Brand name printed on the merchandise in the 1970s
The 1970s saw Topps go largely uncontested in the sports card market. The decade featured full runs of baseball, football, basketball, and hockey. Aside from issues like Kellogg's cereal premiums which ran throughout the 70s there was not much in the way of major national card manufacturers to compete with. Topps maintained its license agreement with O-Pee-Chee in baseball and hockey. The company would have significantly more ground to cover given the growth of the professional sports leagues during the decade. Major League Baseball added four new teams in 1969 and two in 1977; the National Football League added two teams in 1976; the National Basketball Association gained three in 1970, one in 1974, and the American Basketball Association picked up one in 1972; the NHL acquired two teams in 1970, 1972, and 1974. Soccer also made the Topps roster in the 70s, producing English and Scottish 'Footballers' for distribution in the United Kingdom. Domestic soccer was not to be forgotten with an North American Soccer League sticker set in 1979. The following are trading card sets issued by Topps in the 1970s.
Burger King In 1977 Topps produced a set featuring the New York Yankees for New York City areaBurger King fast food restaurants. The cards were identical to the 1977Topps regular issue cards and were distributed as part of a promotion at the company's outlets in the region. Some of the players had a different photo than the their Topps counterpart. This Burger King set originally had 22 cards plus a checklist card, but a Lou Pinella card was added after the promotion began along with a revised checklist. Only the checklist card featured any Burger King branding.
The next year, Topps produced for Burger King issued sets of New York Yankees, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, and Texas Rangers for distribution at outlets in the home areas of the teams. The cards were almost identical (the photo area is slightly larger) to the 1978Topps regular issue cards Some of the players had a different photo than the their Topps counterpart including some who have changed teams, most notably the Yankees Goose Gossage. Also of note are single rookie cards for the Tigers Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, and Lou Whitaker, who all appeared on multiple player rookie cards in the Topps set. As with the previous year, only the checklist card featured any Burger King branding.
In 1979, the promotion was reduced to two teams, the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies. Again the cards were virtually identical to the 1979Topps regular issue cards for distribution at outlets in the home areas of the teams. Some of the players had a different photo or photo cropping variation than the their Topps counterpart and the card number on the back was in a different typeface. The Burger King set featured 22 cards plus a checklist card. Several cards reflected players changing teams, most notably Pete Rose (Phillies) and Tommy John (Yankees).
NBC In 1976, Topps produced a promotional business card for NBC featuring former baseball player and then Today Show host Joe Garagiola. The front of the card resembles the 1973 Topps baseball set with Garagiola being listed as a member of the "NBC All Stars."The reverse resembles the 1976 set, but is printed in black instead of green. Garagiola's career statistics are featured, as well as his contact information at NBC.
Zest Soap In 1978, Topps produced for Procter & Gamble's Zest brand soap a set of five cards as a promotional item. The cards were basically identical to the 1978 Topps set, but they featured bilingual English/Spanish backs, and only five players, all Hispanic, were featured. [1]
1978 Atlanta Nobis Center is a 24-card standard size set that look like 1959 Topps cards.
Licensed Sets
Canada
Since 1965, the Canadian candy company O-Pee-Chee produced virtually identical, but smaller, sets identical to the Topps issue of the same year. The Canadian printed cards tended to be printed on lighter grey cardstock and often included traded lines on the front of the cards. In 1972, due to Canadian law, the cards were modified to include both French and English text in which case T.C.G was replaced by O.P.C. in the copyright line. The 1971 set featured some card backs that were different than their Topps counterpart; while in 1977 different photos were used on some of the cards. Other variations include yellow backs in 1971 and 1974 rather than green used by Topps. From 1973 until 1975, the amount of cards in both the Topps and O-Pee-Chee sets were identical in size.
Year
Set
Description
Cards in Set
Size
Notes
1970
O-Pee-Chee
546
2.5 x 3.5 inches
bi-lingual backs
1971
O-Pee-Chee
752
2.5 x 3.5 inches
yellow backs, some bi-lingual
1972
O-Pee-Chee
196
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1973
O-Pee-Chee
660
2.5 x 3.5 inches
Blue Team Checklists
24
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1974
O-Pee-Chee
660
2.5 x 3.5 inches
yellow backs
Red Team Checklists
24
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1975
O-Pee-Chee
660
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1976
O-Pee-Chee
660
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1977
O-Pee-Chee
264
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1978
O-Pee-Chee
242
2.5 x 3.5 inches
1979
O-Pee-Chee
374
2.5 x 3.5 inches
United States
1978 Detroit Free Press A Sunday edition of the paper issued on April 16, 1978 featured 28 color reproductions of Detroit Tigers cards from the 1978 Topps set. The backs were also printed on separate pages in black and white. The readers was instructed to cut out the cards and paste them together.
