The Highs, Lows, and In-Betweens: Ranking the Sets of 2019

It's all over the internet, TV, and virtually everywhere else one may look. Today is New Year's Eve, 2019, and in several hours, we will usher in a new month, year, and most importantly, decade.

Late December always entails a couple of different blog posts which, admittedly, I'm getting to a little late this year. It's time for me to analyze how successful I was in accomplishing my card collecting goals for 2019, not to mention I should create new objectives for 2020.

I'd also like, if I have the time and creative mindset necessary, to create some type of post recapping and/or highlighting what the 2010s were like for Baseball cards. I'm still in the stages of what this post would look like, and if I end up following through with it, I'll write it in the next week or so.

The final of the end-of-year blog posts that I write is a full ranking of the year's Baseball card releases, and that's exactly what I've dedicated the final day of the year and decade to talking about. Before I get to the countdown, however, I want to note a couple of things.

For starters, I rank the sets on this list primarily based on the actual design, though this becomes slightly more complex when it comes to products like Archives and Heritage. For those 2, I look at how well Topps did with recreating the older designs and how they stack up to previous releases.

Yes, not every Topps/Panini release is featured on this list. I'm sticking to products that I'm familiar with; in fact, for the first time in the blog's history, I'm sticking solely to sets that I've actually opened packs from.

You'll also see that I've combined Donruss/Optic as well as Topps Flagship, Update, and Chrome into their own respective categories. I just don't deem it necessary to talk about Topps Chrome and Topps Series 1 and 2 like they're drastically different design-wise.

Finally, as sad as it may be (for me anyway), Panini Chronicles will not be featured. There are just way too many designs that the product is worthy of its own countdown which I actually wrote.

I have 14 sets to talk about as I gradually lead up to #1. Let's begin with what I feel is the least interesting set design of 2019.

#14 Bowman

I don't recall coming across a single 2019 Panini Diamond Kings base card this entire year, so the go-to fall guy for the last spot on my set rankings lists in the past wasn't there this time around. As a result, the "honor" went to 2019 Bowman, a set that becomes more boring as the years go on.

The off-center style didn't necessarily bug me all that much, though I wasn't exactly thrilled about this detail. Rather, the cards just lack any sort of personality or wow factor. Luckily, big-time prospect collectors don't care what the cards look like.

#13 Topps National Baseball Card Day

NBCD is a promotion that I've been participating in since Topps reintroduced the idea back in 2017. Though I end up with just 2 5-card packs each year, I sample enough cards from the checklist to the point where I feel comfortable including the cards on my countdown.

This year featured the best set design as well as card backs in the promotional set's abbreviated history, but it simply doesn't have enough to compete with the bigger releases of 2019.

#12 Panini Donruss/Optic

Upon close inspection, the similarities between 2019 Topps NBCD and Panini Donruss become increasingly profound. So, how does the set without logos come out on top over a licensed product? 2 words: card backs.

The orangish/yellow or, for Rated Rookies, blue card backs in 2019 Panini Donruss are a huge step up from their past attempts. The amount of blank space has decreased significantly, and I'm just hoping that Panini can continue this type of momentum and continue improving into the 2020s.

#11 Topps Finest

The Topps Finest hobby box that I opened back in June will likely be the first and last one of these boxes that I'll ever rip; the price just didn't seem worth it when I later analyzed the value of the individual cards, and it didn't help that I didn't land anything all that impressive.

As for the base set, the cards look nice, but chrome cardstock can enhance virtually anything. I will say this, however; I don't believe they're at the caliber of previous Finest sets, especially 2014 and 2016.

#10 Topps Fire

Truth be told, I surprised myself by ranking Topps Fire above Finest, a much higher-end product, but I can't ignore the fact that I slightly prefer the former of the 2 releases. While the backs leave a little something to be desired, the fronts are some of the best we've ever seen from Topps Fire.

Finally, Topps took the notion of "less is more" and applied it to this set. Instead of a black background with a ton of sparks and flames, Topps changed it up, giving us a few simple colors and highlighting the player instead of the work of their designers.

#9 Panini Prizm

It's easy for me to overlook the Prizm base design given the sheer craziness of all the different parallels that I'm chasing because of my 2019 Panini Prizm project. However, the base design isn't too shabby; it's sleek, modern, and, once again, Panini has improved their card backs.

