What are some of the more difficult sets from the 70's?

[savedfrommyspokes]

71 OPC, Semi and Hi #s specifically. 74 OPC is scarce too.

[ALR-bishop]

Topps 70 Cloth
Topps 71 Rookie Artists Proofs
Topps 1971 Winners
Topps 1971 Greatest Moments
Topps 1972 Candy Lids
Topps 1973 Comics
Topps 1973 Pin Ups
Topps 1974 Puzzles
Topps 1974 Deckle
Topps 1978 Zest Soap...only kidding
Topps 1980 TestCoins

[Harliduck]

As just a base Topps set collector, 71 and 72 were tough due to just the sheer volume. Both are near 800 cards each and those semi highs and highs in ex or better add up. I almost have a VG set of 71's with all the upgrades I've had to do after all the lots I bought and dug through.



Al...that list looks daunting. I'll leave those sets to the experts...

[tedzan]

You can add to this list this seldom seen 1973 TOPPS reprint set (8 cards) from their 1953 set.





This set includes......

Jackie Robinson
Satchell Paige
CarlFurillo
Al Rosen
Hal Newhouser
Clyde McCullough
Peanuts Lowrey
Johnny Mize



TED Z
.

[ALR-bishop]

Good one Ted. Eight card set in which three of the players are incorrect ( Furillo/ Rosen/ McCullough). What was it's origin and purpose ?

[savedfrommyspokes]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Good one Ted. Eight card set in which three of the players are incorrect ( Furillo/ Rosen/ McCullough). What was it's origin and purpose ?

Isn't this the set that was prepared for some sort of Topps function?

[ALR-bishop]

Dave Hornish, my go to Topps man, has surfaced that theory, maybe for one of the Topps annual banquets. I have the programs for 59 to 66 , then nothing further until 1978. Yet based on the later numbered programs it appears there were banquets held throughout the 70s. I think it is still a bit of a mystery. If done for a formal event how the heck did Topps mess up three of the 8 cards ?

[Zach Wheat]

Originally Posted by savedfrommyspokes

71 OPC, Semi and Hi #s specifically. 74 OPC is scarce too.

Agree. Also '71 is such a condition sensitive set....trying to collect this in any form of VG+ is difficult.

Z

[toppcat]

For Topps you have to differentiate between the sets that never made it out to retail and those that did. Two different animals to my mind. 71 Greatest Moments would be a retail set while the 71 Rookie All Stars are actually one of a kind pieces made for a special event. Something like the 1980 coins would be in house mock ups or proofs with only a small handful of each produced. The RAS and Coins were never meant for public consumption. As for the 53 Reprints, DIschley may or may not have suspect info but they were clearly produced in quantities around that of a test issue. I still think a luncheon or testimonial dinner would cover them and like to think maybe they were made for Woody Gelman's retirement dinner (j/k)......he may have crayoned this player notation on the back of my Furillo though, as it's close to his style of handwriting (neater than normal). No clue where the pencilled Pee Wee came from (click the link to see): http://toppsarchives.blogspot.com/search/label/1972%20%2753%20Topps%20Reprint


I've seen the other errors with a crayoned back as well but don't have scans.

[ALR-bishop]

Although I have a wrapper and have seen a box, do you think these were really retailed in packs, or just sold by the Card Collector's Company or others from produced but not distributed inventory ?

[toppcat]

Here's the Trader Speaks for October 1971 with relevant content on Greatest Moments, followed at the bottom by a single page from the June 1973 issue with the first CCC ad I could find that mentions the set. There's some bonus content on 1971 Topps regular series distribution and a few other goodies but the east coast vs west coast theory of how these sets came to the hobby is interesting to me as is the "no short prints" dealers. It would be a little of both to my mind-test a set you think would do well and when it doesn't sell, dump it through CCC Haber and the like.

The "53 Reprint", which is really a Goudey homage using artwork already issued in '53, is still the subject of scrutiny and there are various ways it could have been handed out initially but it follows the same rough trajectory as Greatest Moments. At 8 cards, it's likely too small a set to have been a retail test but a lab or field (schoolyard) test is possible to me. Most if not all Topps sets, regular or otherwise, could also have seen at least partial distribution in Fun Packs or similar repackages as the used different avenues to shed overstock. And in the June 1973 ad, were those the Boxed Batter Up sets of 1968 Game Cards?

[ALR-bishop]

Great info as usual Dave. It says it was issued in Brooklyn in July and by October the Card Collector was selling it as a set. Do you think it was really sold at retail or just sold out of the warehouse ?

[glenv]

The above Trader Speaks talks about the Sunnydale Farms sport plaques. Don't recall ever seeing one of those. Does anyone have a scan of one they can share?

[moeson]

Originally Posted by ALR-bishop

Great info as usual Dave. It says it was issued in Brooklyn in July and by October the Card Collector was selling it as a set. Do you think it was really sold at retail or just sold out of the warehouse ?

Al, that ad is from October 1973.