Iconic Cards of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas
Frank Thomas brought a lot of joy to the game of baseball. He was, in a way, the perfect role model for the sport in the 90's. In an era where performance-enhancing drugs were rampant, Thomas pushed for drug testing and was never under suspicion of steroid use. He was, by all accounts, a joy to be around and a hard worker and it showed - a two time MVP with over 500 Home Runs to his name. Injuries unfortunately multiplied and took their toll but Thomas will be forever revered in Chicago for his contributions and was a first ballot Hall of Famer. Plus, how awesome is it to have a nickname like "The Big Hurt"? He was that tough on pitchers.
RELATED: 1990 Leaf Rookie Cements Slugger Frank Thomas as a Hobby Legend
LEAF 1990 FRANK THOMAS
Back in the 90's, this was one of the cards to have. It's not hard to imagine kids trading 3 or 4 lesser players for one Frank Thomas rookie. As hot as it was then, the sheer amount of these cards out there has meant reasonable prices in today's market, even for a high grade copy. A PSA 10 costs currently around $175.
TOPPS NO NAME ON FRONT 1990 FRANK THOMAS
RELATED: Frank Thomas Gives Away Rare No Name Rookie Card at Topps Rip Night
Rarely has an "error card" been such a windfall for collectors. Somehow back in 1990, Frank Thomas rookie cards came off the printing press with only one problem - the cards were missing his name. The problem was corrected quickly, but the error cards made their way into the hands of collectors and are iconic in the hobby. A year ago the PSA 10 (there's only one) sold for almost $150,000. Even a PSA 8 is currently moving for around $20,000.
LEAF UPDATE AUTOGRAPH 1993 FRANK THOMAS
Leaf managed to add Thomas as a spokesman for their company back in 1993. They also hit a home run by adding his first pack pulled autograph card into their Leaf Update product. Numbered to 3,500, a copy can be found without too much trouble for around $300.
First, a warning - these are almost impossible to find. In 2012, Leaf placed 35 original rookie cards with an on-card Thomas autograph in packs of Leaf Memories. The silver foil stamp is the only thing on the front that gives away the fact that it's 2012 and not 1993. The last sale of one of these, according to CardLadder, was in 2018 for $255.
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.