If you were to guess a 1970s Topps that gives collectors both positive and negative impressions,you’dmost likely mention the 1975 Topps. While the bright multi-colored borders of the card appeal to some collectors, others find it distasteful. But despite the mixed feelings regarding the design, noone can deny the fact that the colorful borders complement the uniform of that time.
The 1975 Topps has several innovations. The set has team cards with each of the squad’s checklists on the back. There are 7 highlighted cards from the Topps 1951 to 1974 MVP cards and the rookie cards of 4 future Hall of Famers. Robin Yount and George Brett are probably the best rookie cards of the decade. They are regular sized cards and not the standard rookie cards containing pictures of 4 guys crammed on a single card. 1957 was the year Topps refined the production and efficiency of baseball cards.
A PSA 10 graded 1975 Topps Brett sold for a max of over $180,000 while the highest price ever paid for a Yount is just over $100,000. This means that Brett, in top condition, is worth more than Yount of the same grade.
The 1975 Topps made some pretty decent design choices from previous years. The distinctive colorful borders certainly make this set stand out. It I, s therefore, hard to find a high PSA grade of this set on the market, which makes their value a bit on the top side in the present day.
1975 Topps Baseball came with a 10-card wax pack with 24 in a box, a stick of gum and no inserts per pack. Pack price was 15 cents just like in the 1974 baseball wax. Cello wraps had 18 cards, one stick gum per pack and went for 25 cents. The popular 500 count vending boxes were also popular then.
There are 660 cards all distributed in one series in the 1975 Topps baseball. These cards were probably 5 different sheets of 132 cards, making up the 660 figure. The first 3 with a single asterisk, and the last 2 had double asterisks.
Topps packed this set with key rookies cards of George Brent, Robin Yount, Gary Carter and Jim Rice. Legends like Hank Aaron, Nolan Ryan, Mike Schmidt and Reggie Jackson also make the cut. They printed the 1975 Topps in a full series run instead of the series format used from 1952 to 1973. The days of collectors chasing new series as they were released were over.
There are several subsets in the overall set checklist, and they include:
Yes, Mickey was included in the 1975 Topps in a not so obvious position. The 1975 Topps has MVPs in the #189-212 subset that included Mickey Mantle. Topps issued Mickey’s last “real card” in 1969 although he never played during that centennial year of major league baseball.
Rack packs of the 1975 Topps baseball had 42 cards in the set. Topps manufactured cards in wax packs, 3-pack trays, cello packs, rack packs and the usual vending boxes sold to dealers and distributors that stocked the machine.
A 1975 Topps baseball rack pack costs 49 cents back in thosedays. It had jumped up a dime from the previous year, but was still a good deal nonetheless. The price of the rack, cello and wax pack trio was mostly up to the retailer but they were sold for between 39-43 cents each.
Topps made a mini rack pack in 1975, which followed the same sequencing as its regular counterpart. However, they also made mini versions of the wax and cello packs.
Topps manufactured a test 1975 Topps mini baseball card. They distributed it in Michigan and on the west coast. The 1975 minis were the same as the regular set except for the card size. They produced the cards when the country was in the middle of a recession. Topps was looking for ways to cut down on production costs and lower the price of the cards. The minis were sold out of vending machines in other to bypass retailers. Collectors largely ignored them for many decades. However, they are gaining some popularity in the sports card world again.
Topps put this set nicely together at 660 cards. The multi-colored borders, centering and print defects make finding the set in high-grade a tough one. The major key rookie cards of Brett, Yount, Carter and Rice are the biggest draws of the 1975 set. There are also many cards from great Hall of Famers as well.
Other Hall of Famers includes Dave Winfield, Mike Schmidt, Nolan Ryan, Bob Gibson, Frank Robinson, Hank Aaron, Lou Brock. Harmon Killebrew, Pete Rose and Brook Robinson are also keys to look out for.
This set will always be among the most coveted of the 1970s baseball card releases. Its bright and innovative design, not to mention its star-packed feature, makes it ideal for collectors.
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