For a long time I believed that 1973 was the first Topps set issued in one series. I was nine in 1973 and it was the second set that I collected. I lived in the Cleveland area and I remember 1973 being issued all at once and the blue checklist cards being available all summer. I also remember Topps commercials from that year touting the end of series distribution.
I remember older kids in the neighborhood saying that collecting in 1973 was a lot easier then in years past. I know in 1972, at least, that the high numbers reached our neighborhood because I remember getting some of the traded cards.
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