What do you think are the 5 most "iconic" football cards ever?
 

Mines in no particular order.

1965 Topps Joe Namath RC
1957 Topps Johnny Unitas RC
1981 Topps Joe Montana RC
1986 Topps Jerry Rice RC
2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC

1935 National Chicle Rockne
1955 Topps All-American Jim Thorpe

are 2 important cards IMO

dupe post

Iconic as in "most instantly recognizable"?

1935 National Chicle, Bronko Nagurski
1958 Topps, Jim Brown RC
1965 Topps Joe Namath RC
1981 Topps Joe Montana RC
2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC

[QUOTE=smanzari;17554548]1935 National Chicle Rockne
1955 Topps All-American Jim Thorpe

are 2 important cards IMO[/QUOTE]

Yeah, this happens all the time when we get into this topic. Some people name the most rarest and/or expensive cards. To me, "iconic" is more than just value. It's the significance and/or impression left on a hobby for whatever reason. For example, take baseball. The 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey card is only worth about $100 raw but anyone who lived through that era can testify it is without a doubt one of THE most iconic baseball cards ever because it ushered in the new "modern" era of cards with Upper Deck. The classic pose, card #1 in the set, etc all make it "iconic."

I don’t think the Montana is iconic at all. Not sure why. I just don’t. I think more people would recognize, and to me that matters, something like a Barry Sanders Score before the Montana

81 just falls in that spot where it’s not “super vintage” like a Namath but is just old enough that collectors in their 30-45 range weren’t necessarily buying 81 Topps

I’d say the Marino rookie is more “iconic” than Montana.

It’s why Rice definitely is. Guys my age were 5 years old and starting to buy 86 Topps

That’s not a player judgement

84 is just more in the sweet spot

If the list was longer, that 1993 SP foil Drew Bledsoe RC would probably surprise a lot of younger collectors with how high it would rank.

[QUOTE=TheFrenzy;17554647]If the list was longer, that 1993 SP foil Drew Bledsoe RC would probably surprise a lot of younger collectors with how high it would rank.[/QUOTE]

Oh man… if you had one from like 93-96? You ran the neighborhood

[QUOTE=asujbl;17554602]I don’t think the Montana is iconic at all. Not sure why. I just don’t. I think more people would recognize, and to me that matters, something like a Barry Sanders Score before the Montana

81 just falls in that spot where it’s not “super vintage” like a Namath but is just old enough that collectors in their 30-45 range weren’t necessarily buying 81 Topps

I’d say the Marino rookie is more “iconic” than Montana.

It’s why Rice definitely is. Guys my age were 5 years old and starting to buy 86 Topps

That’s not a player judgement

84 is just more in the sweet spot[/QUOTE]

This is obviously a subjective topic but the Montana RC is absolutely iconic. I remember in 1989 when I was a teenager seeing this card sell for $175 in Beckett as he kept winning SBs. Now, keep in mind, cards sold for much cheaper back then and a Marino was selling for about $30 and Rice for about $10. This card was smoking hot and sold at prices that were unheard of back then. Everyone wanted this card.

I agree about the Barry and also thought about including it (my top 10 for sure). Like I mentioned about 1989 UD Griffey for baseball, the Barry Score kind of ushered in the "modern" era football cards.

[QUOTE=TheFrenzy;17554647]If the list was longer, that 1993 SP foil Drew Bledsoe RC would probably surprise a lot of younger collectors with how high it would rank.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=asujbl;17554658]Oh man… if you had one from like 93-96? You ran the neighborhood[/QUOTE]

Inject this into my veins

[QUOTE=ReggieBush22;17554664]This is obviously a subjective topic but the Montana RC is absolutely iconic. I remember in 1989 when I was a teenager seeing this card sell for $175 in Beckett as he kept winning SBs. Now, keep in mind, cards sold for much cheaper back then and a Marino was selling for about $30 and Rice for about $10. This card was smoking hot and sold at prices that were unheard of back then. Everyone wanted this card.

