Collecting Genius: The Albert Einstein Rookie Card
The last five years have seen a spike in interest (and value!) when it comes to trading cards. While the "big four" sports (baseball, football, basketball, hockey) have commanded most of the attention, it may be that the largest returns have come in the non-sport arena: musicians, presidents, and physicists, for example.
Physicists?! Wait, what? Call it the Sheldon Cooper effect or Revenge of the Nerds 2.0, but evidently figuring out "how and why stuff does stuff" is now just as exciting as a 50-50 season or Ballon d'Or as far as trading cards are concerned. That's not to say every collector would prefer a Penrose to a Pete Rose, but I am definitely saying that Albert Einstein cards are going nuts these days!
To celebrate his "hot list" status in the Hobby, we'll count down five of Professor Einstein's oldest and best trading cards, starting with a Topps classic and ending with his much sought after rookie card.
1. 1952 Topps Look 'n See (USA)
While this card is not Einstein's rookie card, it nonetheless has three things going for it.
For one thing, it's his first trading card issued in the United States, so call it his U.S. rookie card if you like. For another, of all the cards profiled in this article, it's by far the easiest to find and most affordable. And finally, what collector doesn't get excited about a 1952 Topps card of an all-time great?
2. 1940 History of the Jewish People (Palestine)
Here's some trivia for you. Back in 1952, the year kids were pulling that "Look 'n See" card of Einstein, the professor himself was offered the presidency of Israel!
Though he turned down the position, Einstein, forced to flee his native Europe during the rise of Nazism, had been a strong supporter for the creation of a Jewish state. As such, he cracked the checklist for this 197-card set featuring important people, places, and events in Jewish history.
3. 1935 Wix Cigarettes "The Age of Power and Wonder" (UK, South Africa)
Though Einstein is definitely THE CARD in this set, the entire release offers a fascinating look at a world where scientific breakthroughs and innovation were fundamentally altering humankind's views of what was possible in the world. The Einstein completists will want to note that in addition to his "base card," Einstein also shares a card with Sir Isaac Newton in this set.
4. 1928 Salem/Jasmatzi "The World in Pictures" (Germany)
Here is a card (or technically two different cards) I used to see for $5 or so on European auction sites. Now I see them selling on eBay for a couple hundred dollars or so! If only Einstein had invented a time machine, right? At any rate, the card is undoubtedly one of Einstein's earliest and at least at the moment has the advantage of being somewhat easy to find.
5. 1924 J. Millhoff & Co. "Men of Genius" (UK)
At last we arrive at what is not only Einstein's rookie card but also one of the Holy Grails in the world of non-sport collecting. What's not to like about this card? It's incredibly beautiful. It name drops Einstein's famous "Theory of Relativity." And, though this may be more of a bug than a feature for those still looking, it's a very tough card to find.
No need to be an Einstein to see why this card is the hottest of the bunch. When it comes down to it, there may be only one way to top this masterpiece, and that's to collect the entire set! (Side note to J. Millhoff & Co.: Your "Women of Genius" set is now officially a century overdue!)
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.