Your favorite card based on artwork/beauty
 

Among the many reasons that vintage collecting can be enjoyable, I think one of them could be described as "art appreciation". I wanted to get your thoughts on this:

Taking player selection, monetary value, etc. out of the equation...what is your favorite vintage card based on the art/beauty/aesthetics of the image on the card.

For me, I think it's the 52 Bowman Musial. I'm not really a Musial fan, and I'm definitely not a Cardinals fan...but the artwork on this card really makes me smile. Maybe it's the red/white/blue uniform color scheme that instantly makes me relate to the baseball/american/summer themes. Or maybe it's the sincerity of the fluffy cloud in the blue sky, or the way the colors pop against the bright green stadium background, but I really love the way this card looks. I was very happy to add this one to my collection recently.

There's a lot of good artwork on vintage cards....what's your favorite?

Attachment 353315

That musial is a beauty... I love the green backdrop of the stadium seats!!!

I've posted this one a couple of times this week for different reasons, but the beauty of this one is one of the reasons I've held onto it since I first got it in 1989.

<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/8670/29235845882_2019a4e744_b.jpg" width="501" height="804" alt="220_Grove_SGC_60"></a>

I loved it so much I had to add a signed version to my collection, given my recent proclivity to signed cards...

<img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/692/31651029611_51144192dd_b.jpg" width="590" height="1024" alt="Grove33Goudey"></a>

Yeah, that Lefty is nice! Between the shadows and detail on his uniform, and the details in the background, it's definitely a little work of art!

For me aesthetically there is this card and then everything else. Lousy scan.

I love this card. It is on my bucket list, once I get around to Gehrig. The problem is my bucket list is too long. Is there card collecting in the afterlife? Is there PWCC in heaven?

The answer is “always” miata...er i mean the 34 gehrig!!

The Bowman Musial is top 5 for me. That Lefty is a good one too!

This is one of my favorites too! Just sold a PSA 5 on ebay but still have a SGC 6.5.

REA that got away
 

Here’s a top 3 favorite I still have nightmares about. Got away from me at REA.
Sorry about the awful Photobucket photo. I need to find a new hosting solution.
https://i245.photobucket.com/albums/...psjyfyoscc.png

I've always liked the colors in the Bell (hands above head).

http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p...psb9242ed1.jpg

There are so many to choose from. The tobacco card era is fountain of great images, as are the 1933 Goudeys. I could also go on and on about the artistic merits of Bowmans from 1950 to 1953, and 1956-57 Topps. But if I had to pick one card from my collection to declare a piece of art, I would go with the 1933 Goudey Paul Richards, which must have inspired the final scene of "Field of Dreams."

Chas Gehringer
 

Subject matters to most of us, so I submit this Helmar Imperial Cabinet of Gehringer based on a Conlin Photo. Conlin did the hard part, but Helmar did an equally successful job in the Coloring. If anyone says -- but this is not a card -- I would have to agree.

img921.jpg

Keith H Thompson

A few of my favorites, two of which break the rule being postwar but I think they are as nice as any card.

I think this Bowman Musial speaks for itself.

https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OyJBWQxQg...0/IMG_2030.jpg

I love the artwork on this Paul Richards.

EDIT...LOL, while I was gathering these a much nicer copy of this card was posted!

Attachment 353336

Great pose, beautiful Braves uni.

https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6Z79Z5cU4...0/IMG_0006.jpg

There is something about the fairgrounds background on this card that made me pick it up (here on N54, I think).

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9pJY-oVo...0/IMG_0012.jpg

My 1910-11 T3 Turkey Red Ty Cobb SGC 1

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...a9fa926f1e.jpg


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Wow! Love how they made the flags red. It's almost always just uniform shadow color with the grandstand.

And really hard to argue there's anything better than a T3 Cobb! Sheesh that's gorgeous!

For prewar baseball, one card instantly springs to mind

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibit...0bat%20off.jpg

It seems to glow.

Looks like a Norman Rockwell to me.

My pick
 

The most artistic card I have seen, the end-product of a documented photo shoot. It captures Kelly just after he became $10,000 Kelly, the peak of his career and popularity. My favorite card.

That's beautiful Corey!

Always thought this was a piece of art.

https://i152.photobucket.com/albums/...psa478588c.jpg

I love 52 Bowmans as well and that Musial is as fine as a baseball card gets. Another of my faves is the Spahn. A guy once said to me it looks like a Norman Rockwell painting.

https://images.psacard.com/s3/cu-psa...oundcorners=10

The '52 Bowman set is gorgeous. So many beautiful cards. It plays second fiddle to the '51 because of the rookie Mantle and Mays, but to me the '52 images of those players are more beautiful than their '51's.

Adam and I are on the same page!