I agree about the Barry and also thought about including it (my top 10 for sure). Like I mentioned about 1989 UD Griffey for baseball, the Barry Score kind of ushered in the "modern" era football cards.[/QUOTE]

Disagree

But it’s absolutely subjective

[QUOTE=ssbledsoe;17554668]Inject this into my veins[/QUOTE]

I mean, you could [I]almost[/I] flip a 1993 Bledsoe SP foil PSA 10 for a raw Brady Bowman RC.

With the new generation, 2017 Mahomes Prizm should be on the list. That card will define a generation of collecting.

[QUOTE=TheFrenzy;17554575]Iconic as in "most instantly recognizable"?

1935 National Chicle, Bronko Nagurski
1958 Topps, Jim Brown RC
[B]1965 Topps Joe Namath RC
1981 Topps Joe Montana RC
2000 Playoff Contenders Tom Brady RC[/B][/QUOTE]

Can't disagree with this list. I think the 3 bolded HAVE to be top 5 by default for various reasons. I probably should've included the 1935 Bronko too, which is sort of like the Babe Ruth version of a super early card that's significant in the hobby,

[QUOTE=asujbl;17554602][B]I don’t think the Montana is iconic at all[/B]. Not sure why. I just don’t. I think more people would recognize, and to me that matters, something like a Barry Sanders Score before the Montana

81 just falls in that spot where it’s not “super vintage” like a Namath but is just old enough that collectors in their 30-45 range weren’t necessarily buying 81 Topps

I’d say the Marino rookie is more “iconic” than Montana.

It’s why Rice definitely is. Guys my age were 5 years old and starting to buy 86 Topps

That’s not a player judgement

84 is just more in the sweet spot[/QUOTE]

Give me a Walter Payton RC over Joe any day.

[QUOTE=TheFrenzy;17554700]I mean, you could [I]almost[/I] flip a [B]1993 Bledsoe SP foil PSA 10[/B] for a raw Brady Bowman RC.[/QUOTE]

I could do this a few times...

[QUOTE=RW3FAN;17554726]Give me a Walter Payton RC over Joe any day.[/QUOTE]

I would agree

Montana simply isn’t one of the first 5 cards I think of. Maybe not Top 10

And that’s iconic to me

Not that Montana is a Top 3 QB ever. Irrelevant

hmmm.... So far it sounds like maybe only 2 truly fit the bill, regardless of "subjectivity": Namath and Brady.

If we're doing iconic RB rookie cards...

(Not counting the Nagurski card)

1. 1958 Topps, Jim Brown
2. 1989 Score, Barry Sanders
3. 1976 Topps, Walter Payton
4. 1979 Topps, Earl Campbell
5. 2001 Topps, LaDanian Thomlinson

[QUOTE=altaeria;17554776]hmmm.... So far it sounds like maybe only 2 truly fit the bill, regardless of "subjectivity": Namath and Brady.[/QUOTE]

I would agree with that

And even as a Browns fan I wouldn’t say Jim Brown rookie is.

It might be one of the first 5 cards I think of but I don’t think that’s across the board.

I guarantee some people see 59 and think it’s the rookie. They use that picture more I’d say.

Did they ever make a card of this hit? It's iconic...

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4sNKvxS.gif[/img]

[QUOTE=Boo;17554788]Did they ever make a card of this hit? It's iconic...

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4sNKvxS.gif[/img][/QUOTE]


Has TOPPS NOW ever made retro-moment cards?

[QUOTE=JeremyNick;17554707]With the new generation, 2017 Mahomes Prizm should be on the list. That card will define a generation of collecting.[/QUOTE]

That's going to be the interesting thing...

The Prizm is the "common" rookie that a lot of collectors have a chance to get, but now the NT is the most expensive football card ever sold. You'll be seeing some version of the NT a lot moving forward.

Whereas Jim Brown has 1 rookie. Montana has 1 rookie. Brady has a bunch, but only 1 rookie auto, and its from an important set.

1958 topps Jim brown
1976 topps Walter Payton
1981 topps joe Montana
1989 score Barry Sanders
2000 contenders Brady

[QUOTE=Boo;17554788]Did they ever make a card of this hit? It's iconic...

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4sNKvxS.gif[/img][/QUOTE]

It could be one of those lenticular cards.