i decided to formalize what was a subset of that collection in to a "favorite cards of the year" mini collection to recognize my favorite* cards from each year since i began collecting.
the asterisk is there because, in order to avoid this collection just being a repeat of cards that are already in my player collections (mainly steve garvey) or other mini collections (dodger stadium, double plays, etc), i've disqualified some cards from being eligible. i will have two cards for each year - one non-dodger and one dodger. some years were very difficult, and others were quite easy.
note that this is not a revisionist history collection - these were the cards that i truly appreciated the year that they were released. as a result, they are mostly base cards and not fancy inserts that were chased down later.
1978 favorite non-dodger card: topps doug ault
1978 favorite dodger card: tcma the 1960's jim lefebvre
1979 favorite non-dodger card: topps hits all-time record holders george sisler and ty cobb
1979 favorite dodger card: topps bob welch
1980 favorite non-dodger card: cramer baseball legends lou gehrig
1980 favorite dodger card: topps manny mota 1979 highlights
1981 favorite non-dodger card: topps traded fred lynn
1981 favorite dodger card: fleer fernand(o) valenzuela
1982 favorite dodger card: kmart don drysdale
1983 favorite non-dodger card: topps dave bergman
1983 favorite dodger card: donruss steve yeager
1984 favorite non-dodger card: donruss living legends a (carl yastrzemski and johnny bench)
1984 favorite dodger card: donruss duke snider
1985 favorite non-dodger card: donruss dwight gooden box bottom
1985 favorite non-dodger card: topps traded al oliver
1986 favorite non-dodger card: fleer nl west sluggers superstar special dale murphy, steve garvey, dave parker
1986 favorite dodger card: fleer pedro guerrero all-star team insert
1987 favorite non-dodger card: topps rickey henderson turn back the clock
1987 favorite dodger card: topps maury wills turn back the clock
1988 favorite non-dodger card: topps lou piniella
1988 favorite dodger card: topps traded kirk gibson
1989 favorite non-dodger card: topps robin ventura
1989 favorite dodger card: topps don sutton box bottom
1990 favorite non-dodger card: topps ken griffey jr.
1990 favorite dodger card: topps sandy koufax
1991 favorite non-dodger card: topps carlton fisk
1991 favorite dodger card: topps fernando valenzuela
1992 favorite non-dodger card: topps cal ripken jr
1992 favorite dodger card: topps darryl strawberry
1993 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck fernando valenzuela
1993 favorite dodger card: topps traded mike piazza
1994 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck ken griffey jr
1994 favorite dodger card: collector's choice eric karros
1995 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck collector's choice kirby puckett
1995 favorite dodger card: upper deck collector's choice ismael valdes
1996 favorite non-dodger card: collector's choice babe ruth
1996 favorite dodger card: pinnacle raul mondesi
1997 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck charlie hayes
1997 favorite dodger card: bowman hideo nomo
1998 favorite non-dodger card: topps alex rodriguez
1998 favorite dodger card: fleer sports illustrated world series fever orel hershiser
1999 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck century legends ty cobb
1999 favorite dodger card: upper deck century legends mike piazza
2000 favorite non-dodger card: pacific invincible ken griffey jr.
2006 favorite dodger card: topps update & highlights nomar garciaparra
2008 favorite non-dodger card: donruss threads pete rose
2000 favorite dodger card: upper deck legends sandy koufax
2001 favorite non-dodger card: topps antonio alfonseca
2001 favorite dodger card: upper deck vintage steve garvey timeless teams bat relic
2002 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck vintage ichiro
2002 favorite dodger card: topps terry mulholland
2003 favorite non-dodger card: topps all-time fan favorites brooks robinson
2003 favorite dodger card: upper deck sweet spot classic jim gilliam
2004 favorite non-dodger card: topps doug mientkiewicz
2004 favorite dodger card: upper deck legends timeless teams steve yeager (1981)
2005 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck classics lyman bostock
2005 favorite dodger card: topps all-time fan favorites pedro guerrero
2006 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck mark grudzielanek
2007 favorite non-dodger card: topps derek jeter
2007 favorite dodger card: upper deck masterpieces sandy koufax
2008 favorite dodger card: topps update & highlights manny ramirez
2009 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck o-pee-chee alex rodriguez
2009 favorite dodger card: topps unique jim thome
2010 favorite non-dodger card: upper deck biography alexi casilla
2010 favorite dodger card: upper deck biography orlando hudson
2011 favorite non-dodger card: topps minnesota twins (diamond anniversary parallel)
2011 favorite dodger card: topps marquee clayton kershaw
2012 favorite non-dodger card: topps andrew mccutchen
2012 favorite dodger card: topps update adam kennedy
2013 favorite non-dodger card: topps archives joe mauer
2013 favorite dodger card: panini cooperstown vin scully
2014 favorite non-dodger card: topps all-star game fanfest charlie brown
2014 favorite dodger card: topps archives bill russell fan favorites autograph
2015 favorite non-dodger card: stadium club george brett
2015 favorite dodger card: leaf heroes of baseball don sutton
2016 favorite non-dodger card: topps jose bautista (rainbow foil)
2016 favorite dodger card: panini diamond kings walter o'malley
2017 favorite non-dodger card: topps stadium club jameson taillon
2017 favorite dodger card: topps update sandy koufax variation
2018 favorite non-dodger card: topps gallery ian kinsler
2018 favorite dodger card: topps archives tommy lasorda
2019 favorite non-dodger card: topps stadium club max kepler
2019 favorite dodger card: topps update russell martin
2020 favorite non-dodger card: big league javier baez
2020 favorite dodger card: topps update decades' best 1970s dodgers
2021 favorite non-dodger card: topps 70 years of topps cal ripken jr chrome
2021 favorite dodger card: topps heritage world series champions
2022 favorite non-dodger card: topps byron buxton
2022 favorite dodger card: topps now clayton kershaw
2023 favorite non-dodger card: topps heritage hank aaron baseball flashbacks
2023 favorite dodger card: topps heritage high numbers davey lopes 1974 highlights
2024 favorite non-dodger card: topps stadium club lawrence butler chrome refractor
2024 favorite dodger card: topps shohei ohtani
2025 favorite non-dodger card: topps chrome brooks lee rookie photo variation refractor
2025 favorite dodger card: topps will smith golden mirror variation
