500 Homerun Club and Their Iconic Rookie Cards - Part 2
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Let's go - it's time for Part Deux of the big-time sluggers in baseball - the home run kings! While Part one touched on rookie cards from the likes of Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr., part two will cover additional members of the 500 homerun club like Willie Mays and Mark McGwire. Fans and collectors still talk about and collect members of the club and rookie cards will always be near the top of the list. As with other exclusive clubs in baseball, not only are homeruns cool, but it takes many years and consistent greatness to achieve the goal.
TOPPS 1985 MARK MCGWIRE
McGwire's 1985 Topps rookie is an iconic card - there's no collector who grew up in the 80's and 90's who doesn't want this card in their collection. Topps itself listed McGwire's card in their top 75 iconic baseball cards. It became a hot commodity again during Big Mac's home-run chase in 1998. This card is very tough to find in gem mint condition - centering and print defects plagued this set. A copy in gem-mint condition recently sold for $4,000.
TOPPS TIFFANY 1989 GARY SHEFFIELD
It feels like Gary Sheffield often gets left out of the conversation when it comes to all-time greats. There's a reason he's in the club with 509 home runs and close to 2,700 hits - he was damn good! Perhaps some of the shine has been taken off due to allegations of steroid use during his playing days, which Sheffield denies. In any case, collectors of the 500 club on the lookout for Sheffield rookie cards need to keep an eye on this one - his PSA 10 1989 Topps Tiffany rookie can be found for around $600.
TOPPS 1978 EDDIE MURRAY
The third player ever to achieve both 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns, Eddie Murray's rookie is a must have in any baseball card collection. Not every rookie card includes the Topps All-Star Rookie Cup! This was easily one of the hottest cards of the late seventies and early eighties. A copy in gem-mint condition goes for close to $50,000.
BOWMAN 1951 WILLIE MAYS
Arguably the greatest player ever, Willie Mays is naturally in the 500 club. Mays has only one rookie card and it's in the classic 1951 Bowman set. While the mustard yellow curtain in the background seems a bit out of place, that's never stopped collectors on the chase for the grail of one of the all-time greats.
Brian Hough became a fan of the hobby by opening packs of 1986 Donruss and 1987 Topps baseball with his dad and little brother. He has been writing about the collectibles industry for years, initially as a price guide editor for Tuff Stuff Magazine, which was a monthly sports magazine focused on sports cards and collectibles, particularly known for its price guides and checklists, that initially launched in April 1984.