1971 Topps Football - anyone else collecting this set?

[jmoran19]

1971 Topps (-hockey) is my favorite year. Bought a ton of 71 FB as a snot nosed 9 year old & have 4 complete sets (nmmt, nm, exmt and ex) as well as 20 plus unopened wax, cello and raks from this set.

I have also opened a few packs over the last 15 years. Wax packs have a game card, poster and 8 regular series cards. Cello packs have 23 cards in a sequence of 7 cards/gum/8 cards/8 cards. Raks are the biggest bang for the buck as they contain 54 cards in three 18 card sections.

Below are a few pics of my packs. Will post pics of the uncut sheets and some notes about quasi variations later. JOhn

[Kurri17]

OH my!! Simply gorgeous, and rare beasts indeed.

[familytoad]

I need to wipe the drool of envy from my iPad screen.
Amazing stuff , John!

I recall trying to help you with misfits that would identify the 2nd series sheet, as you had all the 1st series figured out.
Despite the yes, many thousands of these cards that I have, I don’t seem to run into the serious miscut cards lately.
Did you determine the layout of the 2nd series?

I know this is a show and tell, not a show and sell, but if you wanted to move an unopened pack someday, I’d be very interested. I would like to find a wrapper too. I haven’t ever looked for one, but seeing your awesome display here makes me desire one.
Thanks so much for sharing!

[familytoad]

I’m not going to compete with the quality of the work John is showing.

Maybe the quantity though...

But I bought two more good sized lots this week , one which had a low grade Bradshaw in it.
That allows me to slide the final card of the set into its binder slot!!



Oh wait...the way I wrote that might make it seem like I finally finished the set.
Well, true...but it is my 17th full set.

I have another 12 sets partially (mostly) full with binders/sheets awaiting the last ones. (A dozen more Bradshaw cards are needed)
And I have another large group of 11 sets started that I don’t have put in binders yet... but maybe this month when I get a few days off. That would make 40 partial sets. Kinda silly, eh?

Collect what you like...

[Bigdaddy]

Originally Posted by familytoad

Oh wait...the way I wrote that might make it seem like I finally finished the set.
Well, true...but it is my 17th full set.

I have another 12 sets partially (mostly) full with binders/sheets awaiting the last ones. (A dozen more Bradshaw cards are needed)
And I have another large group of 11 sets started that I don’t have put in binders yet... but maybe this month when I get a few days off. That would make 40 partial sets. Kinda silly, eh?

Collect what you like...

That's the craziest thing I've ever heard.

Do you collect Bartirome also?

[Exhibitman]

One of my favorite sets as a kid. I busted a ton of packs in 1971; I was six. In 1977 I went into a local candy store with my family and found a partial box of 2nd series cello packs on sale. After much whining I got them all. Wish I still had them intact...one had a Bart Starr on top and one had a Namath showing.

Recently I purchased a small collection with some 1971s and some posters and game cards that were untouched. It was quite nostalgic opening crisp Topps posters for the first time. One of the handled posters was OJ and it turned out to have a beautiful vintage signature on it.

[G1911]

Originally Posted by jmoran19

1971 Topps (-hockey) is my favorite year. Bought a ton of 71 FB as a snot nosed 9 year old & have 4 complete sets (nmmt, nm, exmt and ex) as well as 20 plus unopened wax, cello and raks from this set.

I have also opened a few packs over the last 15 years. Wax packs have a game card, poster and 8 regular series cards. Cello packs have 23 cards in a sequence of 7 cards/gum/8 cards/8 cards. Raks are the biggest bang for the buck as they contain 54 cards in three 18 card sections.

Below are a few pics of my packs. Will post pics of the uncut sheets and some notes about quasi variations later. JOhn

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and stuff guys! These packs are fantastic. I'd like to add a wrapper and one of the yellow boxes at some point as a cool supplement.

I'd love to see the uncut sheets, I don't believe I've ever ran into one. Quasi variations would be similarly appreciated .

[jmoran19]

Thanks for the kind words everyone. Life got in the way this week but I’ll start posting the uncut sheets and notes about them this weekend.

I also have some beautiful 1971 2nd series candy apple red wrappers available for sale. Send me a message if you are interested in one.

John

[jmoran19]

Brian, thanks again for your help with piecing together the uncut series 2 sheets. I have completed the job and will post them soon.

John

[mr2686]

Is it just me, or do other people here recognize the names and the faces of almost everyone in these 1971 cards, yet, don't have a clue who 50 percent of the current players are? Hmmmm

[G1911]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Is it just me, or do other people here recognize the names and the faces of almost everyone in these 1971 cards, yet, don't have a clue who 50 percent of the current players are? Hmmmm

I don’t have a clue who half of the current players are. I stopped watching but still love the old game and recognize each photo in the 71 set.

[jmoran19]

Ok, here is the first series uncut sheet. The standard size print sheet from this era was 264 cards but the first thing Topps did was to cut them in half (132 cards per) for easier handling.

This is the A or left side of the 264 card sheet. The checklist in row 1 column 1 was printed again with the 2nd series sheet so there is potential that this card has a variation in the printed data. Def. can have a "miscut border" variation as i will talk about with the series 2 sheet.

[jmoran19]

Here is the B or right half of the 264 card sheet. As you can see Topps flipped the 6 row layouts therefore rows 1, 6, 7 and 12 can have "miscut" variations. Example the row 1 cards on sheet B can be miscut so bad that the top of the card has a white strip. If miscut on sheet A there will be a blue portion of the card above it on sheet A. Same type of logical apply's to rows 6, 7 and 12. Not really a variation but hey...

[G1911]

Originally Posted by jmoran19

Ok, here is the first series uncut sheet. The standard size print sheet from this era was 264 cards but the first thing Topps did was to cut them in half (132 cards per) for easier handling.

This is the A or left side of the 264 card sheet. The checklist in row 1 column 1 was printed again with the 2nd series sheet so there is potential that this card has a variation in the printed data. Def. can have a "miscut border" variation as i will talk about with the series 2 sheet.

Very awesome! Thanks for sharing these, never seen a sheet before

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by G1911

I don’t have a clue who half of the current players are. I stopped watching but still love the old game and recognize each photo in the 71 set.

Yep, those guys back then...I could name you almost everyone on both sides of the ball, but not now. They were so colorful back in the day. Purple people eaters, doomsday defense, fearsome foursome, steel curtain, killer B's. Now they have a bunch of individuals that just want to dance after a sack or TD. I guess I'm just getting old. LOL

[G1911]

Originally Posted by mr2686

Yep, those guys back then...I could name you almost everyone on both sides of the ball, but not now. They were so colorful back in the day. Purple people eaters, doomsday defense, fearsome foursome, steel curtain, killer B's. Now they have a bunch of individuals that just want to dance after a sack or TD. I guess I'm just getting old. LOL

It ain't just old age lol, I'm too young to have ever seen any of the 70's players, but between the rule changes, social politics in every broadcast, and focus on end zone dances, I'd rather keep learning about the old game and putting sets of those days together than deal with the modern stuff. Besides, they don't put cheesy cartoon characters in the card designs these days