Baseball cards are fun as hell, but they demand more money and space than any grown man with a family can afford to give. Of course, I had a shoebox of cards under my bed…I grew up in the ’90s. These dinged-up pieces of cardboard were gathered from trips to the batting cage, birthday party goody bags, or vending machines. I didn’t actually start buying and collecting cards until 2018. I was working at Bobby Valentine’s Sports Academy as a youth baseball coach (a story for another day), and some of my buddies there were heavy into cards.
As my collection turned into a semi-hoarding situation, it was clear I needed to systematically cut down this growing stack of pictures on pulp. I am a New York Mets fan (surprise!), so I naturally prioritize Mets cards over those representing any other team. But even cutting things down to just the Amazins leaves a massive collection. Do I really need a Jacob deGrom card from every set of every year? Probably not.
This realization led me to a decision: I would ONLY keep Mets rookie cards from the Topps flagship series. While many consider Bowman to be the "true" rookie card, I prefer good ol’ Topps.
Rookie cards are great, but what about the veterans? As we learned this past offseason, teams are never entirely made up of homegrown talent. I needed something to represent the veterans who joined the Mets via free agency, waiver claims, or trades. Again, I looked to the Topps flagship series.
Not every player gets a rookie card in the Topps flagship set, and not every veteran is represented there, either. Which means I need to set some ground rules for this new collection.
Rookie Cards
Rookie cards from the Topps flagship series (Series 1, Series 2, or Update Series) are the definitive rookie cards for this collection. If a player does not have a rookie card in the flagship series, a rookie card from another set will be selected.
Rookie Combo Cards
Sometimes a rookie appears on a "combo card" alongside other players. If no solo rookie card is available (in flagship or otherwise), a combo card will be selected. For example, Jonathan Pintaro was included in a rookie combo card in 2026 Topps Heritage. Since Pintaro is scheduled to get a solo rookie card in 2026 Topps Series 2, that solo card will eventually take the combo card’s place in the collection.
Veteran Cards
Veteran players acquired via trade, waiver claim, or free agency will be represented by their first card in the Topps flagship series. If a player doesn’t get a flagship card, a card from another set may be added. However, if a flagship card eventually becomes available, it will supersede the card from the alternative set
The Jed Lowrie Clause
If a player’s card from another set is undeniably better than their Topps flagship card, the better card can be included. This clause is named after Mets "legend" Jed Lowrie, because his 2019 Topps Heritage card is so much better than his 2020 Topps Series 2 card (seriously, look at that face).
Team Cards
All team cards are eligible for the collection, provided they are part of the Topps flagship series.
Mr. & Mrs. Met Cards
Any and all cards depicting Mr. and/or Mrs. Met are included, though they are limited to Topps flagship.
Manager Cards
While uncommon in modern sets, manager cards are included in the collection (one card per manager). These are preferably, but not limited to, Topps flagship.
Ballpark Cards
Any card representing Citi Field, Shea Stadium, the Polo Grounds, or any associated attractions (statues, oddities, food, etc.) may be included. These are limited to Topps flagship.
Celebrity Cards
Any card representing a non-player throwing out a first pitch or participating in Mets-related activities is included in the collection.
Thanks for reading! Join me next Wednesday as I officially welcome three New York Mets into the official Rally Towel collection.
