Definition of a Rookie Card

[Penguin101]

What is the definition of a true rookie card?

Are all cards marked rookie a true rookie card? A card from rookie year of a player marked something like freshman fabric, could that be considered a rookie card?

If the same company have like regular, silver and gold rookies, lets say /500 /100 /25, would all be considered true rookie cards?

Any input on the subject would be useful for me...

cheers

[OnePimpTiger]

First, you should know people have different opinions on this. Some are very passionate about it and some really don't care.

What I consider a true RC, and I think what is widely accepted in the hobby, is the base card of each brand. Autographed variants, jersey variants, parallels, inserts, etc aren't considered true RCs.

Take Topps Chrome: they put out a ton of different cards of each rookie, with all the refractors and autos, etc. But the only true RC from the set is the Topps Chrome base card. The refractors will still have the RC symbol, but since it's a parallel, it's not considered true.

Some true RCs can be jersey and/or auto, but most aren't. SP Authentic is one brand that the base card of some players is an auto or jersey/auto. In that case, it is considered a real RC.

The easiest way to figure it out in my opinion is to find a checklist of the base set of the brand you're interested in. Whatever card is listed as the base for that player, that's the true RC in that set.

Like I said before, different people have different opinions. Some people will call anything from the rookie year a RC and some people only consider certain cards from certain sets a true RC. For example, some people don't consider Press Pass, Sage, UD Draft, etc a true RC because the draft hasn't even taken place when they come out and they're still in their college unis. It really all depends on each person's opinion, but I think how I described it above is the most widely accepted opinion on it. Hope that helps!

[Penguin101]

Thanks for a good reply :)

[Cartophilium]

Rookie cards became a hobby phenomena in 1981 thanks to Card Prices Update. The initial Sport Americana price guides by Dennis Eckes and Jim Beckett did not recognize "Rookie Cards". Neither did the Hockey Card Checklist and Price Guide, nor did the forerunner to these publications, the American Card Catalog(1960).

The definition has always been somewhat vague and lacking since it was more of a marketing ploy then collector generated interested. An example of theis would be the 1951 Bowman BB Mickey Mantle card and the 1952 Topps BB Mickey Mantle card are often viewed as Rookie Cards.

Will post in greater detail on this subject as time permits.

[Cartophilium]

More "Rookie Card" historic data.

In 1980 a competing publication to The Sport Americana group of guides, Card Prices Update was sued by Denny Eckes and James Beckett III for copyright infringement. The final resolution was in 1984 at the appeal court level:

http://www.altlaw.org/v1/cases/551728

Will not comment on the merits of the case but will say that Card Prices Update brought the "Rookie Card" phenomena to the hobby in 1981.

Needing a vehicle to drive sales and justify increased frequency of publication, Card Prices Update flogged performance of the two outstanding baseball rookies of 1981 Fernando Valenzuela and Tim Raines as pricing motors. Each win or stolen base created an illusion of higher demand and a greater necessity of a monthly baseball price guide with prices showing artificial upward and downward movement based on performance. Since rookies did not have a prior or long history it worked and extended to other baseball rookies and eventually over time slipped over to the other sports.

[Penguin101]

Thanks for the insight :)

[jubei777]

my 2 cents. a true "rc" is a card from the base set that is neither a parallel or insert. this card could be an auto or have memorabilia with it. a true "rc" is not a parallel such as a refractor since it's a variation nor an insert with an auto or jersey. those could be considered as a rc but not a true rc. these cards also have to be from the first year issued from that player, not necessarily the first year they played.

[br.ett]

Rookie Card: A player’s first appearance on a base card from one of the major card manufacturers (Donruss/Playoff, Topps/OPC, Fleer, Pacific, Upper Deck, In The Game)

[Cartophilium]

Rookie Card: A player’s first appearance on a base card from one of the major card manufacturers (Donruss/Playoff, Topps/OPC, Fleer, Pacific, Upper Deck, In The Game)

Far from sold.

Basically the definition above becomes a marketing tool so that each manufactrer can claim to have a "Rookie Card" for a leading player. Furthermore if a "new" manufacturer comes on the NFL scene in 2008 and issues nationally and at the level of the established companies then you would have 2008 "Rookie Cards" of Brett Favre issued by ................

Not workable.

[dfr52]

Rookie cards became a hobby phenomena in 1981 thanks to Card Prices Update. The initial Sport Americana price guides by Dennis Eckes and Jim Beckett did not recognize "Rookie Cards". Neither did the Hockey Card Checklist and Price Guide, nor did the forerunner to these publications, the American Card Catalog(1960).

The definition has always been somewhat vague and lacking since it was more of a marketing ploy then collector generated interested. An example of theis would be the 1951 Bowman BB Mickey Mantle card and the 1952 Topps BB Mickey Mantle card are often viewed as Rookie Cards.

Will post in greater detail on this subject as time permits.

The 52 as a "rookie" I don't get. I know it's limited but it's not his rookie. I thought I was alone in my thinking till I saw a post on the PSA board where the 51 is represented as his one and only rookie.

Great info Cartophilium!