Corey

I'm in agreement with your opinion regarding these two classic BOWMAN sets.
But, with one exception....the 1951 Ted Williams. Of course, BOWMAN did not feature TW in their 1952 set.

http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...Williams50.jpg . http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...sMantle50x.jpg


TED Z

T206 Reference
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Ted, as usual you are too sharp for me! Right after I made the post the Williams image popped into my mind. You are not getting older, you are getting smarter.:)
That said....the '52 does have Musial. Last I looked the '51 does not.:D

Corey


Interesting that you noted the 51B is missing a Stan Musial card. As, I have done some research regarding Musial and Williams featured (or not) in certain sets.

Perhaps, I will post this "phenomena" in a future thread here. It should be good for some thought-provoking discussion.


TED Z

T206 Reference
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Ted, as with all your posts, I have no doubt it will be interesting and informative.

In my opinion, this 1888 GOODWIN CHAMPIONS set is the best; and, especially my favorite two cards...…..


http://photos.imageevent.com/tedzan7...ansonkelly.jpg


TED Z

T206 Reference
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Some of my all-time favorite artistic PreWW2 cards have been shown...the N162 Kelly, T213-2 Cobb, 1933 Goudey Richards and Gehringer. Thought I would show another incredible looking pieces of art. The E92/E101/E102 etc. of Christy Mathewson.

Brian (not mine)

T205 Johnson portrait
1934 Goudey Gehrig #37

Then, there's the E90-1 Willie Keeler. This is one of my favorites. Just striking, to my eye.

https://images.psacard.com/s3/cu-psa...oundcorners=10

You beat me to it Jerry! There's like 14 different colors on this card. Amazing

What a great thread! You guys have hit on almost all of my favorites, sadly I don't own all of them. If I owned them I would add;

E95 Cobb
E90-1 Lajoie

I love those deep reds!

Some of my less colorful favorites and a CJ Cobb...

Yes, and they are trimming one up for you right now...

I agree, that Gehrig CARD IS STUNNING. If only it had a sticker on it...

wowsers.... erick... wowsers.... :D:D:D:D:D :eek::eek::eek::eek::eek: :cool::cool::cool:

Wow! When I started this thread, I was hoping to see some beautiful cards, and you guys delivered!

As far as the Bowman discussion, the 52 set is my FAVORITE and my first attempt at completing a vintage set (I’m 72% done). But yes, I wish It had a Williams (and a Jackie Robinson). I agree that the Warren Spahn is pretty special too...my second favorite image from that set after the Musial.

And those Goodwin Champions cards?!?! If I had the cash, I would definitely make that my first pre-war set to chase. But alas, those are little out of my budget....for now. But those are amazing. Hard to imagine those being printed in the late 1800’s.

And some of you mentioned that some of the Goudey and Bowman portraits look like Normal Rockwell paintings....and I think that is spot on. I think that adds to the nostalgia factor of some of these vintage cards.

Great cards everyone!

This isn't a tough or expensive card but I have always loved this image of Bob Ewing in the T206 set.



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Being a professional artist, it is the artwork that has drawn me (no pun intended) into collecting. I have my favorites of course -

1)1933 Goudey Charlie Gehringer
2) 1933 Goudey Paul Richards
3) 1953 Topps set
4)1911 T205
5) 1912 T207
6 1912 T227 Series of Champions

A couple of my favorites. Bobby and the flag; Rube and sunset colors.

Old Judge cabinets are beautiful, and this portrait of John Ward in street clothes is my favorite. In my mind, Ward was one of the two most interesting people in 19th century baseball (along with Al Spalding). The portrait shows his stylish shirt, his perfectly coifed hair, and his eyes as clear as a mountain lake.

One of my fave T206 is Leifield Pitching, the sunset is art.

Matty's CJ is another classic.

Lastly will reiterate the Goudey Gehringer is the best of the set, that purple background

The 1951 and 1952 Bowman sets are beautiful, and in my opinion the prettiest of all sets. However, I think this is my favorite all-time card

Great cards everyone. I have been thinking about this question and it's too hard to single any out. These two are at the top of my list, but it could change from hour to hour.

Pre-War

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=10109

Post-War

http://www.net54baseball.com/picture...ictureid=20468

BTW- Jeff, that Matty is gorgeous! How/why is it only a 1?

A lot of my favorites have already been shown. For lithographs, it i pretty hard to beat the N162s. The FBH Kelly is pretty special too. As for photographic cards, other than the Kelly, I'm pretty partial to the Cubans. I'll post one Billiken, Tomas Gutierrez, and Aguilitas Segundas

My favorite right now (not mine):

http://www.vintagecardprices.com/pics/130/44531.jpg

Always loved the colors on this card

Agreed Ryan. I always liked this one!! The wonderful group of OBC guys knew it and gave this to me as a random act of kindness. It will always be in my collection. Thanks again OBC!!

http://luckeycards.com/pbowman1953reese.jpg