Retired Player Autograph Time; 2019 National Recap Part #5

My desire to collect as wide of a range of Baseball cards has possible has both benefits and drawbacks.

While this doesn't always allow me to zero in on a particular part of my collection and devote all of my attention to it, my willingness to collect almost anything that interests me strengthens my collection as a whole.

Furthermore, it allows me to branch out into various parts of the hobby, from vintage sets to brand new releases.

I tried to maintain this openmindedness at The National this year and focus on all parts of my collection. In some instances, I'd focus solely on vintage sets from my want list. Other times, I'd branch out into stuff like oddballs and, in this case, retired player autographs.

Whether I purchase the cards at the show or pull them from packs, I've acquired my fair share of relic cards and autographs, particularly over the last 3 few years.

As much as I love the major hits that I've pulled, most of my auto/relic inventory consists of modern-day jersey relics or cards of semi-stars from the 70s.

Though my Dad initiated this mini-project, I helped him choose some of the retired player autographs that he purchased during our time at the show. The budget that we set for ourselves forced us to make some tough decisions regarding which cards to purchase and which to leave behind.

No matter how hard I try, I could never steer the focus of my collection in just 1 or 2 directions. Rather, my curiosity inspires me to venture out in multiple directions, specifically the retired player autographs that we picked up at the show.

Because I have more Boston Red Sox autos and relics than any other MLB team, we boosted this part of our collection by adding some new players' autographs to the mix. 

Earlier this week, I mentioned how surprising it was to see Red Sox cards priced reasonably which certainly isn't the norm at the Boston area shows. Though the selection of Sox cards isn't as great, I'll take lower prices any day of the week, especially if I can land some nice cards, like the Bernie Carbo auto above.

One of my parameters when deciding on which autographs to purchase was whether the signature is on-card or on-sticker. Like many collectors, I try to steer clear of sticker autos, especially if I'm considering spending big money on a card.

Thankfully, most of what we purchased featured on-card autos. Whether the cards are scanned or shown in-person, on-card autos simply blow sticker signatures out of the water. Thankfully, Topps avoids sticker autos nowadays, for the most part, though I can't say the same about Panini.

As I mentioned, a reasonable portion of my relics and autographs are of semi-stars and All-Stars from the 70s and 80s. Because I collect cards of many guys from that era as well, this seems to translate into the hits that I purchase at the show.

They might not be as flashy as a rookie phenom's autograph from Topps Chrome, but I'm perfectly happy with autographs of Dave Parker and Dave Concepcion, both of whom were very well-respected semi-stars who played for championship teams in the 70s.

Better yet, the cards are both on-card, and these 70s players have must better signatures than today's stars. Dave Parker's auto, in particular, is much easier to decipher than today's stars like Chris Sale.

Generally, I lean more towards Panini cards that hide the logoless caps and uniforms to the best of their ability. It's hard to cover this up completely, but they did a decent job with this Rollie Fingers autograph.

I think I'd have less of a problem with Panini as a whole if they decreased the number of sticker autos in their sets. However, the combination of logoless uniforms and sticker autos often turns me away from their hits. I'd rather stick to base cards and parallels from sets like Chronicles and Prizm instead.

Nonetheless, this is my first Rollie Fingers autographed card, and his signature, like Parker's and Concepcion's, is beautiful and clear.

The black borders make the cards challenging to scan, but I'm incredibly impressed with the 2004 Topps Retired Signature autographs. The 2 autos above are my first pickups from this set, though I've seen many collectors praise this product over the last few years.

The Bruce Sutter auto is a great addition to my Cubs PC, especially since this is my first auto of the Hall of Fame reliever. As much as I love everything about this card, Cepeda's on-card auto with the Atlanta Braves is spectacular, especially since his entire signature fits in the designated space.

The black borders only enhance the cards and make the blue ink pop even more. The fact that both of these guys are in the Hall of Fame is even better, especially since it allows me to enhance my collection of autographs even more. 

In the long run, I could see myself trying to complete this autograph set, though I'd have to put a significant portion of my funds towards these cards. Though I haven't examined the checklist, I assume there are some expensive cards to chase.

As much as I love the retired player signatures of Sutter and Cepeda, my favorite autograph of the group is the 2014 Topps Tribute card above of Fred Lynn, a sepia parallel numbered out of just 35 copies. 

