Friday, December 29, 2017

FInishing Up WIth Zenith

Reader Chad got me started with the first two years of Zenith.  Sportlots got me finished with the last two years.

In 1997 the brand has some major changes.  The set size shrunk from 150 cards down to just fifty.  While the set got smaller, some of the cards got bigger, much bigger.  In addition to the 50 base cards, there were also 8" x 10" versions of the first 24 cards in the set.

 

WIth just 50 cards in the set I should be thankful that there are two Cubs.  There's quite a cropping contrast with these two, really tight on Ryno while pulled back pretty far for Sammy.


Here's a better-cropped version of Sammy.

The 1998 set was Zenith's last hurrah.  They increased the set size to 100, but decreased the oversized cards, from 8" x 10" to 5" x 7".  In an odd twist, the big cards were rip cards with the base cards inside.

 

These are the two Cubs cards from the 1998 set.

I've got only the base cards from these last two year.  The oversized cards are on the way and I'll get them posted once they arrive.

2 comments:

  1. I like the Stadium Club-esque basic design. And I almost always like when the subject pops out of the border. Aside from the Sosa crop, pretty solid additions.

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  2. Never understood why the whole Dare to Tear thing never caught on. I bought a ton of that 1998 Zenith (and 97/98 Zenith Hockey) and had a blast tearing into them. It was like a pack within a pack.

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