I am a huge fan of the 1960 set. Easily my favorite set Topps has produced.

By decade I would say 1952, 1963, and 1973. For the overall best Topps set I'd say it's the 1952 set hands down.

Best Topps Set
 

My vote goes to the '56 Topps set. I favor '56 since it contains a Mantle card unlike other previous issues, there are no missing numbers (unlike '53 and '55) and it contains all the stars of the era. They even tweaked photo of the Mantle card so he is catching the ball and if you look closely several of the fans in the background were duplicated on the card.

Hey everyone....
I would say 56, 65, 55, 52.

1957 All the Way
 

First time posting, hope I did this right. '57 has it all but then again I'm biased, that one was my first vintage set collected so naturally I have an affinity towards it. That said, it is a great set for these reasons:

1) Very strong HOF RC class (B. & F. Robinson, Kubek, Richardson, Maz, Bunning, Colavito)
2) Beautiful, clean photography of actual players (better than artistic portraits IMO)
3) Nice combo cards: Mantle & Yogi, Campy/Snider...
4) Standard Size that fit into "normal" sized sheets!

That's my take, '59 is a nice one and is much more affordable...

If it wasn't for the 1952 set the 1957 would have been my next pick. I like the simple, yet appealing design along with the excellent crop of HOFers and rookies like you mentioned.

Funny you say that...
 

b/c '52 is my second favorite but I know I will never have the dough to make a run at it even in PFG condition. The high #'s are just impossible not to mention that one guy named mantel or something :)

1958 was always my favorite set so over 10 years I slowly built a super sick high grade set mostly nrmt condition and then sold it a few months ago, now I can barely look at Topps cards it makes me sad.

Let's see... my favorites are 1952, 54, 56, 58, 61. I know they appear in order, but that's actually the order of my preference.

I like many
 

1952-1953-1956-1957-1961
1963-1965-1967-1975-1983

i like the 50's
 

I think all 4 sets are top notch....54,55,56,57....i want all 4 in a row (need 55 still). 52 and 53 are too expensive, 58 and 59 are too big.

Loth

of course 53 bowman color is the best, i own one, but this was a topps thread hehe

52's just classic, then the 57's the first year topps went to the regular issue sized cards..

Nothing beats all the action shots in the 73's I mean have you really ever looked at some of those pictures, simply amazing..

Best from the 50s:

Front:1953
Back: 1955

Best from the 60s:

Front and Back: 1967 (best all-time)

Best from the 70s:

Front: 1971
Back: 1970

my choices
 

1950's gotta be the 56 set
1960's my fave is 1961, clean, crisp with some great subsets
1970's I'll go with 1974, its the first 1970's set I assembled when i started collecting in the late 80's

67 Why so Popular?
 

Seems like a lot of '67 admirers, could you explain? I am curious as to what about this set is so attractive whereas to me (right now) it just seems like any other 60s set. Also, noboby has picked '66. Is this year a consensus "rotten apple", and if so, why? How is it much different is it than '67? Thanks in advance for your comments.

63 and 65 by far the best to me. 64 the worst.

Why '67?
 

For me the appeal is the great color photographs unobstructed by intrusive borders (i.e., the 1968 Hopsack look), they are almost a full bleed card. Now the teams names in block letters across the bottom do take up some space but really add to the appeal for me. Also it was the first year I really opened a lot of cards as I was 8 with an allowance. I spent nearly all of it buying 6 pack 25 cent trays at the A&P. It was also the first set that I went back and completed some years later and I am also building a second signed set of which I am up to 477 different.

Also, I actually like the 1966s too!

1971 Topps
Black Beauties
Little Square Pieces of Art........:D
http://thebaseballchronicle.com/imag...munsoncard.jpg

http://thebaseballchronicle.com/imag...erojascard.jpg

http://www.vintagecardprices.com/pics/1905/136101.jpg

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/a...fSBKtvKY3i.jpg

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/a...sBKgkmn8g_.jpg

http://i949.photobucket.com/albums/a...-OzBKeg2yw.jpg

Great question

1950s: 1957
1960s: 1965
1970s: 1971

1956, 1963, 1971

1964 gets no love.

1968 does not get the respect it deserves.

1960 is also incredible.

1972 is also wonderful.

