1975 Topps Mini Baseball Cards; Flawed, Scarce...& Enamored by Collectors

 

  

                       

Hi Folks,
   Today, we are going to take a fun ride together back to 1975, no bell-bottoms or disco ball required! To that, I promise!

   What started out as a test across a few states, grew into a cult-like following, with popularity among investors that has spiked of late.

   It was literally a carbon copy of the main set, but the cards were approximately 20% the size of the mother/base set.
 
   What cards am talking about? The 1975 Topps Mini Baseball Card Set, of course!!

   Some notable cards stand out on the lips of any baseball card collector when they hear the words "1975 Topps Mini" uttered, and their thoughts sway to the mini George Brett and Robin Yount Rookie Cards. That's followed with a chaser of Jim Rice, Gary Carter, Keith Hernandez, and the Hank Aaron cards that start and end the set, in light of his major Home Run milestone accomplishment of passing Babe Ruth on the All-Time Home Run Leaders list in 1974.

   These scarce cards are tough finds to begin with, and even more-so in mint condition, because, similar to the 1971 Topps solid Black border that chipped and showed cardboard easily, the rainbow of colors that form the borders of the 1975 Topps Minis suffer the same existence. Add to that some bad color mixes and smudging, and also, the imprecise sheet-cutting of the time (making for off-center and diamond-cut cards), and you have a tough find if you are looking for Gem Mint Cards.

   Talk about a test run...you would think Topps would have been more careful, but a lot of these cards left the factory disheveled, in terms of cut and other factory flaws usually weeded out via the old "Inspector #5" method. I believe there was a certain color combination that was more likely to have issues, such as size, but I was not sure of which combo. I believe it was one of the combos with Yellow in it. If you know, please chime in with your comments below.

   One example, per PSACard.com, is the #647 card of Claudell Washington, which at the time they wrote their article, only one PSA 9 was found, and no PSA 10's. Another card is the #16 card of Frank Tanana, of which there are just two in PSA 9 or better. We have an amazing Tanana card, ungraded, and we have made that card available on CardboardandCoins.com

   Some other cards, per PSA, that have been scant in the high-level grades are the George Brett Rookie Card (#228), and also the last card, Hank Aaron (#660), the latter of which shows up often as diamond cut.

   Prices run somewhat higher than the standard size cards from 1975, yet, there are a few players that flip flop between being more expensive as a mini and more expensive as a base set card.

   Overall, there is an inverse relationship, because as more folks are investing in these, the scarcity increases.

   On a personal level, I love the 1975 Topps Minis, and they are truly an Epic part of the baseball card collecting landscape. Within a few more years, I am positive that these cards will be viewed in the category of "Elite" cards, in the company of the 1952 Topps Set and other such pillars of our hobby. Mini cards are issued each year now, but the imitations always pale in comparison to the real father of Minis, the 1975 Topps Mini cards.

   Per PSA's price guide, you can notice some of the more expensive commons, and we have listed a few NM & close to NM rare cards for your review, including:

#16 Frank Tanana (Rookie Card) 

#246 St. Louis Cardinals Team Card with Red Schoendienst (Deceased)

#253 Jesus Alou

#306 1974 Batting Leaders (Carew/Garr)

#545 Billy Williams, a HOF'er


What are your thoughts on the 1975 Topps Mini set?

REMEMBER: 20% Off + FREE SHIPPING (Use code 20LESS at checkout) 

Have a great weekend, enjoy, and be safe!!

Many thanks and Regards,
Rob Eisenstein and your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
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TAGS: #Topps #Mini #BaseballCard #1975 #Set #Brett #Yount #Carter #Hernandez #Rice #Aaron #Ruth #HomeRun #1971 #off-center #diamondcut #PSA #graded #factory #ClaudellWashington #FrankTanana #collecting #1952 #Cardinals #Schoendienst #Alou #Batting #Carew #BillyWilliams

IMPORTANT: 12 Serious Phobias of Baseball Card Collectors and MLB Fans

Hi Folks,
    A little something for your Friday, before you head into the weekend.

IMPORTANT: 12 Serious Phobias of Baseball Card Collectors and MLB Fans

1.  SuspiciousSigneraPhobia - The fear that a player's auto you got through the mail (TTM) was actually done by the Star's Mom.

