Overrated / Underrated / Favorite / Least Favorite (OUFLF)

[frankhardy]

I'll play

I'm going to do a Topps Test / Misc Issue version of this game.

Overrated - 1973 Topps 1953 Reprints. They are only a reprint of the picture...not the entire card. They are kind of hard to find though.

Underrated - 1955 Topps Hocus Focus (small). It's not that pretty of a card....but I say it is underrated because not many collectors even know they exist. I have the Harvey Haddix and the Wally Moon and there aren't many in existence.

Favorite - 1968 Topps 3D. I absolutely love my Curt Flood.

Least Favorite - 1974 Topps Action Emblems. It's not even the real team logos. Generic baseball players on each card.

How did I do, you test issue guys?

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by frankhardy

How did I do, you test issue guys?

Nailed it young Padawan.

[ALR-bishop]

Originally Posted by bobsbbcards

Nailed it young Padawan.

Almost. The 55 Hocus Focus baseball subset is in my experience the toughest of all issued Topps baseball sets to complete… but really ugly which is likely why.

The 68 3D are amazing. My favorite

But the 73 reprints overrated ? I did not know anyone rated them highly. How can anyone fathom a set where 3 of the 8 players in the set are incorrectly identified

[Harliduck]

Great thread...lots of great opinions, some I agree, some disagree...that's what makes this hobby so great.

Overrated - I'm going to go with the 53 Topps. I currently am putting this set together and do completely understand the "art" perspective which no doubt has a great aesthetic...but I have just never been excited about any one card. I tend to like ANY 53 that isn't a simple head shot...the Gene Woodling and of course the Willie Mays cards and type poses look great. I appreciate this set, just feels a little overrated from my experience.

Underrated - My favorite post war set changes often but one set has always stood out for me consistently and that is the 1966 Topps. Love the design, the cards just pop to me and the color on the back is clear and organized. Great representations of HOFers...decent rookie crop...and of course what I love the most is the high numbers. Everyone talks about the 67 Highs, and deservedly so...but some of those 66's are quite a challenge. I just wish one of the HOF rookie cards landed in the high numbers, would have been a game changer...but...where is Steve Carlton?

Favorite - As said, this changes often for me and I'm sure if I see this post 5 years from now I'll have a different answer. Currently my favorite is either 54 or 67 Topps. Both classic designs, both have just awesome rookies that define the HOF, and both are still heavily collected. The 54s are missing some key players but the rookies more than make up for that. 67 has the highs which has a cult following (I never stop buying/collecting the high numbers). Only issue with 67 is the total miss on Mantle. Terrible card, easily his worse...in a year of such clean photography and classic poses, wow, miss. Can you imagine if Mantle was the SP Rocky Colavito 580...both pose and high number? That's a $1k card right there...

Least Favorite - This one is easy for me. 1958 Topps. I have never liked it...the back grounds, all the head shots, just looks all over the place. I decided out of order to attack this set a short while ago...for about a week I thought maybe I had missed the boat all these years...then...I couldn't wait to finish as I was totally bored. Thankfully there was no high number premiums, the rookie cards outside of Cepeda are terrible, and I know everyone likes the AS cards but the fact they are triple printed takes the zeal out of them to me. Boring set and now that I own one, the least binder that I go and grab to look at.



Hope this thread keeps going...love seeing everyones perspective!

[bobsbbcards]

Overrated: 1959 Topps (Sorry, Don). The player image is consigned to a small bullseye-type circle ("There he is! In that small circle! Yeah, right there!!") I also don't care for the e.e. cummings type lower-case lettering for the player's name. Names have capital letters! Deal with it!



Underrated: 1991 Topps (Sorry, everybody else). I only have the Desert Shield set, but if I squint real hard and try and pretend that there isn't a picture of a palm tree on the front of my card, I can sort of intuit what the regular issue set might look like. Gorgeous! There's a nice mix of action photos and non-action photos (can't think of a name for those).



Favorite: 1969 Topps Supers. Nuff said.



Least Favorite: 1958 Topps and 1973 Topps (it's a tie). Ick.

[ALR-bishop]

You were doing real well Bob until the 1959 nonsense. Wait until Don catches up with you in Chicago.

I am a fan of 1991. How many cards would it take to have a master 1991 Topps set, including the Desert Shield cards ?

The 1969 Supers are indeed super. My 2nd favorite Topps set

[bobsbbcards]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

How many cards would it take to have a master 1991 Topps set, including the Desert Shield cards ?

Over 9,000.

[frankhardy]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Almost. The 55 Hocus Focus baseball subset is in my experience the toughest of all issued Topps baseball sets to complete… but really ugly which is likely why.

The 68 3D are amazing. My favorite

But the 73 reprints overrated ? I did not know anyone rated them highly. How can anyone fathom a set where 3 of the 8 players in the set are incorrectly identified

Exactly.....No one rates them highly....and they are still overrated!

I don't hate them....I actually love test issues and misc Topps stuff, even that set. I had a hard time picking an overrated one. My least favorite was easy though.

[rats60]

Overrated - 1952 & 1953 Topps. Two of the ugliest sets ever made. 1952 has awful colorized black & white photos. 1953 has mostly terrible paintings that don't look like the player.

Underrated - 1955 Topps. By far the best Topps set of the 50s. 1956 gets all the love, but it was just a copy of 1955 and not as nice.

Favorite - 1965 Topps. Just the best design and photography of all Topps sets.

Least Favorite - 1949 Leaf. Very poor design and the fact that the cards were skip numbered, it feels like the set would always be incomplete. I put together a run of Topps and Bowman sets, but had no desire to collect Leaf.

[deweyinthehall]

Overrated - 1975: Not fond of colored borders generally and the fact there is no standard pattern for each team made organizing your collection by team (as many of us did as kids) frustrating. Honorable Mention: 1962.

Underrated - Tie...1974 and 1976: Each has a nice, colorful design pattern and features good photos and nice action shots. Honorable mention: 1980.

Favorite - 1978: My first set; Love the cursive team names, the action photos and the overall appearance. Honorable mention (tie): 1967, 1972

Least Favorite - 1971: I'm gonna say it - I think the black borders suck. Some consider it a classic, others a nightmare, and I think where you fall on that spectrum is directly related to how much money you have to spend trying to assemble a nice looking set. A couple years ago I updated my set, replacing about 150 cards that were rough around the edges - literally - and finding versions with nice looking borders was both tough and costly. Dishonorable mention: 1968; what were they thinking?

[clydepepper]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Almost. The 55 Hocus Focus baseball subset is in my experience the toughest of all issued Topps baseball sets to complete… but really ugly which is likely why.

The 68 3D are amazing. My favorite

But the 73 reprints overrated ? I did not know anyone rated them highly. How can anyone fathom a set where 3 of the 8 players in the set are incorrectly identified

I had never heard of them 'til last year...had to grab a couple. The Clyde McCullough/Vic Janowicz issue (he may have been the first Heisman winner to have a baseball card) and the Mize, 'cuz he's from GA.

The artwork is so good!

1973 Topps 53 Reprint- Clyde McCulough error PSA-8.5.jpg1973 Topps 53 Reprints - JOHNNY MIZE SGC-96.jpg

[Exhibitman]

Janowicz was indeed the first Heisman winner with a baseball card as far as I can tell.

[ALR-bishop]

Can you imagine being old and bald and saying to your grandson that it is you on that card and the kid saying “ well it’s not your name”

[rats60]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Can you imagine being old and bald and saying to your grandson that it is you on that card and the kid saying “ well it’s not your name”

When the painting doesn't look like you and your name isn't on the card, how can it be your card?