Bad Card in a Great Set
 

Okay here's a fun one: what are some great sets, with godawful cards?

The '52 Topps set is a masterpiece of art and design, but oh lord is Cliff Chamber's card ugly. I mean, it doesn't help that the player wasn't very easy on the eyes, but the card makes him look out to be from central casting on "Deliverance."

And the '51 Bowman set has a really bizarre card. Nearly every card in that set is really lovingly rendered from real life, but for some reason (maybe he offended someone at Bowman) poor Paul Richards's card looks like a really bad caricature portrait you'd get at the county fair. And speaking of county fairs, Richards looks like he's getting ready to go bobbing for apples!

Roy Campanella's 1954 Bowman card looks like it was taken in one of those fun house mirrors.
http://media2.cardboardconnection.co...90-197x300.jpg

How about this one?

Can I nominate the '49 Bowman Floyd Baker? Cool set but that is a stinker of a card. I can't grab an image right now

Yeah definitely not flattering. Though I do give credit to Topps for doing a nice job of hand coloring the portrait.

As for worst debut card by a Hall of Famer, can there be any doubt that it is poor Hoyt Wilhelm's? The poor guy's eyes are closed! Talk about an inauspicious start.

1953 Topps Willie Mays. Just one of the ugliest cards I've seen from that era. Also the 1963 Topps Pete Rose; the picture they used was very dark and I'm not a fan of the purple used for the team name.

Good call on the '51 Bowman Richards...what the hell is that?

Really hard to get worse than this Mossi.

That 51 Bowman Richards is hilarious! Thanks for bringing it to my attention. As for BEST card in that set, which is otherwise attractive, I nominate Campanella.

Holy cow, he looks like a Brontosaurus! I wonder what his reaction was when he saw that card.

Don't stare too long, it'll burn your eyes.

Brooksie
 

I don't know what you're talking about...that Brooksie is sharp looking (just don't look at the mouth portion)! ;)

It would be a great pose otherwise, but on his 65 Topps Mantle's eyes are just about closed.

65 Mantle
 

Early morning photo session after a long night ?

squinting/eyes cloed
 

Same with Al here. I would've thought he swallowed some of his chew but he seems to be smiling. Of course the capless feature adds to the beauty of this one:
http://photos.imageevent.com/imoverh.../62tobb122.jpg

I always thought Brooksie looked constipated in the '58 topps set... thinking "man, I really gotta go"
And yes any of the mossi cards are horrific..:eek:

what the hell? :D

Just a few that come to mind:

1961 Topps Harmon Killebrew

1961 Willie Mays--- So grossly disappointing. They shouldda used his 7th Series All-Star photo for his regular Topps card. What a radiant smile. Willie could look so energetically happy, such as his '58, '62 & '66 Topps.

1962 Topps Mickey Mantle-- He does look kinda hung over.

1963 Topps Mickey Mantle-- I don't even like to look at this one.

Most of the duo, triple, and quad player rookie cards. I genuinely feel bad for guys that really enjoy collecting rookie cards. You're better off sticking with the guy's first solitary card. For example, I'd take the Topps 1964 Pete Rose over his lower left corner rookie card any time, except if I was selling it. Same with the '69 Nolan Ryan.:D

1965 Topps Don Drysdale---Granted, a great smile, but Topps did too many head shots of Big D through the years. My two favorite are 60 & 61, notwithstanding.

1952 Topps Bobby Thomson---Again, granted, a great smile!. I'd have loved to have seen a colorized shot of him hoisted by his teammates after his pennant-winning home run in the '51 playoff. Such an important, unforgettable baseball moment in time.

1970 Topps Henry Aaron---That look on his mug was awful, just awful. For that matter, the look on his face for his '69 was disgraceful. Or his 61 Topps All-Star. I love his '60, and his '59 Bazooka.

1966 Topps Sandy Koufax is OK at the most. After that career year of 1965, the card of the following year celebrating his many great achievements should have been so much better, such as a compelling posed action shot, or if you could get him to flash his endearing smile, say from the waist-up. Then that winds up being his last baseball card. Topps should have done a tribute to Sandy, but he announced his retirement shortly after the 66 season, so that was that.

Well, I've posted my usual nickel-pack's worth. ---Brian Powell

This x100. I've never understood the appeal of wanting a card of a player with 2 other no name players on the same card.

The 64 Topps Mays looking down is pretty bad.

And then there is this

To me there's just something special about having a guy's first card. I love my 68 Ryan, but a big part of that is I always dreamed of having one as a kid. I think the 63 rose is a pretty ugly card, but I collect HOF rookies and will probably pick one up eventually.

Nobody has explained the 51 Bowman Richards card. What the hell is up with this card? it sticks out like a sore thumb

So did his ears...

I am not sure the set qualifies as great, but the 1964 Topps Don Hoak card has always amused me. (sorry for no scan)

When I wrote what I wrote about the sub-par multi-player rookie cards, please don't take it personally. I fully recognize the draw of collecting rookie cards. When the hobby cranked into top gear in the early 80s, the pursuit of rookie cards of famous players really took off.

I just wish for you and the others that you could get a better looking card with just that player alone for his first card. But, you know, when that's what there is, and you accept the fact, you go for it and when you get one you love, it's a real joy. That's cool.:D

Regards, Brian Powell

Richards
 

http://http://www.google.com/url?sa=...GozrvdEkwW6Q7wWith the exception of the Richards card, all other cards in the set involve black and white photos that were colorized . The Richards is not a colorized photo but rather a charactature drawing. Not sure there is a definitive answer as to why unless maybe they did not have an available B&W photo that lent itself well to the colorization process.

Per the PSAcard website, "Only one card in the entire set used original artwork, and that card (#195) depicts first-year White Sox skipper Paul Richards as a caricature, most likely because he got the job after set production started."

And while it's still a little unsettled why the cartoon style was used, this link may explain the long neck.

http://www.dodgersblueheaven.com/201...-richards.html

Thank you, Jason

Thank you, Al. i appreciate the info! This card has always bothered me.