.
This is my fourth 1956 card; Doby, Irvin, Clemente are the others.
The only other players with Topps Cards as their last card that I need are the aforementioned Mr. Robinson, Rizzuto (1956), Ted Williams (1958), and Mickey Mantle (1969). Some big names. Rizzuto's probably do-able.
I have reprints of a few players (Rizzuto, Wilhelm, Schoendienst) but Wilhelm's final Topps card is 1972 and I'm not forking out any real money for 1972. I'm fine with reprints unless I can find a really good deal.
You might be saying "What about Satchel Paige's 1953 Topps card?" Good question. It's on my mind, but I'm deliberating. He played five mostly unremarkable years in Major League Baseball and most of his career, and the reasons for which he is a Hall of Famer, are due to his time in the Negro League. So, he technically falls outside of what my criteria is.
Thanks for stopping by!
Congrats. I know when collecting the '56 set, Feller was a good get.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the rest (no, I'm not giving you my Jackie Robinson)