Without considering a card's rarity, value or historical significance, what cards, when you look at them, just grab your attention? Show me some cards, everybody, either from your collections, or cards you'd love to own....that you could just stare at.
When I first started collecting pre-war cards, I was immediately struck by how beautiful many of them were. They really are little works of art. I love the T206 portrait cards best of all, and out of that subset, there are a few that just blow me away every time I see them. Then, there are some that are just very interesting to me, compositionally.
These three are mine. My favorite card, still, is the T206 Walter Johnson portrait. It's absolutely perfect. A great picture with a well-centered subject, and the black collar, the off-gray of the Washington "W", the old fashioned uniform establish a wide range of dark and light. Johnson looks like baseball royalty, and I love the background color. It's one of those cards where a picture on a web page simply does not do it justice.
Another favorite is the Dutch Revelle. I've really loved this card since the first time I saw it. Revelle's card is haunting in a way. I also love the background color, as it transitions from green to blue.
The last of my three below is the Admiral Schlei. Though not a portrait, it's an interesting composition, with Schlei holding his hands apart, wearing a huge catching glove on one, waiting for the ball. The detail is astonishing, and it's contrasted with this beautiful background. Just a hint of trees appear as if they were watercolored in.
There are a lot of other cards that really grab me; the E102 Christy Mathewson, any of the T3 Turkey Red cards, the N142 Duke Cabinets, and of course, the T205 cards are spectacular. But I don't own any of these yet, so I'll wait to see who feels like sharing them.
Show me some of your favorites.