Aside from the distribution discussion, one question I have mused about is precisely why Topps made the decision to create and test the MINIs in the first place.
I know it's just my opinion, but I think it was to ascertain whether kids and the new wave of collecting adults would accept or reject these new puny cards. Duh--obviously, but let's go a bit deeper.
Now, Bazookas were always a nice, smaller box card, few in number, with built-in scarcity, star players, and at a much higher price per card (though you were technically just buying the large quantity of gum and the cards were simply part of the package, though obviously an inducement to purchase that much gum).
Historically, Topps had reduced the size of their cards in '57. The difference was stark, but kids got used to it. Now it's 1975. Our country was trying to get out of the terrible recession of 1973-74. We were about to be hit with one of the worst periods of double-digit inflation, during the Carter administration. In 1975, Topps had increased the cost of a wax pack from 10 cents to 15 cents. The MINIs would have trimmed Topps' overhead costs by perhaps 25%. Maybe it was about this time that Topps trimmed the size of their stick of gum tucked in the wax pack.
Somehow the Topps people got the message their standard size had best be status quo, and don't monkey with the size any more, or else. As George Bailey aptly said, "What the ....!" Just my fifteen cents.
Anybody know for certain? --Brian Powell