He may not have achieved the HOF status that most assumed he would, especially following his historic 1975 season, but Lynn had some fabulous years with the Red Sox and even the Angels. If he hadn't left Boston, I'm sure he would've ended up in Cooperstown.

The last autograph of the haul follows the same pattern as the others; a fabulous on-card signature of a terrific player. This is also my first Baseball card autograph of Lynn, though, with a gorgeous signature like that, it may not be the last.

Major Progress With '76 Topps; 2019 National Recap Part #4

173. 

That's how many cards I picked up for my 1976 Topps set while at The National, easily the largest haul brought back from the show for any aspect of my collection.

Most of the cards shown in the previous 2 blog posts were purchased by my Dad. There have been cards from the 50s and 60s, 3Ds, and vintage oddballs galore over the last couple of posts.

Throughout most of the show, we divided and conquered so that we could each focus on our own objectives. While my Dad spent a large portion of his time purchasing vintage oddballs, I tried to concentrate more on the want list, particularly the Topps Flagship sets that I'm trying to complete.

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't able to find any 1979 Topps while I was there since most vendors don't bother selling individual cards from that set. Even 1976 Topps proved challenging to find, though I eventually tracked down a dealer with excellent prices on cards from this colorful set.

At first, I only wanted to go through about half of the cards on my '76 Topps want list before moving onto another part of the show. However, after skimming through the pages and seeing the stellar prices, I realized that this was my best chance to make huge strides with this product.

The odds of finding such an enormous selection of 1976 Topps cards for incredibly low prices are slim, so I continued through the binder and ended up going through the entirety of my '76 Topps want list. As a result, I ended up buying 173 cards that I needed to complete the set.

Unlike the next Topps set that I choose to build (either '73 or '74 Flagship), I began collecting 1976 Topps not because I had a ton of cards from that year. In fact, when I drew up my want list upon deciding that I'd be collecting this set, I barely had 100 out of the 660 total cards.

With that being said, '76 Topps is quite affordable, and the brilliant color scheme is ultimately what inspired me to begin building this set despite how few cards I had. 

I've mentioned before that my favorite Baseball card sets are the ones where every base card looks different. Thanks to the various color combinations for each team, this trait applies to '76 Topps. 

I knew that completing this set would present some challenges, but the affordability and the vibrant design inspired me to start this project. Now, with the set almost complete, I couldn't be happier.

In addition to overproduction, a reason why Topps sets from the 1990s are so forgettable is that there wasn't anything to differentiate Oakland A's cards from Houston Astros cards like there was in '76. 

Even modern-day Topps sets use green for the A's and orange for the Astros to help the set stand out, but this wasn't as pronounced in the 90s. Clearly, with 2 colorful banners on every base card, 1976 accomplishes this.

Even for teams like the Indians and Astros who utilize the same 2 colors (orange and pink), the order is switched to change things up and help create a unique design across the entire set. 

Other than the iconic 1975 design, I can't think of a more vibrant Topps set than 1976, though the uniforms certainly help with this.

Topps' decision to cease releasing Flagship in multiple series caused the value their cards to plummet beginning in 1974. Furthermore, many collectors, including myself, consider 1975 the last year of true vintage cards.

These 2 factors contribute to the overall affordability of 1976 Topps. Even cards of Hall of Famers like George Brett and Mike Schmidt are far less expensive ($3 and $4 respectively) compared to similar cards in another Topps set that I've completed, 1972.

With a set like '72, you have to worry about high numbered cards, HOFers, team cards, and especially condition, all of which contribute to the price of a card. However, many of these factors don't apply to '76. The set is beautiful and the cards are inexpensive; it doesn't get much better than that.

Beginning in the 1970s, Topps began noting a player's All-Star status by placing a symbol or banner on his base card. They continued this tradition for many years, particularly during the 1980s.

If I remember correctly, however, this inclusion began in 1976 when Topps used actual stars to demonstrate that a player was an All-Star. It's always challenging to beat the original, especially when it's something as simple yet classic as a bright yellow All-Star star. 

I already had most of the All-Stars' cards before heading to The National, but I picked up a couple new ones while I was there, most notably Ron Cey's card with red and blue banners.

Before the days of insert sets as we know them today, Topps included many subsets throughout the 1970s Flagship products. Ranging from Boyhood Photos of the Stars to Father and Son Duos, the subsets consisted of around 10 cards and followed a certain theme.

