Best Baseball Set of 1981 - TOPS WINS!

theorioles

I've seen a lot of countdowns over the years, but never a countdown by year, that reviewed all the sets of each year. Let's start with 1981, the first year Topps started getting some real competition. Considering all the factors that are involved in creating a set (design, company logo, team name, statistics, inserts, card stock, photography etc), select the best set of the year 1981!
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UPDATED: TOPPS WINS 1981!

Congratulations Topps for winning the 1981 poll!



Although Topps was not my choice to collect for 1981 (Fleer), Topps was the decisive winner among board members, capturing 59.15% of the vote. If you'd like a complete spreadsheet analysis of how I determined my favorite along with a summary of some 1981 articles, just send me a PM and I will email/PM it to you.

Now on to 1982! 1982 poll will follow soon!

BobaFett72

topps still blew these clowns out of the water. I admire their efforts, but both products are substandard by comparison.

yankeeno7

I had to vote for Donruss. I remember when they came out and liked the photos a lot better then the fuzzy Topps. Though Topps is the standard, Donruss really caught my eye that year.

metalmike

Not a mainstream set, but my fav is 1981 Fleer star stckers. 100 full size cards and full of Hof'ers.

lawnmowerman

I have to vote for Donruss. It was the first factory set I bought as a kid so it will always be kinda special for me.

I also thought it was cool that some of the players had multiple cards in the set.

hofautos

I REALLY like the design of the 1981 topps. It's a bummer that it is one of the few years that there is not a HOF ROOKIE in the set.

DavidPuddy

Calling Gator,,,,, Hello Gator?

Hands down it's Topps. Donruss and Fleer did an adequate job for their first year, but Topps still has the nicest set from that year.

I do think that Topps' quality control (Photo, and registration wise) was it's worst of any set they produced in the 80's, but it was still better than the other two runner's up.
I think that about 90% of the 81 Topps cards that you see floating around are washed out looking, but If you ever happen to get a "nice" 81 Topps you will see that it can be a truly first class set. Just look at the color of some of the 81 OPC's. They are what their Topps counterpart CAN look like. Sharp and colorful.
81 Donruss can be somewhat the same. There are a lot of blurry, washed out looking cards, but every once in a while you run across one that is really bright and clear.

And don't forget that Tim Raines STILL has a good shot at the HOF.

Estil

I'll do ya one better; let's do all the 1980s like that (I'm only including Topps/Donruss/Fleer though):

1981:
Topps: Love the colorful design; final year for the old smiling Topps logo (though the modern logo is on the wax pack wrappers)
Fleer: Not a bad design for the first try, had some problems cutting the cards cleanly sometimes though...
Donruss: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

1982:
Topps: For some inexplicable reason this is one of my favorite 1980s designs. I guess the unique color combos for some of the teams?
Fleer: We all know about the fuzzy photos, but I do like the colorful borders and the back design
Donruss: Okay design, nothing more.

1983:
Topps: Yet another awesome design (nice two photo design); I also like the easy-to-read backs
Fleer: Just an okay front but the brown backs are unique, I think.
Donruss: Laziest design change ever. Change ball to glove and move to other corner, change back from blue to orange, and you're done.

1984:
Donruss: This is where they finally get their act together on the design. Not worth nearly as much as its peak in the early 90s, but will always be a classic
Fleer: This is probably the most "80s" of all the designs.
Topps: Okay, Topps kinda had an off year this time, but I do like the red/white/blue back.

1985:
Donruss: I know 1984 gets all the attention but screw that; I LOVE black borders.
Fleer: Say what you will about the centering, but I love the colorful borders.
Topps: Another one of my favorites (especially the "Christmas colors" back; conicidentally this is the first year they did "Christmas" factory sets), but this year had some tough competition so someone's gotta be last.

1986:
Fleer: Another one of my favorites; navy blue border with colorful team plate; can't beat that!
Donruss: Very unique "Max Headroom" borders, and the photos are pretty sweet that year too.
Topps: Very nice if you can get fresh black top borders; again another strong year for designs and someone had to be last.

1987:
Topps: Probably my favorite 80s set of all in terms of design (both sides are awesome); my very first complete (and factory) set (along with 1989 Topps factory). Really brings back memories.
Donruss: Remember what I said about black borders?
Fleer: Another classic 80s design; but again, someone had to finish last.

