Topps Heritage

[HRBAKER]

I have been giving that thought as well.
I am not much of a fan of the Topps set after '72 much.
Matter of fact I think that the stretch of '73-'80 may be their worst efforts to date with 73/77/80 being the worst of the lot IMO.

[Troy Kirk]

Al, I agree with you completely on the 1967 Heritage vs original. The original is my favorite Topps set, but I don't like the Heritage because the pictures are muddied, it looks like Topps tried to make them seem old or something. If they had used crisp pictures, I'm sure I would have collected that Heritage set, but I just never got interested.

I do like this year's Heritage set based on 1968 Topps, it's great to see they are using crisp pictures for this set, the cards are really nice.

[bobsbbcards]

I'm looking forward to 2050 when Topps issues the 2001 Topps Heritage Heritage set.

[ALR-bishop]

You would think from this post that Bob is an optimist but my experience with him is to the contrary.

[Peter_Spaeth]

I think they are a good choice if you want to own some modern players but don't like all the super duper refractor chrome emerald diamond prism stuff. I can't imagine, though, preferring them to the originals.

[ALR-bishop]

I will confess I have not pitched any of my 1952 to 1967 sets in favor of the their Heritage counterparts. But I do like the Heritage sets and concept....at least through 1972.... if I last that long.

[mikemb]

At first, I really liked the heritage sets. Got the 1956 and put together the 1959 card sets. Thought I would get 1965 to 1969 Heritage sets, as the originals were at the height of my childhood collecting years (age 8 to 12).

But, got the 1965 set complete and put in in a binder by teams, in the same order as my original 1965 set, but did not really enjoy the set. I think it was a combination of both the cost to get the high numbers and just not following the current players as closely as I once did.

Have only bought a pack or two each year since.

Mike

[clydepepper]

New images attached to already accepted designs. Love 'em!

[Griffins]

I was really looking forward to the '67 Heritage set, but like Al was disappointed. The original '67 set is my 2nd favorite post war design (after '53 Bowman) but Heritage didn't keep the same standards. The images are a bit blown out, muddy, or just off. This years set was really well done, and the printing in the original '69 set is so bad Heritage can only be an improvement.
I've done every year since inception, but will probably call it done after '72 as well. Really looking forward to the '70 design and especially '71, as those were the first sets I collected as a kid.

[ALR-bishop]

Jeff- now I remember.... what Anthony said

[Rich Klein]

As to point #2 -- there are like six different versions of each 2017 Topps Heritage card from base to color swap to gum stained and much much more.

I would not want to venture a true master set today and that's BEFORE the autographs, relics, etc.

Rich

[tjenkins]

I started buying packs in 1968 when I was 5 yrs old. I loved the Topps set then and equally like the the 2017 Topps Heritage counterpart. I can't say I like one better than the other with the exception of the Real One Autos the come with the current Heritage. 1968 will always hold a special place in my heart, so this year's Heritage brought back a bunch of collecting memories.

[carney22]

Al and Troy, I could not agree more with you about the 2016 "'67" Heritage set . . . such a major disappointment, considering that I love the Heritage concept and the 1967 Topps set is my all-time favorite. For years, I was looking forward to the Heritage version, but when it arrived it fell flat. The glossy quality of the card front was one of the hallmarks of the '67 set, but the Heritage version was dull and flat. No checklists with disembodied heads. Lousy/lazy versions of combo cards. Nothing clicked for me at all.

The truth is, by 2016, Topps had been "mailing it in" for years on the Heritage line. It didn't start out that way. Remember the 1952 Heritage set, with the same number of cards as the original, with the short print cards being the same numbers as the second series of the original? Or how Topps would sometimes try to parallel a distinctive card from the original with one from the Heritage set, like the 1958 Whammy Douglas/Heritage Boone Logan cards?

They don't do any of that any more. It's all formula, the same number of cards in the set, the same insert sets. And what about the combo cards? Is there now a law that two players aren't allowed to come together in a posed card? The 1967 set had the best combo cards ever, but all the Heritage version could manage was "accidental combos," action shots that just happened to have two people in them.

That rant aside, I will say that Topps has rebounded nicely. I think the "68" Heritage set actually looks better than the original. Same for the "69" Heritage this year. Maybe this is a sign of better things to come . . .