[Bram99]

1.) 1949 Bowman - The set marks the start of post-WWII production of color cards. It is just beautiful. To me, the cards are pieces of art. A great set of 240 cards (252 or 324 with variations, depending on whether you consider white/gray card stock a variation). There are 25+ hall of famer's in the set. I think over 2/3rd of the set is rookie cards. Big name rookies include many of the biggest negro-league players who broke into the majors around the same time - Jackie Robinson (there's a debate on what his RC is, but this is from the same year as the Leaf was printed and the '47 Bond Bread is a regional issue), Larry Doby, Satchel Paige, Roy Campanella, plus Duke Snider, Richie Ashburn, Robin Roberts, Early Wynn, Bob Lemon. Many other minor RC's including Hodges, Furillo, Roe, Raschi, Trucks, Joe Gordon. The colors are amazing. It's so good that it's the only set where I have started a complete doubles set.

2.) 1954 Topps: Cool design with a lot going on: a head shot / pose and an action shot in the various card-colored backgrounds, a logo of the team, with a signature as well. The backs in cream and green with a comic strip are beautiful. If I had to pick the #1 card back - this set wins.

3.) 1948-49 Leaf - for all of the reasons others stated plus short-prints are extremely hard to find, and the cards look like an art deco design that Andy Warhol might have designed (he didn't). Check out Honus Wagner who supposedly didn't want his T206 card helping sell tobacco, but in this card he is "grabbing a dip" to put in his mouth. Also, there's a Babe Ruth, printed in the year after his death (the cards are really from 1949).

4.) 1953 Bowman Color - just simple, relatively short with only 160 cards, but best photography of any set in the era. Look at the Pee Wee Reese #33 with Rizzuto sliding under him, the Berra #121 in the dugout...the pictures capture the era in a beautiful way. Check out also the multi-player cards of Yankee greats - #44 with Berra and Mantle, #93 with Rizzuto and Martin.


5.) 1963 Topps - great to look at in a binder. Crisp pictures, great card design, interesting colors on the borders, tough high-number series.

Close runners up: 1956 Topps, 1972 Topps.

Least favorite card sets of this era:
1968 Topps - what is that wicker/thatch design?
1967 Topps - similarly simple design to the 1953 Bowman, but in this case for me it falls flat.


Tony