The Dolphins and Vikings were really good. So was USC. Nixon was in trouble and much of the country was in panic over the ‘energy crisis’. 1974 was a different time but consistency reigned again at Topps where the company’s football card issue mirrored the one put out the year before: 528 cards, all in one series. The cello pack wrapper looked almost exactly like it had in 1972 and ’73 and would again in ’75, ’76 and ’77.
This week, our Vintage Pack Break of the Week from Just Collect takes us back 39 years to a time when O.J. Simpson was just a really good running back, the Colts were entrenched in Baltimore, Johnny U was still hanging on and Ahmad Rashad was a football player, not a TV personality.
1974 Topps cello packs contained 20 cards for a quarter—not a bad deal—and you even got a stick of gum. One caution would be centering. Like other years, 1974 offers up its share of poorly cut cards so what you’ll find inside is a toss up.
’74 is not a spectacular year for rookies but there’s plenty of potential star power: Unitas, Staubach, Bradshaw and numerous other Hall of Famers had cards in this set.
A wax box recently sold at auction for $829.
Let’s watch the break:
Just Collect is buying vintage unopened packs and vintage cards. See them online at JustCollect.com. They offer hundreds of fresh items via their weekly eBay auctions.
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