I'll always remember that the very first "star card" I ever got in
the 1971 set was Bob Gibson's card (#450). While I was psyched beyond
psyched getting this card as much as an eleven year old kid could be, I
never really liked the photo.
It's not the worst card out there, but Gibson looks like he's
struggling to walk up onto the mound during a game. That is, if you can
even clearly make him out.
As the subject of the card, Gibson kind of blends into the background, leaving A LOT to be desired from a collector's viewpoint.
Since I started this blog I knew I'd eventually get around to
redesigning this card, and today is the day, as I ended up using an
action shot of him following through on a pitch. Nice, crisp and clear.
It also brings up a question I've always wondered about regarding Topps.
To this day I still don't know why they never had these nice clear
shots of players in action. The technology obviously existed, as there
are thousands of vintage images online of players from the decade that
are not photoshopped, yet are clear, colorful,
and perfectly cropped.
I wonder just what Topps' attitude towards the images they used was
back then. Did they care at all? Or was the lack of competition a
factor in them using whatever they wanted.
I'm sure I'm missing something here, but am I really being too simplistic with my assumptions?
I'd love to know…
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| Gibson's card as issued by Topps. |
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| My redesign with a little more focus on "Gibby". |
