My First Non-Sports Custom Set

[CamaroDMD]

So, one of my favorite things to study is space exploration. I have been a huge fan of the space program and even twice applied to the NASA Astronaut Corps. I also collect astronaut and cosmonaut autographs.

Outside of a couple card sets...Space exploration has been mostly forgotten. Topps produced a set in 1963 for the Mercury Program and in the early 1990s a set called "Space Shots" was produced...but otherwise it has been pretty slim. One of my collecting goals is to put together a set of each of the 1963 Topps varieties.

So, I decided to create a custom card set featuring all the manned spaceflights in human history. I am including any flight that meets to US qualifications for astronaut wings which is 50 miles (80 km). The international qualification level is 100km (62.7 miles).

Card will be ordered in chronological order.

Here are the first 4.

#1 Vostok 1

#2 MR-3 Freedom 7

#3 MR-4 Liberty Bell 7

#4 Vostok 2

More to come!

 

[CamaroDMD]

So, some of my friends on one of my space sites where I am also sharing this set had a few ideas and suggestions...mostly related to the boarder design. So, I gave them some thought and here is what I came up with.

The reason that I went with the white boarder is because I like trading cards from that early 1990s over produced era. That's what I collected as a kid remember fondly. More importantly, I felt an image boarder was too busy and drew attention away from the intended focus of the card.

Well, I played with it a bit and was able to get the colors of the boarder image a little more subdued which I feel still allows the focus to be on the point of the card. So, I decided to change it to a photo boarder.

Now, I really like the Earth orbital boarder. Most of our manned space missions have occurred in LEO so that's the view they had. Plus, I like seeing both the Earth and space in the background. So, I went with the STS-107 orbital photo.

Here are the first few cards remade with that boarder and a few new ones:

1 Vostok 1

2 MR-3 Freedom 7

3 MR-4 Liberty Bell 7

4 Vostok 2

5 MA-6 Friendship 7

6 MA-7 Aurora 7

7 X-15 Flight No 62

More will follow.

 

[Taliasen]

NASA should commission you to actually design a set like this. Might get more people/younger generation more interested in space.
Tal

 

[CamaroDMD]

NASA should commission you to actually design a set like this. Might get more people/younger generation more interested in space.
Tal

You know, I actually am posting them on a space themed board as well...and there are people there who teach history classes to kids about space exploration. They have asked to use them as class aids. It's kinda cool.

 

[CamaroDMD]

Here are more:

#8 Vostok 3

#9 Vostok 4

#10 MA-8 Sigma 7

#11 X-15 Flight No. 77

#12 MA-9 Faith 7

#13 Vostok 5

#14 Vostok 6

#15 X-15 Flight No. 87

#16 X-15 Flight No. 90

#17 X-15 Flight No. 91

#18 Voskhod 1

#19 Voskhod 2

#20 Gemini 3 Molly Brown

#21 Gemini IV

 

[bgsmith]

Really nice job! I like the border on the second set – they really seem to "pop." Do you have any of the cards from the 1963 Topps sets? I think they would be really neat to collect, but the prices are pretty steep for a complete set: https://www.ebay.com/p/1963-Topps-A...Set-Ex-mt/22027310995?iid=292881128526&chn=ps. Keep us updated and let us know if they ever go to print.

 

[Tonivir]

Cool. I love space exploration too. Maybe I should start buying also cards like this, not only you can earn in the future but its more of a historical or scientific quest in your collection. More collection I have, I think, more knowledge of this amazing people who explore our universe and other things above us.
I remember the US and Russian battle for space exploration for long time, since then and up until today, science really brings more things that we coudn't imagine exist. So maybe, I should start collecting this one.

 

[kclj520]

@CamaroDMD

I am in awe, just a FANTASTIC set!!

Blessings

Kevin