Top 5 Cards; Ernie Banks

I haven't been doing top 5 cards posts as much as I used to, but on the occasions that I put one together, I prefer the player of choice to be from the golden era of Baseball. That is, the 50s-70s.

Nothing against any other player, but from the late-1950s through the mid-1970s, Baseball featured dozens of future Hall of Famers and countless other star players. Topps also produced some of the best Flagship sets of all-time back then with checklist after star-studded checklist.

The colorful products, the players, and simply the time period provides a lot of material to work with, and it also helps that I have quite a lot of fun writing posts about Baseball legends from that time period. You can never really go wrong with vintage cards anyway.

When choosing a player for today's post, I realized I had already done a top 5 cards post for many 60s players. Stargell, Clemente, Williams, Robinson, and McCovey are just a few of the names along with my favorite player of all-time, Hank Aaron. 

However, 1 major name still had not been used up until now. Today, I'll be doing a top 5 cards post for Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks.

At 105 cards, Ernie Banks is in the Gold Tier of all my player collections, and his representation in modern-day Topps products is a major reason why. It also helps that I have a nice selection of vintage banks cards. Ultimately, I decided to go with all vintage cards for this list, beginning with a 1950s card at spot #5.

#5 1959 Topps Cubs Clubbers

With teammates Dale Long and Walt Moryn accompanying Banks on this 1959 Topps combo card, the whole idea of vintage cards is truly embodied. Bold and bright colors are a staple for vintage sets, and I'm very fond of the 1959 Topps combo cards in particular. In a way, it's almost better than more well-known Cubs like Billy Williams and Ron Santo aren't featured alongside Banks. That way, Mr. Cub can be the star of the card. 

#4 1970 Topps

1970 may have been Banks' 2nd to last year in Baseball, but his 1970 Topps card remains one of the greatest card made of the 500 home run club member. As the years went on, Topps began producing more and more cards with action images featured, or at least pictures that show the player in motion. You wouldn't see a card like this of Banks in the early to mid-1960s. 

In addition to featuring a classic Topps design, Banks 1970 Topps card includes one of the best images to ever make it onto one of his Topps base cards of all-time.

#3 1967 Topps

If it features the right image, 1967 Topps can include some of the greatest sets in Topps history, and this Ernie Banks card certainly no exception. While I don't necessarily think the orange color is the best fit for the Cubs cards, the image as absolutely perfect though I could do without the fake signature. However, the Cubs blue on Banks' sleeve actually compliments the orange very well, and the result is an excellent card of Banks.

#2 1962 Topps

I knew I wanted Banks' classic 1962 Topps card to be included on the countdown, but I originally figured I'd put it at #5 or #4. But the more I studied the card, the more details begin to jump out at me, such as the black and white image in the light blue circle. 

The sky blue is a nice contrast to the bold red at the bottom of the card, but the main detail that captures my attention is the simple yet near-perfect photo of Banks, creating a card that is both simple and complex at the same time.

#1 1954 Topps (rookie card)

Because my Dad bought this card many years ago, it's always been a part of my collection since before I can remember. With that being said, it doesn't take away from how special this card truly is. I mean, it's a rookie card of one of the greatest hitters of all-time, recently graded by Beckett. You can't get much better than that.

I certainly have critiqued 1954 Topps in the past, but the white background on Banks' rookie card has become so classic because of how it's such an excellent fit. The old-school Cubs logo is another detail very reminiscent of the time period. 

But, it's the way the 2 different pictures compliment each other that helps to create one of the most iconic rookie cards ever made, and one I'm proud to have at the top of my list.

Sign of the Times

If I'm not mistaken, the 2010's have already become the decade with the most cards produced with 2018 sets and all cards from 2019 yet to be released, a testament to what could be described as a neo-overproduction era of baseball cards.

Contrary to the late 80's and 90's, the 2010's have seen 1 brand dominate the industry while still producing products of value. However, the sheer number of sets produced by Topps each year including 2017, in particular, leads me to one simple question; why.

Here's a quick screenshot from COMC's inventory showing the number of cards listed from each year of the 2010's thus far. Obviously, the total number of cards produced is far greater, but COMC still serves its purpose of demonstrating the increase in totals. Although 2018 is not over and the total is sure to rise, it's beginning to look more and more like 2013 or 2016 rather than years like 2014 and 2015 where we see well over 60,000 cards listed.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the nearly 80,000 cards from 2017. What a mediocre year for cards.

The card at the top of this post is from the 2010 Topps Cards Your Mom Threw Out insert set, a reproduction of Al Kaline's classic rookie card from 1954 Topps. The very reprints of this card help to prove the very point I just made about overproduction. It's happening right before our eyes, and it isn't necessarily a good thing.

Furthermore, I don't believe it's impossible to prevent the overflow of new cards. If we ended these ridiculous 100-card insert sets, we'd be right back to where we were 2 years ago. Hey, remember 2016 where we had normal insert sets that were 25 cards. Me neither.

By the way, that's not the same card, or at least, not the same reprint of the card. That's from a different set, 6 years after Cards Your Mom Threw Out.

The 2nd reprint of Kaline's 1954 Topps card is from the 2016 Berger's Best set from Series 2 of Topps. To be fair, both the Series 1 and Series 2 sets of Berger's Best commemorated 1 card from each year of Topps up until that year, meaning those insert sets would be rather large. However, they're nowhere close to 100 cards and actually serve a purpose. 

I, for one, am okay with having a card from each year of Topps in an insert set. It's kind of cool. However, I'm not someone who needs to see the same players, current and retired, represented in Topps Salute year in and year out.

At least this card, the 3rd reprint of Al Kaline's rookie card in my collection, makes it painfully obvious that it's a reprint and a different type of reprint by slapping a highly unnecessary "Topps Rookie History" stamp right below the Tigers logo. Still, point proven. Topps needs to chill with excessive insert sets and reusing cards they've done before.

Seriously, I have 3 different reprints of Al Kaline's 1954 Topps rookie card dating back to 2010. The saddest part? I can't say for certain there aren't any more out there.

I suddenly feel the need to appreciate the 1960's even more.