As I look back on what I acquired in 2025, there is one item that is hands-down my favorite: George Brett's 1974 "pre-rookie" postcard.

Before his iconic 1975 Topps rookie card, Brett appeared on this 1974 Kansas City Royals team-issue postcard - his earliest known card-type collectible. Issued locally and never intended for the national hobby, it captures Brett at the very start of his Hall of Fame career and sits in that gray area collectors like me love: Not an official rookie card, but historically earlier and far scarcer (as of my writing there are only a total of 11 examples graded by PSA). Pieces like this are why I think pre-rookie ephemera matters - it helps to tell the story before the story everyone knows.

I had been looking for one of these for a few years and the rare times one came up, I unfortunately wasn't able to snag it. That changed earlier this year and while I may have paid a bit more than I had planned, for me it’s one of those pieces that made me forget the price the moment I held it.

Here's to everyone getting their most-desired card in 2026!