IMPORTANT NOTE: The NEW version of the Top 100 Want List will be published in early May. The version you see below will change greatly with the new list. I have one or two visits to regional card stores that I would like to get accomplished before getting the updated list out there.

And there will be a new No. 1, too.

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So it seems like I can’t figure out how I want to structure my baseball card Want List. After all, I’ve changed it around many times in the last year or so. That’s because I keep finding more cards to want for my personal collection (“PC”).

This current version of my Want List has been expanded to 100 cards.

[NEW: each of which has an asking price with it to let folks know how much I’m willing to pay for that card. Asking price INCLUDES any shipping/handling.]

The list also has been restructured a little to take out all Minor League cards. I will create a separate Want List for these cards in the future. The top two are the 1962 and 1963 Tulsa Pepsi cards of Gary Kolb.

I also will have a team-based list of other players in no order. This list is being worked on at the moment.

With a Want List of 100 cards, you may be thinking: “Why can’t Cody just buy the cards on eBay?” Personally, I prefer to be an old-school kind of collector. I don’t like buying things online if I don’t have to. I prefer the personal connections that come with buying cards, such as at a card show or at a card shop; or even through the mail. In addition, shipping and handling costs are often worth more than the card itself, and I’ll feel like I’m paying too much than I am comfortable with.

That being said, I’m not one to use my piece of plastic or electronic means to buy cards. I prefer the old-fashioned Cash or Check method, knowing that I will make every step necessary to protect the cash in the envelope I send (folded card stock, penny sleeve for coins, etc.). That being said, I will prefer plain white envelopes with protection of some sort for the card(s) for shipping (such as a penny sleeve or a slightly better), so you don’t have to go all wild about excessive costs.

The Want List consists of 100 cards. For each card that is found, a replacement will be added to it.

The Top 20 cards have a little commentary to them. The bottom six cards (all 1986 Fleer) are lumped in a group at the bottom because they are all part of a set that I’m trying to complete. Only one card in this list, the 1993 Topps Derek Jeter rookie, is a card that I am seeking with intent to resell as part of a complete set.

The key for each line on the list is as follows:
#) – SET – NAME – ($ ASKING PRICE): ANY COMMENTARY
Lines with a slash through it denotes a recent purchase. Updates to the list will come at a later date.

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THE TOP 100

1) 1964 Topps Venezuelan issue, Gary Kolb rookie card
FOUND!!! April 2, 2022. Thank you Ryan M.!
I already have three Gary Kolb rookies from the original 1964 Topps set. The Venezuelan card differs from the standard issue because it has a black-colored back instead of an orange-colored back of the original set. The Venezuelan cards were only issued in Latin America. Some have made it to the States, most have not. The superstars in this set go for thousands of dollars. The Kolb card, despite it’s rarity, only is $20. Just gotta find it! 
Why Gary Kolb? He’s a 1958 graduate of Rock Falls High School, in the co-hometown I grew up in. His claim to fame is that he pinch-ran for Stan Musial in his final at-bat at the end of the 1963 season. If I find a regular-issue Kolb rookie for $1 or less, I’ll buy it. The Venezuelan card’s front looks like the regular one, but the backs are black instead of orange.

2) 1915 Cracker Jack, Ward Miller ($100)
To be the New No. 1 in May
To put it succinctly:
• Born in Mount Carroll, died and buried in Dixon
• Would be the only Federal League card I’d have
• It’s a common, so the price is lower than star cards
• The only pre-WW1 card that I am interested in

3) 1976 SSPC, Harmon Killebrew ($5): This is Killebrew’s ONLY card from his time as a Kansas City Royal. This set is particularly interesting in that future broadcaster Keith Olbermann wrote the information on each card in the set.

4) 1969 Topps Stamps, Hoyt Wilhelm ($5): The first “card” produced of an active Hall of Fame player depicted as playing for a team he actually never played for. It’s the only stamp card on my list. Wilhelm’s 1969 Topps has him as an Angel; he was chosen by the Royals in the expansion draft, but was traded during the 1969-70 offseason to the Braves.

5) 1993 Topps, Derek Jeter ($10): The most prominent “current-era” card on my list. I actually have several Jeter rookies from other sets. However, the reason why this one is on here, and this high, is because I’m looking to complete a 1993 Topps set to resell, and this is my missing piece. Asking no more than $10, needs to be in fresh condition, and must also be raw (not graded).

6) 1975 Expos Postcards, Dave McNally ($1): The name Andy Messersmith rings a bell not just because of his low ERA, but for his role in ushering in free agency. Dave McNally, former 20-game winner for the Orioles, was the other player along with Messersmith who was involved in the mission at the time. McNally landed on the Expos to end his career. Note: I am not interested in the 1975 Hostess card of McNally.

7) 1976 Chicago Greats, Bill Veeck ($1): From the eccentric owner’s second stint in charge of the Pale Hose.

8) 1976 disc card of Reggie Jackson ($5): There are a few varieties of discs out there, but the ones from 1976 are of Jackson as a Baltimore Oriole.

