[jchcollins]

For me, '72 Topps. When I first started collecting they were only 14 years old, and I remember thinking they were overdone and gaudy. Of course this was before any sense of nostalgia for the 70's had developed. I remember having the Clemente base card as a kid and thinking that was cool, but moreso for the picture than the design.

Fast forward 30+ years and I think they are incredible. Rarely has a set captured an era so well (honorable mention to '59 Topps...) and the color and variety of these cards now strikes me as beautiful over gaudy. The Yaz, McCovey, Ryan, Carew, and Carlton Traded cards are my favs. I am going after the whole set, but have just started - have maybe close to 75 cards out of the monster 787.