2.  OMGFinallySPSSPWowaPhobia - The fear of how you will react if you ever pull an SSP. Condition worsens when thoughts stray to /1 or /5 Serial-Numbered SP and SSP cards.

3.  GradeMeGemaPhobia - The fear of getting anything less than 10's on the cards you sent for grading.

4.  GottaGoByeBlackBordersaPhobia - The fear of being at a card show table surrounded by NM-Mint 1971 Topps Baseball cards on sale for 10c per card (Stars included), while regretting you drank a 40 ounce of coffee and 3 bottles of water before you arrived at the show and realizing the bathrooms are all out of order

5.  WhichBoxConfusionaPhobia - The fear of not being able to decide between a Blaster or a Hobby Box. Further worsened by lack of information on how many Autos or Game-Used Jersey cards are in either of these boxes.

6.  NoRefractorHereaPhobia - The fear of not getting a refractor in your Blaster/Hobby Box, or getting a refractor, but it being the only off-center card in the entire box.

7.  InsertsAbsentaPhobia - The fear of not getting an insert in your Blaster/Hobby Box, not even bottom-of-the-outside-box cards you can cut out.

8.  HeyWhyNotMeaPhobia - The fear of your friend pulling the SSP that you were supposed to get. Made worse when you realize he also wound up with more refractors and serial #'d cards than you.

9.  WhichShowManiaPhobia - The fear of not being able to decide which of two long distance card shows to attend, while your car is in the shop, and a blizzard is paralyzing everything but the two shows.

10. PreShowHustleaPhobia - The fear that you will not be able to put in enough overtime before the show so you can go there flowing with Pesos. Also, the fear of traveling a long distance to a show, only to realize once you get there that you forgot your wallet. Also, the fear of traveling a long distance to a show, only to realize the show is next week, not this week.

11. YankeesPleaseNoaPhobia - Specific to us NY Mets Fans, the fear of the Yankees making the playoffs and not the Mets. Another variation is when a Yankee makes the Hall of Fame (HOF) instead of a Met.

12. Withdrawal - Experienced daily by fanatic Baseball fans, starting from the end of the World Series and lasting until the First day of Spring Training.


If you experience any one of these, we suggest that you immediately check out an online vendor, for example, http://www.CardboardandCoins.com


Ahhhh....Baseball Cards !


;)

Have a great weekend!!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com


Tags: Baseball Card, Collectors, MLB, Auto, TTM, SSP, SP, Serial, Grade, Gem, Mint, Topps, Blaster, Hobby, Game-Used, Refractor, Mets, Yankees, HOF, World Series, Spring Training

#BaseballCards #Collectors #MLB #Auto #TTM #SSP #SP #Serial #Grade #Gem #Mint #Topps #Blaster #Hobby #Game-Used #Refractor #Mets #Yankees #HOF #WorldSeries #SpringTraining #Baseball #Box #Case

5 Oddball Collectibles Walk into a Bar...

Hi Folks,
   Happy Wednesday to you!

   It has been a crazy week in terms of some finds we've added to the website (http://www.CardboardandCoins.com).

   In order to truly relay this to you, I'll continue from the subject line forward: 5 Oddball Collectibles Walk into a Bar...A basketball card, a football card, 2 baseball cards, and a Wheat Cent. Each "bar patron" to be described below.

Jordan, Bo, Jefferies, Rocket, and the 1915 Cent...

   A Very Rare Low-POP 1993 Stadium Club Michael Jordan Card. What makes it so special? It is the coveted "MEMBERS ONLY" version. I saw this when visiting some of our partner card-shops, and I knew the variation and the price right away. I made an sweet deal for a less than market price, and in keeping with our mission, I have passed the savings on forward with a still lower than market price. The Rare Jordan Card can be seen or purchased here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1993-stadium-club-michael-jordan-hof-members-only-super-rare-low-pop


   Now walking in the bar is Mr. Bo Jackson, wearing his MINOR LEAGUE Memphis Chicks Uniform. Yep, you heard that right...in 1986, before he wore Royals Blue, Bo played with the Chicks. This low-production and very Rare, "Silver Edition" Bo Rookie Card from Time Out Sports can be seen and purchased here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1986-memphis-chicks-bo-jackson-rookie-card-card-28-mlb-royals-minor-league-team


