Most condition sensitive year for cards

VitoCo1972

I was thinking about this while bored at work today...

What is the most condition sensitive year for cards? Obviously there are a few choices. I would say 61 Fleer basketball is a big time condition sensitive set, but 61 (where baseball and football are manageable) as a whole isn't as tough as say 1986 or 1971 where multiple issues across several sports are really tough. For example, in 1986, Topps baseball has black top borders that are tough, 86 Topps football is a tough one to find centered and crisp and 86 Fleer basketball is obviously tough with colored borders. Not sure about hockey that year because I don't collect it.

Others that jump to mind are:
1971 - Baseball and Football are tough that year - both colored borders
1962 - Baseball and football extremely tough - ditto

What would you guys say is the most condition sensitive year?

Griffins

Of any set? N300 Mayo, brutal black borders, eroded by 113 years of time.
Pre War? My vote goes to T204 Ramly- gold borders easily chipped. Close second is T205, for the same reason.
Between the wars- '33 George C Miller. Due to a redemption offer they are most commonly found cancelled, and there are only 2 uncancelled versions of the chase card, Ivy Andrews, currently know.
Modern-
Mainstream issues- '62 Topps or '71 Topps, due to the borders
Regionals- '52 Coke Tips due to the die cuts, or '60 Lake to Lake because they were typically stapled to milk cartons.
Test issues- '70 and '74 candy lids, due to the tabs that needed to be lifted (and creased) to remove them from the containers.

cefy1

86 Topps Hockey very soft stock, O-Pee-Chee problems with photo registration.

lsutigers1973

86-89 Donruss baseball. Cheap card stock and dark borders.

billwaltonsbeard

I have to vote 1986. Admittedly, I know very little about cards pre 1980, so I can't really discuss any sets from that era.

But 1986, all three baseball sets are tough. Topps, because of the low quality stock, Donruss and Fleer with the dark borders. Topps football also had the dark green borders. And of course Fleer basketball.

leadoff4

63 Topps baseball and 63 Topps football are both extremely tough with the colored borders.

pandrews

1943

mikeschmidt

also depends on how you define cards.

Many of the pre-war larger cabinet cards are simply not available in high grade.

N173s are generally EX at best [save for a few found in a find]

W600s -- finding them at all is a challenge, high grade is typically impossible.

Even T3s are generally not available in better than EX/MT condition, and those are exceedingly rare.

Of course, when you talk about condition sensitive, sometimes true issue scarcity overlays the condition sensitivity.

For example, the only Niagara Baking company card that has traded in the last 10-15 years [Otto Knabe that I used to own] was generously given a grade of 1.5

E94 Overprints are generally not find in better than VG condition, assuming you can find them at all.

E104-IIIs? The complete checklist is still not known, and the highest grade example is an SGC 80.

lsutigers1973

Mike,

I am truly sorry this happened to you.

fandango

gotta mention 1914 Cracker jacks......only found the old fashioned way, in the box of caramel coated popcorn...no factory issues..

rube26105

71 topps black borders that people always took a black marker to

VitoCo1972

<< <i>Mike,

I am truly sorry this happened to you. >>



Thank you for your sympathy Bill. That's all I really wanted.

lsutigers1973

Your welcome

mikeschmidt

<< <i>gotta mention 1914 Cracker jacks......only found the old fashioned way, in the box of caramel coated popcorn...no factory issues.. >>



I think that used to be the case, but once the find of 1-2 years came out, was graded by SGC including a *number* of SGC 98 GEM MINT 10 cards, I think that very find redefined that set's scarcity in high grade. Now -- they are in a private collection and may never see the light of day, but there is at least one set that is largely pristine in a way that people do not consider pre-war cards can actually exist.

perkdog

1954 Wilson Franks?

stevek

You're right about 1962 which is one reason why i luv 'em. The "challenge" LOL

RonBurgundy

62 and 71 Topps are obvious, but...........try and find 58 Topps in truly high grade. The cardboard stock that year was horrible. If you find them in 8 or better, you've got something, because they are easily damaged.



RB

CDsNuts

1812

Publius

<< <i>1954 Wilson Franks? >>




STFU Paul, just trying to derail a perfectly good thread

85 topps football
86 topps football
67 philly football

all with colored borders that tend to chip and show it.

jimrad

Baseball - 1955 Bowman
Hockey - 1966 Topps
Football - I really don't care

Rogermnj

1994 flair baseball

lawnmowerman

1992 Pinnacle

otwcards

<< <i>1994 flair baseball >>



Yeah, because if you drop one on the corner from more than 23' it downgrades to a PSA 9...

rube26105

85 topps fb

TheMcgwireMuseum

1981

Griffins

Wilsons might be the toughest set to find not off center. '71 GM's would be 2nd.

GOODLIEU

1957 Topps Basketball. Centering/Print Defects/ The Backs of the cards were never uniform and the grading companies gave up and do not even deal with that as a issue anymore. A PSA 8 in some of the shortprints go for a ton of $'s. Really tough to find in high grades.

VitoCo1972

<< <i>1957 Topps Basketball. Centering/Print Defects/ The Backs of the cards were never uniform and the grading companies gave up and do not even deal with that as a issue anymore. A PSA 8 in some of the shortprints go for a ton of $'s. Really tough to find in high grades. >>



Well, 1957 IS certainly a tough year. Football is difficult in 8's and Baseball can have centering issues. Good thought

fandango

<< <i>

<< <i>gotta mention 1914 Cracker jacks......only found the old fashioned way, in the box of caramel coated popcorn...no factory issues.. >>



I think that used to be the case, but once the find of 1-2 years came out, was graded by SGC including a *number* of SGC 98 GEM MINT 10 cards, I think that very find redefined that set's scarcity in high grade. Now -- they are in a private collection and may never see the light of day, but there is at least one set that is largely pristine in a way that people do not consider pre-war cards can actually exist. >>




i think you mean the 1915 cracker jacks...

the 1914 CJs have only 5 graded 98, 55 graded 96, 15 graded 92, and 28 graded 88.....so you see it is far from a complete set in high grade....

jeffcbay

With the 1986 Donruss, I've had a lot of Minimum Size Requirement problems.

TheVon

I think the reading comprehension demonstrated in this thread deserves a D-. The OP wanted to know which year is the most condition sensitive for ALL cards, not just specific issues from a certain year.

A sample answer might go something like this: I think 1986 was the most condition sensitive year. In Baseball, Topps had black borders while both Donruss and Fleer had blue borders which makes them all difficult. Also, in 1986, Topps Football cards had green borders and centering issues. And in Basketball . . .

Stingray

How about UD SP for the years 92 and 93??

Blackborder

1985 FB

billwaltonsbeard

1988 Donruss Mike Lavalliere

nam812

<< <i>I think the reading comprehension demonstrated in this thread deserves a D-......... >>



Aww, man. Now im gonna be grounded with no TV for a week.

Stingray

<< <i>

<< <i>I think the reading comprehension demonstrated in this thread deserves a D-......... >>



Aww, man. Now im gonna be grounded with no TV for a week. >>



Geez Nam lets get in the 2000's here, you mean no more cell phone and texting and no more Ipod for a week!!

leadoff4

TheVon, I'm glad you finally cleared that up. I agree we were talking about which year in general across all sports not just one sport for that year

gregmo32

1957 Topps Basketball

Centering is horrible. 50/50 centering with sharp corners is almost impossible...