Which Player Do You Think Had The Coolest Cards

TJMAC

This is obviously subjective, but I figure it could be a neat topic. Most of us have seen all the cards of the big name players. Who do you think typically had the best photos on their cards. My choice would be Steve Garvey. I thought he always had great poses on his cards and he had no head shots on any of his Topps Cards. He was usually in a fielding postion or holding his bat. My favorite cards of his were the 1972 and 1980. I think his worst card was 1973.

If possible, try to respond to this without emphasizing value or childhood memories. I realize this can be difficult to do.

As you can tell, I don't like a lot of the cards with just head shots. Especially, without their hats. I know Topps did many of them on purpose because players were traded, but they are usually unattractive cards. I think it is part of the reason why the 61 Topps Mays, Killebrew and Banks can be had at a lower price than other years.

The worst example of this is 1992 Bowman. I will never buy the Mariano Rivera and Manny cards because they are in street clothes. Who the heck wants to collect skinny kids in dockers and a polo shirt?

Maybe we can start another topic and pick the best looking card from each year.

onlyanumber

Late 80's early 90's Jose Lind and Nelson Liriano come to mind as nice looking shots.

Ladder7

I know this isn't what you meant, but this card always stands out as a fav... Golf pants and Freddie Stanfield's gloves. Phil hated his picture took;

onlyanumber

Since we're thinking hockey--the 72-73 Keith Magnusson shot from the mirror is real interesting.

lawnmowerman

Baseball, I would have to go with Rickey Henderson. I always like his cards. This is one of my favs.

1982 Topps



Football, there is no-one close

1994 Pro Line Live

TJMAC

Ladder, I like that Esposito card. Thanks for sharing the story behind it. Onlyanumber, I will have to look the Magnusson card up. I never saw it before.

Lawnmowerman, I agree about Henderson, though I don't like his 81 Topps. Again, head shot without the helmet. His 1982 Topps is my favorite card of his too.

As for Emmitt, I am a bit biased myself, but he did make great cards. His 1990 Pro Set for some reason was my favorite. Though, I have to admit I stopped collecting football in 1992 and am not familiar with his newer cards.

lawnmowerman

<< <i>Ladder, I like that Esposito card. Thanks for sharing the story behind it. Onlyanumber, I will have to look the Magnusson card up. I never saw it before.

Lawnmowerman, I agree about Henderson, though I don't like his 81 Topps. Again, head shot without the helmet. His 1982 Topps is my favorite card of his too.

As for Emmitt, I am a bit biased myself, but he did make great cards. His 1990 Pro Set for some reason was my favorite. Though, I have to admit I stopped collecting football in 1992 and am not familiar with his newer cards. >>



I agree on the 1981 Topps card. That would be my least fav as well

Heres another one of my fav Emmitt cards

1994 Ultra

BigDaddyBowman

I collect vintage football. Unfortunately, many of the cards are just head shots. Of the vintage cards, Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch's cards stick out to me. Here are a few:

Bosox1976

Hirsch may have invented moussing one's hair.

gameusedhoop

I always liked some of the Carlton Fisk cards. 1974, 1977, 1979 and the 1982 In Action are great looking cards. 1973, 1975, 1976 and 1978 are above average looking also.

Skinpinch

Johnny Bench. His '69 card being the best. '70 is just as nice. I don't know what it is, even though he is just squating, the cards look regal. I like his '75 card as well(similar), and his '76 card is one of the cooler looking shots. Even his '73 with not the best photograpy, but a nice shot as well. So he has a number of cards that look extra nice.

Speaking of 76's, Yaz's and Lynn's cards are two of my favorite cards.

I suck at posting good pictures on here...sorry

NickM

Nolan Ryan had some great cards near the end of his career, including the Upper Deck triple exposure card.

Nick

frankhardy

Michael Jordan

tennesseebanker

Carlton Fisk had some of the coolest action shots on cards..........

RedHeart54

This forum wouldn't be complete without this one.

onlyanumber

My mistake, known as the fisheye lens shot for Magnuson

GDM67

Roberto Clemente and Jim Brown. I would single out Roberto's cards from '60 through '62, '68 and '70 through '72 for special praise, while Jim's best are '63 Topps and '66 Philadelphia.

math4cards

My favorite and maybe because it was too expensive at the time but the 1984 Donruss Don Mattingly - for that matter I liked the look of all the players that year. I was only 12 at the time and my dad bought a ton of the topps and fleer - but that Donruss was always a little out of range.