Though the market for these cards is far too great in Basketball for a change to be made, I'm starting to wish that the Prizm base design consisted of silvers instead of cards like the one above. That way, they won't show dust as easily.

#8 Topps Heritage

I surprised even myself by placing Topps Heritage so low on this list, but if I'm being totally honest, I wasn't overly impressed with the product this time around. Maybe other sets were simply better, or maybe I'm getting a little burned out.

Either way, Topps Heritage dropped from #5 in 2018 all the way to #8, and it's a shame because I actually prefer the 1970 design to 1969. Plus, Topps did a stellar job, as always, recreating the set, but, for some reason, I'm just not feeling the magic I once was in regards to Topps Heritage.

#7 Bowman's Best

It seems as if the best elements were taken from both 2017 and 2018 Bowman's Best and combined into one, cohesive design, creating a superb base design that's both modern and colorful at the same time.

Just like Panini Prizm, 2019 Bowman's Best is sleek, but the shade of grey used by Topps is far more appealing than the darker grey that Panini uses for Prizm. Plus, there's just so much color on both sides of the card that I can't help but love it.

#6 Topps Allen & Ginter

Allen & Ginter claimed the #1 spot on my countdown a year ago, so it may seem like I don't like this year's design for the product to fall 5 places down on the list. Though this isn't true, I do have 1 main issue with the 2019 cards: the absence of the color splotches.

Since the set's debut back in 2006(?), we've known what to expect from Allen & Ginter, and I mean that in a good way. The color splashes behind the photos of each subject have been a mainstay in the product, and although Topps replaced them with traditional backgrounds, it doesn't feel like A&G without them.

#5 Topps Flagship/Chrome/Update

Going into 2019, I can't say I would've expected to rank Topps Flagship above Allen & Ginter or Heritage, but my views on the 2019 Topps design have certainly changed since it was debuted back in the summer of 2018.

The card backs, moreover, feature players' complete stats (yay!), and the design, as many have pointed out, looks like a modernized version of the 1982 design. Topps Chrome and all of its gorgeous refractors only made the cards more appealing.

#4 Topps Gallery

When Topps revived Gallery back in 2017, the artwork was something I had never seen before, and the white borders complimented it incredibly well. In the years that have followed, however, there haven't been many significant changes to the product, and that comes with its upsides as well as its downsides.

Despite this minor complaint, I still ranked Gallery in my top 4 favorite sets of the year, so, evidently, Topps is doing something right. I just hope that they take more risks with these cards in 2020, perhaps going back to gold frames?

#3 Topps Stadium Club

When I was deciding in my head where I'd rank each of the 2019 sets, I told myself to put Stadium Club a little lower on the list due to the fact that the cards have lost some of their wow factors following such stellar showings over the last few years.

Well, ranking it "lower," I suppose, still means making the top 3 because although Stadium Club may not be as incredible as it was 2 years ago, its still one of the most anticipated and celebrated Baseball card sets of the year.

If you're doubting Topps ability to be creative with this set now that it's been around since 2014, look no further than the Christy Mathewson card above.

#2 Topps Gypsy Queen

The biggest surprise, for me, out of all the 2019 Baseball card releases was Topps Gypsy Queen, Topps' finest effort in regards to this product that we've seen in ages.

The banner, frame, card backs, and every little nuance contributes to this set design that, finally, has some sort of identity after Topps spent years trying to give these cards something to work with.

The mockups for 2020 Gypsy Queen look just as promising, so, hopefully, after 2 disappointing years, things are looking up for my former favorite product.

#1 Topps Archives

Going into a brand new decade, Topps Archives will not only be my favorite set but an excellent retail option as well. Since 2017, they've chosen a near-perfect lineup of 3 designs for the 300-card base set with this year's choices being '58, '75, and '93.

Topps did a sensational job, though not perfect, with recreating these old school designs, and the checklist is incredibly diverse, featuring guys that are rarely recognized by any other set.

Needless to say, Topps Archives had all the ingredients for a top tier release, and they were able to accomplish just that with the lineup of sets, incredible checklist, and more factors.

Because of that, Archives reigns supreme as my favorite Baseball card product of 2019.

