The Top 4 Cards From Baseball Movies
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Sports cards are primarily a way for collectors and fans to connect with their favorite players and get closer to the action. We all know by now the insert cards that have become so popular, like autograph cards, and the impact they've had on the hobby. What about cards that help great baseball movies cross the bridge to the collecting space?
They're often a great way for fans of the movies to have a keepsake that reminds them of a favorite moment or scene and, as we'll see below, a great way to collect autographs from some of the best actors in Hollywood.
1984 The Natural Robert Redford/Roy Hobbs
For many baseball fans, "The Natural" holds up decades later as one of the best baseball movies ever produced. Robert Redford turned in an unforgettable performance as Roy Hobbs in a great redemption story. The card seen above was based on the 1940 Play Ball set; only Hobbs' was produced in color, not black & white, for the movie. The cards were featured in the film, coming off a printing press. Word has it the cards were printed by a prop company and may have been given to fans at the film premiere. Surprisingly, this card sold earlier this month for just $150.
2018 Topps Archives Autograph Patrick Renna/Hamilton Porter
"You're killing me, Smalls!" With these words, "Ham" Porter became a legend in baseball film lore. Played by the actor Patrick Renna, Ham's scenes in the movie "The Sandlot" were always a highlight. As the movie has attained almost cult-classic status over the last few years, it was a natural fit for inclusion in a baseball set, and that finally happened in Topps' 2018 Archives set. Renna's autograph card is one of several included, and they are a must-have for fans of the film.
2016 Topps Archives Autograph Kevin Costner/Crash Davis
Topps also capitalized on the baseball film cards back in 2016 by featuring the actors from "Bull Durham". It's great to see Costner in his Durham Bulls uniform, combined with an on-card signature. His role as Crash Davis, taking "Nuke" Laloosh under his wing, was one for the ages. As you might expect, this one doesn't come cheap - it sold back in January for $3,850 in a PSA 10/Auto 10.
2014 Topps Archives Autograph Charlie Sheen/Ricky Vaughn
Wild Thing! Has there ever been an entrance, whether in the movies or in real life, like Charlie Sheen's character Ricky Vaughn? Sheen has been active on the card show circuit in recent years, but a pack pulled certified auto card is hard to beat.
A PSA 8 last sold for $400.
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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.