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10 years after

Yes, kids, that's a late 1960s band reference -- "I'd love to change the world," and all that stuff. I'm on a late '60s/early '70s kick for some reason. That's odd, because it's before my time. But there I go, appreciating things that took place before my era. Wacky me.

One thing in the music arena that did take place during my time was the "decade in review" show on the radio. Do you remember those? I vividly remember listening to an hour-long show each night during the end of 1979 as it reviewed the decade's biggest moments and songs year-by-year.

It was kind of hokey, especially when I think about it now: news of Watergate with Roberta Flack singing "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" in the background. But back then I thought it was cool. And by 1989, I'm sure I listened to another decade review show that covered everything from "Another Brick in the Wall" to New Kids on the Block.

After that, I lost track. I'm sure the decade of the '90s was lost in the Y2K hysteria. And almost anyone listening to the radio these days -- there are a few of us left -- doesn't care about anything more recent than the '80s.

But I still like looking back on the past decade. And since this is a card blog, and we're nearing the end of another decade, I'd like to review the card designs of the past decade. I'm going to start with Topps, because anyone who remembers listening to music on AM radio knows that Topps is the first place to start. Unless you're 80, that is, and the only thing around when you were a kid was Goudey. And if that describes you and you're reading this blog -- God bless you, sir or madam. You are the coolest person EVER.

Sometime later, I'll review the designs of Upper Deck, although I don't expect many people to be able to tell the difference from year to year. But I'll likely keep it to Topps and UD. Fleer and Donruss died out by the end of the decade. Maybe Bowman? I don't know.

So here are the Topps designs of "The Aughts." I'm going to rank them at the end. Feel free to do the same in the comments. Also, all of these cards featured have appeared on the blog before. I need to give my scanner a break. The thing is starting to hate me.

2000 Topps: In the midst of the baseball card "Metallic Era," Topps unveiled an all "silver" flagship set. Personally, I think it's not "silver," but "gray," as in "drab." It's similar to the way that I think all the "silver" vehicles that I see on the road are actually "gray, cold, colorless, futuristic automatons that will take over the world and suck the life out of every living thing." So, um, yeah, I'm not crazy about it.

2001 Topps: Interesting color choice, but at least there is some color to the design. I rather like this set, because the photo gets most of the attention. The gold foil stuff wears away/flakes off, so that's annoying.

2002 Topps: I remember taking a step back when I first pulled these cards out of a pack. That color is certainly odd. How would you describe that color? Butterscotch? Vomit yellow? The rest of the design I like quite a bit. But I bought very, very few of these cards.

2003 Topps: I do like dark blue. It matches with the Dodgers, you know. This is a pretty basic look, but I like it. I like how they tried to make the name background match the team's color. The photo inset has been used a time or two before. They didn't necessarily need it.

2004 Topps: White-bordered cards used to be an every-year occurrence. But the 2004 set was the first Topps base set to have white borders since 1997. A lot of the photo images in this set are too small. The little player icon at the bottom left always struck me as pointless. I would have preferred the generic position guy like Topps used with the '73 and '76 sets.

2005 Topps: I really did not like this set when it first came out. It looked too much like the previous year, but with some odd additions -- the player's name and team written on the SIDE and his last name in big, gold letters at the top. I give them credit for being creative at least.

2006 Topps: The team logos are gone for the first time this decade. I like the banner colors on this set, and it is the first modern set I collected upon my return to collecting, so it means something to me. But the foil lettering on a black background is virtually unreadable. Not good.

2007 Topps: Certainly different. People describe this as the movie filmstrip design, which I believe I will add to the "define the design" list. But I'm not sure if that was Topps' original idea. The design does highlight the photo more and I like that. It's almost as if you're looking at the photo while seated in a darkened area, like watching a movie screen in a dark theater, or seeing the ballfield while standing in the shadows of a ballpark concourse. Unfortunately, Topps is addicted to that blasted foil.

2008 Topps: When I first saw this design, I thought it was refreshing and colorful after the previous year. But the more I saw it, the less I liked it. The design interfered with the photo so much that photo selection was way below average. But the names are easier to read.

