1968 Topps 49er Team Set

I decided to show off my 3rd complete 49ers Vintage team set, this time I will step back into the 1960s, before I was even born to the year 1968.  This is my 3rd team set featured and brings the total vintage 49ers card on the blog to 29.

 I don't really think there is a baseball design to compare this to and I like that.  Before getting this team set I am not sure I had any cards with this design.  I really like the old school Niners logo in the upper right hand corner.  The bar across the bottom doesn't coincide with the team colors but I find it interesting that the blue surrounding the player name and team seems to match the blue sky shown in the background of all the players.  With only an 8 player checklist, I find having the backup quarterback as one of the players peculiar.  The rest of these players seem to make sense.  That look on John David Crow's face is a not-so-pretty football face if I ever saw one.

The design on the backs are pretty nice.  Since part of my mission is to learn more about the players I would have liked to see a little more of a write up but at least there is one for each player.  The write ups of all these players seem to highlight the versatility of the players.  The Football Highlights cartoons are pretty sweet, I love a good cartoon on a card back.

As mentioned there is only an 8 player 49ers team set in 1968.  In 1967 the Niners were 7-7 and in 3rd place in the Coastal Division including a 6 game losing streak.  John Brodie was the staring QB but missing from this set is 1967 1st round draft pick Steve Spurrier.  McFarland didn't even play in 1967 so he is an odd inclusion.  I really like Tommy Davis' picture with more of his body showing including his kicking leg cocked and ready to go along with an old school goal post in the background.

I love the language on Kermit Alexander's card - he "swiped five enemy aerials" - what a great way to describe an interception.  McFarland's comic goes back 7 years to when he was in college, that accomplishment seems to pale in comparison to his 3 teammates featured her.

My goal is to have 100 vintage 49ers featured in the blog by year end.  I am feeling pretty good about the goal with the 29 I have shared and another 48 in my possession.  So far I have been sharing team sets but I suspect I will need to change that later on in the year.