I like the Ichiro base/paper. With so much attention on Ohtani, and understandably so, Ichiro is also a really great option. I am kinda intrigued with some of his like Japanese cards too. But, I don't know if I want to go down that rabbit hole..
Of these 5 - I like the Messi - I pick and enjoy cards that have awesome pictures - not how they grade or how much they sell for. I also dislike any card that is not colored - doesn't matter how rare, the value or who the player is. Thank you - I do enjoy this series A+
Appreciate you putting a tennis card on your list ( perhaps with more to follow?) People slept on tennis cards pre-pandemic, but they popped during and many of the rarer autos have held value. Great vid
@@JunkWaxHerobtw regarding Johnny Mac- he has 77 singles titles AND 77 doubles titles. He was #1 in singles and doubles at the same time!!! No way that will happen again, as singles players focus on singles. His Davis cup record is outta this world (what’s Davis cup? EXACTLY 😂) Andy Roddick just had MAC on his podcast, talked about his accomplishments, in particular his 1984 season! Worth a watch for tennis fans for sure
We probably never saw peak Ichiro, who was probably in Japan when he was. If Ichiro would have came over when he was young, he would have smashed Rose's record. Rose was lucky Ichiro came over in his late 20's.
As a Mariners fan, I love the Ichiro card!! Also, as a Mariners fan, while I think it's indisputable that Ichiro has more hits collectively between MLB and NPB, Pete Rose is still the hit king (imho).... Thanks!
If collectors bought cards based on how decent a player is as a person, they'd be severely limited to just a handful. With that said, I just can't pull the trigger on a O.J. RC. I have to blame Don King with Mike Tyson too, but I did see that Tyson-Holyfield fight. What a rip! John McEnroe has a really nice 1981 Tennis Magazine card, unfortunately none of the grading companies will touch it with a 10 foot pole and it's expensive. I want to say that Shia Lebeauf portrayed McEnroe in that flick McEnroe\Borg - which is perfect for Lebeauf. I'm always on the lookout for a nice McEnroe card! I just picked up that Ichiro wicked cheap and of course he was awesome! Should get 100% ballot, but we'll see. I seem to recall that there was a 2001 Topps opening day limited to just a few thousand? I got into vintage soccer\football cause I wanted to branch out - just be careful, it's almost as addictive as Hockey! Anyway, look into Stanley Mathews and Billy Meredith.
Love the Shaq! He was my first favorite player after my cool older neighbor gave me a poster of him when I was ~4. Definitely a card I need to add someday
I do not collect bad people, it’s a strong belief of mine. I don’t want to have to look at bad people in my display. It’s that “collecting character” thing that several people have discussed over the years.
I agree. Though it is hard for me to say (sometimes) what constitutes as bad and, what isn't as collectors we don't always even agree on what is a rookie card. But, there is, just this feeling I, get. Cap Anson, is someone that falls in this category. He was one of the greatest hitters of his time, sure. Won't dispute that. But, most of the stories I read about Cap, so appalling, though, he wasn't the only who excluded African American baseball players, he was one of the greatest contributors. That being said, I don't really look down on Anson collectors. Just not for me or my collection..
Regarding McEnroe, I do understand your curiosity about off-the-court dust ups, but I used to have issues with refs and umps as a kid, even led the state in yellow cards during my senior year in high school (mostly for telling refs how terrible they were at their job) - but being competitive on the field/court, and throwing tantrums over perceived injustice/ineptitude, has no direct correlation with physical violence, much less against women. Being emotionally immature, and having an unhealthy relationship with failure in athletics, shouldn't make us asssume someone would raise a hand to a domestic partner.
Shaq was so huge coming into the NBA & the Beam Team rookie card is the reason why I left the hobby in late 1992. Agree about Iron Mike. Dude was among the most famous people on the planet. He started to snap when Cus D'Amato died & Don King got involved. Then Robin Givenns & her mother didn’t help things. Don’t know much about McEnroe other than he was fun to watch during his tirades. Made some cool commercials also.