   Next comes Gregg Jefferies. Who? Gregg Jefferies was a top prospect for the Mets in the mid-to-late 80's. Gregg comes to us on a 1988 STAR Blue card, which reads "Greg", not "Gregg". Issue #1 is the missing "g" error. Now, when you flip it over to see his stats....nope....it's a blank back card. You have to see this one, folks. It's a hot one! Here is the link: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1988-star-cards-greg-jefferies-missing-2nd-g-in-1st-name-and-blank-back-card-mets-rookie


   Bring in the Rocket. Raghib "Rocket" Ismail was a lightning fast player for the Raiders in the early 90's. His 1993 Topps Rookie card does garner some attention, but the very rare and coveted version is the Topps Gold version, now conveniently placed on our website for your review and/or purchase, at: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1993-topps-gold-395-rocket-raghib-ismail-rookie-card-toronto-cfl-raiders-nfl


   The final member of our Bar Room Bash is a rare Semi-Key Date 1915 Lincoln Wheat Cent . In 1915, Babe Ruth was just a Rookie, and the World was involved in a major World War, with only a couple of years until the United States stepped into the fight. In Philadelphia in 1914, 75 Million Pennies were minted, but in 1915, it dipped to merely 29 Million. In 1916, the figure jumped to 131 Million, so you can see just how rare a 1915 Penny actually is. Check out this piece of American History right here: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/rare-1915-lincoln-wheat-cent-world-war-i-reduced-production-awesome-wheat-lines


   Incidentally, once inside the collectibles bar, they ran into a 1972 Topps Tom Seaver In Action Card, and the back of this card has the data for Willie Mays instead of Tom Seaver...ERROR CARD. Oddball indeed, and not listed yet. Want to discuss this card before I list it? Use the form here to request images and further info: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/pages/contact-us


   On that topic, if you are a Seaver Fan, Met's Fan, or Baseball Fan, check out this HIGH GRADE PSA 8 NM-MT 1972 Topps #445 Tom Seaver card we just added: https://www.cardboardandcoins.com/products/1972-topps-445-tom-seaver-tom-terrific-hof-pitcher-new-york-mets-psa-8-nm-mt


Please keep in that these cards are just the tip of the iceberg in our inventory.
We have it all under one roof; Baseball Cards, All Major Sports Cards, Pokemon
Cards, Comic Books, and Plenty of U.S. Coins.
The Best Part? Every U.S. order SHIPS FREE!

Have a Great Week, from your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

CardboardandCoins.com - From Baseball Cards
to Wheat Cents, and everything in-between.
* * * * * * * * * * *
FREE U.S. Shipping Always
NO Minimum Order Size
www.CardboardandCoins.com

Everything seems to be Mike Trout lately; Don't forget Bryce Harper!

Hi folks,
   Mike Trout here. Just kidding!
   Or am I?

   Every generation in baseball has that one player who stands out leaps and bounds above the rest. When I say this, I mean not only because of their ferocious swing, lightning fast speed, or their ability to wrap it all together with a friendly smile and confidently happy laugh. I don't have to tell you about a personal favorite during the last phase of this evolution, but I should mention his name; Ken Griffey Jr. Always smiling, happy to be alive, present in the moment realizing that he is in the midst of living "The Dream", and knowing his age and not taking one single moment of it for granted. Close seconds for this honor were both Mike Piazza, and being the Anti-Yankee, I still need to be impartial here and say Derek Jeter. Strong, Silent leaders, both team captains with a warm-hearted smile and both mentally present in living their dreams. Not to mention, some pretty fast-moving Rookie Cards!

   Now, back then, Griffey was spread all over the place, aside from multiple types of cards, from mainstream to the rare type, he was just the smiling face of baseball. A big kid. Now, granted that the Internet was growing during Griffey's reign on the diamond, it cannot even compare to the internet saturation of today.

   Enter Mike Trout.

