The Best Topps Set Countdown #'s 61-56

I have been doing this blog for over a year now and I haven't really said specifically what I like in a set, other than the Rockies of course.  As most of you know I was a card collector long before the Rockies even existed.  So, I am not completely biased and have a decent eye for sets.  This countdown is strictly my opinion only, although differing opinions are more than welcome in the comments section.  What I am going to do over the next several Fridays is countdown the flagship Topps sets from worst to best.  I'm sure some others have done this in the past, and they probably did it better, but an extra opinion never hurt anyone.  I have at least one original card from most of the Topps set (I think I am missing maybe 4 or 5, but I will try to get them before they come up) so I will be scanning my own cards for those of you that may have missed a set or two. 

Let's start the countdown.

#61 1999

PLUSES - There is not much good that I have to say about this set.

MINUSES - Where to begin?  Let's start with the completely unreadable names and team name on the front.  It's just horrible.  Some of the cards in the set had the back in the opposite position as well making sets look weird in pages.  If 1999 was my first year collecting Topps cards, it would have also been my last.

#60 2000

PLUSES - It's not a complete train wreck like 1999.  Team colored nameplates and the small logo on the bottom left are a nice touch.

MINUSES - Vertical backs always make a set unappealing to me.  Although it does look good in a binder, the card number is in the wrong location for box storage.  The silver border is just not appealing and bordering on ugly.  The foil appears hard to read on some of the cards. 

#59 1970

PLUSES - I like the script name on the front.  That is the main reason I have always liked Fleer Ultra as well.  The back coloration works well together and is fairly easy to read. 

MINUSES - The original silver/gray border still does not look appealing.  Most of the photography is somewhat lackluster.   Just boring overall.

#58 2010

PLUSES - Team colored backgrounds on both the front and back. 

MINUSES - Once again, hard to read foil names.  The wave sort of takes away from the photo, especially on the back.  This set is ranked this low primarily due to the treatment of the Rockies because the name logo is absolutely horrible on this set.

#57 2002

PLUSES - The ribbons with the logo and the name are sort of cool.  Both the number and text on the back are easily readable.

MINUSES - The god-awful color of the border (what is that orange? brown? rust?).  A lot of unnecessary material taking of too much space on the back.

#56 1996

PLUSES - Overall pretty good photography.  The logo on the front is always a plus with me.  I sort of like the little winged font on the player name on the back

MINUSES - Stats on the back are way too small.  The mashed head on the front has ALWAYS been a bad idea, even more so when it is the exact same photo.  The back is way too busy with all the different colors.

It sort of suck to start with the worst because there are so many negatives, but you do have build a little suspense for #1.  As you can see, the last half of the 90s and the first half of the 2000s weren't good and the other years in that area should be showing up in short order.  Next week #'s 55-51.