Like the country itself, Topps was wobbling a bit as 1974 unfolded. Against a backdrop of Watergate, an energy crisis and an unpopular war winding down, the company would send 440 of its workers to the unemployment line. Sugar prices were up and that meant it was costing more to make the 200 tons of gum it produced and sold in various forms. Its baseball card set was fraught … [Read more...] about “The Hobby” 50 Years Ago: Baseball, Big Business, Small Business and Berger
Washington NL
Notes: Oddity on 1974 A’s Team Card, Card Show News
The 1974 Topps baseball set has its share of errors and corrections. The Washington NL "jump the gun" variations are the most famous, but there's also the Jesus Alou "no position" variation. Now, another oddity has surfaced, although this one seems to run more along the line of 'printing error." Collector Steve Schnaper sent us an image of an Oakland A's team … [Read more...] about Notes: Oddity on 1974 A’s Team Card, Card Show News
Moving to One Giant Series Put Topps in Bind 40 Years Ago
Forty years ago, Topps made a major change in how baseball cards were distributed. Rather than produce a ‘living set’ that revealed itself series by series from late winter through the pennant race, Topps produced its entire flagship set in one fell swoop. The 1974 Topps Baseball set was a landmark for that reason—and an explosion of unbridled craziness thanks to one … [Read more...] about Moving to One Giant Series Put Topps in Bind 40 Years Ago
1974 Topps Washington Nationals: The Year Topps Jumped the Gun
Every once in a while a set of unusual circumstances can dictate the interest and value of a baseball card and the 1974 Topps "Washington Nationals" variations are one such example. The "Nationals" didn't arrive in Washington, DC until the 2005 season, yet that "team" has some of the most coveted cards in the '74 Topps issue. As long-time vintage collectors know, this … [Read more...] about 1974 Topps Washington Nationals: The Year Topps Jumped the Gun