Worst vintage card photo's

[LarsenMN]

This is about the worst picture of Reggie Jackson I have ever seen. Does Topps actually show the players their image before it gets printed? I'm sure Mr. October really hates this one. Which is sad because all the other A's cards of Reggie are some of my favorites. Look at his face, he looks like he is 80 year old!

[whitehse]

1973 was the first year I collected cards but as a nine year old I loved the Jackson photo. It was always better than those posed shots they used and this photo literally showed motion to my nine year old mind and could just imagine Reggie throwing someone out at the plate.

[Mark17]

I guess I'd prefer my rookie card to depict my face rather than my butt.

[swarmee]

1958 Topps - [Base] #307 - Brooks Robinson [VG*EX]
Courtesy of COMC.com

[brianp-beme]

Brooks brother from a half a century or so earlier. Egan wasn't the most attractive of baseball fellas, but the photographer for this D381 should have tried to make things better, not worse. For comparison I added a photo that presents him in a much nicer light.

Brian

[bbcard1]

In a set that has very few good photos, Paul Derringer's photo stands above the rest.

http://bbcard1.com/double/?p=100

[ValKehl]

"Oyster Joe" Martina looks much nicer on his T210-1 card than he does on his 1924 Diaz card. Martina's only year in the Majors was with the 1924 WS Champion Senators.

[seanofjapan]

Japan has some weird ones.

This is Hideji Kato's card from the 1975-76 Calbee set with the top half of his head cut off.

This card is not miscut or anything, its actually perfectly centred. They just had a picture where you can't even see half his head and for some reason went with it.

[CobbSpikedMe]

One of the worst photos for a baseball card and yet one of my favorite cards at the same time.


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[conor912]

Originally Posted by swarmee

1958 Topps - [Base] #307 - Brooks Robinson [VG*EX]
Courtesy of COMC.com

This is one of the ones that always comes to my mind. It looks like something is going horribly wrong in his digestive track.

Jackie Robinson’s Leaf RC is another one with a horrible facial expression. I could never pull the trigger on one bc I can’t stand looking at it.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by conor912

This is one of the ones that always comes to my mind. It looks like something is going horribly wrong in his digestive track.

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Always thought he looked like a lost member of the Manning family on that card.

[h2oya311]

Originally Posted by Aquarian Sports Cards

Always thought he looked like a lost member of the Manning family on that card.

OMG! You are so right! It's a hybrid of Eli and Peyton, for sure!

[h2oya311]

I always think of this "rookie" mugshot of Goose Gossage:

[Santo10Fan]

Originally Posted by Mark17

I guess I'd prefer my rookie card to depict my face rather than my butt.

I love Tony but kinda hard to invest in a card that's like 18% ass.

[CollectingAmericasPastime]

Originally Posted by Santo10Fan

I love Tony but kinda hard to invest in a card that's like 18% ass.

So either you want more ass or you're a "chest" guy.

[Mark17]

Originally Posted by KMayUSA6060

So either you want more ass or you're a "chest" guy.

If I was a chest guy I'd prefer the one Rod is staring at....

[seanofjapan]

Notice how the photo of Bill Gullickson on this card looks kind of grainy, almost as if it was taken by someone just pointing a camera at a game being played on a 1980s TV set?

That is because the photo on this card was actually taken that way. For their 1988 set Calbee didn't have photos of some players and their last minute solution was to just take pictures of a TV during live broadcasts of games and use them. There are a few dozen cards like that in the set.

Japanese card sets of the 70s and 80s are almost unbeatable for bizarre photography.

[SAllen2556]

I wonder what pre-war set has the most action photos?
This Vintage card photo's funny.
The photo's quality is not very good though.


What you don't see here are the players on either side swinging a jump rope. This was a spring training exercise often used by Cardinals in the 30's.
lf.jpg

[RUKen]

Originally Posted by Santo10Fan

I love Tony but kinda hard to invest in a card that's like 18% ass.

I guess you wouldn't want this 1887 Kalamazoo Bats card of Harry Stovey and Jocko Milligan:

[Yastrzemski Sports]

This Jack Morris is one of my favorites.
257E1AE5-FC8C-48CD-9EE4-49D7F40FA25B.jpg

[Brian Van Horn]

Originally Posted by LarsenMN

This is about the worst picture of Reggie Jackson I have ever seen. Does Topps actually show the players their image before it gets printed? I'm sure Mr. October really hates this one. Which is sad because all the other A's cards of Reggie are some of my favorites. Look at his face, he looks like he is 80 year old!

I actually kind of like it. His mouth is shut.

[Chris-Counts]

The 1970s are a great time period to find bad photos. Catcher Pat Corrales has two consecutive cards where he can't even get upright.

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

He was screwing with the photographer, right? Had to be.

[LarsenMN]

Originally Posted by LarsenMN

I am new to the community and I would like to thanks for accepting me. I would like to start a fun thread featuring some of the worst photos of ball players. I have a few favorites I would like to submit. Caption's are always welcomed! Attachment 384953

Let's not forget about the 1970 Topps Gene BRABENDER.... The name is probably worse then the photo. Typical look of a guy who drives a window less cargo van.

[BabyRuth]

The technicolor dream coat

[Johnny630]

How about those MVP or Cy Young Award 72 Topps cards ?

[Aquarian Sports Cards]

Originally Posted by LarsenMN

Let's not forget about the 1970 Topps Gene BRABENDER.... The name is probably worse then the photo. Typical look of a guy who drives a window less cargo van.

We called those "Creeper" vans growing up lol.