These cards exploded in price more than any other sport. I had the most “sellers remorse” with these. It was fun discovering these sets and working with PSA to get them approved for grading. Worked with PSA to get the following sets approved for grading: 1978 Figurita Crack Mundial, 2002 Panini Mega Craques, 2009 Gol Cards. Especially notable that the Ronaldo card later appeared on the cover of SMR Magazine, years after we first got the set approved.

Soccer Rookie Cards

Pelé – 1958 Ave Ltda. Coleção Titulares

One of several Pelé cards from 1958, chosen for being made in Brazil. PSA labeled these as hand-cut. A few 1957 issues have surfaced since, including the 1957 A Americana Ltda Balas Futebol and 1957 Oliveira & Benassi Balas Equipe.

• Franz Beckenbauer – 1965 Perfetti Candy

  Early Italian-issued card of the German great, distributed with Perfetti candy products.

• George Best – 1964 Barratt & Co. Ltd Famous Footballers

  UK-issued rookie of the Manchester United icon.

• Diego Maradona – 1978 Figurita Crack Mundial

  Early Argentine release from before Maradona’s professional debut.

• Landon Donovan – 2002–03 Panini Stickers Football 2003 (#222)

  International Panini sticker featuring the U.S. star in national team gear. The set was recalled shortly after release due to licensing issues, adding to its scarcity.

• Roberto Baggio – 1985 Panini Calciatori

  First appearance in Panini’s flagship Italian domestic set.

• David Beckham – 1995 Raven Manchester Utd. Red Devils

  Team-issued release predating Beckham’s mainstream Panini cards.

• Cristiano Ronaldo – 2002 Panini Mega Craques

  Portuguese domestic release and widely accepted Ronaldo rookie.

• Lionel Messi – 2004 Panini Megacracks iconic rookie card released in Spain.

• Neymar – 2009 Gol Cards

  Brazilian release prior to Neymar’s move to Europe.

• Kylian Mbappé – 2016 Panini Foot #505

  First licensed card of Mbappé, issued during his time at AS Monaco.

Next up is Tennis. These cards were very inexpensive pre covid. Many foreign issues emerged over time. I worked with PSA to get some of these sets slabbed for the first time.

TENNIS ROOKIE CARDS

Rene Lacoste – 1926 Lambert & Butler

First tennis card of the French legend and founder of the Lacoste brand.

Fred Perry – 1930 Cloetta

Early European card of the 3-time Wimbledon champ and fashion icon.

Arthur Ashe – 1966 Ruiz Romero Fútbol Tenis Ciclismo

Spanish multi-sport issue featuring the trailblazing Grand Slam champion.

Björn Borg – 1974 Panini Sport Vedettes

European release predating most of his Grand Slam dominance.

Jimmy Connors – 1980 Deportistas Argentinos

Long considered his first card until a 1976 Americana München #203 was discovered, now recognized as the true rookie.

John McEnroe – 1980 Deportistas Argentinos

Argentine release capturing the young American star early in his career.

Andre Agassi – 1987 Panini

Pre-professional appearance of the Las Vegas prodigy.

Pete Sampras – 1991 NetPro

First licensed U.S. card of the 14-time Grand Slam champion.

Andy Roddick – 2001 NetPro

Released just before his U.S. Open win in 2003; key early-2000s card.

Roger Federer – 2003 Czech Stadion

Often overlooked Czech card released before NetPro; Early, rare Federer card.

Rafael Nadal – 2003 NetPro

Released ahead of his Grand Slam breakout; cornerstone of modern tennis rookies.

1993 BBM Ichiro Suzuki #239 (BlueWave Rookie)

Before he was a Seattle Mariner, Ichiro was already a legend in Japan. This 1993 BBM card captures his earliest pro days with the Orix BlueWave. A must-have for collectors who appreciate international origins of greatness.

2010 Grandstand Russell Wilson #25 (Tri-City Dust Devils)

Before dominating the NFL, Russell Wilson was slinging baseballs in the Rockies’ minor league system. His Grandstand card with the Tri-City Dust Devils is a true oddball gem

1981 Swedish Semic Mike Eruzione #104 (VM Sticker)

Captain America, straight outta Sweden. This obscure 1981 sticker captures Miracle on Ice hero Mike Eruzione in international cardboard form. Collecting doesn’t get cooler.

1991 Stadium Club Brett Favre #94 – Super Bowl XXVI

Most collectors know this classic Favre rookie card, but what makes this version a bit of an oddball is the embossed Super Bowl XXVI logo stamped on the front. These were distributed as part of a special set during the Super Bowl and are much harder to find than the base version. A subtle but cool twist on a classic rookie card.

1977 Topps Mexican Steve Largent #177

This ultra-scarce Topps Mexican issue features Hall of Famer Steve Largent with unique Spanish text and funky print quality. Tough grade, tougher to find — even beat up, it’s a beauty.

And a couple more CFL rookies

1971 O-Pee-Chee Joe Theismann #13 (CFL Rookie)

Long before Washington, Joe Theismann was lighting it up in the CFL with the Argos. His OPC rookie is an iconic pre-NFL piece for Heisman and CFL fans alike.

1995 Jogo CFL Jeff Garcia #8

Another CFL-to-NFL success story — Jeff Garcia got his start in the Jogo set. Before the 49ers, he was making plays for Calgary. A hidden gem in the CFL collecting scene.

1991 All-World CFL Rocket Ismail #1 (Auto)

When Rocket went north, it was one of the most shocking moves on draft day 1991. This signed All-World card captures that moment. CFL meets cultural icon.

A much earlier card than his 1957 Topps..

1951 Berk Ross Bob Cousy #1-11

A pre-rookie appearance of Celtics legend Bob Cousy in the quirky Berk Ross multi-sport set. Crude artwork, crude cutting — but pure basketball history.

My first post on this app. I’ve been a collector since I was a kid in the ’80s and ’90s, back when sports cards were king. Unfortunately, that also happened to be the heart of the junk wax era. Still, I loved the hobby. Once I got a real job in the early 2000s, I jumped back in and started buying the rookie cards I always wanted.

That era was a down time for the hobby, so prices were still low—except for vintage baseball. eBay was just taking off, and suddenly I had access to cards I’d never seen or even heard of. One of the most legendary in our household growing up was the 1983 Jogo Warren Moon. My brother and I read about it in Dr. James Beckett’s guide and dreamed of finding one.

On a family trip to Niagara Falls in 1991, we begged our parents to take us to local card shops hoping to track it down—or maybe find a CFL-exclusive Rocket Ismail card—but no luck. Years later, thanks to eBay, I finally found one.

That opened the door to a whole new interest: pre-rookie and oddball cards. Think Kurt Warner’s 1995 Iowa Barnstormers or David Robinson’s 1986 MERCHANTE card from Spain. The more I explored, the more familiar names I found on obscure cards. That became my new focus—and the beginning of my next chapter in collecting.