Stars from the Lone Star State
At Topps RIPPED, we’re taking a look at how to collect your favorite teams. If you’re new to the chase, take a look at our Team Collecting Primer. Not meant to be a definitive guide, these profiles aim to give team collectors, and those looking to get started, an idea of some of the charms of collecting each franchise.
This week, we’re taking a look at collecting the Texas Rangers.
A Most Unique Team Collection
Rangers collector Barry Pace is an incredible example of the joy of team collecting. He has about one million cards across many sports and is a longtime Pirates fan. Now in his 70s, Pace’s life in the game of baseball led him to the Rangers, showing that there are endless ways to gravitate to a ball club, and endless ways to collect them.
Pace hails from Hickory, North Carolina. He’s something of an institution down at L.P. Frans Stadium, home of the A-level minor league team, the Hickory Crawdads. He’s been a season-ticket holder for decades.
“Our names are on the seats,” says Pace. For years, he’s helped countless players on the team, even packing snack bags for away games. In 2009, the Crawdads shifted affiliation from the Pirates to the Rangers. Pace, for years, has collected the cards of Crawdad players, and estimates he has about 20,000 of them. “Pirates are my number one team, but the Rangers are my number two.”
As an A-level minor league affiliate, Hickory hosts some of the Rangers’ brightest prospects as they begin their pro ball journey. Young stars Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter both spent time with the team. Langford’s Rookie Debut Patch Auto card sold for $183,000 on June 14, 2025.
Carter is a great illustration of just how fast a Hickory Crawdad prospect can hit the big time. In 2022, he played 100 games for the club. Just a year later, he was instrumental in the Texas Rangers World Series run. He remains one of the top chases for Rangers collectors.
Pace collects and follows Hickory Crawdad alumni, whether they stay with the Rangers or not. For him, it’s not about preferring one player over another, it’s about collecting cards of those who came through town, players he watched, players he got to know.
Bowman prospect cards are a great resource, as are Topps offerings. Jurickson Profar, who won the South Atlantic League MVP award in 2011, played for the Rangers from 2012-2018 before moving on.
Even prospects that are in Hickory but for a moment make the cut. Current top prospect Sebastian Walcott played four games for Hickory as he began his pro career. His 1st Bowmans are some of the hottest in the chase for prospect cards.
But, as much as Pace collects, he shares even more. For many home games, he sets up and sells his cards.
“I cater to the kids. I go through my cards, I pack them up, dollar packs, $2 packs, $5 dollar team packs.” Pace aims to share his love of The Hobby and help local kids in the process. “I look at it like this, a kid gets into cards, they’re reading. They’re looking at the stats, there’s some math.” Pace also gives away thousands of cards a year, both at the stadium and throughout Hickory.
“If it’s a birthday, they get some cards. If they bring a group to the game, all the kids get a pack.”
Collecting Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan was in the big leagues for over two and a half decades — an incredible accomplishment in itself. He joined the Rangers in 1989, playing his last five seasons with the team. His cards are some of the Rangers Hobby’s grails.
For Pace, Ryan cards are great trade bait for his collection. “It’s easy to trade my Ryan cards because I collect my Crawdads.”
Ryan’s 1968 and 1969 Topps Baseball cards are among the top chases. The ‘68 RC has sold for as much as $600,000. This PSA 6 is currently available for $2,300 through Fanatics Collect.
If you’re looking for a Ryan card as he finished his career with the Rangers, his final playing year cards include a Refractor from 1993 Topps Finest. Comparing the card design from his rookie year to his last is an amazing testament to Ryan’s longevity. He debuted in 1966 and still made it to the Refractor era.
Modern Rangers Greats
The Rangers moved to town in 1971, and fans had to wait 25 years for a postseason berth. But when it finally rained, it poured. Led by Ivan Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez, the Rangers made the postseason in three of four seasons starting in 1996. While they ran into the buzzsaw that was a Yankees dynasty, the team was fantastic.
Rodriguez won MVP in 1999, while Juan Gonzalez took the honor in 1996 and 1998. This 1991 Topps Traded Tiffany RC is one of the most coveted Pudge cards ever. Juan Gonzalez’s 1993 Topps Finest Baseball Refractor is one of his most valued Topps cards. A PSA 10 is currently listed on Fanatics Collect for $2,499.
2023: Champs at Last
Finally, in 2023, the Texas Rangers were World Series Champions, ending a 62-year franchise drought that included its time in Washington.
Members of this team are a must-have for team collectors. Of course, there’s 2023 World Series MVP Corey Seager. Rangers collectors looking for his most valuable cards will find them from his time with the Dodgers. An auto of the Fall Classic hero is a top chase for collectors, this eye-catching card sold for $118 in March 2025.
2023 ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia is also worthy of mention. The two-time All-Star was instrumental in the World Series run, including a legendary home run to win Game 1.
Building a Community Through Rangers Cards
Team collecting, whether in the more traditional sense, or in the unique way in which Barry Pace does it, is a great way to build and foster community in The Hobby.
Whether it’s in your LCS, at card shows, on social media, or down at the ballpark in Hickory, the cards bring people together, while inspiring the next generation of The Hobby.
