In case you actually know your baseball playing cards, you most likely clicked on this put up considering, “Rachel Robinson has baseball playing cards?!” In any case, regardless of her exalted standing within the baseball world (I take into account her Baseball Royalty), Rachel’s cardboard footprint is extraordinarily restricted. How restricted? To my data she solely has a single card. Oh, and I’m speaking whole inhabitants right here!
Based on Trading Card Database, Rachel’s lone card comes from the 2021 Historic Autographs “Famous Americans” set and is a signed 1/1. I’d present it to you, however no photograph appears to exist. Both the cardboard’s holder has averted posting it to the Internet, or the cardboard itself remains to be sitting in a sealed pack someplace!
So let’s say you REALLY wished this Rachel Robinson card, and also you have been questioning what number of packs you may want to purchase. Right here’s some fast math.
- Autographs have been inserted in 1 out of 60 packs.
- There are greater than 700 totally different topics within the autographed insert subset.
- Most of the autograph topics have print runs above 1.
Have been it not for the third bullet, a mere 42,000 packs (estimated value: $150,000) would nearly definitely nab you the elusive Rachel Robinson card. Nonetheless, the third bullet will not be one to dismiss because the set consists of many names with print runs above 20 (e.g., Jennie Finch/30, Gino Marchetti/23, Bobby Thomson/50, and so forth.). Subsequently, supplied Rachel’s card have been nonetheless out within the wild, you’d extra doubtless want to purchase greater than 100,000 packs to be ok with pulling it. (Alternatively, you’d have fairly a Gino Marchetti assortment!)
In case you’re questioning what Rachel’s card may appear to be, promotions for the set at the very least supply a clue because the autographed inserts all comply with the identical design.
Subsequently, an affordable guess for the Robinson card is one thing like this, the one doubtless variance coming in what the reduce auto itself appears like.
Once more although, there is just one of those in your entire universe, and it actually might by no means see the sunshine of day, begging the query: If a card is printed that no person ever pulls, is it actually a part of the baseball card universe? Consider it because the Passion model of Schrodinger’s Cat in case you like.
Fortuitously for collectors not searching for deep dives into the quantum realm, 2023 Topps Stadium Membership, launched earlier this 12 months, presents a much more tenable various to Rachel’s 2021 rarity.
Certain, it solely exhibits Rachel’s arms, gloves, and skirt, however that’s extra of her than you’ll discover on the Historic Autographs card, isn’t it? On condition that the cardboard picture comes from this photograph exhibiting Rachel in full, one has to marvel why Topps determined to crop her out.
Maybe they only wished a tighter shot of Jackie, however my guess is that they lack the rights to depict Rachel on their playing cards. (This is able to additionally clarify her absence from different playing cards, together with Topps Now playing cards of assorted Jackie Robinson Days the place Rachel was readily available for the festivities. Oh, and by the way, the photograph above depicts Baseball’s first ever Jackie Robinson Day, held in 1947. There had already been a soccer one again in 1938.)
Both manner, we are able to enhance fairly a bit on the partial cameo supplied by Stadium Membership. This subsequent card, which comes from the 2005 National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum Education Program set, features a a lot better shot of Rachel (in addition to Department Rickey) and will nicely supply the best choice for Rachel Robinson collectors. That mentioned, it’s not an excellent straightforward card to seek out.
Additionally, you will discover the identical scene (however a special photograph) used within the 2015 Topps “The Jackie Robinson Story” subset, although (I consider) the picture is in all methods inferior to its 2015 counterpart.
Nonetheless, this card represents the perfect compromise on the market so far as A) being straightforward to seek out, and B) that includes Rachel prominently. In truth, if these are my two standards, it’s not solely the perfect of what’s on the market however the solely card on the market! (If there are different Rachel Robinson cameos I’ve ignored, I hope you’ll let me know within the feedback.)
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Barring some evident omission on my half, there are at present no playing cards the place A) Rachel is the first topic, and B) she is pictured on the cardboard. As such, I used the Rookies app to create a handful of playing cards for my private assortment and upcoming SABR/IWBC “Women in Baseball” conference speak. (Some examples of those customs seem on the high of this put up.)
As you possibly can see, I made a number of additional copies of considered one of them, which I’m pleased to ship FREE upon request to anybody who attends my presentation. Observe that the convention and all shows can be digital, which means there’s no must journey to Rockford, IL. Here’s a hyperlink to the conference page, which incorporates registration info and a whole schedule of occasions.
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