Five Essential Vintage Jackie Robinson Baseball Cards
In this story:
Jackie Robinson's Brooklyn Dodgers career lasted only a decade, but his legacy in breaking the sport's Color Barrier has been and forever will be eternal. It's no wonder that for many collectors, a playing era baseball card of Robinson is either among their most cherished collectibles or sits at the very top of their Hobby want lists.
Perhaps the only question for collectors hoping to add a vintage Jackie Robinson card to their collections is which one to add, a decision that rests as much upon ones budget as the intangibles of the card itself. The good news for collectors is that there are no wrong answers when it comes to vintage Jackie. Still, this guide may be useful in narrowing down the best of what's out there.
1956 Topps Jackie Robinson #30
RELATED: Jackie Robinson Tribute Cards as MLB Honors A Legend
Jackie's 1956 Topps card has a tremendous amount going for it. Visually, it may well be his most stunning, combining not only a dazzling portrait but an action-packed steal of home. There is also historical significance in that 1956 was Jackie's final season with the Dodgers, which made this card something of a "career capper." Importantly, the card can also be found for much less than most of his earlier cards, meaning it's at least relatively friendly on the wallet.
1954 Topps Jackie Robinson #10
Another absolute gem among Jackie's vintage offerings is his 1954 Topps card, again pairing a delightful portrait with a terrific action shot, this one reminding collectors that Derek Jeter most definitely did not invent the jump throw to first base. For whatever reason, this card can often be found for less than Jackie's later Topps cards from 1955 and 1956. As a result, it may represent the best card for budget-minded Jackie collectors to target.
1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson #50
This next card is most definitely NOT one for collectors on a tight budget, but it's advantages are hard to overlook. For one thing, it's a baseball card of Jackie Robinson from 1949, which automatically makes it awesome. For another, it may also be Jackie's card with the biggest upside. Ask most vintage collectors only a year ago what Jackie's rookie card was, and almost none would have answered 1949 Bowman. After all, his 1948 Leaf card came a year earlier, right?
Well, not so fast, thanks to modern research that conclusively dates Jackie's Leaf card to 1949. The result is that this Bowman card once thought to lag its Leaf counterpart by a year is now tied with it, hence an equal where possible rookie card status is concerned.
1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson #79
Whatever year collectors and grading companies continue to assign to Jackie Robinson's Leaf issue--some will say 1948, others 1948-49--it remains an absolutely iconic card if not THE iconic card of the Dodger legend. It's also more scarce than his Bowman card of the same year, only adding to the pricing premium collectors should expect if in the market for an absolute banger. One note of caution, however. Jackie's Leaf card is among his most counterfeited cards. If the price tag looks too good to be true, it almost certainly is!
1947 Bond Bread Jackie Robinson, Portrait, Facsimile Autograph
Collectors hoping to snag an even earlier card of Jackie than his Leaf and Bowman cards from 1949 sure can't go wrong with what may well be the ultimate Jackie Robinson baseball card. This black-and-white beauty was distributed by Bond Bread as a means of marketing their product line in African American neighborhoods. In that sense, it may not only be one of Jackie's earliest cards but also the first baseball card ever targeted specifically toward the game's Black fans. While this card is today considered just one card in a set of 13, it is the one card in the set that definitively dates to Jackie's rookie year, while the remaining cards in the set may have been released as late as 1948 or 1949. Now just how much "bread" will this card set you back? If you have to ask, you can't afford it! Still, it would be worth the "dough" any way you slice it!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.