What are your 10 favorite vintage cards of all-time?

[the 'stache]

I am sure that at some point in Net 54's history there has been a discussion about everybody's favorite vintage cards. But I have been unable to locate such a discussion while searching on Google. I found a similar topic asking for everybody's five favorite cards, but that was on the pre-war side. So, I figured what the heck. Let's do one now.

Just so everybody is on the same page, we'll define the vintage era as starting with World War II (the war began with Germany invading Poland on September 1, 1939), and ending in 1979. So, any cards from 1939 up to and including 1979.

Pictures are not required, but they will be enjoyed!

Let's have some fun! Now excuse me while I rack my brain trying to narrow down my list to only ten cards.

[MattyC]

Wow. So many amazing cards and just 10 to pick. Here's the 10 I like for different reasons...

[the 'stache]

Beautiful cards, and very nice selections. It's hard to narrow it down to 10, isn't it? I'm having a terrible time with it. I want to keep a maximum of one card per player so I leave out as few players as possible. As much as I love the '52 Topps Mantle, I like the '53 Bowman more, and I just can't have two from the Mick if it means excluding somebody else.

01. 1953 Bowman Color Stan Musial
02. 1941 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
03. 1958 Topps Roberto Clemente
04. 1975 Topps Robin Yount
05. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron
06. 1951 Bowman Ted Williams
07. 1953 Bowman Color Mickey Mantle
08. 1971 Topps Thurman Munson
09. 1963 Fleer Sandy Koufax
10. 1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese

[Hammerin'Hank]

Great topic ! All collectors have unique taste and favorites.

This list is not in order. I don't know how you put them in order. As you can see I love the 50's stuff.

Hank Aaron 1954 Johnston Cookies
Hank Aaron 1954 Topps
Stan Musial 1953 Bowman Color
Mickey Mantle 1953 Bowman Color
Ted Williams 1948 Leaf
Mantle / Aaron WS 1957 Topps
Pete Rose 1964 Topps (Don't know why but I love this card)
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey
Joe DiMaggio 1939 Play Ball
Lou Gehrig 1934 Goudey

Love those 50's Red Man cards too. The 53 Bowman Color Yogi Berra was tough for me to leave off but I could not list 3 cards in 1 set.

[kailes2872]

1.) 56 Jackie Robinson
2.) 57 Clemente
3.) 54 Aaron
4.) 54 Williams 250
5.) 41 Play Ball Joe DiMaggio
6.) 68 Manager's Dream
7.) 76 Johnny Bench
8.) 78 Reggie Jackson
9.) 65 Willie Mays (to get double credit w/68)
10.) 56 Mantle

[ALR-bishop]

[MattyC]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

Great topic ! All collectors have unique taste and favorites.

This list is not in order. I don't know how you put them in order. As you can see I love the 50's stuff.

Hank Aaron 1954 Johnston Cookies
Hank Aaron 1954 Topps
Stan Musial 1953 Bowman Color
Mickey Mantle 1953 Bowman Color
Ted Williams 1948 Leaf
Mantle / Aaron WS 1957 Topps
Pete Rose 1964 Topps (Don't know why but I love this card)
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey
Joe DiMaggio 1939 Play Ball
Lou Gehrig 1934 Goudey

Love those 50's Red Man cards too. The 53 Bowman Color Yogi Berra was tough for me to leave off but I could not list 3 cards in 1 set.

Too funny; I agonized over including the 64 Rose and the Mantle/Aaron card myself. The Gehrigs didn't fit in the OP's range so thankfully that decision was made for us. The 64 Rose also always struck me every time I saw it in a card shop as a kid. Something about that massive trophy?

[brian1961]

Al Richter--- My sincere thanks for taking the time and trouble to load up scans of some powerful nice cards, plus that super rare Mickey Mantle premium plastic portrait. Then again, they're ALL super rare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ya'll sure know how to bowl us over! Thanks for allowing us to peek at some of your swell stuff. --Brian Powell

[Hammerin'Hank]

Originally Posted by MattyC

Too funny; I agonized over including the 64 Rose and the Mantle/Aaron card myself. The Gehrigs didn't fit in the OP's range so thankfully that decision was made for us. The 64 Rose also always struck me every time I saw it in a card shop as a kid. Something about that massive trophy?

You have good taste..........What can I say ?

[the 'stache]

Originally Posted by Hammerin'Hank

Great topic ! All collectors have unique taste and favorites.

This list is not in order. I don't know how you put them in order. As you can see I love the 50's stuff.

