The Best Donruss Set Countdown - #'s 16-13

Here we go with the third edition of the Best Donruss Set Countdown.  The first two weeks qualified as the bottom third of all Donruss sets, this week we start two weeks of the average Donruss sets.  These are the ones that I would consider very collectible, but they have some serious room for improvement as well.  This week will be a look at the start of the three different phases of the Donruss legacy: the original run, the Playoff run, and the Panini run.  Join me if you will for a journey through the midsection of the Donruss body of work.

16. 2001

PLUSES - Nice colorful borders that match the pictured team.  The star theme is okay, but nothing earth-shattering.  I like the 20th Anniversary stamp because it is there, but it doesn't overwhelm the front.  It works as a minor element of the design.

MINUSES - The back is vertical like every other Playoff-owned Donruss set (2001-2005), although this was the first so it's not THAT bad.   I take that back, all vertical backs are horrible.

15. 1983

PLUSES - I have always been a fan of the glove because it i a very under-utilized design element for a baseball set.  I also like the font used for the team name.  The first time seen "How Acquired" line on the back is my favorite card back element of all time.  The coloration on the back is probably my favorite of the entire "80's Donruss back" run.

MINUSES - The placement of the '83 should have be underneath the Donruss logo to match the '82 set.  The bat would have worked better in several colors mixed throughout the set.  It does get marked down quite a bit for the lack of creativity in the design.

14. 1982

PLUSES - Very simplistic design, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.  I like the multiple colors used for the border, even if sometimes the color doesn't match the team.  The back design is the beginning of a 10 year run, so you have to give it a little bit of credit.

MINUSES - Not a lot of credit though because the white letters on blue background has to have contributed to many sore eyes.  Like 1983, the bat would have worked better in several colors mixed throughout the set.

13. 2014

PLUSES - I like the throwback to 1987 with the baseball stripe, with the added improvement of matching a team color.  The semi-cursive team name really looks good, even though it does remind me too much of 1978 Topps.

MINUSES - If anything there are too many "nods to the past" mixed together.  It's fine if Panini wants to completely start anew next year, but it's a bit cluttered this year.  The border is too thick compared to the photo.  I hate that the back does not have the How Acquired line included.  The Panini logo is in a really bad place on the back.  It should be buried next to the MLBPA logo at the bottom.

One thing I have often liked is the "bookend" quality of 1982 and 1983 Donruss.  I realize that some people don't like it because it is not very creative, but I like the reciprocal factor of the two designs.  It's not the best idea, but it's not the worst either which means I guess I have it well placed here in the middle third.

When I did the Best Topps Set Countdown back in 2012, I put the most recent set right in the middle just because I wanted to give it enough time for me to make a legitimate judgment on the design.  I figured I would do the same with the newest Donruss set.  If I were to re-rank the Topps sets again, the 2012 set would drop around 20-25 spots because I really have developed a dislike for it.  Will the same thing happen to 2014 Donruss?  To be honest, it probably will.  I like the set just because it has brought back a lot of nice Donruss memories, but it does seem to have a lot of faults.  What do you guys think? 

Thanx for reading.

The Best Donruss Set Countdown - #'s 20-17

Well I guess I am a day late, but hopefully not a dollar short with this Thursday's edition of The Best Donruss Set Countdown.  I started out last week with my opinion of the bottom four sets in Donruss history based primarily on design and for the most part you guys are in agreement.  Will this week's four sets meet an equal agreement?  Only time will tell.  Although you can also tell me how right (or how wrong) I am in the comments section.  Let's take a look at the next four sets.

20. 2004

PLUSES - Pretty good photography.  I like the use of team colors in the design as well.

MINUSES -  I can't stand the dot matrix looking design.  It really subtracts from the card.  Those of you that read the Best Topps Set Countdown should know how little I like the vertical backs.

19. 1988

PLUSES - Nice big logos on the front that were usual for the time.  Blue is a nice color for both borders and backs.

MINUSES - Too much blue here.  The set just looks boring after ten cards or so.  Perhaps several different borders a la 88 Score or 90 Topps would have helped.  Lackluster photography as well.

18. 2002

PLUSES - Use of team colors again a plus.  It's different than most other Donruss sets. 

MINUSES - Different is not always good.  Vertical backs strike again.  The two black bars in the middle are completely unnecessary.  The corners should have been used for something such as the team logo and/or position.

17. 1989

PLUSES -  Good logo placement.  The color spectrum is used very well.  Better photography compared to the rest of this era.

MINUSES - Same old, same old on the back.  They should have gone all out and made the black bars on the sides color matched with the top and bottom.



That's it for part 2 of the countdown.  Is everything lining out as expected or am I completely ruining your memories of Donruss?  Let me know.

Thanx for reading.

The Best Donruss Set Countdown - #'s 24-21

Everybody is starting to get a look at the return of Donruss.  Will it be a long-lasting return like Bowman in 1989 or will it be a forgettable return like Fleer in 2006?  Who knows?  Right now I am skeptical of this being a long term return, but I am hopeful that Panini can bring Donruss back to glory.  Anyway, let's go ahead and start The Best Donruss Set Countdown with the bottom 4 sets of all time.  Feel free to share your opinions in the comments section.

24. 1996

PLUSES - To be honest with you, there is no such thing as a plus for this set.

MINUSES - The card number is in an odd location.  The photo on the back is very cumbersome and doesn't add that much to the overall package.  The worst thing is the platinum loin cloth on the front.  It is possibly the single worst design element ever added to a set by any company.

23. 1986

PLUSES - The front design really worked in 1986 when Max Headroom was all the rage.

MINUSES - It stopped working ever since Max Headroom has been all but forgotten which was around 1988.  The back of the card is upside down compared to all other Donruss sets of the time which really annoys me.
 

22. 1990

PLUSES - It is different which was a big plus at the time because Donruss was in a rut design-wise. 

MINUSES - The cursive writing is just too hard to read.  The odd paint splotches down the sides are quite ugly.  The red borders are okay, but just a bit too bright.
 

21. 1991

PLUSES - Green borders were a nice change of pace.  The logo-player name-position diagonal really looks good.

MINUSES - How many freaking colors are needed on the sidebars?  I have no clue what it is supposed to mean.  I really didn't like that Series 1 had blue borders and Series 2 had green borders.  It made them look like two different sets.



What do you think?  Did I grade a set a little too harshly?  Are there any sets that should have been in the bottom four instead?  Let me know.

Thanx for reading.

The Best Donruss Set Countdown - Prelude

Two years ago, I had a countdown of the best Topps Sets of all time, in my opinion of course.  Here in 2014 we are having a revival of another flagship card set, Donruss.  I figured it would be the perfect time to have a countdown of the best Donruss sets of all time.  I am just going to focus on the flagship Donruss set of each year and ignoring offshoots such as Diamond Kings, Leaf, and Studio.  There are 24 Donruss sets (including the 2014 set) and I will do the countdown showing 4 per week for 6 weeks followed by a recap.  I am going to keep it short today because I am light on time, but I will be beginning this countdown next week with #24.  I hope to see as much feedback as I got for the Topps countdown.


Thanx for reading.