In our recent blog on the PSA Set Registry Awards some of the most interesting sets we looked into were the "Mount Rushmore" sets for each of the different sports i.e. the 4 most important cards.
Most of the cards in these sets are pretty old with the youngest being the Michael Jordan Fleer rookie from 1986!
Well this got me thinking - what would be the Mount Rushmore of cards that have come out since then? We're talking from 87' to now?
I quizzed Grayson on his thoughts in a recent live stream we did for the Cherry podcast and these were his picks:
1. Jordan Precious Metal Gems Green
An absolutely stunning card in hand and perhaps a representation of the peak of the creativity we saw in cards in the 90s. From 1997 Skybox Metal Universe, the Jordan PMG Green does not leave people's collections very often making it extremely hard to come across.
The last one that sold in a PSA 10 went for $915,000.
2. Charizard Holo, 1999 Pokemon Game
Yes, there are older TCGs like Magic The Gathering. Yes, Pokemon isn't the only TCG from Japan to be successful but Pokemon has become a billion dollar franchise since bursting into pop culture in 1999 and with the 25th anniversary this year it shows no signs of slowing down.
The card everyone wanted to have back in 1999 was the Charizard holo and its not much different now with the card last selling for $1238 in a PSA 9.
3. Tom Brady Contenders Ticket Auto
Tom Brady's status as one of the greatest of all time (THE greatest?) is locked in at this stage especially after winning with the Bucs.
His first cards come from the era before RPAs and autos were the norm for collectors so his Contenders Ticket Auto is tough to track down.
Brady's importance to collectors and to football can't be understated and that makes this card a shoe in for the modern Mt Rushmore.
4. 2018 Topps Update Shohei Ohtani/2018 Prizm World Cup Kylian Mbappe
With the first 3 cards from our modern Mt Rushmore its easy to justify their inclusion - the impact of the players and the particular card is undeniable on sports and pop culture.
These 2 are a gamble and thats why we picked two.
The importance of soccer (real football) cards in the global market is growing and it's future growth may depend on Kylian Mbappe. His Prizm rookie from 2018 is the card to have.
Shohei Ohtani's popularity is undeniable but can he become an all time great?
Many collectors think so and they're buying up his 2018 Topps Update rookie.
What's your modern Mt Rushmore? let us know in the comments or on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram!
Watch the full clip below from the Cherry Podcast and read other card culture blogs like Why are Sports Card prices dropping? and Hate in the hobby.
