2024 Topps Allen & Ginter Mark McGwire Framed Mini Auto Oakland Athletics

Man, that 1984 Olympic baseball team was STACKED. That team also had Will Clark and Barry Larkin who, sadly, were not featured in the 1985 Topps set. Still, this is McGwire’s best rookie and the Tiffany version is tough to find in good condition. I want to upgrade to a signed version or at least a better centered version at some point. The centering on these can be brutal. This one will serve as a placeholder until I can upgrade. Ideally, to an autographed copy.

I really started collecting around 1997. As many of you may remember, McGwire set the baseball world on fire by breaking the rookie home run record with 49 home runs in this rookie year. Well, I liked him, but it was not until he joined the St. Louis Cardinals that I really started to collect him. As a Cardinals fan, one of the most explosive players in baseball goes to your team and starts shattering home run records. It made for the most exciting summer of baseball that I can remember. I have a few McGwire autographs and while I try to collect him in his St. Louis Cardinals uniform, I do have a few out wires like this 1991 Donruss home run record in person autograph.

Mark McGuire was an absolute beast. He was amazing for the A’s but really stole my heart as a Cardinals fan. The summer of 1990 when he and Sammie Sosa went neck-to-neck and the HR record was broken was an absolute electric time. Still looking for a nameplate gave me his bat card or a few other rare or odd pieces. But for now, this will have to do.