There are several other 2004 Mega Cracks Messi with much lower price tags. I think my personal favorite of the others is the Mega Crack Barca Campeon #35. These will set you back a lot less than the #71 card. I'm chasing one of the others instead.
I have many Ichiro cards, but have no idea why I dont have his Topps rookie. It's been on my list for a while but gets put on the side burner when i find other cards..
I only have on question. How far did you get in punch-out? Like most on a few occasions I could make it to Tyson, but then I couldn't even make it out of the first round. Today I rather enjoy watching speedruns of the game. The world record holder is actually the Ken Burns of speedrunning Summoning Salt. The whole speed running thing is becoming a sport. Look for a topps set in a couple years.
So I’m driving along putting the next YT video on like all good drivers do. I glance and see ‘You cannot be serious!’ As the title and click. The ad that comes up before the video, and I quote …. ‘Mac … a Roni’. Couldn’t have scripted it better. Well played YT.
My dad collects coins. He tells me he doesn't understand this Bitcoin thing. I feel bad for him. Meanwhile, I had a dream that i was playing in a high school basketball game, but the coach wouldn't play me, for i had forgotten my basketball shoes at home; I woke up devastated.
I only have a Juice rookie card. He was an amazing player!! I remember watching him at USC and when he was on the Bills and us kids imitated his moves. Jim Tyrer is a finalist for the HOF in 2025 and he killed his wife and himself, so maybe you just look at what they did as a player and not the after life...
Mike, in your defense, this is the “Attainable Cards of Envy” list, not the “Advocacy for Outstanding Morals” list. But I get what you’re saying. Separating talent/accomplishments from the actual person (who they were) is tough. i’m a big music guy, and I have similar debates with friends over musical heroes of ours. At the end of the day, loving somebody’s music or sporting accomplishments/cards is not advocating for how they handled their personal life. Just my 2 cents.
Mike Tyson WAS a bad guy. He is a TOTALLY different person now, literally a family man. As for Punch Out, its the one item that he wont sign, or its almost $800 to sign if you see him somewhere. ALSO, you can't call Macenroe (sp) "firey" but call Mike everything but the Devil.
Which is your favorite?
I like the Ichiro base/paper. With so much attention on Ohtani, and understandably so, Ichiro is also a really great option. I am kinda intrigued with some of his like Japanese cards too. But, I don't know if I want to go down that rabbit hole..
Of these 5 - I like the Messi - I pick and enjoy cards that have awesome pictures - not how they grade or how much they sell for. I also dislike any card that is not colored - doesn't matter how rare, the value or who the player is. Thank you - I do enjoy this series A+
@@Philly_Joe thank you so much!
Love this greatest athletes videos. Nice analysis and perspectives on the story behind them.
@@hjordan1782 thank you!
Appreciate you putting a tennis card on your list ( perhaps with more to follow?)
People slept on tennis cards pre-pandemic, but they popped during and many of the rarer autos have held value. Great vid
Thanks! I’ve had 8 tennis cards on here so far
@@JunkWaxHero😂👍👍 must’ve missed them , I’ll have to go back and check starting at 100.
@@jbhatts610 somewhere around 97-98 I had 3 for one slot.
@@JunkWaxHerobtw regarding Johnny Mac- he has 77 singles titles AND 77 doubles titles. He was #1 in singles and doubles at the same time!!! No way that will happen again, as singles players focus on singles. His Davis cup record is outta this world (what’s Davis cup? EXACTLY 😂) Andy Roddick just had MAC on his podcast, talked about his accomplishments, in particular his 1984 season! Worth a watch for tennis fans for sure
Ichiro being called the "hit king"...Pete Rose just rolled over in his grave.
We probably never saw peak Ichiro, who was probably in Japan when he was. If Ichiro would have came over when he was young, he would have smashed Rose's record. Rose was lucky Ichiro came over in his late 20's.
Ichiro got 3000 hits and he joined MLB when he was 27. Imagine if he had 5 or 6 more years in MLB when he was getting 200 hits a season
I think he got the stomach flu from the World Baseball Classic … clearly, he was closer to dying ever since …
Ok, I imagined it. He’s still short.
