Final Poll!! Vote of the all time worst Topps produced set

[almostdone]

Well the final tallies are all in on three different decades of the worst produced Topps set. The 1950's was a clear cut winner with 1958 being voted the worst.

The 69's was even a bigger landslide with 1968 coming in first (or last depending on your point of view).

Finally the 1970's was a much closer race and it came down to the wire with 1979 squeaking it out over 1978.

So now we come to the final vote. Out of these three sets which was the all time (at least 1952 through 1979) worst set produced by Topps?

Remember to include comments, card scans to prove your case, even a bit of thrash talk if needed.

I'll leave this one open a full week to get as much talk and protests in as needed.

Drew

[Vintagevault13]

Tough call for me to choose between the 1968 and 1979 sets. I have decided to cast my vote for 1979. I collected in the 70's and remember how excited we were to open the first pack every spring to see the new design. I vividly recall being very disappointed from the first moment I saw the 1979's. The design was basically a rehash of 1976. There were some decent action shots, but nothing really new that we hadn't already seen in the 74-78 sets.

[mrmopar]

Each set has some cool features (like the AS subsets of both 58 and 68). I guess 79 is fairly bland in general. There are some standout cards like the Rose too, so I have to go with 68 overall here.

[JollyElm]

The '58 set is an absolute abomination. Love the All Star cards, but that's it. What were the fine folks at Topps thinking????

[7nohitter]

I actually love the '68 set. '79 has my vote.

[egri]

I went with 1979. The 1958 design was a bit bland, but at least it had Stan Musial's first Topps card going for it, and I feel like that design was somewhat reflective of the trends of the time, whilst the 1979 design could really be plopped down in any decade.

[frankh8147]

I picked 1979. 1958 was bad but they did have those great all-star cards (which, by the way, is the first year Topps had an All-Star subset). I consider the Mantle and Musial all-stars to be classic cards so to me, its an easy pick.

Cheers!
-Frank

[almostdone]

1958 was bad but they did have those great all-star cards. I consider the Mantle and Musial all-stars to be classic cards so to me]


I agree. It's really the only thing giving this set some redemption for me. I actually am ok with the 79 set. It's not my favorite by any means but out of these three given it's still better than the 68 set.

Burlap and bland backs loose this set for me. I love the Ryan rookie but always wished he had a stand alone 67 instead.

I've often wondered what the family and friends of Koosman think when they want his rookie card. Pay top dollar because he shares it with Ryan and then get a burlap boarded card at that. Same question with Ron Thomkins family.

Drew

[clydepepper]

This year issue is the worst I have seen.

1958 & 1968 have plenty of really good photos...1979 not as much

but I think this years is far worse than any of these.

[hcv123]

While I voted for the 3 sets in each of their respective decades, This was a little tougher. It came down to 68 and 79. I agree with most previous comments. To me the 68's were to the 60's what the 1987's were to the 1980's. The Ryan rookie, Mantle, Rose, Clemente, Mays, Seaver, Carew, Aaron, Bench moved me to select 1979

[brewing]

1979 has my vote. My vote would go to 1976, if it was here.

The 1979 set is blah to me. Weak design, hard to read backs, and a bunch of crappy shots (Rose and Carew excluded).

[cardsfan73]

1979 Topps get's my vote as far as the sets listed.

If we had ventured into the 80's... 1988 Topps would have been an easy choice. One of the worst sets ever issued in my opinion.

Scott

[Exhibitman]

1968, Reused a ton of photos, ugly-ass burlap bag designs, many capless mug shots, no action images, just a zero inspiration set. About the only good thing was the All Star subset but those stupid puzzle backs wrecked that.

1968 edged out 1979 for me only because 1979 has some nice looking action cards in it., e.g., Rose, Morgan, Garvey, Guidry, Rice, Stargell, etc.



I like the 1958 design way more than 1968 or 1979. Team logos always are a bonus for me. Wasn't well executed but there are some decent cards in there, like Spahn, Ashburn, etc.

[ALR-bishop]

[begsu1013]

how 75 isn't on this list just baffles me. i actually like the 79 set...well more like "don't mind the 79 set". not my fav, but d@mn sure wouldn't put it on the worst top 3 and certainly wouldn't have it leading the worst of the worst....

[bosoxfan]

When you put the backs of the 1968 topps all star cards together you had a picture of Yaz. Now, it really doesn't get any better than that.

[ALR-bishop]

Except for Torre, just after the 67 World Series.

Yes I know, 2004 and 2013 . I was on a cruise from Montreal to Miami and docked in Boston the morning after the Sox clinched in 2013. Bad timing for a Cardinals guy. But I liked our visit there

[rats60]

Originally Posted by begsu1013

how 75 isn't on this list just baffles me. i actually like the 79 set...well more like "don't mind the 79 set". not my fav, but d@mn sure wouldn't put it on the worst top 3 and certainly wouldn't have it leading the worst of the worst....

We voted on worst set of the 70s and only 71 got fewer votes than 75. You are in the minority, 75 is considered one of the better sets of the 70s.

[almostdone]

So i guess the final tally is in. 1979 wins, or looses, depending how you look at it. I found it interesting that the the best set poll the top vote getter was from the 50's and then went down while the worst went in the opposite direction. I believe overall Topps lost some of its creativity and uniqueness as time went on especially once they became the long standing only game in town. Good thing the shot back up in those departments once some competition came in the 80's

Thanks to all who voted. It was an interesting eye opener in others perceptions to say the least.

Drew

[egri]

Drew- Just out of curiosity are you planning in doing a best/worst poll with the Bowman sets from the 40s and 50s?

[KCRfan1]

Originally Posted by egri

Drew- Just out of curiosity are you planning in doing a best/worst poll with the Bowman sets from the 40s and 50s?

+1

We need an overall champ between the two " heavy's ".

[almostdone]

Originally Posted by KCRfan1

+1

We need an overall champ between the two " heavy's ".

I guess I could set up a couple more polls. I think what I will do is have one to vote on the best Bowman and another for the worst Bowman and then pit them again the 56 Topps set for the best all time and the 58 Topps set for the worst of the era.

I don't think it would be a good gauge to do the worst Bowman against the 79 Topps set. Different times and eras. I think keeping it all in the same decade, give or take a couple years, would be a more accurate contest.

What do you guys think?

Drew

[Jsquared123]

How about a best/worst from the 1980s?