Best of 1976 Topps

[brewing]

List (highly encouraged to post pics) your top 5. The criteria of your selection is up to you (photo, great season, error, first card, favorite player, etc.).

We'll do each year starting from 1980 to 1952. I'll start a new year about once a week. I'll close voting a month after the first post of the thread and tally up the results.

With these basic rules...
1. You can only vote for a player's card twice during his entire run (Let's not make this a Mantle and Ryan love fest). Consider that when making your selections.

2. Provide a reason for each choice if you're the first person making that selection. You are encouraged, but it's not necessary to restate the point if someone already said it.

3. Pick only 5. We are going through 29 years, limiting to only Topps regular releases, tough decisions will be made. List honorable mentions if you desire, but they will not be counted in the final tally.

[brewing]

Not a fan of this year. Especially the unreadable stats on the back. I'm hoping others can come up with better selections than mine.


It's lame to me today, but I thought it was the coolest card when I first saw it 30+ years ago.


Just a cool photo of a great player.


I liked this action shot. I don't know why, but I like the position logo on this card too.
I'm guessing it's from the playoffs, why else would there be an umpire in LF.


My favorite player as a kid. Is he smiling or grimacing?


This card had me heading to the library to learn about the players of the past.
Someone had this card and was bragging about having a Rogers Hornsby card, I acted all excited even though I never heard of him.


Honorable Mention:
Love the Johnny Bench card, but I'm holding off for other Bench cards.

[campyfan39]

I love this idea and have been participating but perhaps a month is too long to tally the votes?

[Samsdaddy]

Garvey.jpg

Manning.jpg

Besides the two above I also like Bando and Bench's cards respectively.

This was the second year I collected baseball cards and like many, when we moved from the midwest most of my cards were lost/thrown out.

I like the action shots of Manning and Bando. Though the Chicago teams were my favorite as a kid, I was enamored by the A's as they were the team to beat when I first started watching baseball.

Regarding Garvey's card, he was in his prime during this time and on his way to a near great career. I love All Star cards too.

Who doesn't like Johnny Bench cards? Even as a little kid I knew Bench was the best in the game.

[nolemmings]

I love this set, but I know I'm in the minority. The color combinations match beautifully with most teams, especially the A's, Orioles, Twins and Yankees. Bando would have made my list but since he's taken, here are 5 of my faves:

1. Lyman Bostock--a potentially huge talent taken way too young.


2. The Captain on a card from his MVP season. Classic.


3. Dave Parker, when svelte.


4. Graig Nettles. This just looks like a great day to be at the ballpark.


5. Goose. Love the uniform.

[Samsdaddy]

I only selected four. Add Dave Parker to my list...super cool card!

[bnorth]

This is my favorite 76 Topps. A classic picture of the greatest hitter to ever play the game.

[JollyElm]

1976.jpg

For my money, the Bench is perhaps the all-time greatest card ever produced by Topps. The dust, the look of intimidation, it's got it all!!! And an all star graphic to boot!

The Yaz is a cool action shot, the Bonds is just a great picture in a very colorful design, the Rose shows such intensity and Al Oliver with that huge, goofy grin looks like he's thinking, "Damn, hooked it juuuuust foul!!!"

[SAllen2556]

My favorite from '76. Ok.....what shoulda been my favorite from '76!!
Always thought it a shame he didn't even get on a rookie card considering the impact he had that year.

[con40]

Great Fidrych card!

1976 Topps is one of my all-time favorite sets. The colors, position illustrations, and action shots make this set a classic IMO. Too bad there are no legendary rookie cards aside from Eck, but it does have Hank's last card. Too bad this one was left out...

[ALR-bishop]

The Dyer and Apodaca can be found on at least 4 different materials. Topps repeated the Garagiola card in 1991 with some updating changes

[Exhibitman]

[PM770]

I've really grown to love the '76 design.

1) Gary Carter - Back when I was a kid there were two ways you could acquire cards: packs and trading with the neighborhood kids. In the summer of 1983 I was introduced to something completely new. A store that sells nothing but cards! My mom took me and my buddy to the Magic City Card shop in Barberton, Ohio and I made my first single card purchase ever - the 1976 Gary Carter for $1.00 (a princely sum for a 13 year old). What a great memory.

2) Lou Brock - By far my favorite Lou Brock card. An action shot and the All-Star designation.

