PC Overview; Johnny Bench

Back in the early months of 2019, I vowed to add the PC overview posts to my list of reoccurring series here on the blog, the others being frankenset pages and top 5 cards. Despite this wish, it has been over 3 months since I wrote one of these posts with the most recent being Cal Ripken Jr at the end of June.

In case you're unfamiliar with this type of post, PC overviews are a chance for me to discuss one of the many players I collect by going more in-depth.

Usually, I only get the opportunity to showcase my 5 favorite cards, but when it comes to PC overviews, I can show off cards and memorabilia that relate to the player at hand.

In the past, I've written about Ripken, Roberto Clemente, and Reggie Jackson. I find it easier to talk about retired players, since there's usually more material for me to work with, hence why I selected Johnny Bench for today's post.

Following last Sunday's trip to the Baseball card show, my Johnny Bench player collection rose to 159 cards. This includes the oldest card in the PC, a 1969 Topps All-Star rookie card that I purchased at the Mansfield show a few months back.

Bench only has 2 Topps cards from the 60s, his iconic 1968 Topps rookie and the 2nd year card above. Ideally, I'd love to acquire his actual rookie card once of these days, but I'm pretty happy with this card for the time being, especially because of what I paid for it.

The 159 cards that I have of Bench is good for 20th on my list of largest player collections, though the order is constantly subject to change. The modern products make up a significant portion of the inventory, meaning I appreciate the vintage cards from the 1970s even more.

Aside from the rookie cup card, I'd have to rank Bench's 1973 Topps Flagship card above as my favorite as far as vintage is concerned. I don't have all that many Bench cards from this decade, something I'm willing to change if I come across 70s cards for a reasonable price.

The majority of my Johnny Bench player collection is made up of "modern" cards (after the 1970s), most of which are from the 21st century. Thanks to the '69 Topps card, I have something of Bench from every single decade since his major league debut.

Back when Donruss, Fleer, and Upper Deck were around, Bench was featured in Baseball card sets left and right as one of the game's legends. Though Topps does the same thing, to a lesser degree, nowadays, it was completely different when there were 4 companies making sets.

The one area where my Johnny Bench PC is lacking is when it comes to serial numbered cards. Unlike active players, there aren't many numbered cards out there of the 13-time All-Star, so I have to do some closer looking if I'm to find any.

The one numbered card of Bench in my collection is a base card from 2010 Topps Triple Threads (#/1350). It appears that if I want to add to this part of the Bench PC, high-end products are the way to go.

In addition to cards, there are a few pieces of Johnny Bench memorabilia in my collection, the first of which is an oddball oversized print from the 1990s. I also have one of these featuring 5 members of the 1975 Boston Red Sox team, so I assume there's some reasoning behind the Cincinnati Reds' version.

Bench, Morgan, Perez, and Foster are expected choices, but the inclusion of Don Gullett intrigues me. He was respectable for a few years, but most of the others were Hall of Famers, and Foster was an MVP award winner.

There's no MLB license on this oversized photo, so there's nothing preventing Spectrum from choosing Pete Rose, though there's something cool about Gullet being featured instead.

Back when I first attended the Mansfield show, I picked up a set of 9 McDonald's glasses, paying tribute to some of MLB's legends. Out of the 9 spots in the checklist (I still haven't found the regional Carl Yastrzemski version), there were 2 players from the Big Red Machine, Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench.

The promotional pieces came in a set for a very reasonable price, and I've kept them together ever since. I can't say I've been actively looking for the Yaz glass, but the last time I checked eBay, it was fairly expensive.

Honestly, even though I'd love to add some new 70s and numbered cards to my Bench PC, I don't really have to, because nothing can compare to this breathtaking piece of memorabilia. 

What you see above is a framed 1970s program from Wrigley Field, signed by Johnny Bench in the top left corner of the front side. It's not authenticated by any company, but my Aunt got this at a Cubs game back when Bench and the Big Red Machine were dominating the National League, so I have no reason to question its legitimacy.

There is a reasonable number of awesome autographs and memorabilia pieces in my collection, but I don't think any of them can compare to a signed program of the greatest catcher to ever live.

