The Montreal Canadiens were still dominant. Cleveland had a franchise. The Colorado Rockies (no, not the baseball team) were a team (and made the playoffs). The 1977-78 NHL season had a lot going on but American kids collecting hockey cards found a kind of comfort food in the form of Topps hockey cards, which still came with gum and plenty of … [Read more...]
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Vintage Pack Facts: 1970-71 Topps Basketball
After dipping a toe in the pro basketball waters for the first time in 12 years, Topps jumped in with both feet in 1970-71, producing a set that was spread over two series and included many of the same features you could find on its baseball and football sets like leader cards, playoff highlights and all-star cards. The cards remained unusual in size--2 1/2" x 4 11/16", a … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1979 Topps Baseball
With challenges to is long-held monopoly now underway, Topps opted to do some branding with the design of its final baseball card set of the 1970s. For the first time in a regular issue set, they put their logo on the front of each card. Not much else had changed from the year before, but there was one other difference kids noticed right away. This week's edition … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1965 Topps Baseball
It probably took all spring for youngsters to realize it, but the days of going to the candy or drug store with a penny and buying a pack of baseball cards were over in 1965. Nickel packs had been the standard for a long time, but Topps had still produced a smaller amount of 1-cent packs each year. It's likely rising production costs were a factor and it's also … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1975 Topps Baseball
The white borders were gone. In their place was a rainbow of colors. Ten cent wax packs were gone, too, replaced by a 15 cent price tag. 1975 had brought changes to the world of bubble gum cards but Topps kept the presses rolling and there was plenty of unopened material to be had, even decades after the set that brought us a multitude of Hall of Fame rookie … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1969 Topps Baseball
It was the end of the decade...and the end of an era for those who could always count on tossing a nickel on the store counter for a pack of baseball cards. Football season brought more cards per pack but the price of had doubled for good. Expansion had come to baseball in 1969 and Topps' seven series roll out included 664 cards, making it the largest set to … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1972-73 Topps Basketball
After producing in relatively small quantities the year before, Topps made sure there was plenty of 1972-73 basketball for everyone. Even today, it's a relatively easy score, whether you're collecting cards for a set--or want an unopened pack. This week's edition of Vintage Pack Facts from VintageBreaks.com is a look back at the purple pack power of 1972-73 … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1976 Topps Baseball
It was the year of the American bicentennial and everything was red, white and blue...including the lettering on the top of Topps baseball card wax pack boxes. While the number of cards needed for a complete set wasn't changing just yet, there were quite a few ways to attack that 660-card collection. This week's Pack Facts from Vintage Breaks takes us back to the … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1971-72 Topps Hockey
The Boston Bruins were on their way to a second Stanley Cup championship in three years, Bobby Hull would score his 600th goal, Montreal's young rookie goalie was quickly becoming a star and 43-year-old Gump Worsley was still stopping shots. Hockey card collectors had two sets to pick from but the Topps set was half the size of its Canadian cousin, OPC. The good … [Read more...]
Vintage Pack Facts: 1966 Topps Baseball
The Milwaukee Braves were now in Atlanta; the Cardinals and Angels were moving into new digs, Frank Robinson would win the Triple Crown and Sandy Koufax would soon bid baseball adieu. There was a lot going on in 1966 but kids who collected Topps baseball cards could count on plunking down a nickel for some bubble gum and a few cards. Was there a Mantle inside? … [Read more...]