9) 1961 Fleer, Stan Hack ($1): One of the rare cards of someone who was retired as the set came out, this one is wanted for the reference to his then-home at the time of Dixon. Actually, he lived in Grand Detour (with a Dixon ZIP code) and ran a tavern there before his death. Hack is buried in Grand Detour.

10) 1983 Renata Galasso Cracker Jack, Ward Miller ($0.50): If I can’t find my #2, this is the closest I’ll come to it.

11) 1977 Pirates Post-Gazette Portraits Goose Gossage ($1)

12) 1989 Giants Mother’s Cookies, Goose Gossage ($1): These two localized Goose Gossage cards are the only ones of his on those teams. They are likely found more often than not around Pittsburgh and San Francisco.

13) 1988 Classic Red, Phil Niekro ($0.50): Rarely are players featured on cards with teams they were on mid-season both before and after they were traded to other teams. Niekro was a Blue Jay for a brief moment after a stint with Cleveland and finishing his career with one game back in Atlanta.

14) 1954 Topps, Angel Scull ($10): I have at least one card of every card from 1955 on, so this would be my first 1954. Why this one? Scull was a Cuban star who was set to become the Senators first Black player, but it never happened and Scull never played a MLB game. Another Cuban who was rumored to have tried out for the Senators would be Fidel Castro, who became leader of Cuba a few years later.

15) 1969 Milton Bradley, Bobby Cox ($5): Cox’s playing career didn’t amount to much, but apparently he was good enough to be on this oddball set. I have Cox’s complete manager career arc, but this is the only affordable one (for me) that’s out there.

16) 1999 Fleer Update, Dan Kolb ($0.50): This is the rookie card of the aforementioned Gary Kolb’s cousin, who went to high school at Rock Falls and Walnut, both close to my hometown.

17) 1971 Dodgers Scoreboard, Dick Allen ($5): This is the only year with cards of Dick Allen as a Los Angeles Dodger. This is the cheaper alternative to the rare 1971 Topps and OPC varieties.

18) 1978 TCMY, Gary Kolb ($0.50): This is one of two cards that exist of Kolb in a Mets uniform, albeit after his playing days. This is the oldest of the two.

19) 1974 Royals Postcards, Orlando Cepeda ($1): The only Royals card produced of Cepeda. This is one of six cards, which includes the aforementioned Killebrew and Wilhelm cards, along with three cards from the 1972 Topps set (Willie Mays, Wilhelm and Frank Robinson’s “traded” card), that I would need to have at least one card of every Hall of Famer with 1970s service time for every team they had a card issued for.

20) 1941 Double Play, Nels Potter ($20): Potter is best known for throwing a spitball, but my reason to want this card is become he’s from Mt. Morris, not too far from where I live. Potter is shown as a member of the Philadelphia Athletics, and this is considered his “XRC” from a nationally-known pre-World War II company. There are other older Potter cards out there, but this one is the first real official one.

21) 1932 Cubs Team Issue, Leroy Herrman ($10): Similar reason for the Potter card above. Herrman Halis from Lee County, from a small town named Steward. He is one of only three native to Lee County to make it to the major leagues; the other two, Lou Bevilacqua of Nelson and Frank Shaughnessy of Amboy, don’t have MLB cards of them.

22) 1991 Topps Desert Shield (record breaker), Bobby Thigpen ($5): One of the most iconic parallel sets from the Junk Era, this is one of those cases where, if I had to pick ONLY ONE card from the 1991 Desert Storm to have in my collection, it would be the one about Thigpen setting the saves record. Thought about the Fisk record breaker card, but thought this card would be easier to get.

23) 1993 Finest Refractors, Pat Listach ($10): The same situation with the Thigpen card. This parallel set is one of the all-time greats, and includes the most expensive cards of the 1990s. Seeing these prices in the Beckett guides when I was a kid made my jaw drop. If I had to pick ONLY ONE “cheap” card from this set, Listach is the one, having been Rookie of the Year in 1992.

24) 2005 Topps, Roberto Alomar (any variation) ($0.50): This card, along with the Hoyt Wilhelm stamp card, is one of two picturing Hall of Famers on teams they never played for; in this instance, Alomar with the Devil Rays. Note: “any variation” in this list includes any parallel cards associated with it, although I would prefer the original base card.

25) 1994 Upper Deck American Epic, Marvin Miller ($0.50): This set was inspired by the Ken Burns’ Baseball documentary. Miller played a huge role in the behind-the-scenes successes of baseball players from the 1960s to 1990s, much so that he got his due in the Hall of Fame, after a long wait. This is Miller’s first official baseball card.