Hank Aaron 1954 Johnston Cookies
Hank Aaron 1954 Topps
Stan Musial 1953 Bowman Color
Mickey Mantle 1953 Bowman Color
Ted Williams 1948 Leaf
Mantle / Aaron WS 1957 Topps
Pete Rose 1964 Topps (Don't know why but I love this card)
Babe Ruth 1933 Goudey
Joe DiMaggio 1939 Play Ball
Lou Gehrig 1934 Goudey

Love those 50's Red Man cards too. The 53 Bowman Color Yogi Berra was tough for me to leave off but I could not list 3 cards in 1 set.

Russ, my last cut was a '55 Redman Willie Mays. I love those. The Kiner is awesome, too, as are the Musial and Teddy Ballgame!

Oops. A few of your cards are from before 1939. I'll let you take a mulligan, though. I certainly can't argue with the '34 Goudey Gehrig, especially card #37, which is one of my all-time favorites from any era. I will be adding that one soon, hopefully before the end of the year.

You can pick two other vintage cards, and we'll leave the Bambino and The Iron Horse in for good measure.

[the 'stache]

That World Series batting foes is phenomenal. I love those kinds of cards, like the Buc Blasters (Smokey Burgess, Dick Stuart, Roberto Clemente and Bob Skinner), or the Berra, Bauer & Mantle 1953 Bowman Color. Or the 1963 Topps "Bombers Best", with Tom Tresh, Mick and Bobby Richardson. Or the 1964 "A.L. Bombers" with Roger Maris, Norm Cash, Mickey Mantle and Al Kaline. Then you have your various "Managers' Dream" cards, with Mantle & Mays, or Tony Oliva, Chico Cardenas and Clemente.

Then there are the All Star cards. Oh, how I love the 1961 Sporting News All Star cards. You know, the ones with the picture of your favorite player bursting out of the newspaper. Great stuff!

[Hammerin'Hank]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

Russ, my last cut was a '55 Redman Willie Mays. I love those. The Kiner is awesome, too, as are the Musial and Teddy Ballgame!

Oops. A few of your cards are from before 1939. I'll let you take a mulligan, though. I certainly can't argue with the '34 Goudey Gehrig, especially card #37, which is one of my all-time favorites from any era. I will be adding that one soon, hopefully before the end of the year.

You can pick two other vintage cards, and we'll leave the Bambino and The Iron Horse in for good measure.

Love the art work and color on those Red Man cards. My like for them is more as a set then as for an individual card.

My bad on the brain lapse with years.

Now to narrow it down to just 2 more:

1948 Bowman Stan Musial
1957 Topps Roberto Clemente

Had to go with 2 classic head shot photos of HOF's in their youth.

[39special]

1. '53 Topps Satchel Page
2. '56 Topps Ted Williams
3. '64 Topps Pete Rose
4. '58 Topps Rocky Colavito
5. '62 Topps Roger Maris
6. '71 Topps Nolan Ryan
7. '53 Bowman color Pee Wee Reese
8. '65 Topps Frank Robinson
9. '53 Topps Jackie Robinson
10. '56 Topps Sandy Koufax

[Vintagevault13]

Many of mine have already been mentioned, but I will throw a few of the 70s cards in for some variety:

1. 1954 Topps Aaron
2. 1955 Topps Koufax
3. 1953 Topps Mantle
4. 1952 Topps J. Robinson
5. 1971 Topps Munson
6. 1973 Topps Bench
7. 1974 Topps Seaver
8. 1974 Topps R. Jackson
9. 1974 Topps Ryan
10. 1975 Topps Brett



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[SmokyBurgess]

#1: 1953 Topps Satchel Paige

#2-10: who can decide....so many possibilities.

[MCoxon]

Originally Posted by SmokyBurgess

#1: 1953 Topps Satchel Paige

#2-10: who can decide....so many possibilities.

I have to say, I sort of agree with this. (my top 10 notwithstanding). I love this one for

1) the mixture of photo/picture
2) the fact that it's his sole Topps card
3) he's a on-field and off-field legend
4) I'm from Cleveland and in 1948 he went 6-1 down the stretch to win the pennant, and he drew the largest baseball crowds to that time to a baseball game (a doubleheader with the Yankees, upper 70Ks attendance)
5) It's an uncorrected error card
6) It portrays a now-defunct team (the Browns, though I know they moved)

[Troy Kirk]

My top 10 has nothing to do with value, I'm a Detroit Tiger fan so all my top 10 picks are Tiger cards, with a slant towards the 1968 Tigers that I grew up with. If you asked me tomorrow, there would probably be some different cards in there, but here's my picks for today.