1976 Topps has a couple of these subsets, one of them being The Sporting News All-Time All-Stars, easily one of my favorite subsets that Topps has ever done. The checklist includes HOF legends in a fantastic red, white, and blue design, not to mention spectacular black and white photos.

I'm not that knowledgable when it comes to these cards. Since the set is All-Time All-Stars, the players may combine to form 1 complete team. All I know is that these cards are one of the high points of '76 Topps, and that's saying a lot considering how fond I am of this set.

With this massive 173-card purchase in the books, I'm just 39 cards away from completing my 3rd Topps set from the 70s. At the same time, only 48 cards are standing in my way of finishing '79 Topps as well. 

Though I'm taking a necessary break from buying cards, for the time being, there's no doubt in my mind that I'll be able to complete both of these 70s Flagship sets by the time the Holiday season rolls around.

After that, it'll be time for me to turn my attention towards '61 Topps and whichever Flagship set I try to complete next. 

For now, I have to concentrate on those 39 cards stopping me from completing yet another one of my favorite Baseball card sets ever produced.

My 2019 NL All-Star Starters

Earlier today at 4pm EST, the first round of the 2019 MLB All-Star game fan voting came to a close. At this point, while we don't know the exact results, the votes for round #1 are in.

Throughout the last couple of weeks, I took the time to vote for the players who I believed deserved to be All-Stars. I tried to remain as fair as possible, even if that meant voting for Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez for the AL team. Simply put, he deserves the spot, so I gave him my votes.

However, the end of the first round voting definitely snuck up on me. Even after casting my ballots on numerous days, I didn't even realize until today that the voting was scheduled to end at 4pm. Otherwise, I would've written a blog post for my NL All-Star ballot earlier in the week. 

It doesn't do a whole lot of good for me to explain my NL All-Star starters today considering that round #1 voting is already over, but I, nevertheless, wanted to publically announce and justify my picks.

Like the AL All-Star starters post from yesterday, I doubt that all the players featured in this post will actually make the All-Star game. However, my main objective with this post is to get my choices out there and possibly proving how the voting system, even with these new adjustments, is flawed.

I explained yesterday how Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, although deserving of an All-Star selection, likely won't receive enough votes. While I don't follow the National League quite as closely as the American League, I'm certain that something similar will occur.

Catcher; Willson Contreras

Since his call-up towards the beginning of 2016, Willson Contreras has struggled to put in a full season due to injuries as well as the position that he plays. Now, at 27 years of age, Contreras is having the best season of his career, and he's remained healthy for the entire season as well.

With over 200 at-bats already under his belt, Contreras is hitting .292 with 15 homers and 42 RBI. At this point, the World Series Champion seems destined to have his best season yet in 2019, for it appears that he'll surpass his previous career-highs in numerous stat categories.

Buster Posey usually makes a strong case for an All-Star selection, but his .246 batting average in 2019 simply isn't cutting it. For me, Contreras is the no-brainer for the NL starting catcher position.

1st Base; Josh Bell

I don't think anybody saw this coming, yet Josh Bell is not only making a strong argument to be the NL All-Star team's starting 1st baseman, but he's also making a case for the NL MVP award as well.

Despite competition from guys like Pete Alonso, Bell is having a breakout season at the age of 26. His 27 doubles and 66 RBI lead all of the MLB, and his 20 home runs aren't too shabby either. After struggling to find a balance between power and contact for the first few years of his career, Bell seems to have pieced it all together in 2019. 

Thus, it would stand to reason that he would be rewarded with his 1st ever All-Star selection in 2019.

2nd Base; Max Muncy

After struggling to make it in the MLB for a few years with the Oakland Athletics, Max Muncy emerged as a power hitter for the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers and helped turn their season from a disaster into a 2nd straight NL pennant. 

Now, after garnering MVP votes in 2018, Muncy is the clear choice for the NL All-Star team in 2019. He, like Josh Bell, has achieved a balance between power hitting (17 home runs) and contact hitting (.283 batting average) so far in 2019. 

It should also be noted that Muncy has come a long way from his days in Oakland when he was a below-average bench player. Now, he's won an NL pennant with the Los Angeles Dodgers and appears destined for the 2019 NL All-Star team.

Shortstop; Javier Baez

There's always been something special about Javier Baez since his rookie season back in 2015. However, it took him a few years before emerging as one of Baseball's brightest stars last season. Now, at age 26, there's no turning back for the 2018 NL MVP runner-up.

