For kids collecting the Bowman set in the summer of 1949, THE card to own had to be number 84, Roy Campanella. Today, this card stands as Campanella’s rookie card, a key piece in any advanced card collection. As of this auction, PSA population reports show that just two examples have been graded higher than this one. The most recent example of the 1949 Bowman Campanella rookie selling in this grade at auction brought $42,000 in August of this year. Our example shows beautifully tight corners, sharp colors, and very light toning. As far as visual quality, this is one of the finest in the hobby.

This card’s popularity stems not simply from the scarcity of high-grade examples, but also for what it represents to baseball history. The Brooklyn Dodgers catcher was in just his first full season in the majors, but he was far from your usual rookie. Though he was only 27 in 1949, Campanella had begun his pro career at the age of 15 back in 1937 with the Elite Giants of the Negro National League. Throughout the 1940s, “Campy” honed his skills by playing year-round in the States, the Caribbean and Latin America. His reputation was such that he was among the first Black players to be signed to play in the majors. Campy played 83 games for Brooklyn in 1948, where he hit 9 homers and drove in 45 runs in his abbreviated season, proving he had what it took to be a starter. The year this card showed up in Bowman wax packs, Campy was on his way to winning the first of his three NL MVP Awards and a career that would earn him a place in Cooperstown among the game’s immortal heroes. His breakout 1949 season helped pave the way for the acceptance of Black ballplayers in the major leagues, and this Bowman card 84 is the visual representation of where it all began for Roy Campanella. PSA MINT 9

Estimate: $40,000+