2009 Topps: I'll finish where I started with Thome. This is my favorite design of the decade. Simple, but memorable, with an emphasis on the photo. And the photo selection was the best since 1991. Topps is still clinging to foil on a black background, so that's the only thing that detracts from an almost perfect look.

So, if I had to rank them -- and I have to, because I SAID SO -- it would go like this:

1. 2009
2. 2003
3. 2001
4. 2006
5. 2007
6. 2002
7. 2004
8. 2000
9. 2005
10. 2008

I think in a couple years, some of the sets will switch positions, but that's where I'm at right now.

Comments

Anonymous said…
So when was the last time that Topps didn't use foil for the player names?

My rankings:

1. 2009
2. 2003
T3. 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2008
7. 2000
T8. 2001 & 2002
10. 2007
mmosley said…
2007 Topps is easily the worst design of the aughts. The black was cool but the 4 dots in the corners were unbearable.
Matt Runyon said…
I wish they'd stop using foil. I'd go:

1. 2009
2. 2004
3. 2003
4. 2001
5. 2006
6. 2000
7. 2008
8. 2007
9. 2005
10. 2002
BASEBALL DAD said…
Everyone seems to like '09 and I can't disagree!
2009
2004
2005
2008
2003
2000
2006
2002
2001
2007
deal said…
Right now I like 03. 08 had potential, but the bad photography and the sh-tty placement of the topps log did it in.

If you take that grey away from 2000 I like it also.

This will be interesting to come back to in 2005.

The dots on the filmstrips bug me too. I really dislike the landscape cards - the dot color remains left to right instead of top to bottom and looks dumb.
Anonymous said…
I got '04 at #1
'09 at #2
The rest are tied for third.

And I HATE FOIL. Doesn't matter to me if it's on black or white backgrounds, it needs to disappear.
zman40 said…
Maybe you can help me on this. 2000 is probably the only year I did not buy a pack of Topps since 1984. I have two cards from the set and they are from the update set. Both of them have the same colored border as the 2001 set. Did they change the color for the update/traded set?

For the decade, 2003 is my favorite. The PIP reminds me of the 1983 set. I think that my least favorite is 2009. The names on the front and the numbers on the back are hard to read. They had better photos, but many of them are taken from too far away and feature a little player in the middle of the card. And, there is the Luke Scott card where he is practilly bending over in front of the camera.
night owl said…
Can't help you, Zach. The cards from the 2000 traded set that I've seen look just like the 2000 base set cards.
zman40 said…
I went and double-checked my couple of signed '00s and they were in fact greyish. I guess that I just got them confused with the '01s that I actually bought a few packs of. I probably should have checked that first before I commented.

Oh well
Motherscratcher said…
Hey, I'm Back!

This is an impossible task. If I made a list and then put it in a drawer, then tried to do it again the next day, I bet it would be different.

That being said, I think that you have 2006 too high, although I understand why you do.

2008 should be a lot higher in my opinion. It's so recognizable, like 1987. Ten years down the road, if someone showed you a 2002 or a 2004, you might haveto take a second to think about it. Someone shows you a 2008, you'll know what it is right away. Uniqueness has to count for something.

I'm with you on 2009 being the best.
GOGOSOX60 said…
I like this years 2009 set a lot. Great photography!!

I loved the 2004 set as a salute to 1964 and 1973. It's the only set from this decade I have in pages. It had a lot of little reminders to older Topps issues in it.

The rest:
2003
2000
2002
2008
2006 This could have been a great set, but the foil takes it all away.
2001
2005
2007
I think the 2000 set was a grey front tribute 1970 set? Anyone? Bueller?
beardy said…
Better late than never...

Get ready to think I am a moron.

1. 2008
2. 2001
3. 2005
4. 2009
5. 2003
6. 2004
7. 2002
8. 2007
9. 2000
10. 2006

The last 3 I hate quite a bit.

Ten Years After is a kick-ass band, and for some reason aren't as popular as they should be.