Definition: The first card produced of a player or athlete that is a part of a nationally distributed, fully licensed sports card set. Often abbreviated RC. The RC designation extends to all cards produced that fit the definition in a single year, so it is possible for one athlete to have many different rookie cards. Note that a rookie card is not necessarily always produced during a player's rookie season, as there may have been cards that fit the definition printed in previous years. It is generally agreed that to be a true rookie card, the card must be numbered as part of a product's base set. Thus, insert cards of any type are generally not considered to be rookie cards.
Also Known As: rookies
Examples: It didn't surprise me that his rookie card was ten times more valuable than his second year card.
