Worst Topps Design 1952-1976

[deweyinthehall]

My absolute favorite Topps set is outside this era - 1978; it was the first set I ever collected and to my mind will always be cardboard perfection.

IMO the best from this era, in no particular order, are:
1) 65 - love the pennants and bold colors on the front - just feels like what a baseball card should look like;
2) 67 - big photo surface area, sharp looking hi numbers
3) 72 - just finished upgrading my set; it would be better if the lower series had the crisp clarity that the 2 hi series have in both design and photo; I've always been curious as to why the stark difference in appearance exists between the lower and higher series in this set
4) 74 - can't understand the hating on this set - colorful design elements, great action shots
5) 57 - nice big photos unencumbered by intrusive border or other designs

Worst:
1) 68 - nuff said
2) 70 - nothing says fun like the color gray
3) 73 - after 72, what were they thinking??
4) 71 - I will never understand why this set seems to be so revered by so many; when people praise it they often talk about how the black borders make it such a challenge to collect in higher grades as if it's a perk; for pure collectors like myself the black borders are a curse - driving the cost up on drab looking cards
5) 75 - another set that seems to get a lot of love for reasons that elude me. As a kid it was brutal sorting by team when all the bloody borders within each team varied so wildly

[PolarBear]

Originally Posted by deweyinthehall

My absolute favorite Topps set is outside this era - 1978; it was the first set I ever collected and to my mind will always be cardboard perfection.

I'm with you on the 78 set, probably the best set in the 70's. The 76 set is close too though.