It'll be challenging for Baez to match his sensational stats from the 2018 season, but he's on track to come close so far in 2019. Baez's .286 batting average, 18 homers, and 48 RBI make a powerful case as to why he should be an All-Star for the 2nd straight season. 

Even though some of his success is due to the number of at-bats that he has (294), there's no denying how talented Javier Baez is, both defensively and offensively. He's one of the most well-rounded players in Baseball, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't end up as an NL All-Star starter.

3rd Base; Nolan Arenado

At this point, Nolan Arenado isn't only proving that he deserves to be an All-Star for the 5th time in his career. Rather, he's also establishing himself as one of Baseball's most consistent and greatest players, someone who could end up in Cooperstown when all is said and done.

From 2015-2018, Arenado was elected to the All-Star team, won the NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for his position, and received MVP votes. Given his current stat line in 2019 (.328/18/60), I don't see why anything should change.

Arenado also leads the NL in hits with 94, and he could have the greatest season of his career in 2019 which, by his standards, is a phenomenal accomplishment.

Outfielders; Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and Charlie Blackmon

While there's an argument to be made for other position players to be starters for the NL All-Star team, there simply is not another NL outfielder more deserving of the starting spot than Christian Yelich, Charlie Blackmon, and Cody Bellinger.

These 3 outfielders all rank in the top 4 in Baseball when it comes to batting average, and that's just one reason why these 3 need to take the field in Cleveland next month. They each have at least 17 homers with Yelich leading all of Baseball with 28. As far as RBI are concerned, Bellinger leads the pack with 60.

If you take an in-depth look at these 3 superstars' stats, you'll get a better idea as to why these 3 are the best choice for the NL All-Star starting lineup. 

As much as Ronald Acuna Jr and Juan Soto have been impressing me in their 2nd respective MLB seasons, they simply cannot match what Yelich, Blackmon, and Bellinger have done.

My 2019 AL All-Star Starters

I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of the 2019 MLB All-Star game voting system. Apparently, changes have been implemented that affect how this year's electees will be determined, but I'm not certain as to what specific adjustments were made.

 Regardless, I've already cast a couple of ballots with the 9 players whom I believe deserve to take the field next month in Cleveland. Although I try not to let my bias interfere with the players that I select, I can't help but vote for a few Red Sox players.

However, it seems that problems arise each and every year when it comes to All-Star voting. Last year, Gary Sanchez was hitting around .190, yet he led AL catchers in votes up until a week or so before the polls closed.

Because the All-Stars are determined by the fans, the voting system, no matter how many times it has been modified, inherently favors big market teams over small market franchises. Why else would Brett Gardner even be in the conversation for an All-Star game appearance in 2019?

Recently, Rays OF Tommy Pham spoke out in opposition of the fan voting, citing similar reasons as the one above. 

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently in 1st place, yet some of their most talented and deserving players (Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe) are being outshined and, thus, aren't receiving the votes that they deserve.

The fan voting has never worked perfectly, and it likely never will. With that being said, there's usually 1 major AS snub each year, so everything seems to work out when all is said and done.

It's evident that many of the fans who vote for the All-Stars don't take into account who actually deserves this recognition. Therefore, for the 2nd consecutive MLB season, I decided to list and explain my own AL and NL All-Star starters.

Catcher; Gary Sanchez

As much as I wanted to vote for Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, I simply cannot ignore Gary Sanchez's substantial improvement from 2018 to the present day. After hitting just .186 last year and missing a ton of time due to injury, Sanchez seems destined for his 2nd career All-Star selection in 2019.

His .266 batting average through 200 at-bats in 2019 may not be magnificent, but it highlights how much he's improved from year to year. Moreover, he's re-established himself as one of Baseball's best sluggers, for he's already hit 21 home runs and driven in 49. 

When healthy and at his best, Sanchez is a home run machine and one of the best sluggers in Baseball. Even though he's a Yankee, I'll have no problem with Sanchez making the All-Star team so long as he retains his current stats and, if possible, slightly raises his batting average.

1st Base; Carlos Santana

Like Gary Sanchez, Carlos Santana had a rocky season in 2019, to put it kindly. He was forced to play 1st base full-time when he signed a 3-year $60 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. As a result, he hit just .229 last year, a career low for the 33-year old.