   With the country very pleased seeing Piazza and Griffey voted into the Hall, and with an eye towards Jeter's turn at the Hall in a few years, American media and fans have scoured the playing fields, and they've found their man....the new smiling face of baseball.

   So now, with the way the world is interwoven like a huge quilt, Mike Trout is everywhere. Being in a good mood one morning, I think I heard someone say, "Hey, check out the Mike Trout smile on that dude over there". I went to the doctor with a cold and the doctor asked me, "I guess you don't feel so Mike Trout today, I'm guessing". Really? Or how about the new puzzle for the ages; who would win in a fight, Mike Trout or Paul Bunyan. Here is my answer....Babe's Blue Ox.

   Now, don't get me wrong. I respect what Trout has done. It is immense. When you can hit close to .300 and 41 Hr's and it's considered a close to average year for you, that's abnormally good. And being young at heart, I think he is taking in every moment of this and living it now!! That takes good upbringing and a sharp head on your shoulders. The fact that he's a New Jersey fist-pumper instead of a New York guido, well, ok, he's got one strike against him! Seriously, a cool guy from what I can see in terms of mutual respect he shows reporters and the fans and folks around him. Trout is the real deal, he's here to stay, and he is destined for the Hall of Fame, absolutely!!

   Now, not running too far behind him is one of the coolest guys to hit the diamond, Bryce Harper. Ok, now let me be straight up and honest here; I was not the biggest fan of Bryce Harper just because he was just another guy hitting 30 home runs and batting in the middish 200's...basically, a batter that you can pull out of anywhere in the world. Not such a big deal when you need him to come up with a key hit, and he's a 1-for-4 kinda guy.

   However, after seeing Harper's consistent performance in 2015, from the beginning all the way through to the end, I have to make a few observations here, but let me stand up and say this; Bryce Harper you really are impressive! When you can walk off that field at the end of 2014 and you come back the following season hitting almost 60 points higher, all season long, you are truly a remarkable hitter. Now here is my observation which is that from the end of 2014 up until the 2015 season, Harper must have devoted 5 - 6 hours every single day in the cage hitting, hitting, hitting, and honing his eye for Balls and Strikes, so now when he's at the plate he sees a huge red beach-ball coming down the pipe instead of a tiny baseball. Now, without stating his name here (Umm, Papelbon, CEO of TEACH-ME-TO-MIND-MY-OWN-BUSINESS Inc), I and many others can see clearly how sitting out that one game gave Gordon and Arenado the opportunity to lift their average and season HR totals, respectively. Nonetheless, you rock, bro, and the word "Triple Crown" looms ahead for you.! One last note on Harper; he stated during the Post-Season that he's glad the Met's won (the Division, Pennant) because we faced the Nationals fair and square each time, and that is the mark of a true gentleman, for being mature enough to see past the friendly rivalry, and to see the bigger picture at then end of the season.

   So, miles of smiles from Trout and Harper, but Trout smiles more, thus the spread of Trout-mania. Let's just stop for a moment and think about the lives that Bryce Harper and Mike Trout lead, and let's stand back and realize just how amazing this is at their age.

    By the way, when folks start using Mike Trout in place of saying "Top Dog" or"King of the Hill", please remember this post!

   As a shout out to Mike Trout and the previous smiling icon of baseball, Ken Griffey Jr., here are some of our newest offerings of these players:


2012 Topps #446 Mike Trout "Rookie Card", NM-MT


2015 Topps Update # US227 Mike Trout, PACK FRESH, NM-MT+


2013 Topps Heritage Mike Trout 430a SP SHORT VARIATION LOW POP HIGH # ANGELS


1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD RC #1 HOF MVP Grade 8.5 NM-MT+


1989 Fleer Ken Griffey Jr ROOKIE CARD Grade 10 GEM MINT RC # 548 HOF MVP


1990 Bowman #481 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 8.5 NM-Mt


1999 Finest #200 Ken Griffey Jr., Grade 10 "GEM MINT"


Remember:, that's just a small taste of things to come. Check back here daily!

Regards,
Your friends at CardboardandCoins.com

TAGS: #Cardboardncoins #MikeTrout #BryceHarper #baseballcard #rookie #griffey #jeter

CardboardandCoins, Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Baseball card, Rookie, Griffey, Jeter