@@TriviaKing-o3l You've seen his stats in Japan, right?
Enjoying the series!
@@PennySleeveSteve thanks Steve!
Nice cards Mike. McEnroe is my favorite of these.
@@SportsGuru17 he’s so fun
As a Mariners fan, I love the Ichiro card!! Also, as a Mariners fan, while I think it's indisputable that Ichiro has more hits collectively between MLB and NPB, Pete Rose is still the hit king (imho).... Thanks!
Hi Mike, the Ichiro card is my favorite. He was a great player, and you can say that he is the Hit King. Keep up the great work, this is fun to watch.
I’m glad you’re enjoying it!
If collectors bought cards based on how decent a player is as a person, they'd be severely limited to just a handful. With that said, I just can't pull the trigger on a O.J. RC. I have to blame Don King with Mike Tyson too, but I did see that Tyson-Holyfield fight. What a rip! John McEnroe has a really nice 1981 Tennis Magazine card, unfortunately none of the grading companies will touch it with a 10 foot pole and it's expensive. I want to say that Shia Lebeauf portrayed McEnroe in that flick McEnroe\Borg - which is perfect for Lebeauf. I'm always on the lookout for a nice McEnroe card! I just picked up that Ichiro wicked cheap and of course he was awesome! Should get 100% ballot, but we'll see. I seem to recall that there was a 2001 Topps opening day limited to just a few thousand? I got into vintage soccer\football cause I wanted to branch out - just be careful, it's almost as addictive as Hockey! Anyway, look into Stanley Mathews and Billy Meredith.
I’ll stick to what I know and only grab a few of the key cards for other sports
Love the Shaq! He was my first favorite player after my cool older neighbor gave me a poster of him when I was ~4. Definitely a card I need to add someday
I do not collect bad people, it’s a strong belief of mine. I don’t want to have to look at bad people in my display. It’s that “collecting character” thing that several people have discussed over the years.
@@DansVintageBaseballPC you’re a better man than I, Dan
@ well yeah
I agree. Though it is hard for me to say (sometimes) what constitutes as bad and, what isn't as collectors we don't always even agree on what is a rookie card. But, there is, just this feeling I, get. Cap Anson, is someone that falls in this category. He was one of the greatest hitters of his time, sure. Won't dispute that. But, most of the stories I read about Cap, so appalling, though, he wasn't the only who excluded African American baseball players, he was one of the greatest contributors. That being said, I don't really look down on Anson collectors. Just not for me or my collection..
Regarding McEnroe, I do understand your curiosity about off-the-court dust ups, but I used to have issues with refs and umps as a kid, even led the state in yellow cards during my senior year in high school (mostly for telling refs how terrible they were at their job) - but being competitive on the field/court, and throwing tantrums over perceived injustice/ineptitude, has no direct correlation with physical violence, much less against women. Being emotionally immature, and having an unhealthy relationship with failure in athletics, shouldn't make us asssume someone would raise a hand to a domestic partner.
@@KipArmadillo very true. But I didn’t assume he had. If I hadn’t just read up on Tyson I never would have thought to search for McEnroe.
@JunkWaxHero Iron Mike's influence, good or bad, cannot be overstated.
You should do a list of “attainable” cards $500 and under (since 500 is a grail card). Ain’t nobody got 5 grand…….
Yeah I don’t either but there are a few cards on here that I really strive for and hope to get someday.
71 BIS at number 60 will age like milk, but I love these lists nonetheless.
Agreed. Messi should be higher. Sorry Mike
That’s okay guys! I appreciate the input.
Shaq was so huge coming into the NBA & the Beam Team rookie card is the reason why I left the hobby in late 1992.
Agree about Iron Mike. Dude was among the most famous people on the planet. He started to snap when Cus D'Amato died & Don King got involved. Then Robin Givenns & her mother didn’t help things.
Don’t know much about McEnroe other than he was fun to watch during his tirades. Made some cool commercials also.