I also liked the 86 Canseco - for a few years - it was already expensive in regards to a kids budget back then coming out at $6 a piece - but it was always showcased at the shops I went to.

Brian48

<< <i>I know this isn't what you meant, but this card always stands out as a fav... Golf pants and Freddie Stanfield's gloves. Phil hated his picture took;

>>



Espo's '70-01 card features the same photo, only taken from a different angle. Same pair of pants.

Stingray

Didn't Ollie Matson have some cool (odd) looking cards??

PuertoRicanFogBank

Tito Fuentes.

larryallen73

Ray Fosse had a couple very colorful action shots in the early 70's with the A's. Maybe '73 and '74 cards!?

Sheamaster

Carlton Fisk
Rickey Henderson
Roger Clemens

kadokakid

Manny Sanguillen cards are all interesting.

Peace

lawnmowerman

<< <i>Didn't Ollie Matson have some cool (odd) looking cards??


>>



He probably would have been faster and scored alot more Td's if he kept his mouth shut. The less wind resistance the better

fandango

lawnmowerman, did your banner get run over by your lawnmower? whats going on with that thing?

Overrated

MICKEY MANTLE 1951 THRU 1969.

pandrews

<< <i>Baseball, I would have to go with Rickey Henderson. I always like his cards. This is one of my favs.
>>



this is why i voted for Lawnmowerman as forum member of the year.. (i voted for Zef as runner-up, Stone can confirm this.. )

without a doubt, Rickey has the coolest cards.. especially some of the early 90's Oakland A's stuff..

estang

Hard to argue against catchers.

Thurman Munson comes to mind for catchers and baseball.

Jim Palmer, Roberto Clemente, Harmon Killebrew, George Foster and Roger Clemens come to mind.

In football, Johnny Unitas and Lance Alworth come to mind.

kcballboy

In line with catchers, Carlton Fisk had a neat one in 91 Topps. I probably bought a case of the stuff as a kid and that was my fav, with big Cecil Fielder barreling down on him. That was right about the time Fisk was gettin too old for this sh--.

TJMAC

KC, I like the 91 Fisk. The 91 Clemens is also cool. Overrated, no arguement with the Mick. Being he is what most people envision the ideal ball player to look like, especially for that era, even the cards with his head shots are great.

Those Matson cards are hilarious.

GDM67

Now that I think of it, Rodney Cline Carew had some stellar cards, especially '68 through '72 and '75.

Brian48

Action shots are always my favorite, however the '91 Clemens is the one that really struck me the hardest since I first saw it. It was just so unique and so appropriate, and there are SO MANY variations of it. I actually put up a damn site dedicated to this card 'cause I liked it so much. Here's my favorite variant of this card.

helionaut

The '55 Bowman Matson card has been one of my favorites for a long time.

And Fisk does have some great cards. His 1991 Topps is a true classic.

But who was cooler than Bake McBride?

Carew29

If someone could post it, one of my favorite shots was the 1974 Topps Steve Garvey card.

HoofHearted

Quite a variety of players represented here. I always thought that Roberto Clemente and Ruben Sierra were/are two of the more photogenic players of recent memory...

lawnmowerman

<< <i>lawnmowerman, did your banner get run over by your lawnmower? whats going on with that thing? >>



sigline bet with Eagle fan gone bad

lawnmowerman

<< <i>

<< <i>Baseball, I would have to go with Rickey Henderson. I always like his cards. This is one of my favs.
>>



this is why i voted for Lawnmowerman as forum member of the year.. (i voted for Zef as runner-up, Stone can confirm this.. )

without a doubt, Rickey has the coolest cards.. especially some of the early 90's Oakland A's stuff.. >>



I appreciate the kind words my friend

1960toppsguy

That HIRSCH fellow may not have invented mousse, but I think he is responsible for the high leg kick that cheerleaders often do today, he is my hero.

GDM67

<< <i>If someone could post it, one of my favorite shots was the 1974 Topps Steve Garvey card. >>



A quick eBay search turned up this sharp-cornered example: