Topps card design blah

[Pittsburgh 24]

Anybody else wish that Topps would stray from the very conservative, predictable designs they've been using lately? Each year the card design is so similar that it's really quite boring. I remember collecting back in the late 70's and 80's, each year was drastically different. 1981 with the hats, 1982 with the hockey sticks, 1984 with the mug shot, 1987 wood grain, etc. It seemed each year could easily be identified just with a quick glance. Now I need to flip the stinking card over just to see what year it is. Topps needs to hire some designers who will step outside the comfort zone and try some variety.

[phabphour20]

I second this post

[Ghumbs]

I totally agree. While I can easily tell the difference between sets well enough, it's nice when you can get some idea of the card's era based upon the design. I think Topps base cards have been in the same theme since 1998.

Look at any Topps pre-1998 and it uses interesting (sometimes beautiful, sometimes awful) designs that tend to reflect their era. Today, they're generic designs on low quality card stock.

I wish Topps base was more like Heritage, just without the throwback style. Nice card stock and good photography.

[Keyser Soze]

I think this years look great.

[KC35]

This year's design looks better than any of the designs from 2007-2012.

[centereacan06]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

I think this years look great.

Me too. My least favorite was 2010. I thought that one was was too generic and looked awful.

[hermanotarjeta]

Why stray from the norm when there is no incentive for change?

[VeedonFleece]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

I think this years look great.

I agree but I still think the OP has a point.

[death2redemptions]

I'd say this year is one of their best designs they've had in the last 10 years or so but I agree lately they have had some pretty boring watered down designs.

[KC35]

Originally Posted by death2redemptions

I'd say this year is one of their best designs they've had in the last 10 years or so but I agree lately they have had some pretty boring watered down designs.

2007 and 2008 had some really simple designs that just about anyone could have come up with.

[hermanotarjeta]

Part of the reason is because they need the design to allow the "chrome" version to stand out. They can't make an attractive 1986-1991 topps chrome design, it may hurt their bottom line.

[death2redemptions]

Originally Posted by KC35

2007 and 2008 had some really simple designs that just about anyone could have come up with.

In complete agreement. Anything but exciting.

[Zoop]

Agreed. Each line looks predictable year in and year out. I dig the look of MC and GQ but the rest could use an overhaul, in my opinion.

[Qwasian]

I would actually like if they had better/closer up pics of each player... I think it makes the cards look cooler & more personalized.

[Keyser Soze]

Their base card has to be something simple that will appeal to the masses. It's not a set that you want to go with extravagant and eclectic designs and end up with something that 25% of people absolutely love and 75% of people cant stand.

[Keyser Soze]

Originally Posted by Qwasian

I would actually like if they had better/closer up pics of each player... I think it makes the cards look cooler & more personalized.

Again, I think the photography this year is really good and appeals to most collectors. Heritage is your set if you like close-up posed pics

[petesahuttt]

I've really been waiting for them to 'Chrome' the A&G set. The ones they made for eTopps looked amazing

[centereacan06]

Also, there are so many "sub-products" made by Topps nowadays such as Heritage, Gypsy Queen, Allen and Ginter, Sterling, Five Star, etc...

Topps Series __ /US is, in my eyes, supposed to be a simple baseball card. Nothing too fancy, just something that you can open, look through with the kids, easily read the stats on the back, whatever. There are also so many inserts that it's almost like coming up with an extraordinary design for the base card for such a low end product would be a bit of a waste.

[mfw13]

The problem is that Topps, as well as the other manufacturers, place very low importance on card design, since these days whether a card looks good or not has little impact on sales. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you could count the number of graphic designers working for Topps on one hand.

Since all people seem to care about is how much money they can make breaking boxes/cases and how many hits they get, that's all the Topps focuses on as well. This is why every set has umpteen parallels and the same mindless inserts.

If the market doesn't place a premium on good card design, Topps isn't going to either.

[TheLastDude]

I could go for a good old fashioned "ugly" base card for 2014.

[oldtimer65]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The problem is that Topps, as well as the other manufacturers, place very low importance on card design, since these days whether a card looks good or not has little impact on sales. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you could count the number of graphic designers working for Topps on one hand.

Since all people seem to care about is how much money they can make breaking boxes/cases and how many hits they get, that's all the Topps focuses on as well. This is why every set has umpteen parallels and the same mindless inserts.

If the market doesn't place a premium on good card design, Topps isn't going to either.

I think this is spot on. When Topps had the monopoly in the 60's & 70's, the uniqueness of card design was all collectors had to look forward to. In the current monopoly it's all about ROI, so card design is an afterthought.

When I see threads where people say base is junk and they just toss it, this just confirms the above.

Personally, I thought this year's Topps design was their best in years.

[Qwasian]

Originally Posted by Keyser Soze

Again, I think the photography this year is really good and appeals to most collectors. Heritage is your set if you like close-up posed pics

to me heritage doesn't grasp what i'm talking about, a close up full color mugshot style image for each player to me would be ideal. heritage is more of an older styled washed look, i'm talking super clean like the griffey upper deck rookie, up close portrait high resolution, I think it would really make people take notice. and it's strange to me how the sets use terrible pics..... like the mike trout and bryce harper heritage pics are pretty lame..... they should have used mike trout with the eye black and holding a bat etc, not with his hat off just walking through the dugout not even facing the cam. bryce harper with the eye black hat facing forward etc would have been equally as awesome. the mantle rookie and many other popular cards of the past were close ups like that, and it made them timeless classics. the photography isn't bad at all for base topps, it's clean, Im not really mad at it, I just have an opinion on what I like personally.