1974 Topps Factory Set

[nolemmings]

Maybe someone here can check their January 1974 edition of the Trader Speaks for some info, as a few of the cards are pictured on the cover.

[moeson]

Originally Posted by nolemmings

Maybe someone here can check their January 1974 edition of the Trader Speaks for some info, as a few of the cards are pictured on the cover.

I don't believe that issue had an article on the set. Here is a review from an early April 1974 issue of the Ballcard Collector which discusses the inclusion of traded cards, as well as San Diego and Washington versions of Rich Morales in the same box.

[jmoran19]

Originally Posted by moeson

I don't believe that issue had an article on the set. Here is a review from an early April 1974 issue of the Ballcard Collector which discusses the inclusion of traded cards, as well as San Diego and Washington versions of Rich Morales in the same box.

Thanks for posting this. In addition vintage breaks has been busting 8 card wax packs on YouTube and some of the packs have contained both a traded card and a Washington Padres card. No team CL’s though. John

[deweyinthehall]

I'm relatively new to this forum, and I love this discussion.

Interesting the way he described the red-bordered team checklists - as if he hadn't seen the 73 blue version...I've heard that some collectors back then were unaware that the checklists were even issued because of odd distribution.

As to the 1974s, when I was building my set I did some research and found some information which painted the following picture:

1) All 1974 sheets were proofed initially solely with San Diego designations
2) O/a December 6 when the league approved the sale to DC, the sheets were re-done to reflect Washington; this includes all 5 sheets. They weren't lettered in 1974, so arbitrarily listing them here alphabetically:

A - Grubb, Troedson, Grief, Colbert, Jones, Team, Beckert, McCovey
B - Kendall, Hilton, Romo
C - Roberts, Gaston, Morales
D - Arlin, Alou, Winfield, Tolan, Corkins, Hernandez, Freisleben Rookie, Lee
E - Corrales, Thomas, Murrell

3) Even though issued in a single series, they were still apparently printed in consecutive batches - sheets A, B, and then C went to press before D and E. It was after Kroc bought the team that they stopped the presses to assess the situation - too many of the first three sheets had been printed to take a loss and reprint from scratch with San Diego, so they knowingly let all the printed Washington cards into circulation, reformatted the sheets, and began printing them with San Diego (Washington cards from sheet C appear to be scarcer than the rest, so perhaps fewer of sheet C had been printed when they changed over.

4) The other two sheets were reformatted, and as far as anyone knows none were ever printed, let alone cut, with the Washington designation (so, no Winfield Washington rookies out there to be found). When they examined sheet D, they simply missed Freisleben because they didn't look closely at the 4 player rookies. After that sheet had gone through a lot of print runs, they discovered what had happened, and hastily put San Diego on his card, and started the presses. Then, someone with an eagle eye saw the font was different from the other rookie cards. They stopped again and created the accurate "small lettering" version, and resumed. They got so deep into the print run that the Washington version of Freisleben is the common version. The small lettering is hard to find - it took me a while to find one in NM shape that wasn't slabbed.

Anyway, just FYI for anyone who didn't know or might find it interesting.

And, as a bonus, here's a photo I downloaded from a Padres' fan site a long time ago of the very same Freisleben in the uniform of the ill-fated Washington Stars.

[ALR-bishop]

Great post

[Rich Klein]

I am convinced the 1973 Team Checklists were only issued in the inclusive packs and not in the series packs. I opened enough of 1973 packs in series and never saw a team checklist. I'm going from memory but I'm pretty sure I was told those Blue Team Checklists were only in those five-series "test" packs.

That does explain why those are much tougher than the 1974 counterparts.

I opened enough 1974 packs and never pulled a Washington NL from the packs and I think I opened my first packs in spring break March 1974. I also never got an Aaron until the day after he hit #715 and I thought that was just a bizarre coincidence.

I think it took me till May to get traded cards and the team checklists were also in those packs. This is all memory and 44 years later while its good its not perfect

Rich

[JollyElm]

Great info on the 74's. Very cool!!

We opened 8 million wax packs, cellos and rack packs in 1973 (on Long Island and in NYC) and never got one of those blue team checklists. Much like the 1975 minis, I had no idea they even existed until many, many years later.

[tschock]

Originally Posted by Rich Klein

I am convinced the 1973 Team Checklists were only issued in the inclusive packs and not in the series packs. I opened enough of 1973 packs in series and never saw a team checklist. I'm going from memory but I'm pretty sure I was told those Blue Team Checklists were only in those five-series "test" packs.

That does explain why those are much tougher than the 1974 counterparts.

I opened enough 1974 packs and never pulled a Washington NL from the packs and I think I opened my first packs in spring break March 1974. I also never got an Aaron until the day after he hit #715 and I thought that was just a bizarre coincidence.

I think it took me till May to get traded cards and the team checklists were also in those packs. This is all memory and 44 years later while its good its not perfect

Rich

I have 3 1974 (yes empty) boxes still from 1974. Two are designated 1-302-70-01-4 and one is 1-301-70-01-4. The "301" box is exactly the same as the "302" box except that on the box side panel facing front it has "Bonus Team Checklist Inside!". Doesn't mean they were not in the "302" box, but something changed.

I got a ton of traded cards as well, so those may have come in the "302" box or even another one after that. I don't remember pulling any Washington variation cards, so they could well have been mixed in with the San Diego boxes (or at least certain, early shipped ones).

Based on me never getting any 1973 high numbers nor blue checklists in packs, I would tend to agree with your view on those.