Top 5 Cards; Bert Campaneris

When thinking about the greatness of the 1970s, arguably the greatest decade in Baseball history, a plethora of superstars, mostly Hall of Famers, come to mind.

The early years of the decade, specifically, featured an unfathomable amount of talent. You've heard all of the names before, but sluggers like Aaron, Mays, McCovey, Banks, Stargell, Clemente, Yastrzemski were dominant at the plate.

On the mound, Palmer, Catfish Hunter, Seaver, and Gibson established themselves as some of the greatest to ever play the game. I haven't even mentioned the other HOFers from this era who are often overshadowed, like Orlando Cepeda and Ron Santo.

Unless all of the hyped-up rookies from the past few seasons make their way to Cooperstown, there likely won't be another period in Baseball history quite like the 1970s.

Despite the surplus of sensational players, however, some simply couldn't stay consistent and make their way into the Baseball Hall of Fame when all was said and done. Some players, though they had fabulous seasons, couldn't quite stack up with legends like Reggie Jackson and Nolan Ryan.

One of these players was a fabulous shortstop for, among other teams, the Oakland Athletics, Bert Campaneris. The Cuban native was a 6-time All-Star and helped the A's 3-peat as World Champions from 1972-1975.

Shortstop is not an easy position to play, yet Campy did it wonderfully throughout his 19-year MLB career. Though he had his struggles with the Rangers and Angels, Campaneris remains an underrated star of the 70s, an All-Time Fan Favorite type, if you will.

Campaneris isn't one of my larger player collections as I only have 19 cards of his. I do, however, have enough to create a reasonable top 5 to feature on the blog today.

#5 1994 Upper Deck All-Time Heroes

One of the main reasons why I appreciate the Obsidian cards in 2019 Panini Chronicles Baseball so much is that black borders and backgrounds are few and far between in today's card collecting world. Thankfully, we have sets like '94 All-Time Heroes where all of the base cards showcase black and white images.

Not only that, but the image is from a rare interleague game between the Athletics and the Cubs, sometime in the 1970s. Props to Upper Deck for thinking outside the box not once, but twice on the same card.

#4 1978 Topps

The only non-Athletics card to appear on this list, Campy's 1978 Topps Flagship card features a shot of him on the Texas Rangers where he played for 3 seasons and hit just .230.

Despite an All-Star season in 1977, Campaneris struggled immediately after and never fully returned to the player he once was. Towards the beginning of the 1979 season, he was traded to the California Angels and though Campy stepped his game up following the move, it was a significant departure from his performance level in Oakland.

#3 1976 Hostess All-Star Team

Although the vintage design helps this card's case, I didn't choose this '76 Hostess All-Star card for the list solely because of how much I adore these oddballs. It's the combination of the red, white, and blue banners with one of the many classic Oakland A's jerseys of this time that sets this card over the edge.

I haven't had the chance in the past to purchase many Hostess cards from the 1970s. If I could complete any one of the sets, however, it would be the '76 design without a doubt.

#2 1969 Topps All-Star

I'm not a fan of card companies featuring logoless pictures if they don't have to, but there's something about this Sporting News All-Star card from 1970 Topps that challenges my preconceived notions.

For starters, the design, particularly the red banner with white stars, is a terrific take on the All-Star card. Somehow, between the logoless and full-color photo of Campaneris along with the black and white background, Topps pulled something off that I didn't think they'd be able to do.

Now, if only Panini could do something like this where, as I've said before, we're distracted from the fact that they don't have the MLB license.

#1 1966 Topps

My sole card of the 3-time World Series Champion on the Kansas City Athletics also ranks as the greatest Bert Campaneris card in my collection (excluding a TTM autograph from '76 Topps).

With all the sets to choose from in the 1960s, I rarely think twice about '66 Topps, for the design isn't all that memorable. There is, however, something about the combination of purple with the green and gold uniform that screams 1960s.

The card is colorful, the photography is creative, and the combinations are just crazy enough to work. That's what the late 60s and early 70s are all about, and that's why this card easily captured the #1 spot.

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.

I'm Back (With Baseball Cards)

Hello viewers, it sure has been a while. I got back from my vacation yesterday and even though I thoroughly enjoyed my time away, it was odd to be absent from the blog for 2 weeks. 

