My vintage card of the week: The 1968 Topps Rod Carew All-Star Rookie card. I was only 10 years old when Carew played his last season, but I was into baseball and knew that he was the gold standard for hitting prowess. Tony Gwynn was ultimately my generation's Carew, but I’ve always looked at Rod’s cards with fondness. And this one is my favorite; I prefer it to the rookie card because it’s his first solo card, and I love both the ’68 design and the all-star rookie trophy.
I really enjoy collecting these “sub” sets and cards of superstars. We all know that getting the base card might be out of price range, but these AS cards can be affordable and a great way to get your favorite players.