Best of 1975 Topps

[brewing]

List (highly encouraged to post pics) your top 5. The criteria of your selection is up to you (photo, great season, error, first card, favorite player, etc.).

We'll do each year starting from 1980 to 1952. I'll start a new year about once a week. I'll close voting a month after the first post of the thread and tally up the results.

With these basic rules...
1. You can only vote for a player's card twice during his entire run (Let's not make this a Mantle and Ryan love fest). Consider that when making your selections.

2. Provide a reason for each choice if you're the first person making that selection. You are encouraged, but it's not necessary to restate the point if someone already said it.

3. Pick only 5. We are going through 29 years, limiting to only Topps regular releases, tough decisions will be made. List honorable mentions if you desire, but they will not be counted in the final tally.

[brewing]

Finally a favorite set of many. Hopefully this will get more traffic. To me 1975 Topps is the mini. In Michigan we saw more mini's than regular sized cards. I loved the MVP subset, it taught me the MVP's from 51-74. What collector of 1975 Topps, can't recite the MVP's for those years.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/classicml/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Yount_zps93aa34a1.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/classicml/media/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Yount_zps93aa34a1.jpg.html)
I first acquired a copy of this card in 1982, traded a 1974 Parker for this and $10. Great photo of the young Yount on the way to becoming Mr. Brewer.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/classicml/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Brett_zps16484419.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/classicml/media/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Brett_zps16484419.jpg.html)
One of the best cards of the decade. Here we have Mr. Royal.


http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/classicml/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Kaline_zps5b6a6965.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/classicml/media/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Kaline_zps5b6a6965.jpg.html)
The final card of Mr. Tiger. So disappointed that Topps didn't release a final stats card for him. Notice the shadow in the back isn't his.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/classicml/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Morgan_zps9e92e9ed.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/classicml/media/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Morgan_zps9e92e9ed.jpg.html)
The best player in MLB at the time. Has the cool All Star logo. Is that picture taken at a local little league field? It sure looks like it.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k41/classicml/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Washington_zps809be739.jpg (http://s85.photobucket.com/user/classicml/media/Best%20of%20Topps/1975Washington_zps809be739.jpg.html)
What kid wasn't fascinated by this card? As a 12 yr old collector, this was a must have.

Honorable Mention:
Bench - AGAIN!! Classic pose, all star logo.
Aaron - Highlights card. First person since Ted Williams to have #1 card and last card in the set.

[JollyElm]

124687

An awesome action shot of Luis Tiant, Coluccio dumbfounded by a called strike, the Boog shouting something as he fights the sun, an artistic shot of Tom Terrific and then there's Steve Foucault. He was the last card I needed to complete the set and nobody had him to trade. Nobody!!!!! I thought they misprinted the checklist and the phantom Foucault never really existed. I had about 5 of every card in the set, but no matter how many rack packs we bought, Steve never deigned to appear. To this day, the sight of this card angers me!!!!!

[savedfrommyspokes]

The 75s are one of my favorite sets as it is a very colorful set. I like the fact that most of the players are pictured in their hats (unlike many lower series cards from the 60s and early 70s). The small price to pay for that is the number of airbrush jobs in the set. IMO, some of the worst air brush jobs (Osteen)are in this set...look at the consistency (or complete lack of) on the logos between the two Astros cards here. You have to love Staub's follow through and the precursor to Gamble's ultimate hair display on his 76 Topps TRD card.

[ALR-bishop]

In my experience, this set has fewer variations/print defects than almost any other Topps set

http://i1267.photobucket.com/albums/jj555/Bishop539/img659_zps9bc12952.jpg?t=1386688598

[Samsdaddy]

1975 Topps was the first year I collected cards and as many, your first set holds a special place in your heart.

124705

Living in the suburbs of Chicago, I was a White Sox fan and Dick Allen was the man. I still love this card even if on the back it says he was traded to Atlanta.

Also, I think it is cool he is wearing his batting helmet in the field.

124706

The last Aaron card where he appears as a Braves player. I love the All Star logo.

124707

Though I think the 1974 Reggie is a better action card, this is my favorite Reggie of the decade. Back as a 8 year old kid, I knew Reggie was a superstar as well as he was on the hottest team in baseball at the time.

124708

Fran Healy played with the Yankees for a while and became good friends with Reggie. He was a mediator between Reggie and Billy Martin. This card also reminds me of my youth. I had a ton of these. I like his pose with the big, fat catcher's mitt so prominant in the picture.

I also like Brett's rookie. I remember having his card back in 1981-82 and it was going for around $7.50 and I thought that was a lot of money for a baseball card.

[SPMIDD]

Love this set. It is my favorite 70's set next to the 1977 set. 1977 was the first year I started collecting cards. :D

[con40]

There will always be a special place in my collection for 1975 Topps. The primary colors of the All-Star cards made them my favorites.

Also loved Eck's rookie ;)

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-n3AteGxYUWs/TdrKvlVx8fI/AAAAAAAAAu4/t0vJ3F3BR_k/s1024/1975_Topps_Eckersley.jpg

[Samsdaddy]

Cool card Keith.

No doubt, 1975 Topps was the best of the decade IMHO.

[brob28]

I agree with Erik on the Allen card, loved it as a kid and still do. He was the man in the early 70's for the Sox. The others are amongst my favorites in the set.