26) 1975 Angels Postcards, Whitey Herzog (mgr.) ($1)
27) 2002 Fleer Tradition, Tim Raines (Sr.) ($0.50)
28) 1977 Yankees Burger King, Mike Torrez ($1)
29) 1988 Donruss Yankees Team Set, Jose Cruz ($0.50)
30) 1988 Giants Mother’s Cookies, Phil Garner ($0.50)
31) 1976 SSPC, Duke Snider (Coach) ($0.50)
32) 1996 Pinnacle FanFest, Bud Selig ($0.50)
33) 1969 A’s Black and White, Joe DiMaggio (Coach) ($5)
34) 1955 Indians Golden Stamps, Hank Greenberg (GM) ($5)
35) 1961 Indians Team Issue, Luke Appling (Coach) ($3)
36) 1963 Orioles Postcards, Luke Appling (Coach) ($3)
37) 1975 Angels Postcards, Don Drysdale (Broadcaster) ($1)
38) 1969 Senators Team Issue, Nellie Fox (Coach) ($2)
39) 1976 Expos Postcards, Larry Doby (Coach) ($0.50)
40) 1975 Indians Team Issue, Larry Doby (Coach) ($0.50)
41) 1978 SSPC, Larry Doby (Coach) ($0.50)
42) 1978 SSPC, Bob Lemon (Mgr.) ($0.50)
43) 1976 SSPC, Dick Williams (Mgr.) ($0.50)
44) 1976 SSPC, Willie Davis ($0.50)
45) 1970 Topps, Oakland Athletics team card ($1)
46) 2001 Padres Postcards, Alan Trammell (Coach) ($1)
47) 2008 Topps Cubs Gift Set, Alan Trammell (Coach) ($1)
48) 1961 Fleer, Joe McGinnity ($3)
49) 1990 Dodgers Target, Charlie Irwin ($1)
50) 1977 Fritsch One-Year Wonders, Em Lindbeck ($1)

51) 1995 Brewers Police, Bob Uecker ($1)
52) 1989-90 Topps Senior League, Rollie Fingers ($0.50)
53) 1989-90 Topps Senior League, Fergie Jenkins ($0.50)
54) 1989-90 Topps Senior League, Earl Weaver (Mgr.) ($0.50)
55) 1989-90 Topps Senior League, Dick Williams (Mgr.) ($0.50)
56) 1993 Conlan, Leroy Herrman ($0.25)
57) 1993 Conlan, Nels Potter ($0.25)
58) 2002 Topps, Jose Canseco (any variation) ($0.50)
59) 1972 Topps, Larry Hisle ($1)
60) 1984 Donruss, Joe Carter ($5)
61) 1969 Topps, Graig Nettles ($8)
62) 1972 Topps, Tony La Russa ($2)
63) 1960 Topps, Luke Appling (Coach) ($2)
64) 1982 Donruss, Vada Pinson (Coach) ($0.25)
65) 1977 Topps, Andy Messersmith ($0.50)
66) 1976 Topps, Ron Fairly ($0.50)
67) 1978 Topps, Dave Kingman ($0.25)
68) 1980 Topps, Bobby Bonds ($0.25)
69) 1993 Topps, Tony Perez (Mgr.) ($0.25)
70) 2019 Topps Heritage, Pat Neshek ($0.50)
71) 1972 Topps, Hoyt Wilhelm ($5)
72) 1972 Topps, Denny McLain (high series traded card) ($5)
73) 1973 Topps, Tom Walker ($1)
74) 1998 Pacific Online, Kevin Mitchell ($0.50)
75) 2008 Topps Year in Review, Julio Franco ($1)
76) 2008 Topps Year in Review, Julio Franco/Roger Clemens ($1)
77) 2008 Topps Year in Review, Prince Fielder ($0.50)
78) 2008 Topps Year in Review, Rick Ankiel ($0.50)
79) 2003 Topps Total, Jesse Orosco ($0.25)
80) 2002 Victory, Lenny Harris ($0.25)
81) 2000 Topps season highlights, Jesse Orosco ($0.25)
82) 2008 Topps Triple Threads, Hideo Nomo (any variation) ($1)
83) 1974 Topps, Sam McDowell ($1)
84) 1973 Topps, Sam McDowell ($1)
85) 1988 Topps Traded, Brady Anderson ($0.50)
86) 2000 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, Dwight Gooden ($0.50)
87) 2012 Upper Deck Goodwin Champions, Ross Barnes ($0.50)
88) 2006 Topps Hit Parade, Ruben Sierra ($0.50)
89) 2014 Topps Update Fond Farewells, Omar Vizquel ($0.50)
90) 1998 Pacific Invincible Team Checklists, Julio Franco (+ others) ($0.50)
91) 1995 Upper Deck Trade, Willie McGee ($0.50)
92) 2010 Topps Update, Jim Edmonds (any variation) ($0.50)
93) 1992 Stadium Club, Kirk Gibson ($0.25)
94) 2006 Upper Deck, Javy Lopez ($0.25)
95) 1986 Fleer, Ken Griffey ($0.25)
96) 1986 Fleer, Andre Dawson ($0.25)
97) 1986 Fleer, Eric Davis ($0.25)
98) 1986 Fleer, Mike Schmidt ($0.25)
99) 1986 Fleer, Kirby Puckett ($0.50)
100) 1986 Fleer, Roger Clemens ($0.50)

101) 2020 Topps Big League Park Oddities, Edwin Jackson ($3): I miscounted my rough draft of this current update by one, so I’m putting it on this list to not forget it once a spot gets crossed out.

If interested in selling, or have any questions, please contact me using the information provided on this website (Click the button on the top left corner of the page).