Into the Archives

My interest in vintage comes and goes.   I was born at the tail end of the non-glossy cardstock era, or more accurately the flimsy but not quite yet glossy era.  I love the history and "story" that comes with each vintage addition.  But sometimes I just feel like I'm crossing abstract names and numbers off of a checklist; connecting with history rather than actually drawing a connection to any particular player or card.

But there are a couple vintage sets that just absolutely bring out everything I love about collecting - particularly the 1960 Topps and 1955 Bowman sets.  I don't know that it's a coincidence  that both sets are horizontal.

Obviously 1960 holds all kinds of sentiment with the Pirates dramatic World Series win.  On the other hand, 1955 was a far less impressive season.  But there's some kind of nostalgic goodness that makes me absolutely love the old wood grain tv design.

I have the majority of the '55 Bowman team set, but a few of the cards are very well loved (read: creased) and will probably be upgrade-worthy one of these days.