Bob's picks
 

Bob has been thinking it over since post 5. He is getting close.

53..55..57..63..65..67

50's: 1952, 1957

60's: 1965 hands down

70's: 1975, 1974 (vastly underrated IMO)


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My fav's are 1952, 1969, and 1973.

I am surprised the 1969 set is not getting more love. Crisp photos, great color, and a simple design. IMO, one of the best sets Topps has produced.

The 1969 Topps set has no team cards, all of the team names are in the same color (yellow) a lot of cap less players and the design is too simple.

65
71
88

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

1) 1956 Topps

2) 1965 Topps

3) 1972 Topps

1950s: eye appeal - 1956; collector appeal - 1952

1960s: - None. They all sucked. (Only decent non-1950s Topps set in my book - 1973)

Cheers,
Patrick

57's hands down. Hardest cards are the Bakep and Lists. You can put it together without selling your house. Plus first standard size set. And the Mantle is awesome looking.

I like 1954 from the 50s. The 1957 is nice except the pics are dreary.

From the 1960s, I have to say the 1960 set is pretty nice, followed by 1963 and then 1967.

Shooting forward to the 1970s, I'd lean towards 1975.

'56 Topps
 

I would have to vote for the 1956 Topps set. I like the look of the cards with a portrait overlaid on an action shot. It includes one of my favorite Mantle cards as well. And only 340 cards too! Easy to collect a set....

Z Wheat

Also the Lucky Penny card (and Lucky Penny), the contest cards (especially July 19th)

Good topic! We need a radio button to vote with per decade :) :)

I love the 57's. I have just recently convinced myself that the contest cards are part of the set. I still differ on the lucky penny or the lucky penny card. Everyone else thinks they are, but I at this time am quite happy without either.

no love for 73? the oddly bad yet interesting photos....

but my fave is 67 closely followed by 71, 56 for the 50s and 83 for the 80s.

Favorites overall:
1956 10% HOFers but sucks no huge Rookies or Musial
1971 great action photos, 1st with photos on back, tough boarders good variety
1980 love to design and good mix of action and posed shots

Favorites for sentimental reasons:
1955 1st vintage set I built
1971 year of my birth
1978 1st cards I ever owned. Learned about baseball as a game from studying those cards
1981 1st pack I bought. Yes ugly set with no great RCs but I bought it with my money. No one gave it to me.


I have never attempted a 60s set and only have handfuls of examples from them so it's not that I don't like them but don't have a lot of experience with them. Like the 67 set though.

Drew

If you are going to try for a 1960s set, I recommend the 1969 Topps set. Once you get past Mantle / Ryan / Jackson, you are pretty much home free. You can also pick up those "big three" at very reasonable prices if you are patient and shop around.

1957, 1963, 1972

Vote
 

'57, '67, '75

1952 topps
 

The 1952 topps is the standard all are measured to. Set is worth more the next six sets combined. SMR on a PSA 9 is $1,748,000. The set transcends the hobby. With the dumping of surplus cards, the mystique was born. Pole 100 people outside the hobby, the 52 topps Mantle will be know to most of them. Entry level collectors know the Mantle and Mays have 1951 issues, but are not as desirable. I know I'm biased on the 1952 topps set. The artwork alone is admirable, and appealing.

My personal favorites:

1950s--1953, then 1957, although the 54 and 55 sets are starting to grow on me

1960s--1963, then 1964/1967, depending on what mood I'm in

1970s--1971, then 1979

1980s onward--whatever makes the best kindling :D

Just too bad there are so many manager, coaches and non major leaguers in the set :)

1954 love the dual photo layout and its Kalines rookie year. 1969 the first year my older brother's starting collecting (I still have most of their star cards ). 1971 love the black borders and some great action photos and next the 75 Topps minis only because it was the first year I started collecting.

1957 & 1967

This set does have a mystique unlike any other.

IMO, no matter the design, every set has a few cards that look really fabulous and a few that look just terrible. But over all, strictly based on eye appeal alone, the set where most of the cards look really good to me is 1957 Topps. In second place for me is 1975 and in third is 1978.

I like the 57 set but my experience has been there are two versions of each card, one version being much darker or muddier than the other

For me it's 1955. By far the nicest looking set color wise and also that an action shot along with the portrait was good design.

1955, 1965 and 1971.