Like most hobbyists, Tyler Zuber just wants to collect things that matter to him.
But as the reliever prepares for a spring training that hopefully ends with a spot on the New York Mets' Opening Day roster, Zuber is also aiming to add one of his own 1/1 cards to a growing collection of memorabilia with special connections.
According to the Trading Card Database, there are 78 total Zuber cards, including parallels and variations, from three different seasons with at least three total superfractor 1/1s. His quest could be tough, but not impossible.
“I remember signing some 1/1s and I was like, ‘Man, that’d be so cool to have.’ Just one of them — I don’t want every one of them,” Zuber told cllct. “But then I thought that maybe I’ll get a 1/1, and then I could put that into my collection of memorabilia that I’ve gotten from my time in the big leagues.
"So, it’s more of being out on the hunt for just one right now, just to have that one piece that I know there’s not another one out there that looks like this.”
Like many during the ultra-modern era, Zuber collected cards as a kid, but his interest eventually faded. And like many collecting today, Zuber’s interest was reignited during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with the help of former teammate Daniel Tillo, who is a collector himself.
Zuber can still recall his first moments signing cards for Topps prior to making his MLB debut.
“I thought it was pretty cool that I got my own card, but it didn’t really dawn on me until probably a couple weeks after,” Zuber said. “Some little kid is going to open up a pack, and it kind of just brought me back to whenever I was a kid and I would open up a pack and see somebody that I idolized. I thought it was kind of a cool moment.”
So far, Zuber’s collection is packed with items that provide their own moments, ranging from cards fans have sent him as well as signed bats, balls and jerseys.
He also has collected signed bats from Miguel Cabrera and Nelson Cruz and several baseballs autographed by Yadier Molina. Zuber has kept items inscribed to him from favorite teammates as well, including Greg Holland, Danny Duffy, Ian Kennedy, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon.
At the center of his collection, however, are items from his earliest MLB moments, including the jersey and lineup card from his debut against Cleveland and the lineup card from his first career win against Minnesota.
A 1/1 rookie card will, one day, fit nicely alongside those items.
Zuber, who posted to social media his interest in acquiring a 1/1 on Jan. 22, says he was inspired by other players hoping to trade for their own. He saw the Paul Skenes Rookie Debut Patch Autograph get pulled, and while Zuber doesn’t have an RDPA, he has a few 1/1s that are worth chasing.
Traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Mets last July, Zuber has a chance to snag top-tier autographs from stars such as Juan Soto — one of the hobby’s most popular baseball players — and Francisco Lindor.
Soto and Lindor would certainly be great additions to Zuber’s collection, but he’s more interested in collecting great friends than great players.
“They don’t necessarily have to be the biggest names or the most famous,” Zuber said. “For me, it’s more the relationship or if he’s a good person … they don’t necessarily have to be Soto-level. To me, if they made an impact on me, I want something signed from them.”
_Ben Burrows is a reporter and editor for cllct. _