[brewing]

I can't decide and I may change my mind in the future. But my top five in chronological order.
1953 every card is a work of art, literally. The Mays is my favorite of his and the set.

1956 great design, cool action photos. The Mantle is my favorite and is the 1st vintage Mick I acquired when I got back into the hobby 5 yrs ago.

1971 the borders drive me crazy, but I cannot deny the awesomeness of this set. First set to have in game photos throughout. The Munson is my favorite.

1973 The photography is one of best. Simple design, league leaders for AL/NL on one card, the all time leader cards. My favorite cards are the Bench and Freehan.

1980 The year I caught the disease that ails us. Interesting design with the flags and some great photos inspite of the crazy eyes on some cards. My favorite card is the Henderson. The best HoF rookie card ever IMHO.

Honorable Mentions:
1952, 1970, 1983