1975 Topps George Brett (PSA Graded MINT 9)
The 1975 Topps set is one of the best sets of the 1970’s. Great rookie cards, specials and condition problems make this one a keeper. The cards were standard, measuring 2 ½ by 3 ½, and the set contained a total of 660 cards. Hank Aaron, the all-time home run king, was used to “bookend” the set. His highlight card is at the beginning and his regular issue is at the end. Not a bad choice by Topps. There are a few other interesting aspects to this set so let’s break it down.
First, the 1975 Topps cards are fairly tough for an issue that is not considered that old by collector standards. The multicolored borders, with the top half differing from the bottom half, is the first obstacle. Many of the cards have dark colored borders that surround the entire card. The slightest fray and chip will be immediately apparent to the viewer. In fact, the colored borders can make the edges look even worse than they really are, so look at these closely.
The next obstacle is the centering. The centering on these cards is absolutely all over the place. Many of the cards are found with significant tilts that can really hurt the eye appeal due to the design of the cards. These cards have a frame around the picture that can help collectors determine centering.
The last major obstacle is print defects. Because of the array of colors used on these cards, print tends to show up on the face of many of the examples. You also see the typical black print spots from time to time and when you have many cards with yellow borders, the print really jumps out at you. Print defects can really take away the visual appeal of the cards, so watch out.
Second, the 1975 Topps set has a great assortment of quality rookie cards. You have individual cards for rookies, Robin Yount and George Brett, both Hall of Famers. Then you have a few other rookie cards, which contain four players on each card and contain potential Hall of Famers. Gary Carter should be inducted fairly soon after the induction of Carlton Fisk. Carter’s numbers match up well with Fisk’s. Then you have Jim Rice. One of the best sluggers of his era, Rice is a borderline case but stands a decent chance at induction somewhere down the line. Fred Lynn and Keith Hernandez rookie cards also appear in this set and while neither one will likely ever make the Hall, they were both very solid, popular players. As you can see, there are some great rookies in this set.
Finally, the overall selection makes this set popular. Beside the rookie cards, you have a few early cards of players such as Mike Schmidt and Dave Winfield. There are some older superstars like Brooks Robinson, Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Harmon Killebrew, and Lou Brock who were soon to be retired. The MVP Special cards are also fairly popular and picture vintage Topps cards of players like Mickey Mantle and Roberto Clemente.
The 1975 Topps set has a lot of great qualities and because the set is from the 1970’s, the cards offer an affordable alternative to the older examples that are pre-1969. This really is a fun set so keep your eyes open on this one; this may be a diamond in the rough!