[campyfan39]

1. Brooks Robinson (one of my fav cards of all time. Great colors and pic)

2. Brett (iconic card great colors and he looks so young)

3. Bob Gibson (last card of gibby. Great looking)

4. Robin Yount (classic pose)

5. Dave Winfield (great looking card, love the sideburns)

[PM770]

Sorry I'm late getting to the 1975 set. This is my favorite design of any sport. The color captures the 1970s perfectly. Here are my 5 favorite:

1) Gaylord Perry. The only Cleveland Indian with an All-Star designation until Tony Bernazard gets one in 1987 Topps (I'm an Indians fan).

2) Tom Seaver. As I stating collecting at 8 years old in 1978, I think this maybe the first "vintage" card I traded for. One of the first anyway.

3) Bert Campaneris. I like those old Campaneris All-Star cards from the 75 & 76 and had to get one of them in here.

4) Ralph Garr. I've liked Ralph Garr. Always had great Strat-O-Matic cards (for any players out there). Great action shot.

5) AL Champs. I've always liked this action shot. (Kind of a sneaky way to get a Brooks Robinson card without having it count against me)

I would have used Brett (already used twice) and Brooks (nice looking card, All-Star designation), but there are other Brooks cards I'll need to use.

[Exhibitman]

Never been a 1975 fan, though I had a ton as a kid because my parents bought me two boxes for my 10th birthday [best birthday present of my childhood]. My favorite in the set, the Seaver, has already been shown. Just a great photo. Mine has a little centering problem:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/1975%20Seaver%20Miscut.jpg

[the 'stache]

One of my favorite sets of all-time, and one I plan on raiding quite heavily in the next few years.

No matter how you value a Topps set, this one has everything you could want. Hall of Fame rookies? Yes please-Robin Yount, George Brett, Jim Rice and Gary Carter. Future Hall of Famers and all-time greats? Check. Frank and Brooks Robinson, Hank Aaron, Jim Palmer, Carl Yastrzemski, Reggie Jackson, Pete Rose, Bob Gibson...the list goes on and on. Condition sensitivity making high end set building a challenge? Check. Great eye appeal and lots of color? Check. Interesting subsets? Check.

You just can't go wrong with cards that look like this:

http://imageshack.us/a/img849/4716/icuj.png

:p

[the 'stache]

Never been a 1975 fan, though I had a ton as a kid because my parents bought me two boxes for my 10th birthday [best birthday present of my childhood]. My favorite in the set, the Seaver, has already been shown. Just a great photo. Mine has a little centering problem:

http://photos.imageevent.com/exhibitman/freaksandgeeks/websize/1975%20Seaver%20Miscut.jpg

Just a little bit of a centering issue. :D

I had to double check to make sure that wasn't Aaron on the bottom half. That would have made for an even cooler card.

[ALR-bishop]

That is actually one of Adam's better centered cards. I like it that while Keith (Con40) posts cards that should have been, Adam posts cards that never should have been :)Hb

[icollectDCsports]

1. Brooks Robinson (one of my fav cards of all time. Great colors and pic)

2. Brett (iconic card great colors and he looks so young)

3. Bob Gibson (last card of gibby. Great looking)

4. Robin Yount (classic pose)

5. Dave Winfield (great looking card, love the sideburns)

Also love the clear depiction of the custom shortened bill on Brooks's helmet. Pretty cool how he had this done to many of his helmets.

[Rich Klein]

It wasn't that long ago and when he left baseball, he became a cop

http://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth176358/m1/1/

Rich

[brewing]

After 10 votes

Yount 4
Seaver 3
Reggie Jackson 2
Dick Allen 2
Brooks Robinson 2
G. Perry 2
Brett 2

A bit of a traffic jam. Last call for votes, let's make some changes.

[con40]

1. The Brooksie card was always a favorite of mine. It's an iconic '70s card.
2. Oscar Gamble. Great 'fro posed shot.
3. Johnny Bench. Classic pose. Great color scheme and the AS badge caps it off perfectly.

The Yount and Brett cards are nice, but if they weren't HOF rookie cards I highly doubt they'd be on this list. Nothing spectacular about either one, in the aesthetic sense.

[mattsedate]

The 75 set is one of my favorites.

[brewing]

Any comments or additions for this set?

Lately I've thought that Topps screwed the pooch on the Aaron cards.
He was at the height of fame as the all time HR king.
Why put the All Star label on his Highlight card? Could have easily added a third card as a Brave with the All Star label.

Here is what could have been.

https://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=749&pictureid=28367https://www.net54baseball.com/picture.php?albumid=749&pictureid=28368

[jmoran19]

Really like the 74 action highlight card

[danx]

A lot of great pics above - especially the Seaver - but saving, given the one card per player rule. Can't look at the Rollie or Brooks cards without feeling like I'm 7 years old again...

[rats60]

George Brett
Bill Madlock
Luis Tiant
Joe Ferguson
Steve Carlton

[tod41]

400550

400551

400552

400556

400557

1. Brooks Robinson - The truly iconic card from this set. A thing of beauty.
2. Reggie Jackson - Beautiful shot. All-Star error card.
3. Larry Haney - Best Action Shot in set
4. Ralph Garr - Second Best action shot in set
5. Herb Washington - Pinch Runner - What else need be said?

[rats60]

Ralph Garr is a reused photo from the 1974 set.

[mintacular]

Well, I will start with the '75 Aaron. I like the Red and Yellow color scheme. Some people call this the skittles set. Enjoy!