Frankenset Page #53

First things first, I apologize for not keeping up with my blog posts as much as I'd like to during the month of May so far, a pattern I'm trying to break out of as soon as possible.

It's difficult to explain, but I've struggled with finding both motivation and material to post over the last few weeks. I'm definitely experiencing writer's block as, more so than anything, it's been challenging to come up with topics to post about in the first place, hence why I've already missed 6 posts so far this month.

The other factor that has led to a decrease in posting is a lack of material and topics to expand upon and write about. I've gone through writer's block a handful of times before, but this extended period has resulted in a smaller number of posts and a decrease in quality, in my opinion.

Thankfully, I'll be attending the Memorial Day Mansfield Baseball card show this Monday, May 27th. I'm hopeful that this upcoming show will help me break free of this slump by giving me fresh, new material to talk about here on the blog.

Seriously, it's hard to beat a trip to the Baseball card show, especially since I'm in dire need of something interesting to post about in order to get me back into the groove of posting virtually every day of the week.

I've already planned out each and every one of my blog posts up until next Monday's show. As you can see, today's is a continuation of the frankenset series with page #53. On this particular page, cards #469-477 are featured. 

#469 1987 Topps Mike Diaz

After burning collectors out on the 1987 Flagship set 2 years ago, I wonder how long it'll take before Topps recreates the '87 set again. One can only assume that this time will come before 2036 Topps Heritage when this set will be featured in the iconic Heritage brand. 

Until then, I expect the classic wood-bordered design to be utilized in Topps Archives once the overproduced insert set of 2017 has been forgotten.

#470 1989 Score Rex Hudler

As mediocre as the 1989 Score design is, the colorful Montreal Expos uniforms certainly enhance the boring cards. For virtually any Baseball card product, for that matter, colorful jerseys, particularly that of the Expos, help me see past an uninteresting set design.

Granted, there are some occasional exceptions, but for the most part, colorful and unique uniforms do an excellent job of improving cards as a whole. I just wish Topps would feature them on their present day cards a bit more frequently. 

#471 1977 Topps Del Unser

I'm absolutely thrilled to have back-to-back Montreal Expos cards for spots #470 and #471 respectively, especially since the latter is from the superb 1977 Topps Flagship set.

I won't lie; I'm not the biggest fan of the red team name combined with the green player name for the '77 Topps Expos cards, but the photograph of outfielder Del Unser more than makes up for it. Everything about this card is so representative of the 70s that it's challenging not to find something about it that you like.

#472 1982 Donruss Luis Salazar

I just realized that, aside from mini sets and inserts, I've never completed a set from any brand besides Topps. This includes Upper Deck, Fleer, and, yes Donruss, all of whom produced some excellent products over the span of a few decades.

While I can't say that Upper Deck released a ton of standout sets, Fleer produced a surplus of gorgeous products throughout the early 2000s. The same could be said for Donruss who, along with Fleer, created some stellar sets in the 1980s as well, including both 1985 Fleer and Donruss.

#473 1993 Topps Gold Dave Henderson

I love 1977 Topps and the Montreal Expos as much as anybody else, but this 1993 Topps Gold card of Dave Henderson is undoubtedly my favorite card from the entire 53rd page. There's just something so special and unique about the gold and green color combination that comes across on this card, a combo that is distinctively Oakland Athletics.

#474 1980 Topps Steve Busby

Admittedly, Steve Busby's 1980 Topps card is an exception to the rule that I mentioned when discussing the 1989 Score Rex Huddler card towards the beginning of this post. The powder blue uniform may be awesome, but the photo quality is so poor that it prevents me from having positive feelings about this card.

#475 1991 Topps Teddy Higuera

Until 1991 Topps was showcased a few years back in 2016 Topps Archives, I wasn't too familiar with the set if I'm being perfectly honest. Since then, I've grown to appreciate this so-called "junk wax" product even more, for I even purchased a hobby box of this for just $5 at the Baseball card show a couple of years ago. 

It's thanks to that purchase, by the way, that I've been able to feature so many 1991 Topps cards across my frankenset and its pages.

#476 1984 Topps Tom Tellmann

No matter how or what the Topps Flagship design looks like, the Topps Chrome set always does a phenomenal job of creating beautiful base cards and refractors based off the Series 1 and 2 design. 

