what are your favorite baseball card sets?

[billybgame]

In returning to my card collection here recently, I've had to deal with a mountain of cards to organize my collection again. I usually bought two sets a year, after the initial craze of multiple manufacturers came around in 1981. So, I haven't bought them all. And, I ignored all high priced or short print type sets. I'm not a chaser. Anyhow, in doing this for the past few weeks, I realized how most sets don't hold my love like they did at one time. But, there are some that actually hold it and maybe I even like better.

1996 Topps, for instance. I just love this set. Something about it just catches my eye and makes me think how great it is. I might say this is the best looking set of the 90's for sure.

Here's my list, by decade:

50s: 1953 Bowman Color....just a beautiful set. Clean, crisp, with nothing but pictures.

60s: not much opinion, but probably 1960 Topps

70s: Ah, my beginnings as a collector....fiddled with things in 72 as a 7 year old, but really got into things in 1973....I love that set....even though I know it's not considered one of the best. It is for me, and always will be. Too bad I ruined and wrote on so many cards

80s: Probably 1983 Topps, with 1984 Donruss a close second. Still think the 83 Topps are neat looking cards, all the way through the set.

90s: Aforementioned 1996 Topps...great pics and just the way the card is layed out makes the pic and name stand out.

2000s: I got away from collecting enough to have an opinion just yet I already bought some boxes, so I may have one soon.

What say ye?

 

[BiggioDiogu759]

1956 Topps

2010 Topps

 

[greyminis]

I like Topps 1962. So I'm liking the 2011 Heritage. Nice autograph checklist.

 

[nexus8793]

1960 Topps, 1963 Topps, 1970 Topps, 1981 Donruss (genuinely one of my favorite sets ever), 1998 Upper Deck (epitomizes the 90s). I love a lot of the older sets as well, and I'm generally fond of some ofthe 2000s and 2010s Heritages, A&G's, etc.

 

[David K.]

My favorite set....High price set is 1993 Topps Finest..the first chrome set! Middle price set is....1990 leaf set. Best regards, David

 

[JamesNevans]

By era I would agree with 53b, would go with 69t, 71t, 84d, 93 finest, 04 cracker jack.

I love the 2004 Cracker Jack because you could build a set with just a little challenge because of the 50 SPs seeded 1:3 packs. It had two parallels per pack which included a sticker and then a mini that had a red and a tougher blue version with a special white with a print run of one. None of the set cards were autographed or serial numbered making it affordable to build even a parallel set. The cards were modeled after 1914-15 prize insert from the Cracker Jack company which has it's own set of collectors that gave it a bit of history more than Heritage did for me and even a bit more than Topps 206.

I loved the 1993 Finest because it gave the first real super premium cards and a real tier of parallels. I know 1991 had Desert Shield and 1992 had Golds and there had been Tiffany issues, but with Finest it was something you got only as part of the regular pack.

 

[Xpress04]

My favorite set is 1975 for a few reasons:

1) They're the first packs I opened as a kid.

2) Simple design with awesome colors.

3) Lots of good RCs including two of my all-time favorites, Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter.

4) Tons of HOFers in all stages of their careers...Aaron, Ryan, Schmidt, Seaver, Brett, Yount, Rice, Gibson, Fisk, Rose (Technically not HOF, but c'mon), etc.

 

[T-206]

I love the T-206 1909-11
its the set that started the whole collecting thing
it has a great bunch of HOFers
it is 100 years old now
it has vibrant colors
it has differnt backs (16)
its a challenge to get the whole set ( minus the big 8 which are not included in the set)
it has action photos and portraits
it looks like all the cards were done in art form
and its also a classic

 

[mrmopar]

1933 Delong
1938 Goudey
1956 Topps
1961 Topps
1967 Topps
1976 Topps
1977 Topps
1980 Topps

A lot of the 70s and early 80s Topps sets have some really neat action shots. Not great for identifying your players for sure, but cool when most of the previous cards were portraits and poses.

Call me nostalgic, but I have not really seen a card design I liked, that wasn't retro style, in years. You'll notice my list ends at 1980. There is one set I will mention now that has probably been bashed time and time again, but as I pick up signed cards, it has really grown on me. 1991 Fleer and those bright yellow borders. The design is decent and there are tons of great action shots. They look exception signed as well.

 

[deaconblues63]

I like 1957 Topps, 1963 Topps, 1984 Donruss and 1990 Leaf.



Michael

 

[NYMets6986]

1949 Bowman- Love these cards!!!
1959 Topps-Like the circle around the players and the colorful backgrounds
1967 Topps- Awesome Looking cards!
1970 and 1973 Topps both great sets with clean designs
1980 Topps
1998 Topps- These are the first cards that I pulled out of packs when I was a kid
2001 Topps- Tried to complete this set by buying packs and have always been fond of them.

 

[sgbt4]

1956 Topps
1961 Topps
1971 Topps

Modern sets
1999 Fleer Brilliants
2001 Donruss Classics
2002 Diamond King

 

[Kirbyfan34]

My favorites are as follows,


1980 Topps--First yr of collecting and now have the set complete. First card was Don Money, still looking to get that one signed.

1985 Topps--Nice crisp design.

1988 Fleer, Some people dont like them but I always thought they were neat.

2007 Topps--like the black border

 

[SWCAutographs]

1983 Topps. This was my first set and was purchased for me through an add in a catalog for $19.99. This is also the reason I picked this set to try and put together a signed set.

 

[HoosierBuddy]

2001 Topps Tribute

 

[Motown G]

New set---2005 Donruss Zenith. Awesome color inserts!! Love the EPIX.
Old school set--1975 topps mini (even though I don't own any!)

 

[bongo870]

For some reason I liked the 1993 Donruss and 1994 Topps

 

[Gsk624777]

I really enjoy the multitudes of amazing gu and patches from the 2005 Prime Patches and the 04 and 05 Absolute Memorabilia.

 

[katester44]

I am a fan of any set that I have completed.

Specific favorites - 69 Topps (last Mantle Topps card). 81 Topps (first set I really collected). I also like the novelty sets - Kelloggs 3-D, Post, etc.

 

[Chavezforprez]

I love Diamond Kings, not the Sub-Sets, but the actual sets.