Yes, Yes Indeed Im all about EVERYTHING seventies!
The very core of my entire collection is the 1970 to 1979 Run of Topps Sets Ive been on a mission building for the better part of 35 years now. My goal of building the Perfect sets may never be complete, but it doesn't stop me from trying.
Somebody mentioned in the "Favorite 1960's Sets" thread about the 1969 Topps set and how beautiful the 69's were in high grades. I think that can basically be true of any set. In high grades the cards take on a completely different look. Being able to see and feel your childhood sets in this way really does make the sets and cards even more special to me.
I love all of the Seventies sets and I seem to go through cycles of which ones are my favorites depending on which one I currently seem to be working the hardest on.
That being said, there seems to be a wide array of opinions and thats whats always been great about card collecting. Everyone has their favorites and a story why.
First off, Roger Staubach is my all-time greatest boyhood hero and the greatest Football player Ive ever seen. The 1972 Topps Set was the first cards I collected when I was 8-years old. It features Roger Stabach's Rookie as well as his Passing Leader, Pro-Action and Super Bowl MVP cards as the Cowboys and Doomsday ABSOLUTELY crushed that Same Undefeated Dolphins Team. I believe its still the only Super Bowl that a defense did not allow a touchdown. I also truely believe, That Cowboy team would have beat that Dolphin team a second time had it not been for that Pesky "Over The Hill" Redskin Team that got crushed by the Dolphins. They just didn't match up very well.
Along with the bold colors and the use of both horizontal and vertical cards the 1972 Topps Set was the last set to be issued in series.
Its other historical innovative first's like the League Leader, Pro-Action, Playoff and the largest crop of HOF Rookie cards ever issued in one set, Led by that of Roger Staubach, will always set the 72 set apart from all the rest for me.
These Cowboy Playoff cards are two of my all-time favorite cards. Look at the sheer determination on Mr.Cowboy, Bob Lilly's face. Also notice the scores of the games. This was real football! When you had earn your points against a defense that didn't have its hands tied behind its backs by these pussified modern rules to promote and allow more scoring.
While yes, Ive spent boat loads of money over the years on these cards and it doesn't matter if I never see one red dime in return, because the cards and the heroes of my youth they represent are priceless. The saddest part is that we were probably the last generation of kids to ever experience card collecting in its purest form. No Price guides, No Labels, Just a mouthful of gum and a stack of cards in your pocket to swap with your friends.
1972 was a magical year for me as it also feature another football issue that may be even more Special than the 72 Topps Set itself!
The 1972 SUNOCO STAMP SET!
The all inclusive set of every player on the team with full on NFL logos was like noyhing we had EVER seen before! With a full color collector Album to boot we were just blown away by it as kids. About 10 years ago I went on a mission to assemble the finest 72 Sunoco set known to man. Again I spent boat loads on it, but again it never was about the money, Only the ability to now be able to escape back to 1972 everytime I open that special book of stamps. Once again it became priceless. Of coarse its featuring plenty of Roger Staubach and that first Super Bowl win for Tom landry made it all the more Special.
And of coarse my favorite stamp in the set. Lil Puddin Walt Garison
I'll be back to dicuss all of the other sets of the decade and why I prefer both the 78 and 79 sets over the 77 set.
John