After struggling to find his groove all season in Philadelphia, Santana returned to the Indians in a 3-team trade, and he's been sensational ever since. He's stepped up his game in the wake of Jose Ramirez's significant offensive struggles, and his .289/14/43 hit line should be enough for Santana to be elected to his 1st ever All-Star game.

2nd Base; Brandon Lowe

Here's a player that shocked virtually everyone in Baseball, both fans, and players. Tampa Bays Rays 2nd baseman Brandon Lowe seemingly came out of nowhere, and, all of a sudden, he's the front-runner for the American League's starting 2nd base spot.

In his rookie season, Lowe's putting up better numbers than phenoms like Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Eloy Jimenez. Through nearly 250 at-bats, he's hitting a respectable .280, and he also has 15 homers, the same number of doubles, and 44 RBI.

Thus far, I'm very impressed with what I've seen from the 24-year old rookie. It's nice to see players surprise us and achieve unexpected greatness, and I'd love to see him be rewarded with an ASG selection.

Shortstop; Xander Bogaerts

Simply put, Xander Bogaerts is playing at a higher level than every other American League shortstop. Unfortunately, he's not getting the recognition that he deserves, for he ranked 6th among AL shortstops as of 3 days ago.

This gets back to how unfair the fan voting system truly is, even for successful, big market teams like the Boston Red Sox. After signing a contract extension towards the very beginning of the 2019 season, Boagerts has shown consistency and has blossomed into an RBI machine for the Red Sox.

His 49 RBI leads the entire team, and his .300 batting average is something we haven't from the X-man since 2015. If he keeps these numbers up, Bogaerts is a no-brainer for the AL starting shortstop job, but clearly, my opinion isn't shared by many of the fans who are voting.

3rd Base; Rafael Devers

While I admire what some of the other AL 3rd basemen have done so far this season, especially Gio Urshella of the New York Yankees, there's no reason for him to receive more All-Star votes than Rafael Devers. 

In addition to Gary Sanchez and Carlos Santana, Rafael Devers has demonstrated tremendous improvement since his injury-plagued and slightly disappointing 2018 season. Now, Devers has eclipsed every other AL 3rd baseman with his unbelievable statistics.

His .307 batting average is the best out of every player on the Boston Red Sox, and it's something that I doubted he could pull off following his .240 average last season. Furthermore, Devers has been a valuable part of the Red Sox all season as he's hit 12 dingers and driven in 47 runs. 

Not to mention, he has 8 stolen bases as well, though he certainly makes some base-running mistakes.  He's even made significant defensive improvements, proving that Devers has truly come a long way and merits a 2019 All-Star game selection.

Outfielders; Michael Brantley, George Springer, and Mike Trout

Originally, I envisioned Mookie Betts as a shoo-in for the AL starting outfielder job, but he's had his struggles with batting average throughout the 2019 season thus far. Mike Trout, on the other hand, is a perennial All-Star starter; there was never any doubt in my mind that he'd make his 8th ASG appearance in 2019.

What I didn't expect, however, was for George Springer and Michael Brantley to emerge as starting caliber players for the AL All-Star team. Going into the 2019 season, Springer was coming off a disappointing 2018 performance, and Brantley was entering his first season with the Astros.

Nonetheless, both outfielders are hitting around .300 with Houston and have driven in around 40 runs. I'm always looking for a balance between batting average and power, and these 2 outfielders, along with Trout, perfectly fit the bill.

Even though Devers and Bogaerts aren't getting the recognition or the votes that they deserve by the general public, at least DH J.D. Martinez is. Last time I checked, he was leading all American League designated hitters with votes, and I don't expect anything to change.

His stats may not be as fantastic as they were in 2018, but his batting average is still hovering around the .300 mark, and he's recently entered a hot streak in which he's been homering quite frequently.

At this point, I don't necessarily expect Rafael Devers or Xander Bogaerts to start in the ASG, but, if nothing else, I can't say the same for J.D. Martinez.

Crossing the Halfway Mark

Over the next few weeks, the majority of my Baseball card budget will likely be devoted to the 2019 Topps Heritage set, whether it's a hobby or retail box or individual cards. 

Although I'm highly anticipating the release, the product will likely prevent much progress from being made regarding my various want list sets, or at least stop me from purchasing set needs myself.

Thankfully, there's still the possibility of trading, and I was fortunate enough to receive a package filled with 1979 Topps singles right before the Heritage is set to be released. I completed this trade on Twitter, something that I'm not totally used to, but I can definitely say it was a very pleasant experience overall. 

