Jackie Robinson
Rookie Card Year: 1949
Investment Rating: 10.0 (Exceptional)
No other player in the history Major League Baseball has made as significant a contribution to America's national pastime as Jackie Robinson. The first African-American player to play professional baseball since the 1880s and the first of the modern era, his resilient determination paved the way for numerous other Negro League players to cross the color barrier. It's not surprising, then, that Jackie Robinson cards and memorabilia remain some of the most popular and respected in the hobby.
Hobbyists would be remiss in thinking that Robinson's contributions to the game were strictly sociological. A Hall of Famer in his own right, Robinson played in six World Series, including 1955 when his Brooklyn Dodgers won it all. A six-time All-Star, the 1947 Rookie of the Year and the National League's MVP in 1949 are just a few of his accomplishments. A gifted athlete who excelled at all aspects of the game, Robinson was a prototypical five-tool player long before the term was part of a baseball scout's official lexicon. Robinson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962 behind career numbers that included a .311 lifetime batting average, 1,518 hits, 734 runs and 197 stolen bases. So significant were Robinson's contributions that Major League Baseball universally retired his jersey number, 42, in 1997.
Jackie Robinson baseball cards and memorabilia are highly sought after in almost any condition. Because of his importance to the game, many of his game-used items are housed in baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Even his Negro League pieces, from his days with the Kansas City Monarchs, command top dollar on the rare occasions they reach the secondary market. Some of his most popular items are his rookie cards from 1949, team-signed baseballs from 1955 and single-signed baseballs. Additionally, despite debuting in 1947, there were no mainstream cards printed that year. A regional food release from the Bond Bread Company did include Robinson in their 13-card set. Because of their rarity, these cards are highly collectible despite not being officially recognized as rookie cards.
Jackie Robinson Rookie Cards
1948 Leaf Jackie Robinson RC #79
Featuring a full head shot against a yellow background, the color contrast of the Dodger blue and the regal yellow makes for a very striking card. Robinson is pictured with his laid back, signature smile. The 1948 Leaf Baseball Jackie Robinson rookie card rarely, if ever, sells for under four figures, no matter the condition. There is some debate over whether to call this a 1948 or 1949 card due to its release date. However, this card is widely recognized as being Robinson's most iconic card and seen by most as his rookie card.
1949 Bowman Jackie Robinson #50
Similar in size to the Leaf card, at 2-1/16" x 2-1/2" the Bowman card uses a contrast of red and blue that displays well but much less so than Robinson's other rookie card. Slightly more affordable, the 1949 Bowman is still a collector favorite.
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