Frankenset Page #57

I've gotten into the habit of posting 1 frankenset page every week over the last number of months. Because this routine has worked well with the rest of my blogging schedule, I see no reason whatsoever to alter it.

Likewise, I have this week's frankenset page, #57 in the 74-page series, ready to go for today's post. Featuring cards dating back to the 1970s, this page includes cards #505 all the way through #513. Now, let's get started.

#505 2004 Topps Adam Kennedy

One of my main problems with the 2004 Topps Flagship set is how small the pictures are in comparison to the border and frame. The photo above of Angels 2nd baseman Adam Kennedy is very interesting, but the image itself is tiny compared to the white borders surrounding it.

In spite of the boring set design and small pictures, 2004 Topps definitely has some standout cards. There are just 1 too many obstacles preventing this design from standing out in a positive manner. Instead, it blends in with the many of the other 2000s/2010s Topps base set designs.

#506 1974 Topps Ed Farmer

If I were to create another frankenset, I'd try to pay more attention to the last ~200 cards in the checklist in an effort to diversify the final pages. While I'm pleased with the actual cards that I chose, I've discovered, over the last few posts, far too many Topps Flagship cards and a weak variety of products represented.

Page #57, for example, includes 8 cards from Topps Flagship sets, ranging from 1974-2011. Even though I personally selected all of these cards because I like something about each of them, I can't deny the fact that the last few pages have become somewhat repetitive.

#507 1990 Fleer Greg Briley

Even though I complained about how many Topps Flagship cards there are on this page, the one non-Topps card featured isn't anything to write home about. It's a simple base card of a lesser known Mariners player, Greg Briley, from 1990 Fleer, a lackluster product.

I guess I'll have to find a balance between selecting fewer Topps Flagship cards and more high-quality and interesting cards if and when I craft another frankenset. I obviously want to have a wide range of intriguing cards, but I don't want to be repetitive either.

#508 1981 Topps Rob Dressler

From the funky Mariners hat to the bizarre purple sleeves, Rob Dressler's 1981 Topps card may just be my favorite card of the entire 57th page There are so many colors throughout the card (light blue, gold, dark blue, purple, yellow) that the card as a whole is almost mesmerizing. 

I've never seen the appeal of the 1981 Topps set, but I'll admit that I became more fond of the design after last year's Topps Archives set. Seeing modern day players like Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna Jr in this 1980s design helped me become more fond of the original set.

#509 1984 Topps Brad Havens

I haven't bought a lot of Topps Series 1 or 2 so far in 2019, so, fortunately, I haven't been burned out on the 1984 Topps design like I was in 2017 and '18 when it comes to the '87 and '83 sets. This may change when I purchase a little Topps Series 2 and Chrome, but I hope that isn't the case.

I've always loved the giant text and the 2 different images that make the 1984 Topps base set so unique. It's always been neck-and-neck with 1983 when it comes to my favorite Flagship design of the decade, but as of now, I'm leaning more towards 1984.

#510 1975 Topps Vida Blue

1975 Topps literally has hundreds of vibrant and bright cards, yet Vida Blue's base card may just be the most colorful of them all, and that's definitely a compliment. In addition to the yellow which comes close to matching the gold on his jersey, green, pink, and sky blue are all prominent across this card.

It may have taken us 43 years, but my Dad and I finally completed the 1975 Topps set shortly after returning home from The National in 2018. After returning home and realizing that we had 1 card remaining, we purchased #660, Hank Aaron, on Sportlots.

A little over a week later, we completed our 2nd set of the year, the first being the equally fabulous 1972 Topps set.

#511 2011 Topps Philadelphia Phillies Team Card

As the 2000s drew to a close, so did the days of the "traditional" team cards appearing in Topps Flagship sets. Nowadays, instead of featuring the classic photos that are taken every year at Spring Training, Topps includes some sort of celebration image on team cards just like the one above.

I've been very vocal ever since I started blogging about how these "team" cards are irritating and simply aren't true team cards. As much as I dislike the celebration images, I can't stand when they're featured in Topps Heritage. If there's any release where team cards should resemble what they used to be, it's Heritage.

#512 1990 Topps Gary Pettis

Speaking of Topps Heritage, I must admit that I'm rather excited for the design 20 years from now when 1990 Topps is replicated. I've always felt that '90 Topps is a tad misunderstood; the colorful borders would've been great in the 1970s. Unfortunately, I feel like it's always seen as a worse version of 1975 Topps.

I'll be interested to see if Topps can breathe some life back into this set design by featuring the stars from 2039 in this colorful and creative set. I know we have a while to wait, but I can't help to be excited. Who knows? Maybe Topps Archives will replicate it before then.

#513 1987 Topps Carmen Castillo

Admittedly, while I'm rather excited for 1990 Topps to be replicated in the Heritage product, I can't say the same for the 1987 design. Not only has this set, to my knowledge, already been utilized in Archives, but Topps has used '87 in multiple different insert sets, most notably in 2017.

All I know is that I'm getting sick of seeing these wood borders everywhere I go. Topps needs to take an prolonged break from replicating 1987 Topps until the time comes in 2037.