Thanks to the generous Mark Hoyle's shoutout on Twitter, I was able to complete a trade with Yankees fan Mark Del Franco. Thanks in large part to my abundance of Yankees cards and a few needs for his '69 Topps set, I was able to even out a trade in which I received roughly 100 1979 Topps singles that took me over the halfway mark for this set.

Yeah, that's the stack of cards that arrived at my door on Monday, all cards that I needed for my 1979 Topps set, a product I seldom see available at the Baseball card show. I've always seen it as a transition set of sorts between the 70s and 80s, and maybe that's why collectors don't necessarily hold onto it. 

It's also helped by the lack of big-name rookies besides Ozzie Smith, yet I've always been a huge fan of the set design, nevertheless. Now, thanks to Twitter, I have over 50% of the set in my possession, and like 1961 and 1976, completing this Flagship set finally seems achievable.

As for the cards that Mark sent my way, there were multiple standouts that really screamed "1970s" even though the iconic decade was almost over by the time this set was released. Seeing color on 70s cards is most definitely a given but between the uniforms, banners, and backgrounds, there's definitely no shortage when it comes to 1979 Topps.

Also, I know I've mentioned this before, but I absolutely love the retro-style Baseball with the Topps logo shown on every card. It's definitely a design I'd love to see again, and it makes me excited for Topps Heritage in 9 years (but who's counting?).

1979 Topps is the best possible set to witness the changes that the 1970s presented for the game of Baseball. Brand new teams, a fresh wave of MLB players, and different uniforms were all introduced in the 1970s, causing it to be night and day between '79 Topps and one of the first few Flagship sets of the decade.

Although the Astros' rainbow jersey is an easy choice for one of the greatest uniforms of all-time, the all-black White Sox uniform, quite paradoxical, isn't anything to sneeze at either. 

It can be slightly odd, at first, to witness players changing teams, especially when that player is showcased on a Baseball card with their new ball club. This was even more prevalent in the 1970s when, for the first time ever, MLB players were allowed to become free agents.

Jim Lonborg spent 7 years with the Red Sox before becoming a Phillie for the final 7 years of his MLB career. Though he spent equal time in Boston and Philadelphia, I still don't completely recognize the 1967 AL Cy Young award winner unless he's in a Red Sox uniform.

While I don't mind the combo cards that Topps uses as checklists in their Flagship and Update sets today, the 1979 Topps set was able to accomplish something that's nearly impossible; make a checklist card seem interesting, fun, and appealing.

I wouldn't ever think that a bright pink checklist with an old-school logo and a green banner would be a fitting combination for a checklist card, but these look pretty awesome, as awesome as checklist cards can look, at least.

I may not have taken a long look at the 2019 Topps Heritage checklist, but I did not spot any team cards on the 400-card base set list or the 100-card SP checklist either. This likely means we won't see team cards in Heritage this year, and I'm not upset about that whatsoever.

After Series 1 switched to ballparks following Topps' "attempt" at a "team card" for years, it doesn't appear that team cards will be featured in Heritage, likely because it would get repetitive to feature the same ballpark shots in at least 2 different products.

To cap it all of, I received 2 All-Star cards in this extremely generous trade package as well that's helped me make unprecedented progress with the 1979 Topps set. Before receiving these cards in the mail, I was struggling to find these cards at the show no matter when I went, so any progress I can make with this product is an incredibly positive thing.

Not to mention, I love the All-Star cards in this set, and Greg Luzinski and Vida Blue are perfect examples of some forgotten 70s players who were, at one time or another, superstars. 

Having these 2 cards, along with all the others that I've acquired on my journey towards completing this set, affirms the belief that, eventually, 1979 Topps will be completed.

It'll just have to wait until after 2019 Topps Heritage is released. 

Ranking Topps Sets by Decade; 1970s

I've now reached the golden age in terms of Baseball cards, the 1970s. In addition to numerous memorable Topps sets, Kellogg's made a name for themselves and their iconic 3D card sets throughout this decade as well. I've already completed 2 Topps sets from this decade (1972 and 1975) and am currently piecing together 2 others (1976 and 1979).

Even with the 1970s containing more well-designed sets than nearly any other decade, I was able to decide the order for this list fairly quickly. There are a couple of so-so sets, a few incredible products, and finally, 3 sets or so that will go down in history as some of Topps' best efforts.

