Maximizing joy in 1 of 1s

Well, I’ve done it. Finally pulled the trigger on an Ichiro 1 of 1. But before I did, I had to take a step back and evaluate how much I’d enjoy the card versus the premium I’d have to shell out for that designation. Firstly, there are some filthy one of ones made today: superfractors, platinums, patch autos, bat knobs, cut autos and so many more. So I suppose I wanted to walk through why I decided picking up the Ichiro 2006 Topps Turkey Red black printing plate 1/1 checked all the boxes for me.

Firstly, with a 1 of 1 I want it to really represent - as a statement piece - my style of collecting and my PC. For those of you that don’t know (and many of you don’t yet based on my posts) I collect baseball and baseball card history as a large part of my PC. I have a curated pre-war (tobacco/candy/gum cards) portion of my PC, vintage, 90s (i.e. my nostalgic portion) and modern day. Because I enjoy the history of baseball and the history of the hobby, the 2006 Topps Turkey Red black printing plate checks so many boxes for me: throwback to the 1911 T3 cabinet cards - down to the photography and 2006 being on the end portion of that hobby innovation period, and a period of innovation within the hobby, introducing new ways of presenting printing plates and throwback sets.

Secondly, I wanted a 1 of 1 of my player in his playing years, and much like a lotta Griffey collectors, I wanted him in his Mariners uniform. This is Ichiro in his prime (pants all the way to his shoes Ichiro - for those who know). As the number of 1 of 1s in products has grown in recent years, they’re easier to come by for a player like Ichiro but it most likely won’t represent him when he was on his 10 year 200 hit streak.

Lastly, I was looking for something that had a design that stood out. In the early 2000s, Topps was doing special packaging for the printing plates - and as you can see on this card (plate) - they went the extra mile and added the cool 1 of 1 statement at the bottom of the black paper border encasing the plate, AS WELL AS the cool 1/1 sticker they used to put on 1 of 1 cards, and even further still printed the set name in the top left. In addition, instead of slapping a sticker of something cheap on the back of the actual metal plate, they completely encased the plate and gave the full standard write up on the back of the housing. This to me reads as luxe, expensive and special.

At the end of the day, I feel to bring the most joy to your 1 of 1s you should be on the lookout for not just the ‘1/1’ designation, but something that really feels special to your collecting style.

Best,

Ben