Why did the Beam Team card make you leave the hobby?
There are several other 2004 Mega Cracks Messi with much lower price tags. I think my personal favorite of the others is the Mega Crack Barca Campeon #35. These will set you back a lot less than the #71 card. I'm chasing one of the others instead.
@@kfordham281 good luck!
Gregg Jeffries was the original triple G.
Love me some Johnny Mac!
Meeee toooooo!
Hey Mike! I have Lionel Messi PSA 8 that I purchased raw. It’s one of my favorite pc…
That’s a big one!
I have many Ichiro cards, but have no idea why I dont have his Topps rookie. It's been on my list for a while but gets put on the side burner when i find other cards..
I only have on question. How far did you get in punch-out? Like most on a few occasions I could make it to Tyson, but then I couldn't even make it out of the first round. Today I rather enjoy watching speedruns of the game. The world record holder is actually the Ken Burns of speedrunning Summoning Salt. The whole speed running thing is becoming a sport. Look for a topps set in a couple years.
I remember beating Tyson, but long-term memories are notoriously unreliable
So I’m driving along putting the next YT video on like all good drivers do. I glance and see ‘You cannot be serious!’ As the title and click. The ad that comes up before the video, and I quote …. ‘Mac … a Roni’. Couldn’t have scripted it better. Well played YT.
lol amazing!
My dad collects coins. He tells me he doesn't understand this Bitcoin thing. I feel bad for him. Meanwhile, I had a dream that i was playing in a high school basketball game, but the coach wouldn't play me, for i had forgotten my basketball shoes at home; I woke up devastated.
That’s sad!
No one was more feared in the ring than Tyson (less known Mike Tyson was a white player for the cubs) 😮.
Yes!
Totally agree I had never seen anything like Tyson when he first started, but unfortunately Robin Givens and Buster Douglas came along .
It doesn't take long to learn about soccer. I watch a few UK Soccer channels and a few games to get edumacated.
@@henrys3629 great!
@@JunkWaxHero I also made a binder of weird foreign issues from COMC in the bargain section from the 1950's-90's to get acquainted with diff sets.
I don't know that I agree the list would be small if bad people were excluded.
I only have a Juice rookie card. He was an amazing player!! I remember watching him at USC and when he was on the Bills and us kids imitated his moves. Jim Tyrer is a finalist for the HOF in 2025 and he killed his wife and himself, so maybe you just look at what they did as a player and not the after life...
Mike, in your defense, this is the “Attainable Cards of Envy” list, not the “Advocacy for Outstanding Morals” list. But I get what you’re saying. Separating talent/accomplishments from the actual person (who they were) is tough. i’m a big music guy, and I have similar debates with friends over musical heroes of ours. At the end of the day, loving somebody’s music or sporting accomplishments/cards is not advocating for how they handled their personal life. Just my 2 cents.
@@scottvaughn9 thanks Scott. Well said
Mr. Junk Wax Hero, please tell Adam Silver to stop the 3's. And, the end of game free throws. And, all the time outs. And, the flopping. Thank you.
They’re working on the flopping. And the end of game free throws are awful, I agree. I’ve always been a big fan of the three ball though.
My mullet isn't as lush as billy ray cyrus'. Yet, I still carry on.
What if someone were able to have Ichiro sign a card with a "Hit King" incription? Has it been done before?
@@johnrambo7630 I don’t know! I wonder if he’d reject it
@@JunkWaxHero Was anyone able to get an OJ autograph with an "I did it" inscription? ....going down a dark path here.
@@johnrambo7630 I’m not sure
The great Sam Jones only has one basketball card.
Just here to remind you that stickers aren't cards. Iron Mike is essential to any list tho. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
May Day Malone wore number #16
Mike Tyson WAS a bad guy. He is a TOTALLY different person now, literally a family man. As for Punch Out, its the one item that he wont sign, or its almost $800 to sign if you see him somewhere. ALSO, you can't call Macenroe (sp) "firey" but call Mike everything but the Devil.