Additionally, one of the main themes of the 1970s, not just for Baseball cards, was the wide range of bright and bold colors. Each and every set makes an effort to include different colors depending on the team with some sets, like 1975 and 1976, having more color than others. 

Sets like 1970 and 1971, on the other hand, feature recognizable silver and black borders respectively.

#10 1978 Topps

1978 Topps appears to be the only set that doesn't fit in with the rest of the 1970s set, mainly due to is sub-par set design and its inability to excite collectors. Don't get me wrong, there are still plenty of well-executed cards within the set, and the card backs are fairly strong. However, an image with a white border and a cursive font do little to amaze me given what else is available from this era.

#9 1974 Topps

It's not that the 1974 Topps set has the worst set design of the 70s, that would be 1973, but this set, in addition to 1978, does little to stand out. With nearly every set across the 70s decade being a winner in one way or another, each set is in need of 1 particular factor that sets it over the edge. While it's a respectable all-around set, 1974 Topps doesn't necessarily have that "it" factor to set it over the edge.

#8 1973 Topps

If not for the abundance of awesome images and a wide variety of different angles for said photos, 1973 Topps would end up dead last on this countdown. No matter how much I try, I can't get behind such an uninteresting set design, no matter how intriguing the images are. However, the top tier photos do their part to elevate the 1973 Topps set, a product that would be lost without cards like the Ed Acosta card above.

#7 1979 Topps

Just like 1960 Topps seems to fit in better with the 1950s Topps sets rather than the 60s, 1979 Topps has more of a 1980s style rather than a 70s base set design. As you can tell, Topps began to shy away from using too much color towards the end of the 70s, the exact opposite of what they did in sets like 1975 Topps. My favorite part of this set is easily the old-school Topps logo placed on the Baseball in the bottom left corner. 

#6 1977 Topps

As we saw in this years' Topps Archives set, 1977 Topps is certainly an above-average product with big, colorful team names in addition to a variety of different photos. However, in a decade like the 1970s, simply an above average set doesn't get you much higher than 6th on the list, a testament to how strong the decade remains, even to this day, for Topps Flagship sets.

#5 1970 Topps

Now that I'm into the top 5, I've reached some of the greatest Topps sets of all-time in addition to the best products that the 1970s has to offer. In terms of the 1970 Topps set, I'm incredibly excited to see this grey-bordered set return for 2019 Topps Heritage. I've always loved the simplicity of the grey-bordered design, even if it does become slightly repetitive in the 720-card set.

#4 1976 Topps

I really wish this set got more attention, because 1976 Topps, to me, embodies the 1970s as a whole more so than nearly any other product released that decade. I love the All-Star stars especially, something that we should see more of since All-Stars players are supposed to be considered stars The amount of color on the card is perfect, but it's the photos, especially Johnny Bench's card, that make the set what it is.

#3 1975 Topps

1975 Topps would likely crack the top 5 on my countdown of favorite Topps sets of all-time, but in a decade like the 70s, the highest I can rank it is #3. The best thing about the set is that because of how many color combinations there are, I can never find myself bored while looking at 1975 Topps cards. Nearly every part, from the size of the team name to the position on the baseball, is frankly brilliant, a testament to the peak of Topps' greatness in the early and mid-1970s.

#2 1971 Topps

If Topps could execute another black-bordered Flagship set as well as they did back in 1971, it would easily become the best selling Flagship set of this century, and rightfully so. Simply put, the 1971 Topps set is a stroke of genius in many different ways. The borders are just the right size while there's nothing too crazy going on. Each tiny bit of space is maximized while also making sure that the card isn't cramped. 

Plus, who doesn't like black borders?

#1 1972 Topps

Not only is it the best set the 70s has to offer, but 1972 Topps will forever hold the title as my favorite Topps set of all-time, a true masterpiece of a set. Even without including the player's position on the front of the card, 1972 Topps is a beautifully designed set with a perfect balance between the color, team name, and image, all taking the shape of an arch.

The font that the team name is written in combined with the shading is very 1970s, the best compliment I can give a sit like this. Not only is it the best-designed set I've ever seen, but it's the first Topps set I ever completed myself, I milestone I reached earlier this year.

The 1970s had more fantastic sets to offer collectors than any decade in Baseball history. Next up, I'll go over the 1980s, a decade that for better and for worse, changed Topps Flagship sets forever.