Do you remember your FIRST baseball card?
So the 1983 TOPPS STEVE CARLTON #406 card is the first card I remember having as a kid.
Now I'm also 90% sure I was too young to have bought packs of this card myself yet in 1983, so I am guessing my older brother had a bunch of cards already and gave me a few, and this was by far the best looking one of my meager pile!
Of course my original card was ungraded and likely handled a lot, so I finally bought a graded one for just $23 as a way to really connect with my childhood.
In the 1980s I would go on to buy numerous packs of cards for $0.25 and then $0.50 each until I feel like the 1989 Upper Deck were the first ones to be over a dollar per pack, maybe $1.25 which was A LOT back then.
Sure, I have a lot more expensive and fancier cards in my personal collection now, and I have also flipped WAY more historically relevant cards, but this one will still hold a special place in my heart.
Card Background:
Steve Carlton was selected to the 1982 All-Star Game, and his 1983 Topps card is considered an All-Star card. Steve Carlton was a 10-time All-Star during his career. This card is considered more valuable than non all-star card of the same set, due to the fact that it is harder to find and more sought after by collectors. Additionally, Steve Carlton's status as a Hall of Famer and one of the best left-handed pitcher in baseball history also contribute to the value of the card.
The 1983 Topps set featured 792 cards in total, including veterans, rookies, and league leaders. The card features a color photo of Carlton on the front, with his name and team (Philadelphia Phillies) at the top. The back of the card includes Carlton's statistics, a brief player bio, and his career highlights.