Football
1970
Base set 263 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Glossy Inserts 33 cards Size: 2-1/4 X 3-1/4 in.
Posters Inserts 24 posters Size: 8 X 10 in.
Topps Super 35 cards Size: 3-1/8 X 5-1/4 in.
1971
Base set 263 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Game Inserts 53 cards Size: 2-1/4 X 3-1/4 in.
Posters Inserts 32 posters Size: 4-7/8 X 6-7/8 in.
Bazooka 36 cards/12 panels of 3 Size: 2-5/8 X 5-7/8 in.(1-15/16 X 2-5/8 individually)
1972
Base set 351 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Bazooka Official Signals 12 cards Size: 6-1/4 X 2-7/8 in.
1973
Base set 528 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Team Checklists 26 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1974
Base set 528 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Parker Brothers Pro Draft 50 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Team Checklists 26 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1975
Base set 528 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Team Checklists 26 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1976
Base set 528 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Team Checklists 30 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1977
Base set 528 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Holsun Packers/Vikings 22 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
During the 1970s Topps issued cards featuring the National Hockey League in conjunction with their Canadian partner O-Pee-Chee who issued larger sized sets in Canada.
1970-71
Base set 132 cards Size: 2-1/2 X 4-11/16 in.
Topps Sticker Stamp Inserts 33
1971-72
Base set 132 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1972-73
Base set 176 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1973-74
Base set 198 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1974-75
Base set 264 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1975-76
Base set 330 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1976-77
Base set 144 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Glossy Inserts 22 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1977-78
Base set 264 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Glossy Inserts 22 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1978-79
Base set 264 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1979-80
Base set 264 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Soccer
In 1974, Topps bought out A.&B.C. Gum of London, England, a company which had been a long time producer English and Scottish soccer cards. Topps continued to produce these sets for distribution in the UK. In 1979 Topps produced a 33 card sticker sets of the North American Soccer League featuring primarily team logos.
1975
English Footballers 220 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Scottish Footballers 88 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1976
English Footballers 330 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Scottish Footballers 132 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1977
English Footballers 330 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Scottish Footballers 132 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1978
English Footballers 396 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Scottish Footballers 132 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
1979
English Footballers 396 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Scottish Footballers 132 Cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
NASL Stickers 33 cards Size: 2.5 x 3.5 inches
Non-sport
Confections
References
Sources
Beckett, Dr. James et al (2002). "Beckett Baseball Card Price Guide". Beckett Publications-Dallas, Texas ISBN 1-930692-17-X
Lemke, Robert F. (2006). "Standard Catalog of Baseball Cards". KP ; Newton Abbot-Iola, Wisconsin ISBN 0-896893-72-3
Beckett, Dr. James et al (2005). "Beckett Football Card Price Guide". Beckett Publications-Dallas, Texas ISBN 1-930692-41-2
Benjamin, Christopher et al (1988). "The Sport Americana price guide to the non-sports cards". Edgewater Book Co.-Cleveland, Ohio ISBN 0-937424-36-6
Beckett, Dr. James et al (2004). "Beckett Basketball Card Price Guide". Beckett Publications-Dallas, Texas ISBN 1-930692-37-4
Murphy, Mark (2002). "Unopened Pack, Wrapper & Display Box Guide". Mark Murphy-Stamford, Connecticut
Beckett, James (2004). "Beckett hockey card price guide & alphabetical checklist". Beckett Publications-Dallas, Texas ISBN 1-930692-36-6
"Cigarette Card Values". Murray Cards(International) Ltd.-London, England ISBN 0-946942-29-3
Laker, Ian A. (2004). "A.&B.C. Gum Ltd. Cards". The London Cigarette Card Co.Ltd.-Somerset, England ISBN 0-903790-95-5
Encyclopedia
top