[NateMack]

Here is another list, I will keep my list to the Topps and Bowman companies:

1. 1954 Topps Ernie Banks (favorite card of favorite player)
2. 1953 Topps Willie Mays
3. 1954 Topps Hank Aaron
4. 1953 Bowman color Mickey Mantle
5. 1953 Topps Satchell Paige
6. 1958 Topps Roberto Clemente
7. 1952 Topps Jackie Robinson
8. 1957 Topps Mantle/Berra #407
9. 1959 Topps all of the Sporting News All Stars
10. 1957 Topps Ted Kluszewski

That went way to quick... I could probably make 10 other lists, each with different cards

[the 'stache]

Nice to see somebody else pick the '58 Topps Clemente, Nate.



This card gets me every single time I look at it yet. Roberto was not yet Roberto. Though he'd finished third in batting in 1956, 1960 was his breakthrough season. 1961 is when he became a superstar.

I still think Clemente is the most underappreciated star to ever play the game. People give him credit, but generally view him as a step below Ruth, Aaron and Frank Robinson in right field. No way.

From 1960 until 1972, the end of his career, a span of thirteen seasons, he was a .330 hitter that amassed 2,318 hits (most in all of Major League Baseball), a fifteen time All Star (two All Star games in 1960, '61 and '62), and a twelve time Gold Glove Award winner.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by the 'stache

From 1960 until 1972, the end of his career, a span of thirteen seasons, he was a .330 hitter that amassed 2,318 hits (most in all of Major League Baseball), a fifteen time All Star (two All Star games in 1960, '61 and '62), and a twelve time Gold Glove Award winner.

Add to that, he was hitting/playing during one of the most dominant pitching eras ever.

Even though he died before I was born, Clemente was probably my favorite player growing up... and became my favorite to collect when I really got into cards.

[Gr8Beldini]

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http://www.ebay.com/itm/1954-TOPPS-J...#ht_158wt_1224

[danski496]

Here's my favs, mostly for personal reasons:
1. 1967 Topps Tom Seaver (year I was born)
2. 1957 Topps Brooks Robinson (dads favorite player)
3. 1973 Mike Schmidt (my favorite player growing up)
4. 1961 Fleer Wilt Chamberlian (dads favorite player)
5. 1972 Julius Erving (my favorite player growing up)
6. 1948 Topps Magic Chuck Bednarik (dads favorite player)
7. 1976 Topps Randy Gradishar (my favorite player growing up)
8. 1938 Goudey Bob Feller (my first in person autograph and a class act)
9. 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle (just because)
10. 1973 Topps Jack Youngblood (brothers favorite player growing up)

Dan

[BillP]

1. 1967 Yaz
2. 1966 Gaylord Perry
3. 1965 Koufax
4. 1967 Colavito
5. 1966 Choo Choo Coleman
6. 1962 Maris
7. 1967 B Robinson
8. 1965 Rose
9. 1963 Tresh
10. 1966 H Clarke

1963 is my 2nd favorite set. But none of the individual cards. Recently started on the 61 set but only because I won about 300 diff in ex or better condition.
Completed: 63,64,66,67
Partial: 59 ( missing 25), 62 (missing 29), 54 (missing 3)

[rkrolewicz]

53 Bowman Reese
71 Munson
68 Lonborg Wins Again, Managers Dream, Bird Belters
73 Corrales
55 Clemente
60 The Champs Celebrate, Luis Swipes Base
74 Aaron specials

[Chicosbailbonds]

'63 Brock
'65 Yaz
'70 Ryan
'71 Banks
'56 J Robinson
'56 Clemente
'53 Paige
'57 Dodgers Sluggers
'57 Kluszewski
'65 ERA leaders Koufax/Drysdale

[mrmantlecollector]

Hard to choose only 10 but here's 10 good ones.

[paulcarek]

My ten favorite vintage (as defined in the original post) cards, judged purely on aesthetics:

1952 Topps Johnny Mize

1952 Bowman Stan Musial

1951 Bowman Phil Rizzuto

1957 Topps Ted Kluszewski

1958 Topps AS Mickey Mantle

1953 Bowman Allie Reynolds

1950 Bowman Bob Feller

1954 Topps Ed Mathews

1956 Topps Sandy Amoros

1957 Topps Frank Robinson

[bbcard1]

In no particular order:

1971 Johnny Bench
1955 Ted Williams
1967 Brooks Robinson
1953 Bowman Musial
1969 Nolan Ryan
1949 Bowman Paige
1975 Topps Fisk
1961 Yogi Berra
1956 Jackie Robinson
1953 Mantle

[rkrolewicz]

1970 Topps #252 Lowell Palmer (aka Elwood Blues)

[BosseFieldBoy]

Wow, tough one. If we're counting 1941 as post-war, here's my list:

1. 1941 Play Ball DiMaggio
2. 1975 Topps Pete Rose (check out his mutton chops!)
3. 1956 Topps Mantle
4. 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan
5. 1951 Bowman Mantle
6. 1961 Topps Maris
7. 1955 Topps Clemente
8. 1954 Topps Aaron
9. 1963 Topps Pete Rose (floating heads at their best)
10. 1941 Play Ball Ted Williams

[AMBST95]

This is so difficult.

