THIS is the Ugliest Card of 2009

In reference to dayf's claim that the Allen & Ginter Suez Canal card is the hobby eye sore of the year, I present this:

2009 Topps American Heritage: Heroes Edition
64. Susie Walking Bear Yellowtail

This is in by no means a slight against the subject matter but rather the technical aspects of the card. It looks like I've blown the card up a lot. But look at the fineness of the Heritage logo. It's still in focus. This is one ugly picture that lacks even the most basic graphic design skills.

If you're a fan of the American Heritage line and have some kicking around the house, go and dig this card out. You'll notice the picture on the front looks like it's been blown up 20 times from a low resolution avatar. The pixelation is inexcusable.

With dayf's permission I propose that we hold a poll for the year's ugliest card. Start digging, folks, and get 'em posted. Then I say we collect all the nominees and vote. What do you say?

Is This the Worst Sticker Autograph of All Time?

Browsing on eBay, I came across this card from 2005 Playoff Prime Cuts. The card design overall is very attractive. The alternating game-used pieces show that they're just not oversized single relics posing as a dual. It's got an all-time great. And it has an autograph.  What the heck is going on with that autograph?

I've got a few beefs with sticker autographs, but a big one is the fact that often they don't hold the entire signature. This is probably the most extreme example I've seen. It looks as though a good half of Aaron's autograph is gone, a victim to the edges. Add to that a bit of apparent smudging and you've got one immensely disappointing card.

Although I understand Aaron hasn't been of the greatest health in recent years, which would affect his signatures, it doesn't excuse Playoff for letting this one out there. It's called quality control. If something isn't at it's greatest, it should be removed from distribution. I feel bad for the person who pulled the card. It'd be great without the autograph and amazing if the scribble was even half an inch higher. But as it stands, ick!