Looking for advice on my rookie collection

Yesterday I took a little time to create a spreadsheet for most of my rookie collection. Apart from my David Wright and Sammy Sosa collections, it is my "main" baseball collection since I completed my 500 HR Club game-used project. Here is an almost-complete list of the major rookies I have. Note that many of the newer cards are not true "rookies", but I included them on the list regardless.

If you see any affordable (trade-wise) holes you think I should fill, let me know. A few are evident, such as a low-end Ichiro and Pujols rookie. I'm trying to avoid true "prospects" such as what you would find in most current BDP, etc.

BASEBALL ROOKIE COLLECTION
1983 OPC #143 Tony Gwynn RC
1983 Topps #498 Wade Boggs RC
1984 Topps #8 Don Mattingly RC
1985 Fleer #286 Kirby Puckett RC
1985 Topps #401 Mark McGwire OLY RC
1987 Donruss #36 Greg Maddux RC
1987 Donruss #361 Barry Bonds RC
1987 Fleer Update #68 Greg Maddux RC
1987 Topps #320 Barry Bonds RC
1987 Topps All-Star send-in #30 Barry Bonds RC
1988 Topps #779 Tom Glavine RC
1989 Bowman #220 Ken Griffey Jr RC
1989 Fleer #548 Ken Griffey Jr RC
1989 Donruss #561 Craig Biggo RC
1989 Donruss #635 Curt Schilling RC
1989 Donruss #31 Gary Sheffield RC
1989 Donruss #33 Ken Griffey Jr RC
1989 Topps #343 Gary Sheffield RC
1989 Upper Deck #17 John Smoltz RC
1990 Classic Yellow #T93 Frank Thomas RC
1990 Leaf #300 Frank Thomas RC
1990 Score #663 Frank Thomas RC
1991 Bowman #68 Jim Thome RC
1991 Ultra #4 Mike Mussina RC
1992 Upper Deck #63 Manny Ramirez RC
1993 Classic Four-Sport Power Pick Alex Rodriguez /10000 RC
1993 Topps #701 Piazza/Delgado RC
1993 Topps Gold #701 Piazza/Delgado RC
1993 Topps #98 Derek Jeter RC
1994 Pinnacle #438 Derrek Lee RC
1994 Upper Deck #24 Alex Rodriguez RC
1994 Upper Deck #19 Michael Jordan RC
1995 Bowman #83 Chris Carpenter RC
1995 Collector's Choice #5 Rookie Class Alex Rodriguez
1995 Collector's Choice #5 silver signature Rookie Class Alex Rodriguez
1997 Bowman's Best #114 Miguel Tejada RC
1997 Fleer #512 David Arias (David Ortiz) RC
1998 Bowman's Best #178 Magglio Ordonez RC
1999 Upper Deck #14 Alfonso Soriano RC
2000 Bowman #303 Carlos Zambrano RC
2000 Crown Royale #97 Alfonso Soriano RC
2000 Topps #449 Hamilton/Myers RC
2000 Topps #446 Riley/Mulder/Sabathia RC
2000 Topps Traded #40 Miguel Cabrera RC
2000 Topps Tek #38-19 Josh Hamilton RC
2000 Upper Deck #43 Jimmy Rollins RC
2001 Stadium Club #151 Adrian Gonzalez RC
2001 Topps #598 Jake Peavy RC
2001 Topps Chrome #598 Jake Peavy RC
2002 Bowman Draft Picks #17 Cole Hamels RC
2003 Bowman Chrome #179 Brandon Webb RC
2003 Donruss Elite Extra Edition #2 Brandon Webb RC /900
2003 UD Ovation #86 Brandon Webb RC
2003 Topps Traded #186 Jeremy Bonderman RC
2003 Topps Traded #209 Brian McCan RC
2003 Topps Chrome Traded #245 Chien-Ming **** RC
2003 UD Vintage #288 Hideki Matsui RC
2004 Bowman #268 Lastings Milledge RC
2004 Bowman Draft Picks Gold #150 Felix Hernandez RC
2005 Topps Update #320 Colby Rasmus FY RC
2005 Topps Update #329 Andrew McCutchen FY RC
2005 Topps Update #313 Ryan Braun FY RC
2005 Topps Update #317 Jacoby Ellsbury FY RC
2005 Topps Update #323 Ryan Zimmerman FY RC
2005 Topps Update #325 Jay Bruce FY RC
2005 Topps Chrome Update #197 Jered Weaver FY RC
2005 Topps Chrome Update #183 Carlos Gonzalez FY RC
2005 Topps Chrome Update #201 Ryan Zimmerman FY RC
2005 Topps Chrome Update #210 Nelson Cruzy FY RC
2005 Topps Chrome Update #227 Matt Garza refractor autograph FY RC /500
2006 Bowman #204 Hanley Ramirez RC
2006 Flair Showcase WBC Moments Daisuke Matsuzaka RC
2006 Turkey Red #606 Ryan Zimmerman RC
2006 Turkey Red #608 Jonathan Papelbon RC
2007 Bowman Draft Picks #11 Tim Lincecum RC
2007 Bowman Heritage Prospects #60 Joba Chamberlain RC
2007 Topps Update #43 Ubaldo Jimenez RC
2007 Topps Update #312 Joba Chamberlain RC
2007 Ultra #242 Lucky 13 Gold Troy Tulowitzki RC
2007 Upper Deck #918 Tim Lincecum RC
2008 Allen and Ginter #273 Jay Bruce RC
2008 Allen and Ginter #177 Evan Longoria RC
2008 Bowman #204 Joey Votto RC
2008 UD X #22 Kosuke Fukodome RC
2008 UD X #94 Evan Longoria RC
2008 Upper Deck #349 Joey Votto RC
2008 Upper Deck #708 Kosuke Fukudome RC
2009 Allen and Ginter #225 David Price RC
2009 Topps Chrome #214 Gordon Beckham RC
2009 Topps Chrome #200 Rick Porcello refractor RC
2010 Allen and Ginter #53 Jason Heyward RC
2010 Bowman Prospects #1 Stephen Strasburg RC
2010 Bowman #200 Jason Heyward RC
2010 Bowman #208 Buster Posey RC
2010 Bowman Gold #208 Buster Posey RC
2010 Bowman Prospects Blue #28 Jason Christian RC /520
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #109 Jaff Decker refractor /777
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #42 Rashun Dixon refractor /777
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #4 Tyler Henley purple refractor /999
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #28 Jason Christian purple refractor /999
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #93 Brett Jackson purple refractor /999
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #52 Sheng-An Kuo purple refractor /999
2010 Bowman Chrome Prospects #39 Edinson Rincon purple refractor /999
2010 Bowman Platinum #1 Stephen Strasburg RC
2010 Topps #2 Buster Posey RC
2010 Topps Wal-Mart Black #2 Buster Posey RC
2010 Topps Tales of the Game Stephen Strasburg RC
2010 Topps Chrome #212 Stephen Strasburg RC

