Welcome to our community

Be apart of something great, join today!

Best card designs for base product

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

chris19978

Active member
Aug 30, 2011
978
25
Since there is a worst card design I figured to make a best card design. I liked the 1993 Fleer Ultra, and the 1995 SP Minor League cards that come to mind. What does everyone else think?


Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

Randy Shields

Well-known member
Aug 20, 2008
2,224
441
OH-IO
My first 2 favorites were 1992 Bowman and then 1995 Bowman's Best. And as you, I really liked the 1995 Upper Deck SP Top Prospects. Great inserts too with the Autographs and the Destination The Show.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

bstanwood

Well-known member
Sep 24, 2016
3,666
332
Mystic, CT
93 Ultra was cool, the marble at the bottom, flaming baseball, real fun design just when things were kind of "breaking from the norm" or however you'd like to phrase it.
I'll throw.out three very different sets. 55 Bowman, love the TV set. 1997 SPX was amazing when it came out, really changed my mind on what a base set could be, even if the holograms were meh. For a basic modern set I like 06 upper deck, nothing special just crisp photography and a simplistic design and 2011 Topps, I like the arched banner leading to the logo in the circle, again crisp clean, not cluttered.
 

Brewer Andy

Active member
Aug 10, 2008
9,634
21
Two things

Unpopular opinion: ‘87 Topps was a rehash of ‘62 Topps and nowadays we complain all the time about Topps making an endless avalanche of throwback crap. ‘87 Donruss and Fleer are tied for the pinnacle of card design. Honorary mentions for ‘89 UD changing the game, 2002 Fleer Maximum, ‘98/‘99 Gold Label, and Topps Tribute base cards (2011-2014)

Also, I refuse to believe anyone liked 1992 Bowman. I’m still surprised the Bowman reboot ever got to where it is today considering the absolute garbage they started with the first 5 years




Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

banjar

Well-known member
Mar 22, 2015
2,540
883
Lafayette, Colorado
Off the top of my head, for years since I started collecting:

1993 Upper Deck. Might be my all-time fave.

1997 Fleer Showcase (all rows). Gorgeous cards.

2001 Etopps. Underrated and beautiful.

2015 Topps Tribute. I am probably the only person voting for this.
 

Philip J. Fry

Well-known member
Aug 9, 2008
5,772
389
Ohio
I'm partial to 1994 Bowman honestly, along with 1995 Donruss, 1994 Finest, and 1995 Bowman's Best. But I'm weird anyway.
 

JoshHamilton

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
12,205
320
In chronological order:

1888 N162 Goodwin Champions
1952 Topps
1965 Topps
1971 Topps
1989 Upper Deck
1994 Bowman
1995 Bowman’s Best
1997 Zenith
2000 Stadium Club
2018 Topps

You can add in basically any full bleed color photography with a simple design in there as well - most Stadium Club, Tribute, and Ultra designs are noce
 

Austin

Well-known member
Aug 7, 2008
5,706
41
Dallas, Texas
'50s - 1956 Topps
'60s - 1967 Topps
'70s - 1971 Topps
'80s - 1984 Donruss
'90s - 1993 Ultra
'00s - 2004 Bowman's Best
'10s - 2010 Topps
 

BBCgalaxee

Well-known member
Sep 9, 2011
6,475
59
Two things

Unpopular opinion: ‘87 Topps was a rehash of ‘62 Topps and nowadays we complain all the time about Topps making an endless avalanche of throwback crap. ‘87 Donruss and Fleer are tied for the pinnacle of card design. Honorary mentions for ‘89 UD changing the game, 2002 Fleer Maximum, ‘98/‘99 Gold Label, and Topps Tribute base cards (2011-2014)

Also, I refuse to believe anyone liked 1992 Bowman. I’m still surprised the Bowman reboot ever got to where it is today considering the absolute garbage they started with the first 5 years




Sent from my iPhone using Freedom Card Board mobile app
From what I remember reading in a 1992 card magazine, Topps said that if 1992 isn't a hit with all the upgrades they added, then the Bowman line will be cancelled.

And I assume at first they thought it wasn't coming back as the orders were light which led to how how it became.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Freedom Card Board mobile app
 

zyceoa

Active member
Sep 2, 2012
270
42
My favorite base design is probably 1997 Ultra, which they also did for basketball and football. It's borderless and I like the neon lettering. And it has some of the nicest looking inserts to boot.
 

Members online

Top