3) Johnny Bench - I love the look of Bench on this card. Dust blowing.
Ready for action.

4) Mickey Lolich - Just a great action shot.

5) Dave Concepcion - Cool All-Star card. Probably my favorite Concepcion card.

I had a lot that just couldn't make the cut to the top 5: Reuss, The A's All-Star (Rudi, Campy, Tenace), Rose. I really like this set.

[SMPEP]

In my opinion ... the best card in the set ... withouty a close second is the Bench card.

BUT according to the rules of this game .. you can only use the same player once ... and I would submit that the 1973 Bench is even better than the 1976 Bench.

Which leads me to the conclusion ... in the 1970s ... no one had better cards than Johnny Bench.

Cheers,
Patrick

[Samsdaddy]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

In my opinion ... the best card in the set ... withouty a close second is the Bench card.

BUT according to the rules of this game .. you can only use the same player once ... and I would submit that the 1973 Bench is even better than the 1976 Bench.

Which leads me to the conclusion ... in the 1970s ... no one had better cards than Johnny Bench.

Cheers,
Patrick

Hard to argue with you Patrick regarding Bench having some of the best if not best cards in the 1970's.

When I started collecting in 1975, even though I lived in the Chicagoland area, I knew Bench was one of the biggest stars in the game. He already had two MVP seasons, was still in his prime, and on the best team in baseball.

[brewing]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

In my opinion ... the best card in the set ... withouty a close second is the Bench card.

BUT according to the rules of this game .. you can only use the same player once ... and I would submit that the 1973 Bench is even better than the 1976 Bench.

Which leads me to the conclusion ... in the 1970s ... no one had better cards than Johnny Bench.

Cheers,
Patrick

It's why the 1976 Bench didn't make my list.

[brewing]

With 9 votes in.....

Bench 4
Bando 2
Oliver 2

Last call for votes

[con40]

1976 has some of the best action shots ever, even by today's super crisp DSLR photo standards. Faves:

1. Johnny Bench. Iconic. Best card of the '70s if you ask me. It's all about the dust cloud. He looks like a sheriff after a wild west shootout with his piece iin his hand.
2. Fred Lynn. Great action shot and the rookie trophy caps it off.
3. Carl Yastrzemski. The only good action shot Topps captured of his entire career.
4. Jim Palmer. The spreadeagle delivery is pure grace and the orange cap is a perfect flourish.
5. Ellie Rodriguez. For those that can't afford to get the Bench card.

[autograf]

For me, it started and ended with the Reds..........Bench, Foster, Concepcion, Rose and Morgan.........probably the first set I collected with any depth to. Had almost the whole thing. Not in the greatest shape though......recently picked up a NRMT one for like $90 off ebay.

[mattsedate]

I like this set

[brewing]

Pushing thru this quarantine edition. Any additions or comments?

I will say that I have really grown to like the design of this set. Still detest the backs because the stats are unreadable, my vote for worst backs Topps ever produced.

[danx]

Lynn #50, Parker #185, Ted Williams #347, Bevacqua Bubble Gum #564, Gamble Traded #74T. (Saving Garvey for 1974 and Bench for 1973)...

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by SMPEP

In my opinion ... the best card in the set ... withouty a close second is the Bench card.

BUT according to the rules of this game .. you can only u.

se the same player once ... and I would submit that the 1973 Bench is even better than the 1976 Bench.

Which leads me to the conclusion ... in the 1970s ... no one had better cards than Johnny Bench.

Cheers,
Patrick

Bench is my favorite player, and the '76 is my favorite card of his, but I have to say that Steve Garvey had the best cards of the 1970s.

Any love for the Dave Parker?? Pretty cool card from 1976

[rats60]

Honus Wagner
Rich Hebner
Steve Ontiveros
Lou Brock
Dave Parker

[mrmopar]

Bench wins 1976, hands down, but still a set filled with awesome cards. Almost all of the AS cards are great. Sorry, but I gave up on the 1 player only rule. Loved the design with the team name and player name color schemes and especially the action shots, as with all of the sets 71-81.

Aaron RB *
Brock *
Concepcion
Lynn *
Reuss
Bando
Sanguillen
Yaz
Rose
Cuellar
Bench *
Horton
Rice
ATG subset
Lolich
Carew
M. Marshall *
Schmidt
Rodriguez
B. Williams
Hernandez
Fosse
Oliver
Gamble Traded

.