Later this year, 2019 Topps Chrome will be released, featuring 1984 Topps insert cards on chrome cardstock. I can't express how excited I am to see these cards in person, for the 1987 and 1983 cards from the past few years have not disappointed me.

#477 1971 Topps Earl Weaver

Last but not least, a card of one of the greatest managers in Baseball history. Earl Weaver led an extremely talented Baltimore Orioles team to a World Series title in 1970 along with nearly 1,500 career wins. He also was ejected from an unbelievably high number of games with some reports claiming that he was ejected over 90 times.

Top 5 Baltimore Orioles Autos/Relics

The Baltimore Orioles are one team on a short list of clubs that I'm willing to write one of these top 5 auto/relic card posts for. 

Along with previous subjects like the Red Sox, Cubs, Cardinals, and Athletics, I have a fair share of Orioles relics and autograph cards, making it a lot easier for me to formulate a strong list of 5 standout cards.

I've only pulled 1 or 2 Baltimore Orioles hits from packs myself, meaning that most of the Orioles relics and autographs in my collection were purchased by either myself or my Dad. 

Nevertheless, this revelation makes sense, for I vividly remember my Dad returning home from a Baseball card show a few years ago with a ton of HOF relic cards that he found for incredibly low prices, including a large stack of Brooks Robinson cards.

Although relic cards aren't as popular as they once were, I enjoy picking up relatively inexpensive jersey and bat cards at the show. As far as collecting hits are concerned, I'm not fussy over whose cards I collect. 

Truth be told, I care more about the price of the card and the set design than I do about the actual player. By purchasing less expensive relics or even some autos at the Baseball card show, I've been able to boost my hits collection, allowing me to write posts like this for several different teams.

Every time I write a top 5 cards post, for either a player or a team, I always try to feature a wide range of different cards, even though I'm only showcasing 5. This time around, however, I unintentionally chose cards of just 2 different players; Brooks Robinson and Jim Palmer.

While I'm not too keen on featuring cards of just 2 players, the 5 that I selected are truly the greatest Orioles relic cards and autographs in my collection. Beginning with a Brooks bat relic from 2004, here are my top 5 Baltimore Orioles autos/relics.

#5 2004 Topps Tribute Hall of Fame Tribute Relic

There were a couple of Orioles relic cards that, based on set design alone, I preferred to the one shown above. However, the thing that I appreciate most about the '04 Topps Tribute HOF card above is the sizeable bat relic that Topps included.

Arguably, a smaller bat relic would've gelled better with the other numbers in the year 1983, but Topps went out of there way to include a large, game-used bat relic of the 15-time All-Star. 

The Tribute set design from '04 is very elegant, especially with the gold box around the words "Hall of Fame" at the bottom. The photograph is standard, nothing too special, but it succeeds in working well with the rest of the elements of the card.

#4 2006 Fleer Greats of the Game Decade Greats

Even when Fleer was taken over by Upper Deck in 2006, the Greats of the Game brand remained one of my favorite Baseball card products. The set designs are classic and the checklists feature players who are often underrepresented as far as Baseball card products are concerned. 

The previously mentioned relic card sets, especially from the 2006 release, are spectacular. This includes Decade Greats card above and another Brooks Robinson game-used bat relic. 

The card sticks primarily to orange and black, Baltimore's team colors, and features a simple yet effective design that draws attention first to the bat piece, then to the black and white photo of Robinson.

#3 2002 Fleer Box Score Hall of Fame Material

I promise that this is both the final Brooks Robinson card and the last bat relic in the top 5. After this card from 2002 Fleer Box Score, I'll move onto the top 2 where both the cards feature Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer.

Speaking of the HOF, the #3 card on this list is from the Hall of Fame Material relic card set, featuring yet another game-used piece of Brooks Robinson's bat. I really love the brown border as well as the sepia photo, for they both contribute to the overall feel of the card.

I can't quite describe what it is, but I'm a huge fan of the style of this card. My only criticism is that the Orioles logo should reflect the time in which Robinson played, not the actual Baltimore logo from 2002.

#2 2011 Topps Tribute Dual Relic

I don't have all that many dual, triple or quad relics in my collection, but I cherish the ones that I do have, especially the Palmer card from 2011 Topps Tribute. This is the base version of the dual relic cards from the set, so it's serial numbered out of 99 copies.