1988:
(okay, now we start going downhill on designs...)
Topps: Rather weak year for Topps but at least the design wasn't monotone like the other two.
Donruss: I guess I do kinda like the blue/black borders.
Fleer: Compared to the previous years, this one's a snoozer.

1989:
Donruss: Another one my favorites from the 1980s; I love the colorful borders.
Topps: I know this set is often mocked as an example of "junk wax" but I personally love both the front and back design (plus that and 1989 Donruss were the first packs ever bought for me)
Fleer: An improvement over last year but still nothing compared to 1984-87 Fleer.

brianwintersfan

The '81 Donruss is great if you like your cards printed on Kleenex.

hofautos

<< <i>I'll do ya one better; let's do all the 1980s like that (I'm only including Topps/Donruss/Fleer though):
>>



Oh, can i please share a scan of all the 80s cards, please, please? That would be so much fun for me...

lsutigers1973

No need to hijack someone elses thread because of a disagreement with another board member on another thread.

Estil

<< <i>

<< <i>I'll do ya one better; let's do all the 1980s like that (I'm only including Topps/Donruss/Fleer though):
>>



Oh, can i please share a scan of all the 80s cards, please, please? That would be so much fun for me... >>



Go for it!

hofautos

In short, I would say I like all of the topps better except I like the 1984 and 1987 donruss better.
Just one scan, ok?

IMO, a scan in a thread adds flavor...

lsutigers1973

What a surprise, an edit.

hofautos

<< <i>What a surprise, an edit. >>


Because estil said to go ahead and post a scan...so now you are hijacking a thread...why disrupt...

lsutigers1973

<< <i>Donruss: Very unique "Max Headroom" borders, and the photos are pretty sweet that year too >>



+1 for Max Headroom reference

Estil

Well, we are discussing 80s you know. And what could be more 80s than that?

mickeymantle24

Topps all the way!

GDM67

Fleer, which is currently in third place.

Topps is bland and washed out looking and Donruss has numerous flaws: blurry photos, the stock problem BWF alluded to (I always compare them to magazine subscription cards) and a general sense of tackiness about them.

The Fleer cards are printed on nice white stock (the tendency to bow might be a problem for some), and feature crisp, colorful photography. I've seen a lot of people claiming that that set is blurry, which is simply not true. It's the '82 Fleer set that looks like all the photographers got Vaseline on their lenses.

DawgsGoneWild

Upper Deck won 1989

hofautos

<< <i>Upper Deck won 1989 >>


I didn't give that one much thought, but now that you mention it, I agree....i don't like topps, donruss or fleer 1989.
THe 1989 diamond kings were cool though...uh..oh...i feel the urge coming on that wants to share a scan...
ok i will resist...

man, i really wanted to share one too...

elsnorto

The 1981 Topps design was uninspired for me and while I liked Fleer's design better, I gave the nod to Donruss for a stronger checklist with multiple cards of the day's biggest stars and some cool combo cards to boot.

Snorto~

vintagechris

HOF, Tim Raines has a shot to be the Hall of Fame RC. May take him some time but I think he will get in. Look at his numbers. Pretty darn good.

My Website

RoarIn84

gotta love the set that made everyone look like Oompa Loompas.....

hofautos

<< <i>HOF, Tim Raines has a shot to be the Hall of Fame RC. May take him some time but I think he will get in. Look at his numbers. Pretty darn good.

My Website >>



While he has some pretty impressive stats, I am not so convinced he has a shot. I think if character weighed more heavily he would, but not on
his stats alone. It's a nice thought though...hope you are right...

isellhomeszach

I vote for Fleer.....Reasons.......... i have the #1 1981 Fleer master set on the registry.....and it was the first set i ever collected. Plus i like the white card stock VS topps card stock of darker color and less quality. Donruss in 81 were paper thin and 3rd in my book.

Stingray

I thought the 81 Donruss design was a rip off of the 78 Topps BB. Some of the photography was just horrible, skin tones were way to pink on some cards. I would have to go with Topps.

sayheykid54

The 1981 Donruss set. With the extremely thin cardboard and absolutely no quality control this set is very tough.

theorioles

Bump with results.

CDsNuts

Thank god, I had $500 riding on Topps.