Worst vintage card photo's
 

I am new to the community and I would like to thanks for accepting me. I would like to start a fun thread featuring some of the worst photos of ball players. I have a few favorites I would like to submit. Caption's are always welcomed! Attachment 384953

This is about the worst picture of Reggie Jackson I have ever seen. Does Topps actually show the players their image before it gets printed? I'm sure Mr. October really hates this one. Which is sad because all the other A's cards of Reggie are some of my favorites. Look at his face, he looks like he is 80 year old!

1973 was the first year I collected cards but as a nine year old I loved the Jackson photo. It was always better than those posed shots they used and this photo literally showed motion to my nine year old mind and could just imagine Reggie throwing someone out at the plate.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/~eEAA...jFs/s-l640.jpg

I guess I'd prefer my rookie card to depict my face rather than my butt.

https://img.comc.com/i/Baseball/1958...&size=original
1958 Topps - [Base] #307 - Brooks Robinson [VG*EX]
Courtesy of COMC.com

Brooks brother from a half a century or so earlier. Egan wasn't the most attractive of baseball fellas, but the photographer for this D381 should have tried to make things better, not worse. For comparison I added a photo that presents him in a much nicer light.

Brian

In a set that has very few good photos, Paul Derringer's photo stands above the rest.

http://bbcard1.com/double/?p=100

"Oyster Joe" Martina looks much nicer on his T210-1 card than he does on his 1924 Diaz card. Martina's only year in the Majors was with the 1924 WS Champion Senators.

Japan has some weird ones.

This is Hideji Kato's card from the 1975-76 Calbee set with the top half of his head cut off.

This card is not miscut or anything, its actually perfectly centred. They just had a picture where you can't even see half his head and for some reason went with it.

Long time favorite:

https://kronozio.blob.core.windows.n...9609_front.jpg

One of the worst photos for a baseball card and yet one of my favorite cards at the same time.


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I always thought that 1973 Jackson was actually a photo of Fred Sanford, from Sanford and Son. I just figured Fred had a junkyard softball team, with Lamont, Bubba, Grady, and Rollo...and somehow the photos got mixed up.

I love Tony but kinda hard to invest in a card that's like 18% ass.

So either you want more ass or you're a "chest" guy. ;)

Great action shot in lieu of a portrait.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...98b6919f21.jpghttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...de2bde7fac.jpg

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If I was a chest guy I'd prefer the one Rod is staring at....

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/oBsAA...xUE/s-l640.jpg

Notice how the photo of Bill Gullickson on this card looks kind of grainy, almost as if it was taken by someone just pointing a camera at a game being played on a 1980s TV set?

That is because the photo on this card was actually taken that way. For their 1988 set Calbee didn't have photos of some players and their last minute solution was to just take pictures of a TV during live broadcasts of games and use them. There are a few dozen cards like that in the set.

Japanese card sets of the 70s and 80s are almost unbeatable for bizarre photography.

I wonder what pre-war set has the most action photos?
This Vintage card photo's funny.
The photo's quality is not very good though.


What you don't see here are the players on either side swinging a jump rope. This was a spring training exercise often used by Cardinals in the 30's.
Attachment 385011

1951b richards
 

One of the goofiest cards i have ever seen

I guess you wouldn't want this 1887 Kalamazoo Bats card of Harry Stovey and Jocko Milligan:

This Jack Morris is one of my favorites.
Attachment 385034

I actually kind of like it. His mouth is shut.

The 1970s are a great time period to find bad photos. Catcher Pat Corrales has two consecutive cards where he can't even get upright.

He was screwing with the photographer, right? Had to be.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....1fXW6V-o3L.jpg

Let's not forget about the 1970 Topps Gene BRABENDER.... The name is probably worse then the photo. Typical look of a guy who drives a window less cargo van.

The technicolor dream coat

How about those MVP or Cy Young Award 72 Topps cards ?

I mean, come on...

Attachment 385084

Might as well throw in some whacky zeenuts..

https://luckeycards.com/pe136zeenut1913x4.jpg
https://luckeycards.com/pe137x7.jpg

This is one of the ones that always comes to my mind. It looks like something is going horribly wrong in his digestive track.

Jackie Robinson’s Leaf RC is another one with a horrible facial expression. I could never pull the trigger on one bc I can’t stand looking at it.

Good ones, and here are some more goofballs, with one repeat poor bunting technique offender...

Brian

Melchoir..........
 

I know, not a photo, but this always makes me laugh. Henry Melchoir prancing, tiptoeing...………

I would concur the ‘58 Brooks Robinson takes the cake. But the ‘73 Johnny Bench is another - I think it’s great, but Johnny’s face is not on it - his back is totally turned, about to catch a foul pop in front of the SF dugout. I’ve heard rumor that Bench himself hates this card, and refuses to sign it at shows.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...55da7ff371.jpg


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Any of those lousy Topps airbrush jobs.

A semi-vintage card. Had a few talks with Glenn about this card, he hates it.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...4de1a1e9_z.jpg

I personally don't think this one quite qualifies as that's actually a pretty good representation of what he looks like. haha.

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We called those "Creeper" vans growing up lol.

Always thought he looked like a lost member of the Manning family on that card.

OMG! You are so right! It's a hybrid of Eli and Peyton, for sure!

I always think of this "rookie" mugshot of Goose Gossage:

http://photos.imageevent.com/derekgr...%20PSA%209.jpg

Is this really the best photo that Topps had of Steve Garvey?

what was Topps doing for their 1973 set? There's a lot of garbage photos in that set. I always wondered why I never bothered to pursue the set (or any card in it)....I'm starting to see why.

I sort of liked the overall streamlined design. Otherwise, Nope.

Has to be Andrew Siciliano's (cbs sports) grandfather.

If we're taking about cards where you can't see the player's face, Topps doesn't do any better today. Case in point: this 2019 Topps Now card of Pete Alonso (#32). You can't see his face, and the parts of the uniform number that are showing could be any number.

https://live.staticflickr.com/7925/4...4a681e0200.jpg

Unlike most cards, Topps Now are designed and printed the day after the event, so it's not like they have the luxury of waiting until the best photo comes along. But even when you take that into account, was this really the best photo they could get before their deadline?

Plus the black border backs are hideous. The 73 Topps is known for action shots rather then the typical posed photo. I hate the 1961 Topps set too. Why the hell would you have players take head shot photo's without the teams ball cap. Worse Willie Mays card ever.

Especially how great the 1960 Topps card design was. To have that the following year? Topps must have cut budget that season.

You would think with today's technology they could do better.

and while not a photo I always like the pic of this guy crawling to base.

https://luckeycards.com/n284.jpg

This one scares my kids....