1941 Playball Joe DiMaggio
1949 Leaf Jackie Robinson
1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle
1952 Topps Mickey Mantle
1953 Bowman Color Pee Wee Reese
1956 Topps Roberto Clemente
1957 Topps Ted Kluszewski
1957 Topps Brooks Robinson
1964 Topps Bill Mazeroski
1973 Topps Johnny Bench

[ValKehl]

I'm not posting a list of my 10 favorites because for the last 20-25 years my collecting focus has been mostly on prewar cards. But, I am a bit surprised that no one yet (unless I missed it) has included a 1959 Bazooka card on their list. IMHO, the 1959 Bazooka set is by far the best looking postwar set produced - yeah, even better than the 1953 Bowman & 1952 Topps sets - and, yes, the 1959 Bazooka Mantle is much nicer looking than the 1953 Bowman & 1952 Topps Mantles! I have some of these Bazookas (not a Mantle, regretfully), but I don't have any scans available to post right now. So, I am posting this scan of one of the absolute best looking postwar cards that is not a 1959 Bazooka:

[brian1961]

[QUOTE=ValKehl;1303716]I'm not posting a list of my 10 favorites because for the last 20-25 years my collecting focus has been mostly on prewar cards. But, I am a bit surprised that no one yet (unless I missed it) has included a 1959 Bazooka card on their list. IMHO, the 1959 Bazooka set is by far the best looking postwar set produced - yeah, even better than the 1953 Bowman & 1952 Topps sets - and, yes, the 1959 Bazooka Mantle is much nicer looking than the 1953 Bowman & 1952 Topps Mantles! I have some of these Bazookas (not a Mantle, regretfully), but I don't have any scans available to post

Val, I share your being perplexed that nary a member besides yourself has mentioned a 1959 Bazooka---baseball or football. You know they're fantastic; I know they're fantastic. I might not put the Mantle quite as high as you, but it is certainly grossly underrated. When I attended my first major convention in 1972, I had the privilege of seeing the 1959 Bazooka Mickey Mantle for the first time. I was so amazed at how beautiful it was! Couldn't take my eyes off of it. Stuck around the gentleman's shared table for a while just to gaze at it and burn it into my memory, basking in the enjoyment of seeing this card.

What happened next is recounted in chapter 18 of my hopefully forthcoming book, NEVER CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN. Forty-two years ago, and I still remember the occasion well. So did the gentleman who owned it, Lionel Carter, who wrote of our experience with his card.

Val, the absence of the Bazookas from a list of favorites may be attributed to other reasons, common and shared by some of us. If you're actively pursuing some cards that are notoriously tough to locate and are "a beauty extraordinaire", you find yourself speaking little to your fellow collectors for fear of unwittingly enticing further competition. Doing so potentially scotches your chances all the more of hunting down your prized game/trophy card.

Without trying to come off as a smart alec, it also takes a certain combination of intelligence and good taste to recognize where to place such cards on the echelon of hobby importance, and of course value. Many of our fellow collectors peacefully enjoy the merits of the mainstream. That's great for them and I love those cards as well. But you and I both have come to know some of the more harder to get, attractive, and condition rarities reside at the bottom of the Loch Ness, so to speak. So many of them are a monsters to find!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a swell day. --Brian Powell

P.S. Your Hires Test Willie Mays is a beaut! What a wonderful smile on Say Hey. Sometimes he was not wearing it when his card photo was snapped (61 Topps, 59 Bazooka, 54 Stahl-Meyer, 52 Topps)

A mix to hard to pick

[rats60]

1941 Playball Ted Williams
1941 Playball Joe DiMaggio
1953 Topps Willie Mays
1953 Bowman Pee Wee Reese
1955 Topps Roberto Clemente
1955 Topps Sandy Koufax
1956 Topps Roberto Clemente
1965 Topps Sandy Koufax
1967 Topps Bill Mazeroski
1967 Topps Stand Up Roberto Clemente