When scanned, the card background appears to be a mix of pink and gold, but it's more of a shiny silver color in real life. Like the first Tribute card on this list, multiple elements come together to create an impressive card, including a nice gold ink facsimile signature above the 2 relic swatches.

#1 2018 Topps Archives Topps Rookie History Autographs

The only autographed card on this list also happens to be one of my favorite autos or relics in my entire card collection. For the price of a blaster box of cards, I purchased a redemption card for this Topps Rookie History on-card auto of Jim Palmer, one of the greatest pitchers of the 60s/70s.

Topps was quite successful in recreating the 3-time AL Cy Young award winner's rookie card for this 2018 Topps Archives autograph insert set. Not only am I thrilled that the autograph is on-card, but it's also serial numbered out of 125 copies on the back. Talk about getting a bang for your buck.

I still love each and every one of the relic cards featured on this list, but none of them could top the spectacular HOF autograph that earned the #1 spot.

Completing My Largest Trade Ever

If Baseball card blogging has taught me one thing, it's incredibly easier to complete sets of cards or simply add to one's collection when I receive help from fellow bloggers and viewers alike. Not only does it drastically speed up the process, but I'm also able to interact and send cards to other collectors at the same time.

To put this into perspective, there's a reasonable chance that I'd still be working to complete both 1972 and 1975 Topps if not for the help I've received from other collectors to finish those vintage sets. It's unlikely that I would've ever met a majority of these trade partners if not for the blog.

Recently, I've been completing more trades than usual, both with bloggers/viewers as well as Twitter users. Over the last month or so, I've traded with numerous collectors who have helped remove countless Baseball cards from my want list. 

Like I previously mentioned, some of these trades have been completed on Twitter where collectors have been extraordinarily generous, sending me packages full of singles from '76 and '79 Topps respectively.

However, as the title of this post suggests, my most recent trade is a pretty significant one. That's because the box of cards that arrived in the mail earlier this week is the largest trade package I've ever received. 

With over 400 cards included in this box, this will go down as the biggest trade I've ever completed unless I've totally blanked on another trade that I've taken part in. The cards, on the other hand, span 5 different decades, beginning in 1976 and continuing up through 2018.

In return, I sent this collector a slew of vintage cards, dating back as far as 1961. That lot featured doubles from the (somewhat) recently-completed 1972 and 1975 Topps sets, but also other vintage Flagship designs like '66 and '71.

Even if you take into account what I traded in return for this box of cards, the sheer number of cards that were sent my way indicates how generous the members of this hobby truly are. 

I've yet to have a negative experience while completing a Baseball card trade in my life, and this awesome haul is certainly no exception. It's pretty evident that I would never receive such an elaborate package of cards without branching out to other collectors through the blog.

The most significant part of this trade centered around 1 set in particular; 1979 Topps. Thanks to the abundance of trades and Baseball card show pickups over the last few weeks, I've made significant strides towards completing this 726-card set. However, none of these acquisitions have been quite as notable as this one.

Roughly 1/2 of the cards in this incredible box are from the 1979 Topps set, an extraordinary step in the right direction towards completing this product. Although a few of the cards were doubles due to my initiating 2 trades at once, the majority of these cards are needed to complete this 70s Flagship product.

Because of when the set was released, it's a lot easier to track down star players in 1979 Topps than it is for other sets, even '76 which is only 3 years older. Aided by the fact that Topps was no longer producing their sets in series, '79 marked the last year of the iconic 1970s decade. As far as 70s cards go, the cards from the end of the decade entail fairly little value.

The All-Star cards of the past, primarily the 1970s, are far more interesting than the All-Star Game cards featured in Topps Update every year. In the case of 1979 Topps, the cards feature an extra banner that matches the color of the team name banner. 

After Topps transitioned away from The Sporting News All-Star cards, we began to see simple yet creative additions to the cards to signify that the player is an All-Star. Out of all the years that Topps did this for, the actual stars in 1976 Topps remain my favorites.

Another staple throughout most 1970s sets were the record breaker cards, commemorating various milestones from the previous year. Eventual Hall of Famers like Hank Aaron and Bob Gibson received their own record breaker cards in the 70s, but so did lesser-known talents like John Stearns and Sammy Stewart, both of whom set records in 1978.