Before this vacation, the longest I'd gone between blog posts is 2 full days which happened twice in November of 2017 when I had just begun blogging. As a result, it was strange to take such a prolonged break away from blogging and commenting.

Even now, I find myself struggling to find the proper wording for what I'm trying to say. It's been 2 weeks since I've written a post, so I'm going to be a little rusty at first.

Anyways, I'm back home for around 10 days before I head to Chicago for The National, but I fully expect to get back into my typical posting schedule immediately. 

While I was away, some new releases, most notably Allen & Ginter, hit the market. I'll likely be holding off on buying any more cards until the end of the month, but I won't rule out a 1 or 2-pack overview of the recently released A&G set.

Throughout the month or so leading up to the 2018 National, I refrained from purchasing Baseball cards, for the most part, as I wanted to save funds for the show. I've done a reasonable job with that so far this July, but I made one exception while browsing through an antique store in Asheville, NC.

There weren't any sports card shops near where I was staying in North Carolina, so my best bet for Baseball cards turned out to be one of the antique stores situated in the city. It didn't take much time for me to find one of these stores, and the same goes for the Baseball card bin located by checkout.

While the majority of the 2/$1 cards were Hockey or junk wax, I was able to find some true gems scattered throughout the box. This was my very first time shopping for Baseball cards at an antique store, so I really didn't know what to expect.

With that being said, I'm certain that I didn't expect to find 4 vintage cards of Hall of Famers who I collect, including Jim Palmer's 1973 Topps card which I hadn't seen before this trip. I initially expected to find some over-priced 90s cards, not vintage legends for only 2 quarters apiece.

The HOF cards didn't stop there, however, as I stumbled upon a couple of league leaders cards from 1969 and 1970 Topps respectively. Per my rules, the cards above will go to Willie McCovey and Harmon Killebrew so long as those 2 PCs don't already have that particular card.

At this point, this mere trip to an Asheville antique store had become a massive success. Even some Baseball card shows don't have this caliber of vintage cards for 50 cents each. While the condition of the cards is far from perfect, I don't consider that overly important given the caliber of the cards.

For 50 cents, I'm not going to let the condition (especially the upper left corner) of Joe Morgan's 1976 Topps card bother me considering that I need it to complete the '76 set. After all, I can always purchase an upgraded version if I feel it's necessary, but that's far from my #1 priority.

Out of all the cards that I purchased from this store for 50 cents apiece, the Morgan card will go down as my favorite solely because of how symbolic it is of the 1970s. Along with Johnny Bench and Dennis Eckersley, Morgan's '76 card ranks among the best from this classic Topps set, in my opinion.

While I was impressed with the sheer number of vintage cards scattered throughout the box, my purchase consisted of more than just cards from the 1970s. There were a ton of 90s cards throughout the box, and I was able to narrow them down to a select few for my player collections.

One of my newest player collections, the Tony Gwynn PC is hovering around the 15-20 card mark as I speak, and I was able to further boost that total thanks to 2 cards from the antique store. 1 of them is a colorful card from (I believe) the 1994 Topps Finest set while the other is an oddball Collect-A-Book.

Despite the negative feelings that often surround Baseball cards from the 90s, I found some awesome oddballs for my player collections. In addition to the Tony Gwynn cards, there were 2 cards from Upper Deck HoloGrFX, a criminally underrated product, featuring players that I collect.

As much as I love the Glavine card, the Griffey Jr, especially with the Seattle Mariners uniform, symbolizes the 90s just as the Joe Morgan card is a fabulous representation of 1970s Baseball.

That didn't spell the end of my Griffey Jr oddballs, however, as I found 2 more awesome cards for my 3rd largest PC (behind Nolan Ryan and Greg Maddux). The Tetley oddball on the left was a last-minute pickup to bring my total number of cards to 16 and is from the 1990 season.

Conversely, the card on the right is from 1995 Pinnacle and shows The Kid blowing an enormous bubble of gum while making crazy facial expressions, because why shouldn't a photo like this end up on a Baseball card?

