I don't know if anyone else here is a big baseball card geek like I am, but I've been making a few of these and thought I'd share one. Trying to ruin the photo to match the original set is the most enjoyable part. This isn't a particularly good job; the hue needs to be off, and I think I added too much "noise." But here it is!

6 days ago Voltaire Comment 20 comments 0 recs |

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Maybe we’re the only few here than still collect cards. I like what you did up there. It looks pretty authentic.

I’ve been putting together an Indians team set of the 1933 Goudeys (excluding the original Nap Lajoie).

Let’s see if you can do a make up of an old school card like this…haha:

The batter swings and the summer flies...

by cclemens31 on May 11, 2008 1:49 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

I think that’s a damn good job. I instantly recognized the mid-1980s card style. (Here’s an actual card of Julio for reference – 1985 Topps).

I would say you have recreated it quite nicely.

by steincat on May 11, 2008 8:58 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

One other thing that I just connected – when I was collecting cards (around 9-10 years old) I had put a lot of effort into getting a nearly full set from the 1986-1988 years. But in 1988, I stopped collecting because of a horrible experience for a 10 year old. My baby sitter was watching us one day and had invited these neighborhood boys over to our place. I was screwing around with my set, and they took a look at them.

I went outside to play ball or something, and I came back later and ended up finding that most of the best cards were missing.  I told my parents about it, and I'm pretty sure the babysitter got in trouble for having boys over, but never happened that I actually got the cards back.  It tainted my trust in mankind forever, and I never really got back into collecting cards.

The crazy thing, though, is that the cards that they stole that I distinctly remember included:
Mark McGuire, Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens.

Maybe those kids that were over to hook up with my babysitter knew something well before the Mitchell Report came out?

by steincat on May 11, 2008 9:16 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

That’s what I get for not pressing preview. Here’s the post without having to scroll over.

I went outside to play ball or something, and I came back later and ended up finding that most of the best cards were missing. I told my parents about it, and I’m pretty sure the babysitter got in trouble for having boys over, but never happened that I actually got the cards back. It tainted my trust in mankind forever, and I never really got back into collecting cards.

The crazy thing, though, is that the cards that they stole that I distinctly remember included:
Mark McGuire, Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds, and Roger Clemens.

Maybe those kids that were over to hook up with my babysitter knew something well before the Mitchell Report came out?

by steincat on May 11, 2008 9:18 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Yikes. By the way, those are the exact same 3 years that I collected a set. I still have about 1200 extra cards from 1987.

by dgcambridge on May 11, 2008 8:54 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Ah, 1987 Topps. Nothing will ever match that set for sheer excess.

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 9:05 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Now that would require sharpening up the ol’ colored pencils!

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 9:07 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I made this my new background.

by afh4 on May 11, 2008 4:43 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Sweet!

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 9:06 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I’m not sure what’s going on here, I thought that was just a scan of a particularly nice card. It’s something you made, V? Looks great.

by dgcambridge on May 11, 2008 8:53 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

Yeah, if you see the post above it’s a card I made in the style of 1985 Topps. I combined three hobbies here – baseball, baseball cards, and messing around with graphic design (or plagiarism, but whatever). Thanks!

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 9:06 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Thanks for the feedback, guys! Are there any other sets/players you’d like to see me take a stab at? I want to make more of these but don’t have anything specific lined up at the moment.

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 9:07 PM EDT reply reply 0 recs

it was god awful to most people, but for some reason i always loved ‘88 donrus – the blue ones.

by Brick. on May 11, 2008 10:27 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Ooh, excellent. The design looks like it’ll be medium-difficulty to recreate, which is perfect.

I enjoy nostalgia for the crappy, over-produced sets of the late 80s/early 90s, because those are the baseball cards I grew up with. Quality be damned.

by Voltaire on May 11, 2008 11:12 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I also like the 1987 Topps, the key is finding the right woodgrain pattern.

The batter swings and the summer flies...

by cclemens31 on May 11, 2008 11:49 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

I’d love to see an ‘88 Topps Carmona….

by APV on May 12, 2008 10:02 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

The typeface for INDIANS on the original 85 set looks to be Franklin Gothic. You can see the difference mostly in the S. It looks like you’re using a Helvetica/Arial/Swiss font. If you can get your hands on Franklin Gothic, that would help.

I work in advertising and can’t leave my font geek persona behind, so my apologies for being such a stickler.

by emd2k3 on May 12, 2008 9:33 AM EDT reply reply 0 recs

I know who I’m coming to for my next big font decision. That’s crazy that you spotted that.

by supermarioelia on May 12, 2008 10:27 AM EDT up reply reply 0 recs

Never fear! That’s the exact kind of input I was looking for on the design side! I am a stickler myself, and when I let myself down like this I disappoint me. Much obliged!

by Voltaire on May 12, 2008 5:54 PM EDT up reply reply 0 recs