Currently, I've eclipsed the 2/3 mark of the '79 Topps set through this recently-completed mega-trade. Additionally, I have a couple other trades that I'll be putting in-place this weekend as well. Thanks to the generosity of various collectors, what once seemed impossible now appears rather achievable, and I could surprise even myself and complete the '79 Topps set this year.

In what's become almost expected when it comes to trade packages, this recent box featured a stack of 1976 Topps cards as well. Like the '79s, the cards were mostly commons, all of which are needed en route towards completing this underrated Flagship set.

A few comparisons can certainly be drawn between the 2 70s Topps sets, but I must say that I'm slightly more fond of 1976 Topps because of how colorful the cards are. Not only is there a unique color combination at the bottom of each card, but unique uniforms appear far more often in '76 than the 1979 set.

Even though the traditional Sporting News All-Star cards were no more by the time 1976 Topps was released, the 2 companies still managed a small subset in 1976 Topps, featuring all-time All-Stars instead of current players. 

The checklist is fairly minimal, for the subset is reserved solely for the greatest players to ever play the game up until '76. In addition to the few cards that I had beforehand, I can now add Rogers Hornsby and Honus Wagner to this set.

As fabulous as these 2 Topps sets are, I've seen a slew of these cards over the last few weeks. Thankfully, this Twitter user took an in-depth look at my want list and ended up finding cards from all sorts of products that were listed.

Among the 400 or so cards that I received in the mail, a small stack of around 10 cards was from the 2005 Bowman Heritage set. It can be nearly impossible to find base cards from the 2000s when I head off to the Baseball card show, forcing me to rely on trades and getting lucky at the show to complete these kinds of sets.

The same thing could definitely be said about the 2006 Topps Heritage set. Apart from 1 or 2 times a year in which I stumble upon a small stack of these cards in the dime boxes, I'm forced to rely on trades or the internet to complete these base sets. Thanks to this major trade, I was able to add roughly 15-20 more cards to this set.

While I'm making my way through the 2000s, I should definitely address another major part of this trade; the 2008 Topps Heritage cards that were included in this box as well. A fairly large stack of cards from this Heritage set was featured as another element of this fabulous trade. 

I've had similar luck with completing this set as I've had for other 2000s sets, and I've never received this many cards from this product all at once. Commemorating the 1959 Topps design, this product successfully replicates one of the better Topps sets of the 1950s.

When sorting through the cards in this stack, it was pretty surreal to see so many veterans' photos from 11 years ago, including Joe Mauer who has since retired. Apart from Adam Jones, all of these stars have remained with their respective teams since 2008. Jones, on the other hand, spent many years in Baltimore before recently signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks on a 1-year deal.

The sheer simplicity and color featured on the original 1959 Topps combo cards is a major reason as to why they've been replicated not once, but twice by Topps. The first time was in 2008 Topps Heritage, shown above, while the others were included as SPs in the 2018 Topps Archives set.

As I was addressing The Sporting News earlier, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the fact that for over a decade, including the 2008 Topps Heritage cards above, the All-Star cards were titled "The Topps News" instead.

Flashing forward an entire decade, the 1959 Topps combo cards were replicated once again, this time as SPs in last year's Topps Archives set. With a base set that featured the 1959, 1977, and 1981 Topps Flagship sets, it was one of the greatest Topps Archives sets that we've ever seen thanks to the extensive variety.

Not only was it surprising to find short prints in this trade package, but I was pleasantly surprised at this collector's willingness to part with a Miguel Andujar rookie card so that I can, hopefully, complete the 2018 Topps Archives set.

Seriously though, from the Clemens base card to the Bob Gibson SP, these Archives cards are awesome.

But perhaps the most generous card included in this entire insane trade package was an original 1959 Fleer Ted Williams card. That's right, a 60-year old card was kindly included in this spectacular box of want list needs, helping me on my journey towards completing this set as well.

This card is pretty awesome and is definitely the highlight of the entire box, but what I'm more impressed with is the incredible selection of different cards showcased in this trade package. This box highlighted the fact that I'm in the process of collecting a surplus of Baseball card products, but that doesn't mean I can't complete them.

All that means is I have to complete more trades with bloggers, viewers, and Twitter users, and after this trade, I'll have even more motivation to complete a trade from now on.