Worst Topps set for photos?

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by jakebeckleyoldeagleeye

I thought the 1958 Topps set was pretty lame

I'm not a fan of the '58 Topps because of the solid backgrounds. I've always wondered if Topps went this way to avoid having photos with Ebbets Field and the Polo Grounds in the background, since that was the first year the Dodgers and Giants were in California.

[Balticfox]

Originally Posted by Gary Dunaier

I'm not a fan of the '58 Topps because of the solid backgrounds.

The brightly coloured solid backgrounds are precisely what I like about the 1958 cards! The set has far too many headshots though especially considering that there's mega room on the card for full body shots.

[Balticfox]

Interesting about full photographic backgrounds and Topps cards. The 1957 Topps Baseball set was the first Topps sport card release with photo backgrounds. Then beginning in 1959 every Topps Baseball card set had the full photo background.

But this was unique to Topps Baseball issues. The Topps Football and Hockey sets all featured design art backgrounds. Some examples from my collection:

1959



1960



1963



1958-59



1959-60



1960-61



The first O-Pee-Chee/Topps Hockey cards featuring full photo backgrounds were the 1973-74 ones. And just like the 1973 Topps Baseball, they were absolutely dreadful. The Hockey cards actually continued to be dreadful for the next decade or so.