Frank Thomas Baseball Cards
Baseball cards have been around since the late 19th century, with America being the most popular country to produce them, due to the national love of the sport and sporting memorabilia. They feature a picture of the player on one side, and information about him, his team, and his career on the other. Production and trading of the sports cards stepped up significantly in the 1930s and gained momentum into the 1990s. Frank Thomas was a first baseman and a player for American League teams in the 1990s and 2000s, with a stellar and unblemished career record behind him. Largely known for his tenure in the Chicago White Sox, he was renowned for his home runs. Frank Thomas's career happened to hit its peak at the same time that baseball cards were wildly popular collector's items, meaning there are hundreds, if not thousands, of types of cards from which to choose. Topps baseball and Leaf baseball cards were two of the main producers and huge players in the baseball card market.
Which Frank Thomas Cards Are the Most Valuable?
As with many collectibles, the most valuable baseball trading cards tend to be those produced the earliest and those that are rarest. Gem Mint cards, or those which are in perfect condition, are always likely to fetch a valuable price.
- 1987-88 Auburn Tigers Frank Thomas: The very first Frank Thomas card was for those players who attended Auburn University and excelled at baseball. This is notable as it was prior to his career soaring to the heights it would later, and is very scarce.
- 1990 Topps Frank Thomas No Name on Front: This Topps card was a printing defect and features only a blank space where Thomas's name should be. As with many collectibles, defect collections command great prices for their rarity and individuality, as baseball card companies printed them in small runs.
- Autograph Cards: As Thomas's popularity took off, the card company Leaf worked with the White Sox and Frank as their spokesman and used his genuine signature on many of the cards, then inserted them into the pack and box, making a surprise, autographed Thomas card the ultimate in collectibles.
Which Other Frank Thomas Cards Are Popular?
Not confined to simply producing pictures of the baseball player, the year, and some information on the back and box, card companies got more inventive by the day, adding all kinds of features to otherwise simple designs on their packs.
- Holograms and mirror parallel baseball cards, such as the 1996 Select Certified Frank Thomas Mirror Parallels No.1, gave a whole new dimension to the images and added a layer of pizzazz.
- Gold, silver, and bronze medallions, and hand numbering for limited runs on the front of baseball cards identified collections.
- Memorabilia swatches added a tactile element to the cards, and used items, such as jerseys, shoes, gloves, and more.