Suffice to say, my first ever Baseball card purchase at an antique shop was a successful endeavor. I got to add some epic cards to a few of my player collections, and that's something that I strive to accomplish almost every time I purchase cards.

So yeah, it's great to be back, especially when I've got new Baseball cards.

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.

Top 5 Cards; Billy Williams

I often wonder if we'll ever come across an era in Baseball more exciting and with more talented players than the late 60s and early 70s, a span of years where some of the greatest hitters and pitchers in Baseball history graced the field.

In terms of offensive superstars, Hank Aaron, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, Ernie Banks, Willie Mays, Frank Robinson, and countless other perennial All-Stars and future Hall of Famers were the faces of Baseball for many years. 

In addition to talent, the players of this time period had consistency, leading them to the Hall of Fame whereas star players in subsequent decades were unable to replicate their success year after year.

Specifically, the 1972 MLB All-Star game featured 29 future Hall of Fame players and coaches, 13 from the American League and 16 from the National League. As intriguing as any era in Baseball history can be, I can't think of a single one that had as many superstars and Hall of Famers as the late 60s and early 70s, the time when Cubs outfielder Billy Williams was in his prime.

Williams was one of the 29 future Hall of Famers who played in the 1972 All-Star game. Despite being a career .290 hitter with well over 400 homers and 25 RBI shy of 1,500, Williams was unable to stand out at the level of fellow sluggers who he played alongside with, including his teammate Ernie Banks. 

Unbelievably, it took the 1962 NL Rookie of the Year 6 years on the ballot before he was elected into Cooperstown with 85% of the votes.

I haven't yet tracked down any Billy Williams cards from 2018, but Topps has been generous with Williams' inclusion in their products this decade. Maybe not as many sets as Ryne Sandberg, but like I said, Williams wasn't always able to stand out.

At the moment, I have 56 cards of this Chicago Cubs legend, excluding his 1961 Topps Rookie card that's going towards building the 1961 Topps set. Without further adieu, I give you my 5 favorites.

#5 1998 Fleer Sports Illustrated Then & Now

For a brief time period, the Chicago Cubs' jerseys had the players' numbers on the front of the uniform directly under the city name. If you take a look at 1973 Topps Cubs cards, you'll see many original examples of these short-lived uniforms. Fleer's use of one of these images in their 1998 Sports Illustrated Then & Now set was a cool one, especially when combined with the brown/sepia color used throughout the card with the exception of the indigo coloring for Williams' name.

#4 1965 Topps

Being that 1965 Topps is one of my favorite Flagship sets ever made, it seemed like a given that this card would make my list. However, an abundance of cards to choose from, both vintage and modern, caused the card to come in a bit lower on the list than I would've originally thought. The use of the vintage Cubs logo on this card is near perfect next to the pennant along with the excellent choice of including red as the predominant color of the card.

#3 2004 Upper Deck Legends Timeless Teams

If it's a possibility, I typically try to include at least one card with a black and white image on every single top 5 cards post that I do. It's a nice contrast to the color images of all the other cards on the list, and the little bit of Cubs blue at the bottom of the card is another fantastic touch. 

As if the black and white image wasn't a good enough reason for me to like the card, the timeless team being commemorated is the classic 1969 Cubs team, one of the most iconic teams in Baseball history that didn't go on to win the Fall Classic.

#2 1964 Topps

While the 1964 Topps set isn't exactly the most interesting set you'll ever lay your eyes on, the image of 6-time All-Star Billy Williams helps to bring an element of excitement to the card that it otherwise would've lacked. The Cubs uniform is another standout despite its simplicity. 

All in all, the era in which Williams played in was a very simple time for Baseball cards so there won't be all shiny cards and numbered cards that we see today. Thus, the criteria for a "good" card in the 1960s is very different from what it is today. Now, this is an example of what would qualify as a fantastic card during that time.

#1 1962 Topps

The classic wood borders of the 1962 Topps set along with the old-school Topps All-Star rookie trophy are a winning combination for the greatest Billy Williams card in my collection out of 56 options. It's also a nice choice to include the classic Cubs home jersey though the blue pinstripes are slightly fainter and slimmer than they are today. Simply put, the card works and sometimes, that's just enough for the top spot on the list.