Something from Roger Clemens.
The 84 Fleer Update is expensive but reasonable compared to the past. Otherwise grab a nice graded 85 Donruss or Topps.

ripken rc

Yeah definitely needs a Ripken... what about McGwire / Canseco / Gwynn also?

jonebone said:

Yeah definitely needs a Ripken... what about McGwire / Canseco / Gwynn also?

Click to expand...

Whoops, this post reminded me to update my list. I have Gwynn and McGwire, but they were lying with my graded cards so I forgot to throw them in.

Major needs on my mind are:

- Ripken
- Clemens
- Pujols
- Ichiro

Anything much older than Ripken (Henderson, Murray, etc) will be too high-end for me.

ffgameman said:

jonebone said:

Yeah definitely needs a Ripken... what about McGwire / Canseco / Gwynn also?

Click to expand...

Whoops, this post reminded me to update my list. I have Gwynn and McGwire, but they were lying with my graded cards so I forgot to throw them in.

Major needs on my mind are:

- Ripken
- Clemens
- Pujols
- Ichiro

Anything much older than Ripken (Henderson, Murray, etc) will be too high-end for me.

Click to expand...

1983 Topps Sandberg. PSA 9's are $30 BIN on ebay.

SamHell said:

ffgameman said:

jonebone said:

Yeah definitely needs a Ripken... what about McGwire / Canseco / Gwynn also?

Click to expand...

Whoops, this post reminded me to update my list. I have Gwynn and McGwire, but they were lying with my graded cards so I forgot to throw them in.

Major needs on my mind are:

- Ripken
- Clemens
- Pujols
- Ichiro

Anything much older than Ripken (Henderson, Murray, etc) will be too high-end for me.

Click to expand...

1983 Topps Sandberg. PSA 9's are $30 BIN on ebay.

Click to expand...

That's another problem. I'm trying to get what I can by trading only.

One of those weird collectors who likes to buy a little bit of wax (retail, mainly) but very few singles.

How about the 1995 bowman vladimir guerrero? Or 1994 Jorge Posada Bowman or Bowman's best.

I'd say a 1988 Roberto Alomar, probably a Score Rookie and Traded would be his best one.

Matsuicollector said:

How about the 1995 bowman vladimir guerrero? Or 1994 Jorge Posada Bowman or Bowman's best.

Click to expand...

Good suggestions, which always brings up Bowman Piazza and Rivera.

Unless there's a specific reason you're starting at 1983, you might want to go back to 1980 Rickey Henderson. Seems like a great starting point to me.

I know you said that you don't like to buy, but I think you need the 1986 Topps Update set. It's iconic. Don't think, just get it.

gmarutiak said:

Unless there's a specific reason you're starting at 1983, you might want to go back to 1980 Rickey Henderson. Seems like a great starting point to me.

Click to expand...

No, no reason - just those farther back are often out of range.

1991 Ultra Jeff Bagwell?

1983-newer

83/84 T Strawberry
84/85 T Gooden
86 TT/Fup/DR Canseco, Jackson, Clark
1987 TT Tiffany Maddux
1990 D RevNeg Gonzalez
1984 D Joe Carter
1988 T/D/F/S Glavine, Alomar, Biggio, Grace
1991 T/S/B/UD Chipper Jones (or 1990 Classic yellow)
1995 Bowman Andruw Jones
just some I would throw out there

Thanks for the recommendations guys.

Might work on a wantlist in the near future.

Dont be scared away by older cards, many big name rookie cards can be had for well under $50

ie.
Sandy Koufax (1955 Golden Stamp), Bobby Doerr (R314-4), Zack Wheat (T206), Jackie Robinson (D305), Yogi Berra (D305), and Satchel Paige's (Exhibit) rookie for example can be had for $25-$75 and there are many more...

Dont go by what that clown Beckett calls a rookie, he is so clueless on PreTopps/Bowman cards its laughable! PSA is also a joke...

This is the best list out there.... http://www.oldcardboard.com/ref/rookies/RookiesList.asp

couple examples....

1949 Exhibit Satchel Paige (this exhibit card was ONLY made in 1949)


1947 D305 Bond Bread J. Robinson (only cards with diecut corners are from 1947)

You could pick up a Winfield, Molitor, Rice all pretty cheap.