Quote:
Originally Posted by pspa123
For a nonsports collector with a sports collecting background, why isn't the attraction and importance of a first card of a singer or actor or whomever equal to that of a baseball or football player?
|
It's a complex question but I'll attempt an answer. Some random thoughts,
Completely different than sports. Taking an example like Mickey Mantle, there is a long line of successive sets with a Mantle card...the first one really stands out and collectors want it the most. Similar to comics with a first appearance. Baseball cards are also one of the primary collectibles associated with the sport of baseball, along with memorabilia, autos, etc.
Taking the example of Taylor Swift, people who like her and her music are not generally collecting cards of her. If they are collecting anything at all, it's much more likely vinyl records, signed 8x10s, concert posters, tickets, etc. In fact, like other celebrities like Elon Musk, there really arent many official Taylor Swift cards as parts of sets anyway- just a few oddballs like the Topps American Pie or GPK card here and there. Everything else you see on ebay are custom cards and sketches. It's not like SW or Marvel where there are sets put out each year, and all the collectors. I think like the Elon, this question of what her 'rookie' is entirely about $- buying to invest in/grade/flip- not saying that's a good thing or bad thing, just saying what I think the question pertains to. It's actually not a lot different than sports or comics in that aspect at least.
The whole rookie thing was tried in marvel cards, particularly around the pandemic hype era (see: Deadpool X-force #1 'rookie', 1987 and 1990 MU 'rookies')- none of that stuff worked out, but it still is majorly being attempted with Spiderman in his 1966 Donruss card (there couldnt be a worse looking card to have to call a rookie, but it is what it is). That's a whole different can of worms, 'rookie's of comic characters years after the first appearance in comics just doesnt have that same oomph to it (a similar thing can be said of Taylor Swift if her first card was 2009 or 2011, quite a bit after she became an active musician and first album). In sports, players rookies are from their rookie year or before, and in comics the first appearance is just that- first time in print.