Sunday, August 5, 2018

Pondering the 2019 Chachi Design - Reader Input Requested #Collect

1971 Topps #119
1972 Topps #528
1984 Topps #101
1986 Topps #585
1987 Topps Traded #103T
It's about this time each year that I start to think ahead to the next season and the design I'll use for my annual custom Phillies team set.  I've called these cards "Chachi" cards since first creating the set during the 2005 season in honor of our late, great first dog, Chachi.  I've been working my way through the Topps designs of the 1970s and 1980s, and my choices are dwindling in terms of sets I've not yet tackled.

As a look into this annual process, here's a summary of what sets are off the board (for now) since they've already been used, and a look at the handful of sets still remaining.

1970 Topps - 2016 Chachi
1973 Topps - 2013 Chachi
1974 Topps - 2010 Chachi
1975 Topps - 2005 Chachi
1976 Topps - 2007 Chachi
1977 Topps - 2008 Chachi
1978 Topps - 2018 Chachi
1979 Topps - 2012 Chachi
1980 Topps - 2009 Chachi
1981 Topps - 2006 Chachi
1982 Topps - 2017 Chachi
1983 Topps - 2011 Chachi
1985 Topps - 2015 Chachi
1988 Topps - 2014 Chachi

And the candidates for the 2019 Chachi set:

1971 Topps - I've come close to using this design so many times, but I've never been able to pull the trigger.  The actual 1971 Topps set is awesome, but I'm afraid I'd get tired of creating cards with the all-black border half-way through the season.  I either need to use this design in 2019, or wait a few years as Topps will be using this design for its 2020 Topps Heritage set.

1972 Topps - I can say the same thing about the 1972 Topps set - awesome set, but I could get tired of the psychedelic tombstone design by early summer.  And there's no way I'm talented enough to re-create the team name font so I'd have to scan in a card for each team I wanted to feature and I'd pass on making cards for minor league teams.  No fun.

1984 Topps - This design has grown on me, and I'm far enough away from having used the 1983 Topps design that maybe it's time to give this a shot.  As an added bonus, it's colorful.

1986 Topps - This set is also a dark horse candidate, and it's moved up in the rankings since someone gave me the name of the font to use for the team name (Napoli Serial Heavy).  But it's somewhat of a boring design.

1987 Topps - Like the 1971 Topps design, I've come close to using this in the past but Topps' over-saturation of 1987 Topps style cards as inserts in prior years caused me to back away.

1989 Topps - I'll probably never use this design.  I wouldn't know how to re-create the style and font used for the team name and I'd have to go the 1972 Topps route (see above) if I were to use this set's design.

1965 Topps #352
1981 Donruss #175
1982 Donruss #219
1983 Fleer #163
1991 Topps #618
I've also recently given some thought to leaving the friendly confines of the Topps sets from these two decades and using the design of one of my other favorite sets.

1965 Topps - My favorite design from the 1960s.
1981 Donruss - One of the first sets I remember collecting, and I've always had a soft spot for the very early Donruss designs.
1982 Donruss - See above.
1983 Fleer - Another nostalgic set for me with a simple design.
1991 Topps - My son Doug has become partial to this set's design for some reason.  Given that 2020 will be the 15th anniversary of the first Chachi set, maybe I'll go with this design then and replace the "40" from the original with a "15".

What do you think?  What set would you like to see on this blog throughout next season?  Any other sets I'm omitting that deserve consideration?

7 comments:

Section 36 said...

I'm leaning towards 1984 Topps or 1991 Topps.

The idea of making a 15th anniversary logo for the 1991 Topps design is REALLY appealing.

Brett Alan said...

I do like the idea of using 1981 Donruss. While the next few years of Donruss had a certain sameness, and those elements turn up in the Donruss "Retro" cards every year, the '81 design doesn't turn up much. And why should a Topps have all the fun?

If you do the '91 design for the anniversary thing, please consider '81 Donruss for next year. But maybe '91T would be even better for your 20th.

Jim from Downingtown said...

I don't see any 1960s sets among the nominees.

Topps' 65, 67, 63, 60, and 66 designs would be better than any of the 80s or 90s sets under consideration.

Unknown said...

1972 Topps

wileybb said...

I agree with Jim. Why not dip into the 60s? While there are still a few of us left who remember the 60s. :)

Jim said...

Thanks everyone and I appreciate the feedback. I'm leaning towards either 1971 or 1984 this year with the thought being that I'll get to the other sets . . . eventually.

I think the reason I've stayed away from sets from the '60s is that I'm not as familiar with those sets. With the exception of needing some cards to complete my '71 set, I have every Topps set back to 1970. I keep toying with the idea of picking a set from the '60s to collect once I have the complete '71 set and maybe then the '60s Topps sets will get some Chachi love. Thanks again!

Steve F. said...

If it's not too late--I cast my vote for 1984. I love the double-picture look. Looking at the 1982 Donruss design now, it looks like something some kid could do with a, well, 1982 Commodore 64. Still, I do like it. I agree that the 1987 set has been overdone of late.

I would love to see the 1972 set most of all but I get your concern about having to replicate that font. Is there any way you can pick off each letter one at a time from the 24 teams in that set and figure out how to create the minor league team names that way? (That is about 100,000 steps beyond what I would be able to do, so I understand if not.) That set has some cool cards in it, though, like the Boyhood Photos, the triple and double rookie cards, and the Traded set--it would be great to see those Chachi cards!