Ben McDonald, 1991 SCD Baseball Card Price Guide Monthly #11

There's something about a poorly-staged portrait in the glare of the sunlight with Comiskey Park's big blue ostentatious scoreboard in the background that runs counter to my image of the reserved, washed-out nature of the 1957 Topps set. This card is modeled after those Golden-Age baseball cards, but the text on the back is much more cynical than the typical copy on its predecessor. To wit:

"The days of buying rookie cards for pennies are over. That's what makes investing in Ben McDonald cards such a gamble. Although he was a two-time All-American at LSU and the '89 College Player of the Year, McDonald is still an unproven talent in the big leagues. Based on his future potential, McDonald's 1990 rookie cards are already high-priced. Until he has established himself, our advice is to proceed with caution."

That's just gross. "Investing in" McDonald cards? It's a wonder that baseball cards survived the 1990's at all.